Peru Travel Advice

General travel information for Peru

Continent: South America

Geographical location: Northwestern South America, on the Pacific coast

Highest point: Nevado Huascarán (6768 m above sea level)

Longest river: Río Ucayali (1771 km)

Form of government: Constitutional Republic System of

Government: Semi-presidential system

Languages: Quechua, Aimara and Spanish

Neighboring countries: Ecuador, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia

Capital: Lima

Area: Approx. 1,300,000 km²

Residents: Approx. 31,237,000 people (2017)

Population density: 24 residents per km²

Religions: Approx. 81.3% Catholic, 12.5% Protestant

Currency: Peruvian Sol (PEN); 1 euro is about 3.6 PEN. Travel

Climate: Tropical zone below the equator, moderate to alpine in the Andes

Time zone: UTC -5

Area code: +51

Country code: PE, PER, 604

Electricity: In Peru, the sockets of the A, B and C used. With a few exceptions, the mains voltage is 220 V at a 60 Hz change interval. A travel plug adapter is an advantage.

Check a2zdirectory for old history of Peru and agooddir for modern history of Peru.

Culture and sights in Peru

In Peru, different myths, rites, textiles, rhythms and dances have contributed to the entirety of Peruvian culture, corresponding to the large proportion of indigenous population groups who live under the most diverse climatic and economic conditions. Added to this are the cultural influences from the Spanish colonial era and the cultural heritage of the Incas.

Above all, many Indian artists have contributed to the development of Peruvian handicrafts. The city of Cusco, in which many Indian artists lived, was an important center of religious painting, as well as gold and silversmith work, in the Spanish colonial times.

Another focus of Peruvian folk art was pumpkin carving, which flourished in the 19th century with artfully decorated jewelry boxes, powder and sugar bowls. In addition, Peru has an old tradition in textile production, which was mostly associated with home work with rich decorations and patterns on the garments.

Music is also an important part of Peruvian culture, which is expressed in many songs, dances and compositions. The Andean flute (also called quena), pan flute, cajón and classical guitar are widely used in Peruvian music. The most famous song from Peru today is El Cóndor Pasa, composed in 1913 by the Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles.

Peruvian literature is less well known, and it began during the colonial era in Lima, the intellectual center of all of Spanish-speaking South America.

From the rich cultural heritage of Peru, unique and world-famous sights have been preserved, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and represent cultural highlights of any trip to Peru. These include above all the Inca mountain fortress Machu Picchu, which is a well-preserved ruined city of the Incas and is one of the largest tourist attractions in all of South America. The fortress is located near the city of Cusco, the capital of the former Inca Empire, in whose near and far surroundings there are numerous other sights from the Inca period such as the ruins of Sacsayhuaman or the Inca bath Tambo Machay. Other culturally and historically interesting sites and sanctuaries in Peru are the ruined city of Chan Chan, capital of the former Chimú empire, the sanctuary of Chavín de Huántar, an old Peruvian cult site, which was probably built around 900 BC. The ruins of the Gran Pajatén in the Rio Abiseo National Park, the geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana, whose significance can only be captured from a great height by plane, was built.

The natural beauties of Peru can be experienced on a trip through the country, especially in the numerous national parks, such as the Manú National Park in southeastern Peru, which, due to its location between the eastern foothills of the Andes and the Amazon lowlands, opens up a unique spectrum of different forms of landscape and vegetation in Peru. In addition, the Huascarán National Park in the Andes with the 6,768 m high Nevado Huascarán, or the Isla Taquile in Lake Titicaca are definitely worth a visit.

Holidays with a fixed date in Peru

January 1st New Year

in April Holy Thursday

in April Good Friday

in April Easter

May 1st Labor Day

June 29th St. Peter and Paul

July 28th Independence Day

July 29th Independence Day

August 30th Santa Rosa De Lima

October 8th Battle of Angamos / Navy Day

Nov 1st All Saints

Dec 8th Marian Conception

Dec 25th Christmas

Medical information for Peru

For legal reasons, we as a tour operator are not allowed to communicate any binding medical information for Peru and therefore refer to the information provided by the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Robert Koch Institute and the German Society for Tropical Medicine and International Health

Travel advice for Peru

You can obtain current travel and safety information, information on entering and leaving the country, as well as special criminal information and recommendations for your stay in Peru from the Federal Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.