Chasqui

PERU · YOUR FIRST-TRIP POCKET GUIDE

A little planning.
A lot more Peru.

From your kitchen table in Europe to your first Pacific sunset. The small things sorted, so the good things have room to happen.

Open my pocket guide
Have 7, 10 or 14 days? Start here.

Reviewed 4 November 2026 · For adult travellers
Read in layers. Save for offline use. Ask when you need a hand.

Illustrative scene of our tourist couple enjoying the Miraflores coast
The couple consulting a phone on a visitor path with Machu Picchu in the background
LESS GUESSING
more Peru.
YOUR LOCAL ALLY

Keep the wonder.
Lose the guesswork.

You do not need to understand every detail of Peru before you arrive. You do need the right answer at the right moment: which ticket, which pickup, which room—and whether today should be a slower day.

Read the essentials now. Open the detail when you need it. Wherever you see “Verify now”, check the linked official source before paying or setting off.

The downloaded HTML includes its text, photographs and font. Open it in a browser; external links and messages still need internet access.

The right page.
At the right moment.

Sixteen situations, from the first booking to the last lovely lunch. Every chapter starts with the essentials.

16 of 16 chapters
Jump to a chapter
  1. Documents & entry
  2. Timing & route
  3. Machu Picchu & bookings
  4. Airport & first hours
  5. Getting around
  6. Hotels & sleep
  7. Altitude
  8. Health & insurance
  9. Food & drink
  10. Money & value
  11. Phone, power & time
  12. Streetwise travel
  13. People & local life
  14. Packing & comfort
  15. When plans change
  16. Your journey home
The recurring tourist couple checking closed passports and travel plans at home01

Documents & entry

Your passport is the first ticket.

A little checking at your kitchen table is much nicer than a surprise at the boarding gate. Start with your passport nationality, not the country where you live.

  • Check at least six months of passport validity from arrival and the visa rules for your particular passport.
  • For ordinary EU tourist passports, Peru’s consular guidance generally states 90 days in a 180-day period. Check your nationality and the stay actually granted.
  • Keep your onward or return booking, first hotel address and insurance details easy to retrieve.
Details, practical checks & sources: Documents & entry

Permission to visit is not permission to stay indefinitely

UK guidance also normally describes up to 90 days in 180. The broader 183-day legal ceiling is not a promise that every visitor receives 183 days. Do not build a long stay or an extension around that assumption.

At international airports, immigration records entry digitally in the TAM. It is not a tourist form you should pay a third party to complete before flying. After arrival, use Migraciones’ official consultation to check your authorised stay. At land borders, make sure your entry is properly recorded.

Keep the right things separate

  • Retain the original passport for checks where it is required, including transport and named attraction tickets; a photo is a useful backup, not a universal substitute.
  • Keep a secure copy separate from the original. Do not send passport scans into a public chat or a hotel-shortlist form.
  • If your trip includes another country, check its entry rules and any transit requirements separately.
Verify nowBefore booking and again before departure: passport rules, visa status and the stay that applies to you.

A lovely hotel deal cannot renew a passport.


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The couple with layers and a rain jacket overlooking an Andean valley02

Timing & route

Choose a season. Then choose your Peru.

Peru is not one climate with a few mountains added. A beach forecast in Lima tells you very little about a morning in the Andes.

  • The central coast is generally warmer and sunnier in its summer; Lima can be cool and grey in coastal winter.
  • The Andes are typically drier around May–September, with cold nights. Rain can still interrupt a sunny-looking plan.
  • Amazon trips need their own weather, river, health and transport checks. Pack for your actual region, not a national average.
Details, practical checks & sources: Timing & route

Match the month to the thing you want to do

  • For walking and archaeological visits, balance weather, daylight, ticket availability and your tolerance for busy periods.
  • In wetter months, allow more flexibility for road conditions, rail operations and trail access. Check current local alerts rather than relying on a generic seasonal label.
  • For the coast and northern beaches, check the forecast for that specific destination; northern Peru is not simply Lima with better swimwear.

Give a first trip room to breathe

Choose two or three priorities and let the rest support them. Every move uses time: packing, getting to the terminal, waiting, arriving and finding dinner all count.

Our 7-, 10- and 14-day outlines below are editorial starting points. Actual flights, available entrance routes, mobility and how you feel at altitude decide the final version.

Verify nowBefore transport or excursions: destination forecast, official weather alerts and any route closures.

Leave one unclaimed afternoon. Peru will find a good use for it.


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The couple consulting a phone on a visitor path with Machu Picchu in the background03

Machu Picchu & bookings

Book the exact experience, not just the name.

Machu Picchu admission is for a particular circuit, route, date and time. It is not an open invitation to every mountain, building and famous viewpoint.

  • Read the route description before paying. Three circuits group ten routes, with availability and conditions that can vary.
  • Match the visitor’s details to the required identity document and retain the issued ticket.
  • Coordinate admission, train, the access bus, any guide and overnight stays as separate pieces unless your written package explicitly includes them.
Details, practical checks & sources: Machu Picchu & bookings

The booking order that prevents expensive reshuffling

  • Check the entrance route and time you actually want, then coordinate transport around it. Before paying, understand every component’s cancellation and change terms.
  • Use the Ministry of Culture’s Tu Boleto portal or a formal agency that supplies the actual named ticket and a clear receipt.
  • A screen showing space, a payment request or an agency email is not the same as a paid, issued entrance ticket. Follow the portal’s current checkout timer.

What this guide deliberately does not promise

Purchase procedures and checkout limits can change. Follow the current instructions and timer on the official platform. This guide does not rely on an expired trial period or a claim of guaranteed last-minute tickets.

For the Inca Trail, ask the authorised operator to itemise the permit, the Machu Picchu entry route, guide, transport and any mountain admission. Do not assume either that entry is included or that it is excluded.

Keep a buffer before an international flight. A rail connection is part of a journey, not a guarantee that weather or operations will cooperate.

Verify nowBefore payment: live route availability, current checkout conditions, closures and rail arrangements.

The best souvenir is the ticket for the visit you meant to book.


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The couple checking tickets and luggage beside a coach05

Getting around

Spend the day on Peru, not in transit.

A flight, coach, train and private transfer can each be the right choice. The useful comparison is the whole journey, with luggage and recovery time included.

  • Compare door-to-door time, luggage, arrival hour and cancellation terms—not just the headline fare.
  • For long road journeys, choose an established operator, a suitable terminal and a route that fits current conditions.
  • For the Sacred Valley and remote transfers, arrange pickup and the return plan before setting off.
Details, practical checks & sources: Getting around

In the city

An app creates a booking record; it does not guarantee safety. Verify the car and driver, share the trip where useful and wear a seatbelt. If you need to end a ride, choose a staffed, public stopping place when safe.

Ask the hotel which local journeys are pleasant on foot. Check a map before walking, keep to an appropriate route and take crossings seriously even when the signal or road marking looks reassuring.

Between regions

  • Domestic airfare can exclude checked luggage or impose a much smaller cabin allowance than your flight from Europe. Check every airline’s actual booking.
  • Keep valuables and essential medication with you on coaches. Ask for a luggage receipt when bags go in the hold.
  • Ask about altitude, bends, journey length and toilet stops if anyone gets motion sickness or needs frequent breaks.
  • Before self-driving, check licence/permit requirements, insurance exclusions and the proposed roads. A short-looking line on the map may be a very long mountain day.
  • Do not try to drive through a blockade or a closed road. Confirm alternatives with the operator and official tourist assistance.
Verify nowBefore each move: operator, terminal, baggage rules, current schedule and any official disruption notice.

A bargain journey that steals tomorrow is sometimes the expensive option.


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The couple considering an illustrative hotel room and its window, not a named property06

Hotels & sleep

Book the room you will actually sleep in.

Stars and beautiful photographs cannot tell you everything about one particular room. A useful hotel shortlist starts with your night, your arrival and your priorities.

  • Check the exact room category, bed arrangement, noise exposure, outlook and access—not just the building’s best photograph.
  • Ask for the final total, currency, taxes, breakfast, cancellation deadline and any late or early access charge.
  • For split stays, confirm luggage storage and its conditions. Storage does not automatically include a room or a shower.
Details, practical checks & sources: Hotels & sleep

The questions worth asking before payment

  • Is this room away from lifts, rooftop bars, works or a busy street? Can the hotel confirm its position or share current photographs?
  • Does the room have heating or air conditioning where relevant, reliable hot water, and the working arrangements you need?
  • Are there entrance steps, a lift to this actual floor and a suitable bathroom? Ask for concrete access details, not only the word accessible.
  • When does breakfast start? Is there a packed option before an early train or flight, and does it cost extra?
  • Who receives payment, what is refundable, and what happens if a flight or rail disruption changes arrival?

Tax and price clarity

Some visitor tax treatments depend on the traveller’s status, documentation and the service supplied. Ask the property to confirm the total payable for your actual booking; do not subtract a tax yourself because you have read a general travel tip.

Chasqui can help compare options and ask the right questions. A requested feature is still pending until the property confirms it, and availability can change before booking.

Verify nowBefore committing: actual room, full price, payment recipient, access arrangements and written booking conditions.

A genuinely quiet night rarely needs a wide-angle lens.


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The couple packing sunscreen and a small travel-health pouch08

Health & insurance

Let preparation do the worrying.

Arrange the health basics at home, then make sensible choices on the road. The right advice depends on your route, activities and health—not simply on being European.

  • Consult a travel-health professional well before departure about routine vaccines, destination-specific protection and your planned activities.
  • For yellow-fever risk areas, vaccination may be recommended; when indicated, allow at least ten days before exposure. Eligibility needs individual advice.
  • Buy insurance that covers medical care, evacuation and the real altitude and activities on your itinerary.
Details, practical checks & sources: Health & insurance

A practical health pouch

  • Carry your prescribed medicines in original packaging, with the necessary prescription or clinician’s letter. Check restrictions for controlled medicines.
  • Keep essential medication in your hand luggage and retain the insurer’s assistance number offline.
  • Use appropriate insect-bite protection in risk areas, including repellent and suitable clothing. Ask your clinician whether malaria prevention is relevant to the exact route.
  • Do not assume a European health card replaces travel insurance in Peru. Ask the insurer about private treatment, evacuation, exclusions and how authorisation works.

Entry rules are not the same as health recommendations

A vaccine can be recommended even when it is not a general entry requirement. Requirements can also change when you continue to another country or transit through one. Check the official country advice for the whole journey.

If you become ill, choose appropriate medical help rather than taking an unfamiliar medicine simply because it is sold nearby. Chasqui can help with local coordination; urgent care comes first.

Verify nowBefore travel: current health advice, vaccine suitability, medicine rules and the actual insurance policy wording.

The most useful travel purchase may be the one you never have to use.


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The couple enjoying a Peruvian lunch with a small portion of chilli sauce on the side09

Food & drink

Bring curiosity. Order the ají on the side.

Peru is a wonderful place to be hungry. You can be adventurous about flavours while still being thoughtful about water, raw foods and your own dietary needs.

  • Choose bottled or reliably treated drinking water; check ice when the source is uncertain.
  • Food served thoroughly cooked and hot is a safer choice. Citrus juice does not make raw fish or shellfish safe.
  • Tell the kitchen clearly about an allergy or dietary restriction. Ask about ingredients, stock, sauces and cross-contact.
Details, practical checks & sources: Food & drink

A delicious first shortlist

  • Lomo saltado: stir-fried beef with onion and tomato, commonly served with rice and chips. A generous introduction to Peru’s mixed culinary roots.
  • Causa: a chilled layered potato dish; ask about the filling, which can include chicken, tuna or seafood.
  • Ají de gallina: a creamy chicken dish. Check ingredients carefully if you avoid dairy, nuts or gluten.
  • Ceviche: raw fish or seafood dressed with citrus and other ingredients. If you choose it, understand the raw-food risk; a busy restaurant or a lunch service is not a safety guarantee.
  • Vegetarian dishes are worth seeking out, but a vegetable-looking soup or rice dish may contain meat stock. Ask rather than guess.

The small questions that improve a meal

Try ‘El ají aparte, por favor’ for chilli on the side. ‘No picante’ is useful too, but tasting tolerance varies. Your first spoonful need not be a personality test.

Check the bill for any service charge and decide what to tip. A tip is a choice, not a single nationwide compulsory percentage.

For pisco or any alcohol, use reputable establishments, keep your drink in sight and be especially cautious early in an altitude stay. Ask about raw egg in cocktails if that matters to you.

Verify nowFor specific needs: ask the establishment directly about ingredients, preparation and opening times.

You can fall in love with Peru without proving you can defeat a rocoto.


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The couple using an indoor cash machine discreetly10

Money & value

A little cash. A clear total.

Peru’s currency is the sol, written S/ or PEN. Cards are useful in many established businesses; small everyday purchases can still be much easier with cash.

  • Carry a modest amount of small notes and coins, with a backup payment method kept separately.
  • Use bank or shopping-centre ATMs and established exchange offices. Check fees and count money discreetly before leaving.
  • Know whether a price is in soles or US dollars, and whether it is per person, per room, per night or for the whole service.
Details, practical checks & sources: Money & value

Make every quote comparable

  • For hotels: exact room, number of nights, guests, breakfast, taxes, total and refund terms.
  • For excursions: entrance tickets, guide, transfers, meals, group size, equipment and optional charges.
  • For transfers: vehicle, luggage, pickup, waiting, tolls and whether the quoted amount is one-way.
  • Keep an accessible emergency reserve. A very tight itinerary and a very tight budget leave little room for a useful change of plan.

At the card terminal or cash machine

If offered conversion into your home currency, read the exchange rate, markup and fees before choosing. Paying in PEN leaves conversion to your card issuer, whose charges you should also know. Do not accept an unexplained conversion under pressure.

Exchange rates and merchant fees change. This offline guide deliberately does not present a fixed euro-to-sol rate or guaranteed hotel prices.

If carrying unusually large sums across a border, check SUNAT’s declaration rules before travelling. The rules count the total equivalent across currencies, not only US-dollar notes.

Verify nowBefore paying: currency, final total, card/ATM fees, conversion terms and relevant cash-declaration rules.

Ask ‘¿Cuál es el precio total?’ before ‘That sounds lovely.’


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The couple checking a phone with a power bank and plug adapter nearby11

Phone, power & time

Keep your connection. Keep a plan without it.

A working phone makes travel easier. A saved hotel address and an offline plan make it easier still when the signal disappears at exactly the scenic moment.

  • Check whether your unlocked phone supports your chosen SIM or eSIM, and whether the plan includes calls or only data.
  • Use official operator channels and ask about identification, activation and any rules for a phone brought from abroad.
  • Save maps, tickets, contacts and your pickup instructions before you leave a reliable connection.
Details, practical checks & sources: Phone, power & time

Choose by the route, not by a universal winner

Coverage varies between streets, valleys and remote areas. Ask an operator or your lodge about the actual places you will visit; this guide does not rank networks as universally best across the Andes.

Keep access to two-factor authentication and your home number if needed. Some travel eSIMs are data-only and do not give you a local voice number. A shared live location still needs connectivity.

The small technical things

  • Peru uses 220 V electricity. Check each charger’s input label; a plug adapter changes the fit, not the voltage. Socket shapes vary, so bring a suitable adapter.
  • Carry a power bank that meets your airline’s current battery and hand-luggage rules. Do not assume the same limit on every carrier.
  • Peru is on UTC−5. The difference from Europe depends on your country and its daylight-saving season; let your phone use the correct local time.
  • Download this HTML and test it before travelling. The text and embedded pictures work without a live website; external sources, maps and WhatsApp still need a connection.
Verify nowBefore buying a plan: compatibility, identification rules, coverage, data allowance, expiry and top-up terms.

A screenshot of the meeting point is wonderfully immune to roaming charges.


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The couple setting out for a daytime walk with their belongings secured12

Streetwise travel

Stay observant. Keep the holiday feeling.

Simple habits reduce avoidable problems without turning every walk into an exercise in suspicion. Choose your route, protect your belongings and trust a decision to step away.

  • Check a phone inside a café or doorway rather than at the edge of traffic. Keep bags and cameras secure and within reach.
  • Arrange the journey home before an evening out; use a verified booking and keep drinks in sight.
  • For trips beyond familiar tourist routes, check current official regional advice and speak with an established local provider.
Details, practical checks & sources: Streetwise travel

Useful habits, rather than a list of supposedly safe districts

  • A popular neighbourhood is not a guarantee of safety. Ask your accommodation about the particular walk, time and destination.
  • Keep a payment backup separate, avoid displaying large cash sums and do not leave a phone on a pavement-side table.
  • Meet unfamiliar providers in staffed public places. Confirm the business, service and price before handing over money.
  • If a situation feels wrong, go to a staffed public place and contact someone you trust. In a robbery, prioritise personal safety over belongings.

When something goes missing

Block affected bank cards and accounts using your bank’s official channels. Report theft to the police and retain the report reference for your insurer.

For a lost passport, contact your consulate and the transport companies before continuing. A police report alone may not satisfy boarding or attraction identity checks.

Solo travellers and LGBT+ visitors may have specific concerns about locations or services. Ask for concrete, current information and use your home country’s relevant travel guidance.

Verify nowBefore unfamiliar routes or late outings: current local and regional advice and the return arrangement.

The aim is fewer avoidable worries, not fewer adventures.


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The couple preparing layers and a small day bag in a hotel room14

Packing & comfort

Pack for changes, not for every possibility.

A few useful layers beat a suitcase full of ‘just in case’. Think about the whole route: warm coast, cold evening, rain shower, stone steps and a small train allowance.

  • Bring comfortable broken-in shoes, a warm layer, a light rain shell and sun protection.
  • Keep essential medicine, documents, valuables and one useful change of clothes in your cabin bag.
  • Check every flight, train and excursion’s baggage limits before choosing the bag.
Details, practical checks & sources: Packing & comfort

The small things that earn their space

  • A small daypack with a secure closure; keep important items easy to organise without unpacking on the street.
  • A hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a refillable bottle used with safe drinking water.
  • A suitable adapter, charging cable, permitted power bank and offline copies of the important information.
  • A few tissues, small coins and hand-cleaning supplies. Follow the local signs about how to dispose of paper in bathrooms.
  • Earplugs or an eye mask if you use them at home. A scenic trip still includes ordinary sleep.

Pack for the person taking the trip

If you have mobility, sensory or access needs, ask about the actual route, vehicle and room before departure. Cobblestones, steps and long standing periods matter more than a generic accessible label.

Choose activities with the adults in your party, not just for them. Check effort, toilets, food needs and how to leave early if someone wants a quieter day.

You do not need expedition equipment for every cultural holiday. For a technical trek, get an actual equipment list from the operator and a suitable health/fitness plan.

Verify nowBefore packing: carrier baggage and battery policies, accommodation access and the specific activity kit list.

The Andes appreciate a warm layer more than a fourth dinner outfit.


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The couple calmly reviewing travel arrangements on a rainy afternoon15

When plans change

Have a plan B that you can actually use.

A delayed flight, a road closure or a lost wallet is easier to handle with the right contact and a little room in the schedule. Start with the next safe, practical step.

  • For immediate danger or serious illness, contact local emergency services first—not a travel chat.
  • For disruption, contact the operator, protect the next connection and keep written confirmations and receipts.
  • Retain your insurer’s assistance details and your consulate’s official contact offline.
Details, practical checks & sources: When plans change

Three useful starting points

  • Police: 105. Fire and rescue: 116. SAMU medical emergencies: 106 where the service is available. Ask a hotel or nearby staffed business to help communicate your exact location.
  • iPerú provides official tourist information and assistance: WhatsApp +51 944 492 314. It is a useful place to check formal services and disruption information, not a replacement for emergency dispatch.
  • Chasqui: +51 994 885 216 for travel coordination and human support. We cannot guarantee emergency response times, medical treatment, transport or a provider’s refund decision.

When the itinerary breaks

Ask what has actually been cancelled, who is responsible for the next step and when the next update is due. A clear written reference is more useful than several vague promises.

Tell the hotel or onward provider if you will be late. Before buying a replacement, check the airline/operator’s alternatives and what your insurer requires for a claim.

Respect local emergency instructions, avoid crowds around protests and do not attempt to cross a blockade. A detour is only useful if it is open, lawful and appropriate for the vehicle and travellers.

Verify nowBefore travel and after a disruption: official alerts, provider conditions, insurance steps and consular contacts.

Keep the contact that solves the problem, not only the booking confirmation.


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The couple with hand luggage in an illustrative airport departure hall16

Your journey home

Give the last day a soft landing, too.

The best final day includes something lovely and enough time to leave. Let the international flight set the boundaries before you add one last lunch.

  • Reconfirm the actual flight, terminal, check-in deadline, baggage and airport pickup the day before.
  • Allow realistic road time and a disruption buffer. On separate tickets, understand who bears the risk of a missed connection.
  • Check the destination’s customs rules before packing food, plants, coca products or souvenirs made from animal parts.
Details, practical checks & sources: Your journey home

The day-before-departure checklist

  • Put your passport, boarding information, medicine and essential chargers where you can reach them.
  • Ask about checkout, luggage storage, a late room or a day-use option if needed. Confirm the total and exact access included.
  • Leave spare capacity for last-minute baggage rules and keep receipts for purchases that may need a declaration.
  • For a flight connection, confirm whether a TUUA transfer charge applies to your exact combination of flights and how any required payment is made.

Choose a kind final chapter

For a flight home that would be difficult or costly to miss, consider returning to Lima the previous day. That is an itinerary choice, not a rule that every European visitor must spend a night in Lima.

Have the meal, walk or museum visit that fits your real departure time. A relaxed farewell often beats trying to collect one more landmark.

If you are leaving by land or continuing elsewhere in South America, check both sides of the border and retain a proper entry/exit record.

Verify nowBefore checkout: flight status, airport timing, exact transfer charge rules and destination customs requirements.

Go home with stories. Preferably not the one about the missed flight.


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One trip. Enough time to enjoy it.

These are original Chasqui starting points for days on the ground in Peru, excluding your flights from and back to Europe. Pick a length to see what comfortably belongs together.

The essentials, with breathing room.

A focused first visit: Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. The aim is a few memorable days—not a map covered in pins.

  1. Day 1LimaArrive, settle in and enjoy a short coastal walk if you feel like it.
  2. Day 2Cusco airport → Sacred ValleyCoordinate a transfer to a lower first sleeping place if appropriate. Keep the day easy.
  3. Day 3Sacred ValleyA gentle cultural day and another quiet night. Let how you feel set the pace.
  4. Day 4Machu PicchuUse the actual ticket route and transport schedule. Avoid adding a demanding mountain just to fill the day.
  5. Day 5CuscoChoose a manageable walk, a museum and a meal you have time to enjoy.
  6. Day 6LimaReturn with room for disruption before the flight home. Perhaps a lovely dinner.
  7. Day 7DepartureKeep the final activity within the real airport-transfer and check-in window.

Stay long enough to settle in.

More time for Lima and the Andes, with less packing. This is a comfortable starting point for a first route focused on culture, food and Machu Picchu.

  1. Days 1–2LimaA soft arrival, Miraflores, a considered food stop and Barranco or the historic centre.
  2. Days 3–4Sacred ValleyEasy first days at altitude, an appropriate sleeping place and a visit that suits your energy.
  3. Day 5Machu PicchuLet the issued admission route and transport determine the day and overnight arrangements.
  4. Days 6–8Cusco at your paceHistory, small discoveries and nearby sites. Keep one afternoon free instead of scheduling every hour.
  5. Day 9LimaReturn with a buffer and choose a final meal or coastal stroll.
  6. Day 10DepartureAllow time for luggage, traffic, check-in and your actual flight.

A different Peru, without a race.

Add Arequipa’s architecture and food to the Lima–Andes route. Check the actual flight connections before committing to this order.

  1. Days 1–2LimaArrival, the Pacific, neighbourhood food and an unhurried introduction.
  2. Days 3–5ArequipaA gentle start, Santa Catalina, sillar architecture and meals with a sense of place.
  3. Days 6–7Transfer → Sacred ValleyPlan the available flight connection and a suitable transfer; protect easy time after arrival.
  4. Day 8Machu PicchuThe exact ticket, route, guide and transport must work together.
  5. Days 9–11CuscoCultural visits and genuinely free time. Higher excursions depend on how you feel and individual advice.
  6. Days 12–13LimaReturn with a useful buffer. Choose the city experience you did not get to on arrival.
  7. Day 14DepartureA relaxed farewell within your real flight timings.

These outlines do not guarantee acclimatisation, ticket availability or transport connections. The Sacred Valley is still at altitude. Adapt the route to individual medical advice, mobility, the actual flights and the issued Machu Picchu ticket. Colca, Puno or the Amazon deserve extra days and their own preparation—rather than being squeezed into every first trip.

Explore the details: Lima · Miraflores · Barranco · Cusco · Machu Picchu · Arequipa · Colca · Puno

Before the suitcase closes.

A short checklist for the decisions that make everything else feel easier. Check items as you go, then explicitly save them if you want this browser to remember.

Keep passport copies, medical details, card information and insurance documents in your own secure storage. This checklist only remembers ticks and a route length.

0 of 12 preparations checked

Optional local storage, on this browser only. Nothing is sent to Chasqui. It may not carry across devices, browsers or a different copy of this file.

The useful numbers.
The next calm step.

For immediate danger or serious illness, call local emergency services first. Give your exact location; ask your hotel or a nearby staffed business to help communicate.

At altitude: confusion, difficulty walking or breathlessness at rest need urgent medical help. Do not keep ascending. Arrange safe descent with assistance.

Check your insurer’s assistance number and your own consulate’s contact before departure; keep them separately offline.

SAMU service availability varies by location. Numbers are for use in Peru. Official emergency numbers

Travel information & coordination

iPerú · official tourist assistance
WhatsApp +51 944 492 314 · Official directory

Chasqui · human travel support 24/7
+51 994 885 216
hello@chasqui.travel
Malecón 28 de Julio 211, Miraflores, Lima

Chasqui helps coordinate travel and contact providers. It is not an emergency-dispatch or medical service; no immediate response or outcome is guaranteed.

Your Peru.
With someone local.

Bring us the part you are still working out. A first night in Lima, an unhurried route, a room that fits—or simply a question you would rather ask a person.

Choose fewer transfers, a suitable room and genuinely free time. A holiday should leave room to enjoy itself.

Chasqui combines local knowledge with human travel support, available 24/7.

Our advice is free. Hotels, transport and experiences have their own charges. Partner commissions help support Chasqui; confirm the service, total and conditions before booking.

A useful first message.

Hi Chasqui! I’m reading your Peru pocket guide and would like help planning my first trip.

Review my message in WhatsApp

This opens a draft for you to review and send in WhatsApp. It does not send a message or reserve anything here. No passport, card or medical information needed.

Sources, review date & how to use this guide

Prepared for first-time European visitors and reviewed on 4 November 2026. Nationality, route and individual circumstances matter. Entry conditions, fares, schedules, tickets, health recommendations and local operations can change. Use “Verify now” and the linked source beside the relevant chapter before committing.

The planning benchmark is Lonely Planet’s broad first-trip coverage. The writing, itineraries, design adaptation and illustrations here are Chasqui’s own; this is not a Lonely Planet guide or a partnership. No fixed prices, guaranteed rooms or unverified rankings are presented.

  1. Peruvian Consulate in Paris · EU tourist entry
  2. UK FCDO · Peru entry requirements
  3. Migraciones · Official TAM and authorised-stay lookup
  4. SENAMHI · Climate map of Peru
  5. SENAMHI · Current weather alerts
  6. Ministry of Culture · Official Machu Picchu ticket service
  7. PROMPERÚ · Machu Picchu circuits
  8. PeruRail · Admission and rail planning information
  9. Lima Airport · Current passenger information
  10. ATU · Taxi access at the new Lima terminal
  11. Airport Express Lima · How the service works
  12. Lima Airport · TUUA questions for the exact connection
  13. UK FCDO · Safety and security
  14. UK FCDO · Current regional risks
  15. CDC Yellow Book · Altitude and travel
  16. CDC · Peru travel-health recommendations
  17. MINSA · Yellow-fever vaccination guidance
  18. UK FCDO · Health and medicines
  19. CDC · Safer food and drinking water
  20. PROMPERÚ · Currency
  21. Visa · Dynamic currency conversion explained
  22. SUNAT · Cash and financial instruments
  23. OSIPTEL · Official mobile-service information
  24. PROMPERÚ · Practical travel information
  25. Ministry of Culture · Machu Picchu visitor rules and tickets
  26. SUNAT · Traveller customs information
  27. Government of Peru · Emergency numbers
  28. PROMPERÚ · Official tourist-assistance directory
  29. Chasqui · Compare stays in Miraflores
  30. CDC · Travelling to high altitudes
  31. MINSA / DGE · Yellow-fever prevention (2026)
About the photographs

All scenes with the recurring tourist couple are AI-created editorial illustrations, generated for Chasqui or reused from its established couple reference. They are not proof of a named hotel, an actual airport terminal, a verified service, a clinical recommendation or access to a particular attraction. Locations and facilities may differ. The official Chasqui isotype and the real Piazzolla 700 font are retained.