According to politicsezine, Peru (Spanish: Perú) is a country in South America bordering Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. The capital of Peru is Lima. Some major cities in Peru are: Arequipa, Cajamarca, Caral, Cuzco, Ica, Iquitos and Pisco.
Before the colonization by the Spaniards, Peru was part of the Inca empire. This can still be seen in the many ruins and a number of holy places. In Peru one also finds the city of Caral. This is the oldest stone-built city in America. A number of indigenous peoples live in the Amazon region, who have little or no contact with the outside world. The landscape of Peru is very diverse. There are the lowlands of the Amazon and Lake Titicaca and the many mountains of the Andes. In the Andes there are about 13 mountains of around 6000 meters that are often visited by mountaineers. There are also many national parks, volcanoes and tropical rainforests. These areas are home to many wild animal species such as jaguars, monkeys and snakes. On the coastline you will find mangrove forests and beautiful sandy beaches where you can do water sports. For example, you can go diving, windsurfing, kayaking and canoeing. The Ballestas Islands lie off the coast of Peru. These islands are known for the many species of birds, sea lions and penguins. See cellphoneexplorer for South America travel guide.
Where is Peru located?
Travel information of Peru
Official name: Republic of Peru
Continent: South America
Area: 1,285,216 km²
Capital: Lima
Country code: PE, PER
Population: 31,914,989 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 6,768 m (Nevado Huascarán)
Distance (Amsterdam – Lima): 10,521 km
Flight time: approximately 12 hours
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Peru is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow, orange and red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for Peru.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), (temporary) measures may apply in Peru that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Peru, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete tours and holidays to Peru. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Peru?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Peru at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Peru has a tropical climate. During the summer months the temperatures are around 20 to 30 degrees and during the winter months around 10 to 20 degrees. In the mountain areas it can freeze during the nights.
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Peru can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Peru can be found at Climate info.
Best time
July, August and September are the best months to travel to Northern Peru. This avoids the prolonged rainy season.
January, February, March, April and December are the best months to travel to South Peru. This avoids the relatively cold months.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Peru. In addition, English, Quechua and Aymara are widely spoken.
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure from Peru.
A visa is not required if you stay in Peru for less than 183 days.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Peru: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Peru: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Embassy of Peru in the Netherlands: embassyofperu.nl.
Consulate of Peru in the Netherlands: consuladoperuamsterdam.com.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Peru, it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria Malaria
occurs in Peru (with the exception of Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Titicaca, Arequipa, Ica, Moquegua, Nazca, Puno and Tacna). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Peru, payment is made with the Peruvian Sol (PEN).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Peru can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Peru are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -44% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (68% cheaper), food (34% cheaper), imported beer in catering (34% cheaper), cigarettes (61% cheaper) and public transport (84% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Peru it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, people give a tip of approximately 10-15%.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 7 hours earlier in Peru.
During our winter time it is 6 hours earlier in Peru.
Peru has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Peru can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Peru you must drive on the right.
You do not need an international driver’s license to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Peru.
With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Peru.
Electricity In Peru you may need an adapter plug and/or converter
in some cases. More information about common plugs and sockets in Peru can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 105
– Fire: 116
– Ambulance: 117
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Peru can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Peru can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Peru end in.pe.
Peru’s official website: go2peru.com.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Peru is 0051 or +51.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Peru? Then use the Dutch country code 0031 or +31.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Telephone numbers can be found in the Peru Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Peru.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Peru.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Peru.
Holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Peru can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Peru, supplemented with photos, videos and places of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Peru?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have previously visited Peru. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Peru can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Peru can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Peru? On the IATA website you will find an overview of the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, money and medicines, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. You will also find the laws and regulations regarding the entry of pets on this website.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Peru, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Peru, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Peru.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted alcohol content is 0.5.
– Tobacco: Buying and/or smoking from the age of 18.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Not allowed.
Did you know…
…both ‘Peruvian’ and ‘Peruvian’ are correct adjectives?
…Caral is the oldest city in all of America?
…Cuzco was the former capital of the Incas?
…Peru has 28 of the 32 global climate zones?
…There are more than 3,000 different potato varieties in Peru?
…60% of Peru is covered by rainforest?
