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Voykit pocket guide · Peru
Tarma
Santa 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.
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.
- Country
- Peru
- Local name
- Santa Ana de la Ribera de Tarma
- Best months
- Apr–Oct (dry, clear)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (rain), and the wet-season cave and trail closures
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PEN
- Money
- Currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN, S/). Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants in Lima and Cusco; markets, small towns, taxis and entrance fees in villages need cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget S/ 90–150 excl. bed · Mid S/ 150–260 excl. bed · High S/ 260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel sell prepaid SIMs; register with your passport at official shops.
- Emergency
- Police 105 · Fire 116 · Ambulance (SAMU) 106 · Local police, Tarma +51 64 321 921
- Plugs
- Types A, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US devices need to be dual-voltage (most chargers are).
- Tipping
- Restaurants: About 10% if service is not included.; Inca Trail porters and cooks: Per the operator's guidance; pooled at the end.; Guides: S/ 20–50 per person for a day tour.
- Water
- Not safe from the tap; bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Paper in the bin; carry tissue and coins for public toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea in a café | S/ 3–6 |
| Menu del día (soup, main, drink) | S/ 8–15 |
| Market meal at Mercado Asunción | S/ 3–8 |
| Little cake at a bakery near the market | S/ 1–2 |
| Collectivo ride within the province | S/ 3–8 |
| Taxi across the centre | S/ 5–10 |
| Gruta de Huagapo entry | S/ 1–5 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- 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.
Typical fares
- 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)
Get 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.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 6:00 PM–6:30 PM, so plan the cave as a morning trip.
See and do
Known for
- Plaza de Armas and Santa Ana Cathedral
- Gruta de Huagapo cave
- Tarmatambo Inca ruins
- Festival of Flowers (September)
- Pachamanca and picante de cuy
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Gruta de Huagapo, Palcamayo | Collectivo to Palcamayo (about 45 min), then 45 min on foot or by car to the cave | About 2 h each way |
| Tarmatambo | Collectivo or taxi south of town, then walk | About 30–45 min |
| Acobamba (Yanamarca, Wilcashmarca) | Collectivo toward Acobamba, then walk | About 1 h |
| San Ramón and the central jungle | Bus or minivan down the road northeast, about 66 kmBus or minivan down the road northeast, about 41 mi | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Where is the collectivo to Palcamayo? | ¿Dónde sale el colectivo a Palcamayo?DON-deh SAH-leh el koh-lek-TEE-voh ah Pal-kah-MAH-yoh |
| I need a room for two nights | Necesito una habitación por dos nochesneh-seh-SEE-toh OO-nah ah-bee-tah-SYON por dos NO-ches |
| Is there hot water? | ¿Hay agua caliente?eye AH-gwah kah-LYEN-teh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; one cheek kiss among acquaintances; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Food pride: Ask about local dishes; avoid: Comparing pisco or ceviche unfavourably with Chile's
- Photos: Ask and pay if asked; avoid: Photographing people without asking
- Politics: Listen; avoid: Taking sides in protests
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tarma yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Plaza de Armas and Santa Ana Cathedral
- Gruta de Huagapo cave
- Tarmatambo Inca ruins
- Festival of Flowers (September)
- Pachamanca and picante de cuy
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Tarma, revision 5296763 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5296763
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
TarmaSanta Ana de la Ribera de Tarma
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police105
- Fire116
- Ambulance (SAMU)106
- Local police, Tarma+51 64 321 921
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.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/tarma). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.