Peru captivates travelers with its ancient Incan heritage, including the iconic Machu Picchu, diverse landscapes from Amazon rainforest to Andean peaks, and vibrant culinary scene. This South American gem offers world-class hiking, rich indigenous cultures, and colonial architecture in cities like Cusco and Lima.
Peru has three distinct climate zones creating radically different weather experiences in the same country. The Pacific coast including Lima is desert with mild temperatures (15-22°C) year-round and grey fog (garúa) June to November. The Andean highlands have a clear wet season (November to March) and dry season (April to October) with cold nights year-round at altitude. The Amazon basin is hot (26-32°C) and humid with heavier rains December to May.
Best time to visit
Best: June to August (dry season, best for Machu Picchu and hiking)
Peak Season: June to August (dry season, best for Machu Picchu and hiking)
Shoulder Season: April to May, September to October (good weather, fewer crowds)
Avoid: November to March (rainy season, lower prices, Amazon best time)
Best Reason:
Avoid Reason:
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
18C/64F highlands, 22C/72F coast
Peak rainy season in highlands; some trails impassable; Amazon best; Lima overcast. Carnaval celebrations begin.
February
17C/63F highlands, 22C/72F coast
Rainiest month in Andes; Inca Trail closes for maintenance; northern beaches at peak warmth and busy. Fiesta de la Candelaria Puno.
March
18C/64F highlands, 21C/70F coast
Rain begins to ease in highlands. Amazon still lush. Vendimia wine harvest festival in Ica pisco valley.
April
17C/63F highlands, 20C/68F coast
Rains mostly stopped; excellent visibility; green mountains. Shoulder season with fewer crowds and lower prices. Very good conditions.
May
15C/59F highlands, 18C/64F coast
Ideal conditions across Peru. Clear skies, perfect hiking weather, moderate crowds. Often considered the single best month to visit Peru.
June
12C/54F highlands, 16C/61F coast
Beginning of peak dry season. Inti Raymi festival (June 24) draws large crowds to Cusco. Excellent weather but busiest tourist month starts.
July
11C/52F highlands, 16C/61F coast
Peak tourist season with clearest skies but maximum crowds. Fiestas Patrias (July 28-29) national holidays. Prices at annual high. Book far ahead.
August
12C/54F highlands, 16C/61F coast
Still peak season with good weather but crowds and prices begin to ease toward month end. Excellent photography conditions with dry clear air.
September
14C/57F highlands, 17C/63F coast
Shoulder season begins. Excellent conditions with far fewer tourists than July-August. Mistura food festival in Lima (early month). Very good value.
October
15C/59F highlands, 18C/64F coast
Good conditions continue with rain still minimal. Señor de los Milagros Lima festival (October). Increasingly popular month as travelers discover shoulder season.
November
16C/61F highlands, 19C/67F coast
First rains arrive in highlands by month end. Amazon begins annual flooding cycle. Good month for early part; caution late November onwards in highlands.
December
17C/63F highlands, 20C/68F coast
Rains building in highlands. Northern beaches warming up for beach season. Christmas and New Year celebrations; Lima festive with illuminations.
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Sep-Nov
Transition from dry to wet season in highlands. Generally good weather with wildflowers blooming on hillsides. Lima slightly warmer as garúa fades. Good shoulder season for trekking before rains arrive.
Summer
Months: Dec-Feb
Rainy season in the Andes and Amazon. Highlands green and lush but trails muddy; Inca Trail partially closes February. Lima grey and overcast. Northern beaches (Mancora) at their warmest and busiest.
Fall
Months: Mar-May
Rains ease in highlands from April creating excellent shoulder season. May is often considered the best month with clear skies, green mountains, and manageable crowds. Amazon transitions to drier period.
Winter
Months: Jun-Aug
Peak dry season in Andean highlands with clear blue skies, perfect visibility for photography, and cold nights. Busiest tourist season with highest prices. Lima grey and cool. Amazon at its driest and best for wildlife spotting.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- June to August - maximum visitors, highest prices, essential to book 3-6 months ahead for accommodation and Inca Trail permits
- Shoulder Season
- April to May and September to October - excellent conditions, 30-50% fewer tourists, better prices, still book ahead 4-8 weeks
- Low Season
- November to March - rainy season in highlands, cheapest prices, very few tourists at Inca sites, best for Amazon and northern beaches
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Inti Raymi (Festival of the Sun)
Most important Incan festival celebrating winter solstice, recreated at Sacsayhuamán fortress in Cusco with elaborate costumes, processions, and traditional ceremonies. Thousands attend; book accommodation months in advance. Cusco festival week June 15-24 includes parades and celebrations daily.
Qoyllur Rit'i Pilgrimage
Indigenous pilgrimage combining Catholic and Andean beliefs. Thousands hike to glacier at 4,600m below Ausangate mountain for all-night vigil. Fascinating cultural-religious syncretism. Very challenging conditions.
Fiesta de la Candelaria
Massive folklore festival in Puno with elaborate costumes, traditional dances, and music competitions. Over 40,000 dancers and musicians participate. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Main parade February 2.
Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles)
Lima's most important religious festival honoring Christ of Pachacamilla. Purple-robed processions carry massive icon through streets. October 18 and 28 largest processions. City turns purple.
Mistura Food Festival
Latin America's largest food festival showcasing Peru's culinary excellence. Hundreds of chefs, restaurants, and food producers. Cooking demonstrations, tastings, competitions. Celebrates Peruvian gastronomy.
Fiestas Patrias (Independence Day)
Peru's independence celebration with military parades, fireworks, festivals throughout country. Major parade in Lima. Streets decorated red and white. Banks, offices closed. Domestic travel peaks.
Vendimia Wine Harvest Festival
Ica wine region celebrates grape harvest with wine tastings, traditional grape stomping, processions, and Yunza tree dance. Visit pisco and wine bodegas. Beauty pageant crowns Wine Queen.
Virgen de la Candelaria (Paucartambo)
Spectacular festival in small Andean town near Cusco features traditional dances, elaborate devil masks, and Catholic-Andean religious fusion. More authentic than Puno's larger version. Sunrise viewing of rainforest.
Carnaval de Cajamarca
Peru's most famous carnival celebration with water fights, costume parades, traditional dances, and crowning of carnival king and queen. Unsay ritual cutting of Yunza tree. Week-long festivities.
Festival Internacional de la Primavera (Spring Festival)
Trujillo's spring festival features marinera dance competition, caballo de paso horse shows, parade of flowered floats, beauty contests. Celebrates coastal spring and city culture.