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Major city · Peru

TarmaSanta Ana de la Ribera de Tarma

Give Tarma 2 nights as a cool, dry base between Lima and the central jungle: ruins, the Huagapo cave and the Inca trail, not a big-city stop.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
PEN
Best months
Apr–Oct (dry, clear)
avoid Dec–Mar (rain), and the wet-season cave and trail closures
Airport
LIM
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Peru ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Peru's migration authority (Migraciones) or a Peruvian consulate; keep the entry record you receive, as hotels may ask for it.
  • Peru ↗Machu Picchu entry is by timed ticket for a named circuit, with daily caps; in high season tickets sell out weeks or months ahead. Buy tickets only from the official Ministry of Culture seller or a licensed agency.
  • Peru ↗The classic Inca Trail needs a permit booked through a licensed operator, often months ahead; the trail closes every February for maintenance.
  • Peru ↗Altitude sickness is common above 2,500 m: ascend gradually, rest on day one, and ask a doctor before travel if you have heart or lung conditions.

Tarma sits at about 3,050 m in the Junín department, on the dry western side of the Andes, roughly 6 hours by bus from Lima and 3 hours from Huancayo. It is a market town with a colonial plaza, a free city museum, Inca and Chanca ruins within a day's reach, and one of Peru's largest caves 27 km away. Most travellers use it as a two-night break on the Lima–central jungle route, or as a base for the Camino del Inca walk and the Gruta de Huagapo. It is not a replacement for Cusco or Huaraz: the sights are low-key, spread across the province, and reached by collectivo or taxi.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Tarma, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a caféS/ 3–6
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across the centreS/ 5–10
  • Museum or sight ticketGruta de Huagapo entryS/ 1–5 (check)
  • Budget bedFamily room (up to 4), a night, per roomPEN 150
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, hot water and private bath, a night, per roomPEN 150
  • High-end bedDouble room, hot water and private bath, a night, per roomPEN 300

A day, not counting the bed: Budget PEN 90 · Mid PEN 180 · High PEN 320

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Plaza de Armas and Santa Ana CathedralGruta de Huagapo caveTarmatambo Inca ruinsFestival of Flowers (September)Pachamanca and picante de cuy
Airports
LIM Jorge Chávez International, Lima (No airport at Tarma; most arrivals come by bus from Lima, about 6 h, or from Huancayo, about 3 h.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Tarma: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

20°C

7°C

18 rd

Feb

19°C

7°C

17 rd

Mar

19°C

7°C

16 rd

Apr

20°C

6°C

10 rd

May

21°C

4°C

5 rd

Jun

21°C

2°C

2 rd

Jul

21°C

1°C

2 rd

Aug

22°C

2°C

3 rd

Sep

22°C

4°C

6 rd

Oct

22°C

5°C

10 rd

Nov

22°C

6°C

12 rd

Dec

21°C

7°C

16 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre is walkable in 15 minutes. For Acobamba, Tarmatambo, Palcamayo and the Huagapo cave, use a collectivo or shared taxi from the market area, or hire a taxi by the hour; the last cars back from Palcamayo leave around 18:00–18:30, so plan the cave as a morning trip.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Gruta de Huagapo, Palcamayo

go

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Collectivo to Palcamayo (about 45 min), then 45 min on foot or by car to the cave

Entry fee at the gate; go in the morning and catch a car back before 18:00.

Tarmatambo

go

Door to door: About 30–45 min

Collectivo or taxi south of town, then walk

Stone buildings and terraces; combine with the Camino del Inca walk back to Tarma.

Acobamba (Yanamarca, Wilcashmarca)

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Collectivo toward Acobamba, then walk

Chanca ruins with a three-storey building; paths are unsigned, so ask locally.

San Ramón and the central jungle

overnight

Door to door: About 1.5 h

Bus or minivan down the road northeast, about 66 km

2,000 m of descent into hot, humid country; sleep one night rather than return the same day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Around the Plaza de Armas

Walk to the cathedral, market and Museo de la Cultura; most hostales and mid-range hotels are within 5 minutes.

Av. Ramón Castilla and Jr. Huánuco

Second cluster of restaurants, bakeries and hotels, 5–10 min walk from the plaza.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
S/ 90–150 excl. bed
Mid
S/ 150–260 excl. bed
High
S/ 260+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, hot water and private bath1 × 2 nights × PEN 150PEN 300
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × PEN 180PEN 720
Collectivo Tarma → Palcamayo, one way2 × PEN 4 · checkPEN 8
Guided tour from a Tarma hotel (half day)2 × PEN 50 · checkPEN 100
eSIM, about a week of data2 × PEN 30PEN 60
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgePEN 119
Trip total≈ PEN 327 per person per day, bed includedPEN 1,307

2026 estimate in soles; long-distance buses excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a caféS/ 3–6
Menu del día (soup, main, drink)S/ 8–15
Market meal at Mercado AsunciónS/ 3–8
Little cake at a bakery near the marketS/ 1–2
Collectivo ride within the provinceS/ 3–8
Taxi across the centreS/ 5–10
Gruta de Huagapo entryS/ 1–5 (check)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Tarma is a calm Andean market town and the usual risks are altitude, cold nights and unlit paths, not crime. Keep to the centre after dark, use registered taxis or collectivos, and carry cash.
  • Altitude: 3,050 m. Sleep the first night low and easy; headaches and breathlessness are common on arrival.
  • Cave and trail access can close in the wet season (Dec–Mar): check locally before setting out.
  • Collectivos fill early and stop running in the late afternoon; do not plan a return after dark.
  • Bring cash: many small hotels, collectivos and market stalls do not take cards.
  • Sun and cold swing hard in one day: strong UV at midday, near-freezing nights in Jun–Jul.

Emergency numbers

Police (national)
105
Fire
116
Ambulance (SAMU)
106
Local police, Tarma
+51 64 321 921
Hospital Félix Mayorca Soto
+51 64 32 1401

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

TarmaSanta Ana de la Ribera de Tarma

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

A esta dirección, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police105
  • Fire116
  • Ambulance (SAMU)106
  • Local police, Tarma+51 64 321 921

Embassy

No embassies in Tarma; the US, UK, Canada and Australia all run embassies in Lima. Consular help for the central Andes is handled from Lima.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Lima → Tarma, bus: about S/ 25, 6 h (check)
  • Lima → Tarma, minivan: about S/ 40, 5 h (check)
  • Tarma → Huancayo, bus: about 3 h (check)
  • Tarma → La Merced: about S/ 7, 1 h 30 min (check)

Say or show

  • Disculpe — Excuse me / Sorry (dees-KOOL-peh)
  • Gracias — Thank you (GRAH-syahs)
  • ¿Cuánto cuesta? — How much is it? (KWAN-toh KWES-tah)
  • ¿Dónde sale el colectivo a Palcamayo? — Where is the collectivo to Palcamayo? (DON-deh SAH-leh el koh-lek-TEE-voh ah Pal-kah-MAH-yoh)
  • Necesito una habitación por dos noches — I need a room for two nights (neh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah ah-bee-tah-SYON por dos NO-ches)
  • ¿Hay agua caliente? — Is there hot water? (eye AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Tarma. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Oct (dry, clear) · avoid Dec–Mar (rain), and the wet-season cave and trail closures · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LIM arrivals: overnight bus times field-checked, taxi fallback, first-night low-altitude rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Plaza de Armas, the market and Museo de la Cultura, Tarmatambo, Palcamayo and the Huagapo cave.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Museo de la Cultura, Santa Ana Cathedral, Tarmatambo, Gruta de Huagapo) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Wet-season and altitude fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Peru

Sources