Which are the best months for visiting Peru?

Is there an ideal moment for visiting Peru? Which months are the best ones in terms of weather and climate? Which ones are the best ones when it comes to money and costs of touristic services? Let me answer those and other questions that might be helpful when choosing the best time for visiting Peru.

Peru is a very diverse country when it comes to basically everything. In the beautiful country of Inca heritage, you can find astonishing landscapes, rich culture and fascinating architecture. What is more, you can encounter different weather conditions depending on the place you visit. That is why it is a hard task to choose the best month to visit Peru.

How to approach this question then?

In fact, in order to answer the question of my article, you need to first ask yourself one important question before coming to Peru:

If you seek for:

• Active leisure
• Trekking in high mountains
• Spending your time in the Andes
• Spending your time in the Jungle
• Weather without rain and cloudless sky

then it is best to choose the rain-free months, in a dry season. Dry season in Peru lasts usually from May to September. Note that in May, as well as in September, you can occasionally experience rainy days and not all of the days will be completely sunny. Nevertheless, it should not affect your travel plans to the great extent.

In case you feel like going for a high mountain trek, it is advisable to choose your travel time between June and August. It might be possible to do it in May or September, but be prepared for the risk of unexpected situations or even the risk of cancelling the whole expedition.

If you seek for:

• Round trip
• Minimizing costs of your travel
• Less crowded touristy attractions

And at the same time you are not bothered by:

• Rain and sometimes heavy rain
• A good deal of insects
• Threat of cancellation or changing the schedule of the tours

then it make sense to consider coming to Peru in rainy season.

The rainy season starts in October and ends in April. You can expect the heaviest rain in January, February and March. Weather in remaining months varies a lot, depending on the particular year. You can equally expect 2 weeks of constant sunny weather or 2 weeks of constant rain. There is really no rules about that! The only reliable source of weather information are local weather experts that can foresee when and for how long you can expect rainy weather. Unfortunately, this type of advice you can only seek upon your arrival in Peru. Anyways, it might be a little bit too late!

In general, I would exclude January and February from your travel calendar. Of course, you can still travel within those two months but bear in mind you could be forced to adjust your plans and stay flexible.

Why is it like that?

It is simply because it rains a lot during those months. The rain might become so disruptive that it can easily pull your travel rug under your feet. In my opinion, there is no point on limiting yourself and letting the weather ruin your vacation. Unless you are the one seeking for that type of adventures. Then, you can enjoy little tourist traffic and cheap prices. The issue of rain holds in the mountains as well as in the jungle. Both of the parts are equally exposed to the risk of long, heavy rains. However, in case your travel lasts more than 2 weeks, you can easily adjust your schedule and still enjoy all of the planned attractions without any problems.

• Closed mountain treks
• Impassable, closed roads
• Closed entry to Machu Picchu and other tourist attractions
• Dangerous conditions on the roads due to heavy rain, landslides, mudslides and floods
• Necessity of changing travel plans
• Being stuck in one place for longer period than planned/expected

When are trips in Peru the most expensive?

The season of the year in Peru has quite a significant meaning when it comes to price levels. The prices tend to grow a lot starting from May until September, especially regarding accommodation. Still, it is not the only problem! When deciding on travelling in those months you should start your preparation relatively early. Not only are the hotels more expensive in those months, but also the offer is limited. Moreover, you should take into account that without early reservation it might be impossible to enter some of the main attractions. The most popular ones with limited entry tickets are the following:

• Machu Picchu
• Machu Picchu or Huayna Picchu Mountain
• Inca trail
• Train ticket from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and back

When planning your trip to Peru, you should always keep in mind the weather conditions and choose your date of arrival accordingly. Thanks to thorough process of planning you can easily secure yourself unforgettable, ideal vacation time. Lack of the basic knowledge about weather conditions may pull the rug from under your feet and make it impossible to fulfill your travel dreams. To sum up, while planning your travel to Peru take into consideration the threats and weather conditions that could occur in dry as well as in rainy season.