travel_tips

Choosing the ‘best’ time to visit Peru is not a straight forward business, as it’s complicated by the country’s physical characteristics. Each of Peru’s geographical zones has its own climate:-

Mid April – October. This period is the dry season, with hot, dry days (20-25°C) and cold, dry nights, often below freezing, particularly in June and July. May is perhaps the best month with the countryside exceptionally lush, yet with superb views and fine weather. You’ll find the flowers in full bloom, the grass green and the streams full. Peru’s peak season is from June to September. You’ll find Cusco a pretty cosmopolitan city with gringos from all over the globe converging on Machu Picchu. The famous pageant of Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the winter solstice (24 June) draws thousands of visitors to Cusco, so its best to arrive early or make hotel reservations in advance.

November – Mid April. This is the wet season with most rain in January and February. It’s usually clear and dry most mornings with outbursts of heavy rain in the afternoons. The daily temperatures are typically 18°C with only a small drop at night, 15°C. For trekking the locals say that the weather is best around full moon (and I tend to believe them) so if possible plan you’re backpacking then. The Inca Trail is much less crowded during this period and there’s a more abundant fresh water supply, but of course be well equipped for the rain. You’ll also find some roads may become impassable particularly when trying to visit villages off the beaten track. Many of Peru’s major festivals such as Carnival and Easter Week take place during this period.

Weather in Cusco

December – April. This is summertime on the coast where the weather is hot and dry and ideal for swimming and getting a tan. Temperatures on average range from 25 – 35°C.

May – November. From May to November the temperature drops a bit and you’ll find blankets of sea mist engulfing the coast from the south right up to about 200 km north of Lima. At this time of year only the northern beaches near Tumbes are warm enough to provide pleasant swimming.

April – October. This is the ‘dry’ season with daily temperatures averaging 30–35°C. However cold fronts from the South Atlantic are common when the temperatures can drop to 15°C during the day and 13°C at night. The dry season is the best time to visit the jungle regions … there are fewer mosquitoes and the rivers are low, exposing the beaches. It’s also a good time to see nesting and to view the animals at close range, as they stay close to the rivers and are more easily seen.

November – March. This is the wet season, hot and humid, when you can expect heavy rain at anytime. It only rains for a few hours at a time, so it’s not enough to spoil your trip. Wellington boots are a must though, as some of the jungle trails can become small rivers.

Andean Life Tour Operator
Office N° 1 : Calle Santa Teresa 381, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
Office N° 2 : Calle Plateros 372, Plaza de Armas, Cusco, Peru
(Both ones located just half block from the main square of Cusco City)

Licensed Inca Trail tour operator, specialists in trekking in the Andes (Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and other treks)

©Andean Life 1999 - 2005. All material within this web site is original work and subject to national and international copyright laws and cannot be reproduced without the written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Av. Max Temp	20	21	21	22	21	21	21	21	22	22	23	22
Av. Min Temp	7	7	7	4	2	1	-1	1	4	6	6	7
Wet days / month	18	13	11	8	3	2	2	2	7	8	12	16