Frequently Asked Questions about Peru
What is the best time to travel?
The best time to visit is from May to October. Although temperatures are lower during this period, showers are rare. In the mountain areas you should count on brief showers occurring throughout the year.What are the best festivals and when do they take place?
Peru is a Christian country so almost every festival is related to Christianity. Some of the most important are: New Year (1st January), Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (21st and 22nd March 2008), Labour Day (1st May), St Peter and St Paul’s Day (29th June), Independence Days (28th and 29th June), Battle of Angamos’ Day (8th October), All Saints’ Day (1st November), Immaculate Conception Day (8th December) and Christmas Day (25th December).When does the tour start?
All of our tours start at 12:00 midday at the hotel where we spend our first night. Your room will be available to check-in from this time. If you arrive later, don't worry, your tour leader will meet up with you at a later time to brief you.
Please note: On our SPQ tour you’ll fly from Lima to Arequipa on day 1. The flight leaves at 7:45pm. Please make sure you have enough time between your arrival into Lima and your connecting flight to Arequipa. The meeting point with the group is at the airport, 2 hours prior to the departure of your flight. Our agent will wait with a Shoestring sign for you and will provide you with your flight ticket.
If you spend some extra days in Lima prior to the tour, you can meet the agent on day 1 of the tour in your hotel, about 3 hours prior to the flight to Arequipa.
Can I pre-book transfers and extra nights?
We are unable to offer airport transfers but we do have the option to book pre-tour/post-tour nights if you have chosen to arrive earlier/leave later. Prices for these extra nights are available on the tour information page.
What about my passport?
You need a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the date of your departure. You are responsible for having a valid passport and visa when you travel.Do I need a visa?
UK citizens do not need a visa for Peru, but these things can change. So please
click here to check out the current situation. You can also check on that website if a visa is required for any other nationality. Make sure you find out if you need a visa at least a month before departure so you do not run out of time.
If you need a visa, please
click here to find details of the embassy you need to contact unless you use a visa service. Shoestring does not organise your visa. You are responsible for having a valid passport and visa when you travel. You can also obtain the visa through a specialised visa agency like
www.travcour.com. It is a good idea to visit this website in any case, as it provides much more detail on exceptions etc.
Do I need vaccinations or malaria tablets?
Please
click here for questions regarding vaccinations or malaria tablets for this country and then contact your GP or a specialised health clinic to make an appointment to get your injections and pills. Please make sure that you arrange this at least six weeks before departure to allow time for a full program of injections. Two weeks should suffice for people who have already had a few injections. You are responsible for having the right protection when going on tour.
What is the recommended currency for Peru?
The official currency is the Nuevo Sol (PEN) divided into 100 céntimos. There are approx 6.5 Nuevos Soles to the pound. Travellers cheques may be difficult to exchange in small towns and villages so travellers are advised to bring cash. US Dollars are the easiest currency to exchange and plenty of restaurants, hotels and shops in the main cities accept dollars as payment. Casas de cambio (exchange bureaux) often give better rates than hotels and banks and can be found in any town on the tourist circuit. ATMs are available in the main cities.What kind of clothing and other stuff is practical to take?
Bring along warm clothing including a fleece, sweater or jacket. By day, it will mostly be sunny, so thin, cotton clothes and shorts are indispensable items. However, please note that extra warm clothes are a must for this trip, especially in the summer season (May to October) when temperatures may drop as low as -15°C at night. Gloves, hat and/or a scarf should be part of your packing items! An umbrella and a light waterproof jacket might also come in handy, the former protecting against both the rain and the blazing sun. You need a good pair of worn-in hiking boots with good tread and a pair of flip-flops. Other important items are sunglasses, sun cream, toiletries, a first-aid kit, a hat/scarf, a (video)camera and sufficient film/videos and spare batteries, a torch, towel, a pen-knife, a lighter, an alarm clock, writing equipment, books, passport, sufficient travellers’ cheques and money, copies of your passport and travel insurance, a list of the numbers of your travellers’ cheques and their receipts, your flight ticket, all relevant travel insurance details and emergency contact numbers and a travel guide.What kind of luggage should I take?
We advise you to bring a weekend bag or backpack. A solid suitcase is inconvenient if you have to carry it yourself on and off trains etc. Also, bring along a small backpack or shoulder bag for hand luggage. A thin money belt, to be carried underneath your clothing, is also advisable for storage of valuable documents. Remember to put some clean clothes in your hand luggage, in case your main luggage is delayed. For example, any medication and your toothbrush should be in your hand luggage. Check that your luggage is not too heavy: any more than 12 kg is an unnecessary hindrance.Electricity
Please
click here to check what voltage and plugs are in use in Peru. You could also consider taking a universal electric plug adaptor.
Travel guides and maps
If you want to take a travel guide or map, we suggest you click on
Lonely Planet.
What is the accommodation like?
We will stay in twin rooms in mid-range hotels with en-suite facilities.
How is accommodation arranged if I book alone?
If you book alone you will share your room with a fellow traveller unless you have booked a single room. Sometimes this means sharing your room with someone of the opposite sex. If you choose to go on the Inca Trail trek, accommodation will be in two man tents. If you would prefer not to share a tent, you can bring your own tent. There may be a small extra fee for this at campsites.Do I need a sleeping mat or sleeping bag?
Unless you go on the optional Inca trail trip, you will not need a sleeping mat or sleeping bag.What can I expect for camping facilities?
On the Inca trail you sleep in two-man tents. Local porters will carry the cooking equipment, tents, provisions and fuel for the duration of the trek. You yourself will carry a small backpack containing everything you need for the trek and a sleeping bag.Do I need to take a mosquito net?
Mosquitoes are not a real problem in Peru, so this will not be necessary.Do they cater for vegetarians in Peru?
The main dishes in Peru always have meat or fish although you can always ask for arroz (rice), frijoles (beans) or one of the many fruits they have.
What kind of transportation is used?
We use private transportation for this trip, mainly well-maintained buses. Some transfers may be done using public transport. You will take a flight from Cuzco to Lima and a train from Cuzco to Aguas Calientes.Can you travel with children?
Yes, children can travel with their families on a Shoestring tour. We recommend the easiest tours which are listed as ‘Category A’ where the distances covered are short and there is a slow traveling speed. But please check with our friendly sales team if you are unsure.
We would define a child as being under the age of 18. They would only be allowed to travel provided they do so with an adult family member or close relative.
Children under the age of 8 we recommend not to travel as they simply would not be old enough to enjoy the experience nor cope with the nature of travel that we provide.
The tour prices are the same for both adults and children however there will be a reduction on the child airfare which will vary depending on the flight selected (Please use the ‘search flights’ facility on the website to check the up-to-date prices).
Is Peru dangerous?
Theft does occur in the cities. A simple way of avoiding pickpockets is to store money and important documents close to your body, ideally in a money belt. Have some cash to hand so you do not have to search for it in the middle of the street. Keep an eye on your possessions and on what is going on around you. Robberies tend to take place in the places you should avoid anyway, like dark alleys and deserted beaches.
Stay away from people offering drugs and do not go anywhere with ‘plain-clothes policemen’ who don’t show proper identification. Your belongings will be reasonably safe in your hotel room, but do not leave valuables behind. If you use your common sense and stay alert, you shouldn’t have any problems.
If you are interested in what the Foreign Office has to say, please
click here.
What local customs do I need to keep in mind?
In Peru it is customary to start with a greeting and to inquire about someone’s well being. You will often hear "Buenos dias ¿cómo está?" On meeting and saying goodbye, men and women give a short kiss on the cheek to all women, even if they hardly know each other. Indigenous people do not kiss, but sometimes give a weak handshake. Politeness is highly appreciated. Peruvians have a different notion of privacy to what we are used to and subsequently can get very close to you, invading your personal space. They emphasize the importance of being well dressed and therefore do not expect tourists to be dressed scruffily. Shorts are not actually considered improper. However, in less touristy regions long trousers are more appropriate. In reality, most of the time it will be too chilly for shorts anyway. It is considered offensive to call someone of indigenous descent an Indian: indigena is preferred.
What other activities and sports could I do?
You have an optional hiking trip called the Inca trail which lasts 2 days. For the real hikers, nature and culture lovers the 42 kilometre long Inca trail forms a true challenge. The trek is tough, but thoroughly enchanting. You will be accompanied by a local guide, who will stay with the group during the entire trek which passes through a number of truly wonderful Inca ruins. The trek starts near the holy Urubamba River. By the end of the afternoon, you arrive at Machu Picchu, where you stay overnight in the village of Aguas Calientes at the foot of Machu Picchu. The following day you will have plenty of time to visit the ruins, led by the guide. At the end of the afternoon you will return to Cuzco by train.Mobile phone, email and snail mail
The international access code for Peru is +51, and the outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the UK). City/area codes are in use, e.g. (0)1) for Lima. A mobile phone operator provides a GSM 1900 network with coverage limited to major towns and cities. Peru is well connected to the internet with a proliferation of inexpensive internet kiosks, called cabinas pública, available on street corners in most towns and cities.Time difference with the UK
Please check the
world clock in order to find out the exact time difference between Russia and the UK.
Please bear in mind that the time difference can change depending on whether the UK is on daylight saving time or not.