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Find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Peru. We try to cover the most frequently asked questions here, however, if you do not find what you are looking for, do not hesitate to get in contact with us so that our team of experts will provide advice guidance you need.
Is engaged in Cultural Peru?
Cultural Peru is a specialist pioneer in the design of luxury travel, sustainable and tailor-made in Peru. Their team of experts specializes in the development of personalized tours of several days, including transfers, guides, hotels, activities, cruises, train tickets and entrance tickets. All trips are custom designed to meet your interests, budget and travel time to the disposal. Cultural Peru used its privileged network of specialists in various fields to provide exclusive access to private collections, and internal experiences.
Peru is a destination to travel throughout the year. Due to the large geographical diversity, with forest, desert, and mountains, the climate in Peru will vary from one region to another at any time of the year. The Andes and Machu Picchu have a dry season and rainy, and in the months surrounding the changes have a varied climate. The dry season is from may to October, with daytime temperatures of 18-25 ° C / 65-77 ° F. The rainy season extends from December to march, with daytime temperatures of 20-26 ° C (68-79 ° F. The highest likelihood of rain is usually in late January and February. The months at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season (April and November) are less likely to rain.
In Lima and the coast of the desert, including the beaches of Mancora and Moche, there is little or no precipitation. Lima is wet and may be more blurred between may and October. The average temperatures during the day are of 23-28 ° C / 74-82 ° F In the jungle, seasons, dry and rainy season are the same as the mountains, but the temperature is higher and fluctuates relatively little throughout the year, with an average temperature of 21-30 ° C / 70-86º F.
There are also many traditional festivals and colorful that take place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are traveling through this region. The main festivals include Candlemas (Lake Titicaca, February), easter (national), Lord of the earthquakes (Cusco, march), Corpus Christi (Cusco, may) and Lord of Miracles (Lima, October).
There are a variety of options according to the place where you start the journey. Almost all international flights arrive to the capital of Peru, Lima. From the EE. UU., there are direct flights from many major cities in USA. UU., like New York, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles through a range of airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue and LATAM. If you are travelling from Europe, there are also direct flights from cities such as Madrid (for example, with Iberia) and London (British Airways). There are good connections with other south american countries such as Colombia (Avianca) and Chile (LATAM). There are international flights are very limited to Cusco from Colombia with Avianca.
There are also many traditional festivals and colorful that take place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are traveling through this region. The main festivals include Candlemas (Lake Titicaca, February), easter (national), Lord of the earthquakes (Cusco, march), Corpus Christi (Cusco, may) and Lord of Miracles (Lima, October).
We organize tours to Peru, and we can arrange domestic flights. We specialize in the organization of terrestrial services in our region(transfers, trains, boats, etc) instead of flights, so that we do not offer international flights to or from their country of origin.
This depends on your passport. Citizens of most countries of Western Europe and the united States and Canada who enter Peru as tourists do not require a visa in advance and receive visas on arrival. However, any person who travel with a u.s. passport, you need a visa for Bolivia, although not for Ecuador. Travelers who require visas in advance can usually get them in embassies or consulates in their countries of residence. For information on specific and timely, please contact your nearest consulate. For citizens who require a visa, Aracari can provide documentation to support the purpose of the visit (for example, letter of visa).
Peru is a destination to travel throughout the year. Due to the large geographical diversity, with forest, desert, and mountains, the climate in Peru will vary from one region to another at any time of the year. The Andes and Machu Picchu have a dry season and rainy, and in the months surrounding the changes have a varied climate. The dry season is from may to October, with daytime temperatures of 18-25 ° C / 65-77 ° F. The rainy season extends from December to march, with daytime temperatures of 20-26 ° C (68-79 ° F. The highest likelihood of rain is usually in late January and February. The months at the beginning and at the end of the rainy season (April and November) are less likely to rain.
In Lima and the coast of the desert, including the beaches of Mancora and Moche, there is little or no precipitation. Lima is wet and may be more blurred between may and October. The average temperatures during the day are of 23-28 ° C / 74-82 ° F In the jungle, seasons, dry and rainy season are the same as the mountains, but the temperature is higher and fluctuates relatively little throughout the year, with an average temperature of 21-30 ° C / 70-86º F.
There are also many traditional festivals and colorful that take place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are traveling through this region. The main festivals include Candlemas (Lake Titicaca, February), easter (national), Lord of the earthquakes (Cusco, march), Corpus Christi (Cusco, may) and Lord of Miracles (Lima, October).
There are a variety of options according to the place where you start the journey. Almost all international flights arrive to the capital of Peru, Lima. From the EE. UU., there are direct flights from many major cities in USA. UU., like New York, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles through a range of airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue and LATAM. If you are travelling from Europe, there are also direct flights from cities such as Madrid (for example, with Iberia) and London (British Airways). There are good connections with other south american countries such as Colombia (Avianca) and Chile (LATAM). There are international flights are very limited to Cusco from Colombia with Avianca.
There are also many traditional festivals and colorful that take place throughout Peru, especially in Cusco, which can be ideal when you are traveling through this region. The main festivals include Candlemas (Lake Titicaca, February), easter (national), Lord of the earthquakes (Cusco, march), Corpus Christi (Cusco, may) and Lord of Miracles (Lima, October).
As with all of our itineraries are tailor made, we are pleased to design trips for individual travelers, whether you plan to travel only during part of the trip or the whole trip.
In Cultural Peru just we organize private trips. We do not offer tours for groups in shared service or with fixed outputs. From time to time we offer group trips with special outings that we will post on our web site. Previous trips of this type have included a trip on a cruise of special lectures by the Amazon or on a trip run by the founder of Uyuni. If you have your own group, we will be happy to help you. We have designed tailor-made tours to many groups, from multigenerational families to groups of interest and specialty organizations that visit Peru.
All the itineraries in our website are exemplary, as always we design tailor each trip to suit each passenger. Simply contact us to let us know what you're interested in and we will design a custom itinerary for you. You can pay either by bank transfer or online with Visa, Mastercard or Amex. Depending on how soon your trip, we may request a deposit payment first.
We strongly recommend that you visit your doctor to get advice, clinical professional and the most current requirements, in accordance with your medical history and personal health.
Not required vaccinations specific to Peru. However, for those who travel to the jungle, the yellow fever vaccine is recommended by the CDC and the WHO. Travel to the jungle regions of Peru previously required the vaccine against yellow fever, and although the rules are less strict, it is not surprising that it has applied for certification. The vaccine is normally required or recommended for all regions of the tropical rainforests around the world, and should be administered at least 15 days prior to arrival. If you continue your travels directly from Peru, check to see if it requires a valid vaccination certificate to enter your next destination. In addition, for certain areas of the rainforest, it is recommended that the pills against malaria, but it is not obligatory. It is best to consult with your doctor before you travel.
There are different forms to alleviate the side effects that may occur during your trip by being in a high altitude. Diamox can help when you take a couple of days before ascending and a couple of days once in altitude. Once you're in Peru, a natural remedy is the mate de coca, which will be useful during your stay at high altitude. You should also drink plenty of water before your flight at high altitude and during your stay. Eat lightly before and after you arrive and rest also minimizes the effects of the altitude, which can include headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea or loss of appetite. Arriving a few days before the start of a hike at high altitude will help your body to acclimatize in a natural way. Aracari arranges itineraries for activities in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu before arriving in Cusco (that is a a greater height), to adapt to the altitude more easily.
Cultural Peru has a medical kit basic but you might want to bring some of their own medications, especially for hiking or adventure activities, p. antidiarréticos (Imodium, Pepto Bismol for stomach pain, antihistamines (both capsules and salve), pain relievers, bandages and plasters for blisters and insect repellent. There are pharmacies in all the cities and villages of Peru, but if you have specific medical needs, please bring your medication with you.
The travel insurance is not usually a requirement, but we strongly recommend you to have insurance. We will require proof that you have health insurance for some specific activities (for example, trekking from lodge to lodge) that include evacuation coverage if you are in a remote place. We strongly recommend that travel insurance whatever their activities, to cover flight cancellations, theft, loss of luggage and general cancellation in the event that you cannot make your trip due to an illness or unforeseen circumstances. You must also cover the medical expenses incurred during the trip in case of illness or accident.
Rent a car in Peru it is possible with a tourist visa. However, our tailor-made travel include a driver. There are some disadvantages to rent a car in Peru, including the fact that the most rural areas (including the Sacred Valley) do not have signaling (or the correct location on googlemaps, etc). Some roads are of poor quality, depending on the regions he visits, and in general, the standards of driving are less strict in Peru than in the more developed countries, so it must be a driver with a lot of experience and confidence.
Due to its diverse geography, probably during your trip you will experience several microclimates. For this, use several layers of clothing works very well, especially in the Andes. We provide detailed recommendations about what to pack if you book with us, with general tips, along with suggestions for specific activities or destinations, such as going for a walk or to visit the Amazon. Outside of Lima, in the main tourist destinations, travelers tend to dress casually or informally, even in hotels. We recommend that you bring appropriate footwear for walking in the cities, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Here are some key tips:
• Comfortable sneakers or walking boots
• Poles long and short sleeve
• Waterproof
• Jersey fleece
• Jeans or casual pants
• Camera (with roll if it is analog, and perhaps a pair of binoculars
• Backpack
• Insect repellent, eye drops, lip balm and sunscreen
• Binoculars
The peruvian Sol is the currency of the country. Although us dollars are often accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants are larger in larger cities and tourist destinations such as Cusco, are not always accepted. As such, we recommend that you always travel with local currency, especially for purchases of smaller shops, markets and local restaurants. The change of u.s. dollars and euros to peruvian soles is possible in banks, money changers officers on the street (which you can recognize by their vests and official identity documents), at the airport, hotels, exchange offices and some stores (in small towns). The exchange rate is usually the same with the exception of the hotels, where it tends to settle at a rate slightly less advantageous. Keep in mind that $ 100 bills may be difficult to change, so it is better to have smaller bills. The dollars are easier to change than the euros. Any dollar bill ripped (even with small tears) is generally not acceptable. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are also generally accepted in Peru, although Visa is more widely accepted. When you make purchases with a credit card, you may have to pay a surcharge of 5-6% and you may need to submit your passport to make the purchase.
You can change dollars or euros for the local currency at banks, exchange houses, shops (in small towns), and in your hotel. The exchange rate tends to be uniform, except in hotels where the exchange rate may be slightly lower. Please remember that the tickets of $100 us dollars can be difficult to change. It is easier to change dollars to euros.
We recommend that you change the cheques in the bank, and for security reasons we strongly recommend using atms at the airports and hotels in the place of the atms that are in the street.
We recommend to always carry cash in the local currency. Although some larger businesses accept us dollars, is not always the case, and you might want to buy something in a store where it will not accept them. Usually we accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Of all these, Visa is the most accepted.
Unfortunately, in some countries of the region are counterfeit notes (both u.s. dollars and local currency) then make sure you check your tickets and see your representative Aracari if you have a question.
Gratuities are entirely at your discretion. All of our guides and drivers receive a fair payment, so it is not a requirement, though it will always be welcome. It is best to leave a tip in cash.
Tipping in restaurants: you Can give a tip of 10%, but it is entirely discretionary. Credit cards and traveler's checks are widely accepted in many restaurants . Gratuities are already included in the price if the food is included in your program.
Tips for guided tours:
Tip for a guide per day for a group of 2 passengers: $ 20
Tips for a driver for the day for a group of 2 passengers: $ 10
Tip for a guide per day for a group of 4+ passengers: $ 20- $ 40
Tips for a driver for the day for a group of 4+ passengers): $ 10- $ 20
Tips for a camp trekking:
Tip for a guide per day for a group of 2 passengers: $ 20
Tip for a cook by day for a group of 2 passengers: $ 5- $ 8
Tip per day for each member of the support staff (porters) for a group of 2 passengers: $ 3- $ 5
Tip for a guide per day for a group of 4+ passengers: $ 20- $ 40
Tip for a cook by day for a group of 4 + passengers: $ 8- $ 12
Tip per day for each member of the support staff (porters) to a group of more than 4 passengers: $ 5- $ 8
The coverage of the phone and the Internet is pretty good in cities and even in some rural areas, including Machu Picchu, although there is no telephone coverage on the train ride to Machu Picchu. Most of the smart phones foreigners work in the region, if you have a data plan and international calls. If your phone is unlocked, you can purchase a local SIM card that will work for your use while traveling. Aracari offers a free phone and a SIM card for local calls during the duration of your stay. We can also buy SIM cards with data plans to their name so that you can connect to your arrival.
If you decide to travel to Machu Picchu with a tour organized can choose between the following most popular tours:
Tour to Machu Picchu 1 day
If you decide to travel to Machu Picchu with a tour organized can choose between the following tours are the most popular:
Tour to machu Picchu 1 day:
Route by train to machu Picchu
Route Idroelectrica
If you decided to go to Machu Picchu on your own, you must buy it yes or yes, the entrance, the train ticket and bus ticket:
Entrance to Machu Picchu – There are 4 types of tickets:
The entrance ticket to the mountain huayna picchu must book 2 or 3 months before.
Train ticket to Aguas Calientes – The train takes tourists from Cusco (Poroy station or Ollantaytambo) to the station Aguas Calientes, at the foot of Machu Picchu. It is recommended to purchase the ticket and then buy the ticket to Machu Picchu.