Plan Your Peru Trip

Peru is a popular destination and space at the most desirable hotels fills up quickly. As a rule, the further in advance you can plan, the more options you will have. We recommend planning at least six to nine months in advance throughout the year, and a year ahead of time for anything over the Christmas holiday season. Additionally, many Peru activities, including Machu Picchu entrance tickets, require permits that sell out.

We offer trips as short as 5 days, but recommend 7 days to adequately explore the Andean highlands (Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu). If you wish to visit more than one region, we recommend traveling for at least 12 days.

Many travelers like to visit Peru between the months of April and October, when the chances of rain are much lower. Avoid the height of summer (June through August) and the Christmas holiday season for smaller crowds and the best selection of accommodations. There are advantages of traveling in the off season.

We offer a variety of pre-planned tours online that have been carefully crafted with years of experience, but these can also be considered a starting point for your perfect trip. We suggest taking a look at our posted tours then contacting us with your budget, timeframe, and personal interests so we can make suggestions and tailor a trip to your needs.

Yes! We are happy to modify any tour to meet your needs and also add pre and post-tour extensions. If you sign up for a group departure we cannot change the group portion, but we can add extensions before and after.

Southern Explorations’ trips are generally private for you and your group, although some areas (all-inclusive lodge stays and cruises, for example) may require that we form groups with other Southern Explorations travelers.

The most traveled section of Peru, where Cusco and Machu Picchu are located, has a dry season (April – October) and a rainy season (November – March) with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s and lows in the 40s. Rainfall and temperatures vary in other regions depending on season and elevation.

Our trips vary in level of activity, so the requirements differ based on itinerary. It’s important to keep in mind that much of Peru is at or above 8000’ above sea level which can add some difficulty to the activities. Please check our physical ratings for each itinerary to see what may be required of you when assessing your ability to enjoy a trip. If you have any specific questions, please contact your travel planner. We have personal experience with these activities and can help you decide whether a trip is right for you.

A typical day in Peru will vary from tour to tour, but generally you can expect to start your excursions right after breakfast with a full day of scheduled activities or sightseeing. Contact your travel planner to discuss the specifics of your tour.

We primarily work with 4-star hotels in Peru and the occasional 3-star property, provided they meet our standards. We also work with several amazing 5-star properties. All of our hotels are clean, comfortable, well-located, offer en suite bathrooms and have been personally vetted by a Southern Explorations staff member.

The guides on all of our tours are experienced, fluent in English and hold a degree in a related field. The guides are experienced in the outdoors and trained in basic first aid. We tend to use the same guides as they are accustomed to the trips we offer and understand the Southern Explorations commitment to quality.

We will confirm all airfare within South America and this price will be listed separately from our base tour costs. You are responsible for booking international flights to/from Peru.

Breakfast is included every day and is served at your hotel. Lunch is included on most full day excursions and some dinners are also included, depending on the itinerary you choose. You’ll receive recommended restaurants for each city so that if your trip includes some dinners on your own, you’ll know where to go.

Our trips include most expenses. We do not include tips (guides, drivers, cruise/hotel staff), travel insurance, international flights, or other trip incidentals and personal equipment. There are occasional entrance fees that cannot be prepaid, but most are included in your trip costs and any exceptions will be clearly detailed.
 
The number of meals included vary by trip; you can tell which meals are included by looking for a B, L, or D at the end of each day’s description. This will indicate if (B)reakfast, (L)unch, and/or (D)inner is included.
 
Every trip is different, and each itinerary we send you, from initial trip proposals to your final confirmed itinerary, contains a detailed list of inclusions and exclusions. We also provide detailed tipping guides for all our confirmed travelers.

Our full terms and conditions can be found on this page just above these FAQs.

Peru is safe for travel. However, travelers should take the same precautions that they would while traveling elsewhere, particularly in large cities like Lima, to protect themselves from petty theft. Listen to the advice of your guide and hotel reception staff and take common sense precautions such as not going into unfamiliar areas alone, especially at night. Use the safety deposit box at your hotel for your passport and extra money (carry only as much as you might spend) and leave jewelry and expensive watches at home.  

Check your email for your payment confirmation and a link to access our online trip portal. Final payment due date is in your confirmation email, and we’ll send you a reminder later. Now is a good time to check into travel insurance!

Yes, travel insurance is highly recommended. There are a plethora of insurance providers but we recommend contacting Travelex Insurance Services or Travel Guard or using SquareMouth to compare other travel insurance websites.

If your plans are set and flights are available to purchase, then go ahead and book them! Some people like to watch fare trends before purchasing. Airlines post flight schedules about 10-12 months in advance, so for travelers booking trips over a year in advance, you’ll have to wait. It is relatively easy to find flights to our Latin American destinations, so unless you are traveling over the holidays or very last minute, don’t stress about finding flights!

After booking you will receive a link to our online trip portal, which includes all of the need-to-know information specific to your itinerary. This includes packing lists, restaurant recommendations, tipping guides, FAQs, electrical plugs and voltage, vaccine recommendations and money matters. Your travel planner will also be a great resource for any other information you may need.

Yes! We are happy to modify any tour to meet your needs and also add pre and post-tour extensions.

You can find more information about packing in the online trip portal. We have packing lists, footwear details, and things to consider. Review your final trip details that we send a couple of weeks prior to departure for luggage limitations and restrictions specific for your trip.

Typically flights have a 50 pound weight limit for checked luggage, depending on the airline. Your travel planner will provide more details based on your specific itinerary.

Yes! Please notify us in advance if you are celiac, gluten free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, keep kosher, or have other dietary needs. If you have picky eaters in your group, the more information you provide us the better we can accommodate them. In the online trip portal, you will see a place to indicate allergies and dietary needs.

Check the online trip portal for the most up to date information regarding traveler health and immunization recommendations.

About two weeks before you depart, we will email your final trip details that will have all of the pertinent information you need for your trip. Generally, our trips do not require any physical vouchers or documents. Some trips may have informational documents which we will include in your final trip details.

Upon arrival in Peru you will meet your guide just outside of customs for the transfer to your hotel. Specific instructions will be included in your final itinerary.

Two weeks before departure, you’ll receive your final trip details. Each evening, your guide will reconfirm the next morning’s pickup time and plan, and will provide you with special instructions if needed. When in doubt, ask your guide.

Your guide’s primary goal is to keep you safe and make sure you have fun. If you have a scheduled activity but you’re not feeling up to it please discuss options with your guide right away. There are usually many alternative options available and the guides have the ability to make changes on the fly. This may be more difficult if you happen to be on a group excursion but the guides want you to have a great day and work very hard to make that happen, so just let them know how you’re feeling!

You can expect Wi-Fi access at most hotels. When in remote areas, Wi-Fi may be unreliable or unavailable. Cell phone service depends on your cellular provider and coverage plan. We recommend that our travelers be ready to disconnect when heading to remote destinations. You are, after all, on vacation!

The hotels we work with will generally offer laundry service for an additional charge. If your itinerary includes several days in the same city, you may find it more economical to have your laundry done at a local lavanderia which will charge by the kilo.

Review the money section in the online trip portal for details on local currency, ATMs, tipping guides, and local expenses and incidentals. When in doubt, ask your guide.

To ensure the safety of our travelers, our guides are linked with outside services 24 hours a day in all locations to provide assistance when necessary. Our guides are experienced and well trained in dealing with emergencies. Because of the remote locations included on our itineraries, we recommend obtaining medical or travel insurance that includes emergency evacuation and medical coverage. A few weeks prior to departure we will provide you with our 24-hour emergency line number.

All of our confirmed travelers will receive a list of emergency contact numbers before departure, including a 24-hour emergency line. If your international flight is delayed please call this number so we can make the necessary arrangements and keep your trip running smoothly. Once on your trip and in contact with your local guide, please refer to them first for any issue you may have then contact the head office if you need additional assistance.