* Consular Travel Visas
- Check with the Peruvian consulate in your country for visa requirements. Passports must have more than six months left of validity.
- Visas NOT required - Consular visas are not required for stays of up to 90 days by tourists from:
-- South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Guiana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.
-- North America: Canada, United States of America, Mexico
-- Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
-- Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, San Crist. and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Gra, Trinidad and Tobago.
-- Europe: Germany, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom and N. Ireland, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Netherlands, Portugal, San Marino, Santa Sede, Sweden, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Russia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Ukraine, Serbian Republic and Montenegro.
-- Asia: Brunei Darussalam, Philippines, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Korea republic, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong.
-- Oceania: Australia, Fiji Islands, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
-- Africa: South Africa Republic
-Consular Travel Visas Required - People of other nationalities not mentioned above require consular visas to enter Peru.
-Foreign tourists may stay a maximum of 90 days in any one year. All nationalities need an embarkation card or tourist card, valid for 60 days for US people. You can obtain this card on board before landing in Peru.
* Getting there and getting around
- Most of the American airlines companies offer flights to Peru via Miami. One exception is Continental Airline that flies directly to Lima from Newark. Lan Peru, Peruvian airline, has daily non-stop flights from Miami to Lima also.
- From Europe, there are a few options to fly directly to Lima: flights from Amsterdam, Madrid or Frankfurt, with KLM, Iberia and Lufthansa companies. There are a lot of flights from Europe via US, with connection in Miami. Another option is flying via Caracas on Viasa.
- There are few domestic flights within Peru. Lima is two hours flight of most cities and the itineraries available are: Lima - Cuzco, Lima - Arequipa, Lima - Puno, Lima - Puerto Maldonado, Lima - Iquitos and Cuzco - Puno. Airlines in Peru: Lan Peru and Lan Chile. Most of the Peruvians use bus and train to get around the country. Booking the best flights to suit your schedule is a service that Discover Peru provides. Transfer services in air-conditioned vehicles, taxis, bus services and car rentals are also services we provide.
* Tips before traveling
- Check with the nearest Peruvian consulate in your area for visa and vaccination requirements before traveling. If you are a US citizen, you will not need a visa to get in.
- Regulations and requirements may be subject to change on short notice and it is advisable to contact your doctor well in advance of your date of departure. If you are going to the Andes region it is wise to check your blood pressure.
- Recommended vaccinations are: Yellow Fever, Cholera, Typhoid, DTP and Hepatitis
- When visiting the southern rainforest a Yellow Fever vaccination is obligatory. Malaria exists in the rural areas below 1.500-m (4.992 ft), mainly in the northern part of Peru, almost exclusively in the benign vivax form.
- The official currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol. The exchange rate is S/. 3.45 = US$1.00 (September 2003). Changing currencies other than US dollars is very difficult. Dollars are easily accepted in all cities throughout the country.
- Credit cards and traveler's checks: Access / Master card, Diners Club and Visa are all used in Peru with Visa being the most widely accepted. Note that credit card use becomes more limited outside the main cities. American Express traveler's checks are the most widely accepted. It is not recommend using any other kind.
- Take out medical and travel insurance (offered by Discover Brazil). Make sure it covers all eventualities especially evacuation to your home country by a medically equipped plane, if necessary.
- Most upscale restaurants automatically add a 10% tip (service charge), so tipping is not obligatory. The normal tip rate is about 5-10% of the amount consumed. Porters should be tipped around 3-4 soles per service. Taxi drivers usually don't expect a tip.
- The tax for international flights leaving from Lima or Cuzco is USD28. For national flights the airport tax is USD 5.
- Objects of archaeological or historic value may not be taken out of the country. Peru has international agreements with most nations for the confiscation and return of stolen objects.
- In all dealings with the police be formal, and polite. Always carry your passport while traveling in Peru or at least a photocopy when walking around a town or city. If you are stopped on the street the only thing they are authorized to check is your passport, nothing else. You do not have to show them your money, answer questions that have to do with anything other than your visa or passport or go to the police station. In some circumstances, a policeman may suggest (possibly in an intimidating manner) that a situation could be resolved by making a payment. The options you have are either to pretend not to understand and hope the policeman will give up, or hand over whatever he asks so that he will or will not take a particular action.
- Staying alert, not taking unnecessary risks and simply using your head are the best ways to prevent an unwanted situation. That said, there are still some things to keep in mind while traveling.
- Avoid petty theft tricks by not interacting with strangers who seem suspiciously friendly or pushy as well as anyone trying to get your attention while you are carrying bags or equipment.
- In restaurants and cafes keep day-packs on your lap or loop the strap around your chair leg. In bars and clubs give a polite but determined refusal to any (apparently) friendly stranger (possibly an attractive person of the opposite sex) offering you food or a drink which could possibly be drugged.
- The easiest way to avoid any tricks by street moneychangers is to use a bank or casa de cambio. If in dire need to change money on the street, only change the minimum amount that you will need for immediate use, and count and check the currency you have been given before handing over your dollars.
- Take clothes suitable for the climates you are planning to visit.
- Drinking bottled water is recommended. Eat well-cooked meat, chicken and fish. Pork, raw salads and homemade mayonnaise may be risky. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled. Avoid eating food from street vendors.
For Vacation Packages and Tours to Peru click here.
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