Peru - When to go

When To Go

Peru's climate has two main seasons - wet and dry - though the weather varies greatly depending on the geographical region. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation - the higher you climb the cooler it becomes.

The high tourist season is from June to August, which coincides both with the dry season in the highlands and summer vacation in North America and Europe. Certainly, this is the best time to go if you are interested in hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, or climbing, trekking or mountain biking elsewhere. People can and do visit the highlands year-round, though the wettest months of January to April make trekking and backpacking a wet and muddy proposition. If you aren't planning on spending any time trekking, however, you shouldn't have any major problems visiting in the rainy season. Many of the major fiestas, such as Virgen de la Candelaria, Carnaval and Semana Santa, occur in the wettest months and continue undiminished even during heavy rain.

On the arid coast, Peruvians visit the beaches during the hottest time of the year, from late December through March. In central and south Peru, the coast is cloaked in garu'a (coastal mist) for the rest of the year and, although their beaches don't attract visitors, the coastal cities can be visited at any time. In the north, however, the coast sees more sun, so beach lovers can hang out year-round.

In the eastern rainforests it rains, of course. The wettest months are December through April, as in the highlands, but tourism continues undiminished because it rarely rains for more than a few hours at a time, so there are plenty of bright sunny periods to enjoy. Follow the locals' example - they are used to briefly taking cover during the heaviest downpours. It's not a big deal.