Peru
Useful apps for Peru: transport, maps, translation
Install four things before you fly: an offline map, a ride-hailing app (Uber, Cabify or InDrive work in Lima and Cusco), a translation app with Spanish downloaded, and the official train or museum booking app for Machu Picchu. Add a local taxi app only if you will ride outside those two cities; elsewhere agree the fare first.
- Source checked
- A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
- Field checked
- Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
- Plan calculated
- Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.
Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify
GuidePeru
Key facts
- Ride-hailingcheck
- Uber, Cabify and InDrive operate in Lima and Cusco; coverage thins outside them
- Maps
- Google Maps works in cities; download offline maps before Andean and Amazon legs
- Translation
- Download Spanish offline; English is limited outside hotels and agencies
- Machu Picchu trains
- Book through PeruRail or Inca Rail apps or sites
- Museum and site tickets
- Ministry of Culture portal tuboleto.cultura.pe for many sites
- Payments
- Yape and Plin QR apps need a Peruvian bank account; visitors use cards and cash
- SIM or eSIM
- Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel sell prepaid SIMs; eSIM avoids IMEI questions
Details
Set up your phone before arrival, not at Lima airport on hotel wifi. Download an offline map of every region you will visit, a Spanish language pack, and your transport and ticket apps. Then buy data: a prepaid SIM from Claro, Movistar, Entel or Bitel needs your passport at an official shop, while an eSIM activates before you land and sidesteps any IMEI registration question for foreign phones.
For city transport, Uber, Cabify and InDrive all work in Lima and Cusco. Coverage is patchy in Arequipa, Trujillo, Puno and smaller towns, so keep a local taxi option: ask your hotel to call one, or agree the fare before getting in. Ride-hailing gives you a fixed price and a record, which matters most at night and after long bus arrivals.
For maps, Google Maps is reliable in cities and on main highways but weak on Andean trails and Amazon roads. Download offline areas for Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca and any trek. Organic Maps or Maps.me, both built on OpenStreetMap, are useful backups for walking routes and rural tracks.
For trains to Machu Picchu, book through PeruRail or Inca Rail. For museums and archaeological sites, the Ministry of Culture portal tuboleto.cultura.pe sells many entries, including Machu Picchu circuits. Book weeks ahead in high season (May to September); the site is Spanish-first, so have your translation app ready.
For money, locals use the Yape and Plin QR apps, but both need a Peruvian bank account, so visitors rely on cards and cash. Carry small soles for markets, taxis and rural buses. Check your bank's foreign transaction fee before you go.
| Need | App | Where it works | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ride-hailing | Uber, Cabify, InDrive | Lima, Cusco | Fixed price and a record; thin elsewhere (check) |
| Maps | Google Maps | Cities, main highways | Download offline areas before Andean and Amazon legs |
| Maps backup | Organic Maps, Maps.me | Walking and rural routes | OpenStreetMap-based |
| Translation | Google Translate, DeepL | Everywhere | Download Spanish offline before you fly |
| Machu Picchu trains | PeruRail, Inca Rail | Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes | Book weeks ahead in high season |
| Site tickets | tuboleto.cultura.pe | Ministry of Culture sites | Spanish-first; card payment |
| Local payments | Yape, Plin | Nationwide for residents | Need a Peruvian bank account |
| SIM or eSIM | Claro, Movistar, Entel, Bitel | Nationwide | Passport needed for a physical SIM |
Tips
Download everything on wifi at home: offline maps, Spanish language pack, boarding passes and train tickets. Andean and Amazon signal drops often, and airport wifi is slow.
Screenshot your bookings. Train and site tickets sometimes fail to load at the gate when the network is busy.
Keep a small power bank. Long bus rides and trek days drain a phone fast, and charging points are not guaranteed.
If you use a local taxi, agree the fare before you get in and carry small notes. Ride-hailing is safer at night where it works.
Check your roaming plan or buy an eSIM before departure; data is what makes every other app on this list useful.
- Download offline maps and Spanish before you fly
- Screenshot train and site tickets
- Carry a power bank
- Agree taxi fares first outside Lima and Cusco
- Sort data with an eSIM or a passport-registered SIM
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which apps do I need in Peru?
At minimum: an offline map, a translation app with Spanish downloaded, and a ride-hailing app if you are in Lima or Cusco. Add PeruRail or Inca Rail for Machu Picchu trains and tuboleto.cultura.pe for museum and site tickets.
Does Uber or a local taxi app work in Peru?
Uber, Cabify and InDrive operate in Lima and Cusco. Coverage is patchy in Arequipa, Trujillo, Puno and smaller towns, so ask your hotel to call a taxi or agree the fare before getting in.
Does Google Maps work well in Peru?
It is reliable in cities and on main highways but weak on Andean trails and Amazon roads. Download offline areas for Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Lake Titicaca, and keep an OpenStreetMap-based app as a backup.
Do I need a local SIM or is an eSIM enough?
An eSIM activated before you fly is the simplest option and avoids IMEI registration questions for foreign phones. A prepaid SIM from Claro, Movistar, Entel or Bitel needs your passport at an official shop.
Can I use Yape or Plin as a visitor?
No. Both QR payment apps need a Peruvian bank account. Visitors use cards in cities and carry small soles for markets, taxis and rural buses.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialPeruRail
- officialInca Rail
- officialMinistry of Culture ticket portal (tuboleto.cultura.pe)
- secondaryWikivoyage – Peru