Best time to visit Peru: weather and seasons by month

Peru has three travel seasons rather than one. The Andes run dry and sunny from May to September and wet from December to March. Lima on the coast is the reverse: warm and sunny in the southern summer, cool and grey in winter. The Amazon is hot and humid all year, with a drier window from June to September.

Use the table to match your month to the region you actually plan to visit. A trip that is wrong for Cusco can be right for Lima, and vice versa.

The southern Andes — Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Puno — sit above 2,400 m. May to September brings dry, sunny days and frosty nights, often close to or below freezing after dark. December to March is the wet season, with rain most afternoons and a real landslide risk on the rail and road line to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu itself is lower and more humid than Cusco, so it is warmer and wetter than the city.

Arequipa and Colca Canyon are sunny most of the year, with short rains in January and February. Lima, Paracas and Nazca get almost no rain at all: December to April is sunny and warm, while June to October is cool and covered by the coastal garúa mist, with Lima around 15–18 °C. The Amazon — Iquitos, Puerto Maldonado, Manu — is hot and humid year-round; June to September is drier with better trail conditions, while January to May has high river levels, which suits boat travel around Iquitos.

June to August is the international peak, and late July adds the domestic Fiestas Patrias holiday, so flights, hotels and trains cost the most and sell out earliest. April, May, September and October give you similar weather with noticeably smaller crowds and mid-range prices. February and March are the cheapest months, but you pay for it with rain in the Andes and the Inca Trail closure.

Book Machu Picchu entry tickets, Inca Trail permits and Cusco accommodation months ahead for June to August, and even earlier around Inti Raymi on 24 June. Outside the peak, Machu Picchu tickets are often still available a few weeks out. Domestic flights between Lima, Cusco and Arequipa are worth booking early for the July and late-December holiday peaks.

The Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance, so trekking that month means choosing an alternative route (check exact dates). Cusco's Inti Raymi on 24 June and Corpus Christi draw large crowds and push up prices. Puno's Virgen de la Candelaria fills the city for about two weeks in early February, and Holy Week brings processions and a domestic travel peak in Cusco and Ayacucho in March or April. Fiestas Patrias on 28–29 July is the national holiday peak.

If your trip is the classic Andes route — Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu — aim for May to September, and pick late May, September or early October if you want the same weather with fewer people. If you are adding Lake Titicaca or Arequipa, the same dry window works, though Arequipa is comfortable almost any month.

If your trip is mostly Lima, the coast or the Amazon, the calculation changes. Lima is at its best December to April, the Amazon from June to September. A trip that combines Lima and Cusco in the same week will always be a compromise: December to April favours Lima, May to September favours the Andes. For a first trip, favour the Andes and treat Lima as a two-night stop.

Pack for two climates in the Andes: strong sun and warm days, plus a warm layer, hat and gloves for cold nights. Rain in the wet season usually arrives in the afternoon, so plan outdoor sights for the morning. Altitude affects sleep and energy in Cusco and Puno regardless of season, so build in a slow first day.

Prices in this guide are 2026 estimates and change with demand. Check current entry rules, trekking permits and festival dates before booking, and confirm the Inca Trail closure for the year you travel.