Menu
Menu
Peru is one of the most unique and magical places to visit in the world and it makes me so excited to make this Peru travel blog. From ancient Incan ruins to the mysterious Nasca Lines it has some of the most dramatic and diverse landscapes you are likely to see. From the humidity of the Amazon Jungle to the fresh mountain air of the Andes there is something for everyone.
It’s a great country to visit if you are an outdoor enthusiast and lover of adventure, from surfing. to sandboarding, hiking, to helicopter rides, Peru is sure to get your blood pumping and perfect for you who plan to have a Peru solo travel.
Then there is the food in this Peru travel guide! Peru is well known for its delicious dishes such as Ceviche, Papas a la Huracaina (Potatoes in spicy cheese sauce), and who could forget Cuy (guinea pig). But, you’ll need to prepare for Peru before you visit. And this Peru travel guide will help you do just that during your solo travel Peru
Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress.
Best Peru Tours: Click here to check out the top Peru tours
Best Peru Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Peru
Best Peru Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Peru
To start off your Peru Solo travel, you have to know that Peru is a country in South America. Which is one of the most popular among backpackers and vacationers thanks to Machu Picchu and the delicious food available here, your solo travel to Peru will be full of flavor!
The currency in Peru is the Sol.
The official language in Peru is Spanish but both Quechua and Aymara are widely spoken.
The dialing code of Peru is +51.
It’s hard to get a clear answer if the water is safe to drink from the tap in Peru. It does not pass the WHO standards, but many people do drink it and don’t get sick. The issue is more than the water is heavily treated with chlorine and contains a lot of heavy metals, which may not make you sick in the short term, but in the long term, this could prove deadly. During my solo travel to Peru, I would always air on the side of caution and instead drink bottled water.
Next, we talk about accommodation in this Peru travel guide.
Accommodation in Peru is generally basic, but your money can go a long way. Hostels are common in the main tourist places and you can expect to pay on average 80-130 Sol ($23-37 USD) per night, although it can be as low as 60 Sol! You can find many Peru travel blog talking about how affordable hostels in Peru is.
If you prefer a private room in a hostel expect to pay from 210 Sol ($50 USD) per night or for a room in a budget hotel you will pay around 250 Sol ($70 USD).
In this Peru travel blog, we talk about food! Peru is well known for having some of the best food in the world, and much of it is very inexpensive. In fact, it’s so cheap you will probably end up eating out 90% of the time here.
There are so many traditional foods you must try while in Peru, so this won’t be a difficult task! Each region in Peru heads it’s own specialty dishes and you can expect to pay 4-7 Sol /$1-2 USD for street food. Your solo travel to Peru will definitely include so many flavors!
If you choose to have a sit-down meal in a local restaurant expect to pay between 15-25 Sol ($4-7 USD). If you want to eat Western food you will pay a lot more for this.
Look out for the Menu del Dia which is a set menu that you can normally find for around about 12 Sol ($4 USD).
If you choose to solo travel Peru, it is a great budget travel destination. You can find many things to do in Arequipa Peru.
What often hikes up prices in Peru is the cost of doing once-in-a-lifetime activities like the Inca Trail, and visiting Rainbow Mountain.
You can get super cheap accommodation and as long as you eat local food, you can keep your food costs low. But if you want to do these big trips and tours then you are going to have to budget for them.
The figures below are an average of what you can expect to spend per day in SOL.
Backpackers Budget – 135 SOL
Accommodation: 35 SOL
Food: 40 SOL
Activities & Transport: 60 SOL
Mid Budget – 425 SOL
Accommodation: 100 SOL
Food: 100 SOL
Activities & Transport: 220 SOL
Luxury Budget – 700 SOL
Accommodation: 150 SOL
Food: 200 SOL
Activities & Transport: 350 SOL
Looking for a place to stay in Peru? Here is a list of recommended accommodation in Peru.
SafetyWing is insurance specifically for Digital Nomads which renews every month. Whereas World Nomads is more for Backpackers. You can read the full review I wrote about long term travel insurance here, and use the widget below to check the price of World Nomads
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you need to be prepared for anything!
The Insurance companies I personally recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing
Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single trip cover, annual multi trip cover, and long term travel cover.
Safety Wing is great value with monthly cover starting at $39. It’s super easy to use and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.
Read my full travel insurance post here where I go into detail about the companies.
During your Peru solo travel, you will find most local restaurants serving a menu del Dia, which is basically a set menu of the day. You can oftern get a great meal for 9 Sol ($3 USD). It’s cheap and will keep you full all-day.
A collective is a common term used in Latin America for a minivan that runs along a set route transporting local people around. They are always cheap and often there is a door opposition (audante). The cost is always very cheap, normally around 1-2 Sol ($0.30-0.60 USD) per ride, which is perfect for your budget Peru travel guide.
A very important thing in this Peru travel guide. If you are on a 2 week vacation and have a tight window in which to explore Peru, then you are going to feed to book the big tours in advance.
If you want to do the Inca Trail for example, you often need to book 6 months ahead of time. If however you aren’t pushed for time, then it’s worth not pre-booking and instead just turning up in Cusco and hanging around until you can get a last-minute deal. Booking a last-minute tour can save you lots of money, but you may have to wait for a while.
If you want to save money during your Peru solo travel by cooking for yourself then I would strongly suggest checking before booking that the accommodation has a kitchen.
Another money saving tip in this Peru travel guide.
This is how I was able to stay in Guatemala for almost a year rent-free! There are lots of opportunities in Peru and it’s not expensive to join and if you join through my link and use the discount code in this blog post you get some money off… you’re welcome!
Although the water isn’t safe to drink directly from the tap, almost all businesses including hostels have clean drinking water and they will almost always provide it for free. Although some hostels may ask for a small fee if you want to fill up large water bottles. So be sure to bring a good water bottle with you during your Peru solo travel
If you want to save money then one sure-fire way to do so is to take some Spanish classes. It’s amazing how things magically become cheaper when you speak to the person selling those things in their language. From getting the right fare from the taxi driver to haggling at the market, think of the money spent on learning Spanish as an investment. Read these posts to learn more about my experience of learning Spanish in Medellin and Cali.
I also took this course ran by my friends at Heart of Travel.
Wondering what to pack for your Peru solo travel? I got you. Take a read of the packing lists linked below and download my printable packing list by dropping your email into the form below.
When traveling around, especially in your Peru solo travel, the most common form of transportation is the bus. It is possible to fly between some places, but the cos is generally high.
The normal cost for a 10-hour bus journey is 45-55 Sol ($13-16 USD), although for a nicer more modern bus you can expect to pay more. Although the bus is much cheaper it will take you a lot longer as the roads aren’t great. To travel from Lima to Cuzco you can expect to pay around 210-240 Sol ($60-70 USD) for the 21-hour journey.
One way to save money on transport for your Peru solo travel is to use Peru Hop which is a hop-on-hop-off bus company with backpackers in mind. You can buy a 10 day Southern Pery Pass for 720-780 Sol ($208-224 USD) which could save you some money if you want to power your way around the southern part of Peru in 10 days.
Of course, if you have the budget then the best way to travel in Peru is flying, but this isn’t always the cheapest option. The 1-hour flight between Cusco and Lima is likely to cost you around $35 USD if you can book it in advance. If you book closer to the time you can expect to pay triple that, and more in peak season. This may be worth it though to save precious time in Peru.
🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Peru?
I strongly recommend using Bookaway. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.
🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Peru?
I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!
👩⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?
I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.
I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here
✈️ Any flight recommendations?
WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.
📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?
I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.
With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.
🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?
The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.
🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?
I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack.
The best time to visit Peru is during the dry season from May to October. The rainy season in Peru lasts from November to April and the rainfall is at its heaviest from January to April. Although things will be a lot cheaper during the rainy season, it’s really not a good idea to visit during the wettest months as often the rain causes roads to be closed and hiking trails to be shut.
The peak season in Peru is during July and August. In my opinion, the best months to visit Peru are during May, September, and October. The country is less crowded, the weather is generally good.
If you want a guide to Machu Picchu written by a very adventurous adventure writer Turn Right at Machu Picchu is it. It’s a New York Times best selling travel memoir, and a pretty funny account of Mark Adams’s attempt to recreate the original expedition to Machu Picchu. The biggest problem though is his lack of experience. Although he called himself an adventure travel writer, he has spent more time writing about adventure, than actually having it. In fact, he had never even slept a night in a tent!
Conversation in The Cathedral takes place in 1950s Peru during the dictatorship of Manuel A. Odría and it’s the perfect companion if you want to gain a deeper understanding of Peru’s history.
The book is a work of fiction that weaves a complicated web of secrets and historical references. Llosa analyzes both the mental and moral mechanisms that govern power and the people behind it. Conversation in The Cathedral tackles the subject of identity and how a lack of personal freedom can forever scar a people and a nation.
In this book, José María Arguedas beautifully describes the magic of the Peruvian landscape, as well as the grimness of the social conditions in the Andes. The story follows Ernesto, a young man whose internal identity conflict reflects the larger struggle between native and Spanish cultures in Peru.
The book explores the serious and deep-rooted social issues still prevalent in Peru today while capturing the beauty of the landscapes. It’s a great read for anyone wanting to delve a little deeper.
