Peru is a great attraction for many people, who go there to hike Inca Trail and see Machu Picchu. Other attractions include exploring the jungles, the Amazon, Lake Titicaca as well as the beaches. Visitors also get to learn a lot about local culture.
The attraction to choose depends on your interest as usual. For instance, surfers can enjoy surfing at the Mancora beach, those who enjoy sandboarding can do that in Huacachina, while those who love penguins and see them in Paracas.
Here are tips for those visiting Peru:
- Typical costs: Dorm rooms cost as low as 24 PEN per night although most range between 40 and 50 PEN and a private room for two between 70 and 150 PEN per night. Expect to pay from 40 PEN for a night accommodation in a 2-star budget hotel although you can find shared rooms on Airbnb starting at 38 PEN for a single night. An entire home starts at 135 PEN per night.
Peru has a wide range of food with different regional specialties with Ceviche being popular. You can get very cheap food within the range of 3-6 PEN from street stalls and markets in Peru while lunch and dinner menus in a sit-down restaurant range from 12 to 20 PEN. A western meal in an average restaurant will cost between 32 to 48 PEN in Lima, Arequipa and Cusco. A decent set meal will costs you around 10 PEN outside the big cities. Cooking will cost around 150 PEN per week for gloceries, including pasta, vegetables, chicken, and other basic foods.
The cost of transportation depends on the bus company and status of the bus but usual price is around 40 PEN for a 10-hour bus journey. Taxi ride around Lima will cost around 50-70 PEN and 0.50-3 PEN per trip on intra-city buses. The cost of travel on microbuses depends on distance but is always 2.50 PEN. You can also catch Uber taxi in Arequipa and Lima cities while on Peru tours.
Archeological sites are expensive, with a day trip Machu Picchu costing around 190 PEN. You can also choose the Nasca Lines helicopter tour which costs 415 PEN for 35 minutes in the air. Expect to pay around less than 38 PEN for entrance to museums outside the major cities.
- Money saving tips: The Hospedajes family-run hotels are the cheapest accommodation you can find and are a nice recommendation. To save on transportation, it is advisable to use the Lima intra-city buses as an alternative to taxis. The collectivo are also cheap costing around 1-2 PEN. Ride shares are also much cheaper alternatives to taxisfor those who do not want to keep waiting for a bus.
Set meals are the cheapest meal option costing around 9 PEN.
Travelers can also save a lot by travelling off-season during months of April and May or September and October. Also, you can plan your itineraries and do couple of free walking tours to explore a lot of attractions and save on costs.