Buenos días
BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
Good morning, hello
Greeting someone in the morning, until about noon
Travel guide
Learn Peru before you go
Inca stone cities, desert lines, a lake high in the Andes, the Amazon rainforest and one of the world's great kitchens.
CapitalLima
CurrencyPeruvian sol (PEN)
Official languageSpanish, and in the areas where they predominate, Quechua, Aymara and the other Indigenous languages (constitution of 1993)
Drives on theRight
Calling code+51
10 phrases to learn
In Spanish (Peruvian). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Buenas tardes
BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs
Good afternoon
Greeting someone from about noon until it gets dark
Buenas noches
BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
Good evening, good night
Greeting someone after dark, or saying goodnight
Mucho gusto
MOO-choh GOOS-toh
Nice to meet you
Meeting someone for the first time
¿Cómo está?
KOH-moh es-TAH
How are you? (polite)
Asking an adult you do not know well how they are
Muchas gracias
MOO-chahs GRAH-syahs
Thank you very much
Thanking someone warmly
De nada
deh NAH-dah
You're welcome
Answering when someone thanks you
Disculpe
dees-KOOL-peh
Excuse me
Getting someone's attention, or saying sorry
Con permiso
kohn per-MEE-soh
Excuse me, may I pass?
Squeezing past people or leaving a table
¿Cuánto cuesta?
KWAHN-toh KWES-tah
How much is it?
Asking the price in a shop or market
At the table
- Lunch, el almuerzo, is the main meal of the day. Many small restaurants serve a cheap set lunch, the 'menú', at midday.
- Before you start, or when you pass people who are eating, it is polite to say '¡Buen provecho!', which means 'enjoy your meal'.
- Ceviche is a lunchtime dish. Peruvians eat it fresh, at midday, and many cevicherías close in the late afternoon.
- Taste sauces carefully before you pour them on. Rocoto sauce, often red, is much hotter than it looks.
- Waiters do not bring the bill until you ask. Say 'La cuenta, por favor'.
- In restaurants a tip of about 10 percent is welcome for good service. Check the bill first, because some restaurants already add a service charge.
Local tips
Take it easy at altitude
Cusco is at about 3,400 m and Puno at more than 3,800 m, and altitude sickness is a real risk there. Rest on your first day, walk slowly, drink water and go easy on alcohol. If you have heart or breathing problems, talk to your doctor before you go.
Coca tea stays in Peru
Hotels in Cusco often offer coca tea (mate de coca) against altitude sickness. It is legal in Peru, but do not take coca leaves or tea bags home: they are illegal in some countries, including the United States, and one cup can show up on a drug test.
Drink bottled water
Stomach upsets from food and water are common. Drink bottled or boiled water, avoid ice unless you know it is made from purified water, and choose food that is freshly cooked and served hot.
Book Machu Picchu early
Entry tickets are for a set day, time and route, and the numbers are limited, so book weeks or months ahead on the official site, tuboleto.cultura.pe. The ticket is linked to your passport: bring the same passport with you to the gate.
Plan ahead for the Inca Trail
Only 500 people a day, including guides and porters, may start the classic Inca Trail, and you can only go with a licensed company. Permits sell out months ahead, and the trail closes every February for cleaning.
Use official taxis
At the airport, use the official taxi companies at the desks outside the baggage hall. In town, do not hail taxis in the street: use a licensed taxi company by phone or app, or ask your hotel to call one.
Watch your bag
Pickpocketing and bag-snatching are common in Lima, Cusco, Arequipa and other big cities, including tourist areas such as Miraflores and Barranco. Keep your phone out of sight and your bag closed and in front of you.
Tip about 10 percent
In restaurants, a tip of about 10 percent is welcome for good service. Check the bill first: some upscale restaurants already add a service charge.
Dishes to try
- Ceviche (Cebiche): Pieces of very fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice with red onion, salt and chilli, served with sweet potato, corn and crunchy toasted corn (cancha). The lime turns the fish white and firm, but it does not cook it the way heat does.
- Tiradito: Thin slices of raw fish, cut like Japanese sashimi, with a spicy sauce poured over just before serving. Unlike ceviche, the fish is sliced, not cubed, and usually has no onion.
- Causa limeña: Cold layers of mashed yellow potato, seasoned with lime and yellow chilli, filled with chicken or tuna salad and avocado. It is cut into squares and looks like a small, colourful cake.
- Papa a la huancaína: Slices of boiled potato covered in a creamy, gently spicy sauce of fresh white cheese and yellow ají amarillo chilli, served cold on lettuce with a black olive and a slice of hard-boiled egg.
- Lomo saltado: Strips of beef stir-fried at high heat with red onion, tomato, soy sauce and vinegar, then mixed with chips (French fries) and served with white rice. It is one of Peru's best-loved everyday main dishes.
- Ají de gallina: Shredded chicken in a thick, creamy yellow sauce of ají amarillo chilli, onion, garlic, bread soaked in milk, cheese and ground walnuts or pecans. It is mild, rich and comforting, served with rice, boiled potatoes, olives and egg.
- Arroz chaufa: Fried rice cooked fast in a very hot wok with egg, spring onions, soy sauce and chicken, pork or prawns. It is one of the most popular dishes in Peru.
- Anticuchos: Skewers of marinated beef heart, grilled over charcoal and served with boiled potato, corn and a spicy sauce. They are tender, smoky and much loved at street stalls in the evening.
Cities to see
- Lima (capital): The Plaza Mayor and its colonial balconies, Ceviche and some of the world's best restaurants, Cliff-top parks above the Pacific in Miraflores.
- Arequipa: The Santa Catalina Monastery, Buildings of white volcanic stone, Rocoto relleno and other spicy dishes.
- Trujillo: The marinera, Peru's elegant handkerchief dance, Peruvian Paso horses, The ruins of Chan Chan.
- Chiclayo: The Royal Tombs of Sipán Museum nearby, Being the diocese of Pope Leo XIV before he became pope, Its nickname, the City of Friendship.
- Piura: Being called the 'city of eternal heat', The first Spanish town in Peru, A long tradition of leather-making.
- Iquitos: River trips on the Amazon, Grand houses from the rubber boom, Rainforest lodges and wildlife.