Cusco
-18%€49median tour
€22middle half of tours€175
- 50% under €50
- #15 cheapest of 50
Americas · 11 cities
Things to Do in Peru
Eleven Peruvian destinations in one place: how Machu Picchu tickets actually work now, what altitude does to a first day in Cusco, and what a guided day costs in the country’s tourism capital.
7,667 tours listed by Viator 11 cities we cover Median tour €49–€49 Free cancellation
Where to go
Cities of Peru
In the order Viator’s own catalogue puts them — most-booked first, not alphabetical.
Full list
All cities, by region
Grouped by region using Viator’s own map of the country. The first block is the places it files directly under Peru.
What it costs
What tours cost in Peru
From our own price index — 2,400 tours across 50 cities, collected August 2026. Medians, not averages: a couple of multi-day packages drag an average into fiction.
Vertical line is the global median, €60. Full table for all 50 cities in the Tour Price Index.
Practical info
Know before you book
The things that change a decision — not a retelling of the guidebook.
Machu Picchu is sold by circuit, not just by date
Entry is capped, timed, and split into numbered routes that determine which parts of the site you can walk. Huayna Picchu and Huchuy Picchu are separate add-ons with small quotas. The train from Ollantaytambo needs booking alongside the ticket, and both go well in advance for the dry season.
Altitude is the real constraint on the itinerary
Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres and many people feel it hard on day one. Plan nothing demanding for the first day, or better, sleep the first nights in the Sacred Valley at 2,800 metres and come up to Cusco afterwards — it works far better.
Inca Trail permits are limited and the trail closes in February
Permits sell out months ahead and cannot be bought on arrival. The whole trail shuts every February for maintenance. The Salkantay and Lares treks need no permit and are the standard alternatives, with Salkantay the harder and more spectacular.
Lima has a different climate from the rest of the country
The capital sits under coastal fog — the garúa — from about May to November, grey and cool while the Andes are in their clear dry season. It almost never rains there. Do not judge Peru’s weather from a Lima forecast.
Lima is a serious food destination
Several of the best-regarded restaurants in the world are there, and the food tours in Barranco and the central market are among the best-value guided activities in the country. Book the famous restaurants weeks ahead; the tours a few days.
Cusco is cheaper than its reputation
Its median tour is €49 against a global median of €60, below the world average despite being the busiest tourist city in Peru. The expensive parts of a Peru trip are the train and the site tickets, not the guiding.
When to visit
Peru through the seasons
What is open, how busy it gets, and when to book ahead.
Dry season
May–Sep
- Best for
- Machu Picchu, the treks, clear mountain skies, the Colca canyon.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The busiest and most expensive window — tickets, trains and permits need months of notice.
Shoulder
Apr & Oct
- Best for
- Green valleys with mostly dry days, and noticeably fewer people at the sites.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The best compromise months in the Andes if you can be flexible about one wet afternoon.
Wet season
Nov–Mar
- Best for
- Low prices, empty ruins, the Amazon at high water, the coast at its sunniest.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The Inca Trail closes for all of February; landslides can interrupt the train.
Coast
Dec–Apr
- Best for
- Lima and Paracas in actual sunshine, which they lack for half the year.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lima’s summer is the Andes’ rainy season — the two halves of the country never align.
Frequently asked
Peru: common questions
How many days do you need in Peru?
A week for the core: two nights in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, then Cusco. Ten days adds Lima properly or Arequipa and the Colca canyon. Two weeks lets you reach Lake Titicaca or the Amazon without rushing.
What does a tour in Peru cost?
Cusco sits at a median of €49 in our index of 50 cities, against a global median of €60. Guiding is good value; the fixed costs — the Machu Picchu ticket, the train and the bus up the hill — are what make the day expensive.
How far ahead do I need to book Machu Picchu?
For the dry season, months. Entry is capped by circuit and time slot, Huayna Picchu quotas are small, and the train seats go alongside them. In the wet season a few weeks is usually enough.
How do you handle the altitude?
Arrive and rest — no hiking on day one. Sleeping the first two nights in the Sacred Valley, which is six hundred metres lower than Cusco, is the single most effective thing you can do. Coca tea helps mildly; hydration and patience help more.
When is the best time to visit?
May to September for the mountains and the treks, at peak prices and crowds. April and October are the value months with mostly dry weather. Avoid February if Machu Picchu matters — the Inca Trail is closed and rain is at its heaviest.