Entry requirements and documents

Visa: Citizens of the USA, Canada, the EU, Switzerland, the UK, Australia and many other countries do not need a visa for a tourist stay in Peru. Tourists may stay up to 183 days per year; the immigration officer sets the exact number of days on arrival – often 90 days. If you plan a longer trip, mention it at passport control.

Passport: Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of arrival and have at least one blank page. Immigration may ask for a return or onward ticket.

Inca Trail and Machu Picchu: Permits and entrance tickets are issued for your passport number. Please send us your passport details exactly as they appear in your passport. If you receive a new passport after booking, bring your old passport or a copy of it.

Flights: Nonstop flights from the USA and Europe, connecting in Lima and the flight to Cusco – all details here:

→ Getting to Cusco from the USA & Europe

Time zone: Peru is on UTC−5 all year round and does not use daylight saving time. From November to March, Peru has the same time as New York; during US daylight saving time (March to November), Peru is one hour behind New York and two hours ahead of Los Angeles.

Electricity: Peru uses 220 volts / 60 Hz. Most sockets accept both US flat two-pin plugs (type A) and European round-pin plugs (type C), so you often don't need a plug adapter – a small universal adapter is still useful. Check the voltage: phone, camera and laptop chargers are usually dual voltage (100–240 V), but hair dryers, straighteners or shavers rated for 110 V only will need a voltage converter.

Tipping: Tipping is customary in Peru but voluntary. In restaurants, around 10% is usual if service is not already included. On treks, guides, cooks, porters and horsemen receive their tips at the end of the trek.

→ Money, payments and tipping

Travel insurance: We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers medical treatment abroad and emergency evacuation (including helicopter rescue) and that explicitly includes trekking at high altitude – up to the highest point of your route: 4,215 m (13,828 ft) on the Inca Trail, around 4,600 m (15,100 ft) on the Salkantay Trek and over 5,000 m (16,400 ft) at Rainbow Mountain and on the Ausangate trek. Many US health plans and Medicare offer little or no coverage outside the USA – please check your policy before you travel.

→ Health, altitude and travel insurance

Please note: Entry requirements can change. Please check the current regulations with the Peruvian embassy or your foreign ministry (for US citizens: travel.state.gov) before you travel.