Peru
Cusco, Peru
-13.532°, -71.968°
At a glance
- Currency
- Peruvian sol (PEN)
- UK visa
- Visa-free, up to 90 days
- Language
- Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
- Plug
- Type A/B/C, 220V / 60Hz
- Drives on
- the right
- Best entry
- CUZ
- Safety
- Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Lima tourist zones are routine. The VRAEM region and Colombia border are off-limits.
When to go
Month by month →Best months: May, June, October.
- Excellent
- Good
- OK
- Avoid
How we score weather
How we score months: each starts at 50 and earns or loses points across three signals. Temperature in the 18 to 26°C comfortable band adds 30; 14 to 17°C adds 15; warm 27 to 30°C adds 10. Past 30°C or below 14°C the page starts taking points back, with a 30-point hit at the extremes (below 5°C or above 33°C). Rainfall under 60mm adds 15, 200mm costs 25, over 300mm costs 40. Sunshine over 240 hours adds 10; under 80 hours costs 20. The result lands in one of four bands: Excellent (80+), Good (60-79), OK (40-59), Avoid (under 40). Crowds and prices come from the events calendar, separately, so weather and busyness stay readable as two different signals.
Jan
16°
228mm
Feb
16°
202mm
Mar
16°
154mm
Apr
16°
76mm
May
16°
36mm
Jun
17°
8mm
Jul
17°
12mm
Aug
18°
22mm
Sep
18°
37mm
Oct
18°
84mm
Nov
18°
125mm
Dec
17°
193mm
What people who've been say
“The authors hiked both and concluded Vinicunca has the bigger 'wow' but Palccoyo is the better day. Vinicunca is a 1.5 to 2 hour climb topping out at 5,046m on a small, crowded summit; Palccoyo is a gentle 45-minute walk at 4,900m that takes in three coloured ridges and is almost empty. They felt fewer altitude symptoms at Palccoyo and recommend it for anyone who prioritises space and an easier...”
“Most travellers take a van or bus from Cusco down to Ollantaytambo and board the train there, because the rail leg from Cusco/Poroy is almost always slower than driving the same stretch. In the January to April rainy season the trains from Cusco don't run at all, due to landslide risk in the canyon between Pachar and Huarocondo, so Ollantaytambo is the only option. From Ollantaytambo it's roughly...”
“Cusco sits at 3,400m, while the Sacred Valley runs 2,600 to 3,000m, a 400 to 800m difference that meaningfully changes how the first 24 hours feel. The operator's strong recommendation is to transfer straight from the Cusco airport down to the Sacred Valley, spend one or two nights there, then come back up. Partial acclimatisation typically takes two to three days, and symptoms usually start 6 to...”
Trips through Cusco
1Verified
Travellers who actually went, and shared the plan.
- Read plan →
Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu via Ollantaytambo
Cusco
Common questions
- When is the best time to visit Cusco?
- May through October. Days run 5 to 18°C with rainfall under 84mm, the cleanest read of the year. Full month-by-month at /best-time/cusco.
- How many days do I need in Cusco?
- Cusco fits in a 3-day window if you're just hitting the high points. 5 to 7 days if you're using it as a base for the wider region.
- Do I need a visa for Cusco on a UK passport?
- Visa-free for up to 90 days on a UK passport.
- Is Cusco safe?
- Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Lima tourist zones are routine. The VRAEM region and Colombia border are off-limits.
- What's the currency in Cusco?
- Peruvian sol (PEN). 220V / 60Hz. Plug types A/B/C.
Similar destinations
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