Hikers walking in the Salineras de Maras, region of Cusco

Peru Travel Guide

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Practical information

01:24:34
Language(s)
Spanish
Currency
Peruvian Sol
Time zone
GMT -5

Time Zone

The time zone in Peru is GMT -5

Languages

Spanish

Although Spanish is the most widely spoken and understood language in Peru, there are other official languages. These include Quechua and Aymara.

Useful Phrases

  • Hola – Hello
  • Buenos días – Good morning
  • Buenas tardes – Good afternoon
  • Buenas noches – Good evening
  • Adiós – Goodbye
  • Hasta luego – See you later
  • Hasta mañana – See you tomorrow
  • Buenas noches – Good night
  • Qué tal? – How are you?
  • Estoy estupendo – I am great.
  • Estoy mal – I feel unwell.
  • Estoy un poco cansado – I am a little tired.
  • Estoy exhausto – I am exhausted.
  • Estoy enfermo – I am sick.
  • Cuál es su nombre? – What is your name?
  • Mi nombre es… – My name is…

Currency

Peruvian Sol

The Peruvian Sol can be purchased in advance, although US Dollars are also widely accepted in larger establishments. If you want to change money when you arrive we can take you to an ATM or foreign exchange bureau. When changing money, request small denominations (10’s, 20’s and 50’s) as the larger notes can be hard to spend. If you withdraw money from an ATM, you are likely to receive 100 sol notes.

If you are relying on a credit or debit card for emergency funds, make sure you tell your card issuer that you will be using it abroad, or you may find that it won't work when you really need it.

Electricity

There are 2 types of electrical sockets in Peru – type A (2 flat pins) and type C (2 round pins) – and are 220v, 60Hz. Many sockets will accept both types of plug, but it is worth taking an adapter with you to be on the safe side. 

Weather

The weather in Peru varies greatly depending on where you are. The low laying costal lands are mainly desert and hot and dry all year round, temperatures can reach as high as 45˚C.
As you move inland and reach the highlands of the Andes, there is a wet season (November to March) and a dry season (April to November). Finally you have the Amazon jungle which is humid and warm all year but has a rainy season from late November through to March. 

Safety and Security

Your safety and well-being is always the number one priority at Kandoo Adventures.


We operate all our travel destinations in accordance with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice, which publishes travel advisory notices for British nationals. We also closely follow the advice of ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) which provides support to UK tour operators.  


In addition to this, our extensive, directly-managed operations in each of our destinations, provide us with detailed knowledge and up-to-date information, which enables us to make informed decisions and operate our trips safely.

We always recommend that you regularly check the FCDO's travel advice, in order to keep up to date about the country you are planning to visit.

If you are not a UK resident, we would recommend that you visit your government's travel advisory website for further information:



Alternatively, you may wish to visit our Travel Updates page or seek further information from the World Health Organisation.

Lost or delayed luggage

We recommend that you wear your walking boots to travel and pack as many essential items as possible in your carry-on luggage. If your luggage is delayed we can then do our best to kit you out to start the trek on time. In the event that your luggage is delayed or lost, our procedure is as follows: 


  • Establish what items are missing and a contingency plan for each critical item
  • If it reaches 6pm on the evening before starting the trek and your luggage has not arrived we recommend buying and/or hiring items immediately as a precaution
  • We will take you to a shop where you can buy toiletry items, e.g. toothbrush. You will be able to find everything you need in Cuzco.

We will do everything we can to help if your luggage is lost or delayed. Be sure to check your insurance policy coverage for lost luggage cover.

Colca Canyon landscapes

Geography

Peru is an extremely varied country in terms of landscapes and geography. There are three main regions: the costa, the sierra and the selva (the coast, the mountains, the forest).

The coast is a dry desert all year round where you can find the famous Nasca lines.

The mountains are the set of cordilleras that cross the country (the best known being the Cordillera Vilcanota and the Cordillera Blanca). In this region, we find the greatest tourist sites in Peru: Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, the Ausangate trek, and of course, Machu Picchu).

The last region, the forest, constitutes the largest part of the country. It is the Amazon rainforest, which stretches from the north tot he south of the country, from the Amazon river which passes through Iquitos, to the Tambopata river south of Puerto Maldonado.

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