Planning your trip and wondering which is the best time of the year to visit Peru?
Depending on which cities and places you are planning to visit, I got it all covered in this article!
Best month to visit Peru weather wise
In Peru, like in many other South American countries due to them being under the equator, there are only two seasons - wet and dry. During the wet season, it rains a lot more and for days on end, so you want to ensure to travel to Peru during the dry season.
The dry season in Peru lasts from May until October, so to be extra safe the best 4 months to Visit Peru are June, July, August, and September purely to avoid rainy days.
But also at the same time, you need to be aware that the dry season is colder. It is winter there. So you need to be ready for colder nights than during the wet season.
From personal experience, I can say that I traveled Peru from May to June and I indeed enjoyed nice dry weather with clear blue skies and sun, BUT it was very cold during the night. Houses and even hotels do not have heaters (apart from expensive 5* hotels) so I was sleeping in my warmest pajama. Also, the dry season doesn't mean that you will never get rain. There were definitely a few days when it was raining but at least you do not get 2 weeks of non-stop rain. It was just a few days and usually if it rained in the morning then by evening it was already a clear sky.
Note, that money wise it is of course always cheaper to travel in the low season, which is the wet season from October to April.
Before we jump to conclusions, I want to cover another important section - different climate zones!
Different climate zones in Peru
As much as I would love to offer you one perfect month when to travel Peru, it is a bit more complicated.
In Peru, you can experience 3 different climates within a week!
The coastal part of Peru is desert so the climate is very dry, mostly warm throughout the year and it rains less in general than in other parts. Also, the humidity is less. The minimum temperature can fall to 15°C and the highest temperature can go up to 27°C.
The next zone is the Andes which separates the coastal part from the Amazon forest. Here the climate a lot depends on the altitude - the higher you go the colder it gets. In general, again, it is much better to visit the area from June until September but as I said it is winter there at that time so especially nights can get quite cold. From my personal experience, I can say that during the day when the sun is out it can be still quite pleasant but the nights can be quite cold. It is really hard to give some specific temperature data as it really varies a lot in different popular destinations. I believe one of the most popular places - Cusco - I will cover in a separate dedicated section.
The final zone is the Amazon. It covers quite a big part of Peru's territory so in regards to weather and climate we should refer to the North part and the South part. The North part is hot and humid all year round with frequent rainfalls but the South can be quite dry during the winter (dry season). The temperature is the same all year, at night it can drop to 22°C but during the day it will be around 32°C. It is extremely humid there, clothes will not even dry!
Best time to visit Cusco
Cusco is located in the Andes and is more than 3400 meters above sea level so it can get quite cold up there during the dry season when I recommend traveling there. I prefer a bit colder but no rain and a clear sky rather than a bit warmer but non-stop rain.
Just so you can understand the temperature difference, it can get as cold as 1°C in July which is the coldest month but only during the night. During the day the sun warms up a bit and it can get as warm as 20°C. A big temperature change, so take warm pajamas with you! During the wet season, it can get as hot as 22°C so not too much higher but at least during the nights the temperature drops to a minimum of 14C.
Machu Picchu is located at around 2500 meters above sea level so the climate is a bit warmer than in Cusco, I would say even tropical. Definitely, a place to plan to visit during the dry season as you want as clear sky as possible!
The best time to visit specifically Cusco is June because then they celebrate Inti Rayami. It takes place on the 24th of June but the whole time around it, Cusco is already full of public celebrations! The celebration is all about thanking the sun, water, and nature in general. For some, this celebration might be more know as the summer solstice.
Best time to visit Lima
Lima falls under the coastal part of Peru. With Lima, you never know! Because of the warm air and cold ocean breeze, you will very often experience a low fog all over Lima. That is why it is very hard to catch a perfect day or month as it is foggy and misty quite often in Lima.
Summary
To summarize, packing for Peru will be your hardest task! Because if you are planning to visit places on the coast, the Andes, and also the Amazon you need a swimsuit and a warm winter jacket. There is no in-between! Most importantly visit during the dry season - June to September. If I have to name 1 month, then the best month to go to Peru is July!
If you want to keep analyzing even further, then I highly recommend visiting this article: Peru Climate. I created this article based on my trip and what I experiences but I believe this article will allow you to go in even more depth.