USEFUL INFORMATION
AND TIPS FOR VISITORS

Before

to travel

You don't need a visa to come to Peru, but you do need a passport and now with the new arrangements you need to be vaccinated against covid-19.
Prepare for the altitude by exercising at home. Peru is a partly mountainous country and you may feel the effects of the altitude.
Research general information about Peru, uncrowded places, food, shopping, exchange rate, etc. to organize your itinerary according to your interests.
Take travel insurance. It is extremely important to take out insurance before you go on a trip in the event of a problem.

How to

arrive to Perú

Several airlines arrive in Peru: Iberia, Air France, KLM, American Airlines, Avianca, Air Canada, Continental Airlines, Latam, etc.
The nonstop Paris - Lima flight lasts 12 hours.

Formalities for

enter Perú

For the French, Belgians, Swiss and Canadians the visa is not compulsory.
A 3-month visa is issued to you upon arrival at the airport on your passport.
A passport valid 6 months before travel is required.
Due to the emergency situation produced by covid-19, upon arrival in the country, it is necessary to present:
Certificate of vaccination against covid-19.
Health certificate and commitment to isolate or quarantine the traveler in the event of covid-19.

About

luggage

It is advisable to travel light and take only what is necessary, in a suitcase or a backpack, and to have a small backpack also to move around during the day.
If you plan to go trekking during your visit, it is necessary to limit the weight of the bag to avoid overloading the porters or mules or yourself.

About

accommodation

In the city there is a wide variety of hotels and accommodation of different categories and prices, but in high season (May to October) it is advisable to book in advance.
Hotels usually include breakfast, in hostels and other lower categories, you have to ask.
If you have decided to spend a few nights of your visit in locals' houses, these are rustic but comfortable, the locals have taken great care to prepare them to welcome tourists.

About food

and drinks

The country's cuisine is characterized by its abundance and variety. The characteristic menu almost always has a hot soup as a starter and a main course usually made from potatoes and rice.
There are tourist restaurants, traditional, for locals too, with a wide variety of dishes and at different prices.
In tourist places we can also find a buffet service and à la carte dishes.

In our region we only have two seasons, the wet season (during our summer, December, January, February and part of March) and the dry season (during our winter, from April to November approximately).
The best season is during the dry period, during the day the weather is sunny and warm, at night it can vary and go down to 0 degrees.
So, it is better to equip yourself with warm clothes such as an anorak and a fleece, and also light clothes.
If you are going to be trekking while visiting the country, also plan to pack trekking clothes, hiking boots, a mountain backpack and poles.

About weather and altitude

It is advisable to do some exercise to adapt to the altitude and the varied climate.
Altitude sickness is known as "soroche", it manifests as headaches and stomach aches. To avoid this, it is recommended to approach the height in stages. To cure altitude sickness, it is recommended to rest, to eat light and to drink plenty of water: teas, matés, infusions and others. Different anti-soroche drugs are diuretics and help remove excess water from the body.
No one knows your body better than you do, so if you have a chronic illness (headaches, stomach aches, dry eyes, etc.), take your medication before you start your trip. for more safety, it is recommended to consult your doctor.
For your health, it is recommended to drink only boiled or bottled water.

About health and physical condition

There are traveling markets and tourist fairs in all the places you are going to visit. You can find different qualities of products as well as different prices, it will all depend on where you want to make your purchase.
Each region has handicrafts and various products, it is recommended to ask the guide of the region which ones are worth buying.
Contrary to what all tourism companies will tell you, negotiating when purchasing a product is not recommended. It is done locally but it is very different.

About shopping and souvenirs

Peru is generally a safe country, take normal precautions against pickpocketing. In public places, be careful with your personal effects, purse or backpack.
It is not necessary to have a passport with you all the time, a copy is sufficient. All hotels have a safety box, you can keep it there if you want.
It is not advisable to take a lot of cash money with you. You will find ATMs in almost every city and you can also pay by credit card in many hotels and restaurants.

About

security

If you have euros or dollars, there are many places in the city where you can exchange money.
In many hotels and restaurants, you can pay by credit card.
In the main cities there are banks that open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., you can also find ATMs.

About money and exchange rate

For locals, it is not customary to leave a tip when visiting a location, however, it will depend on how satisfied you are with the service.
It will also depend on the service taken; guide, driver, porter, cook and others.

About

tips