Peru: country facts, travel advice and health

01Free

The 30-second card

CapitalLimaSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

LanguageSpanish, Aymara, QuechuaSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

CurrencyPeruvian Sol · PENSource: Unicode CLDR · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

TimeUTC−5Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

PlugsA · B · C, 220 VSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

DrivingOn the rightSource: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Emergency · tap to call

105Police 106Ambulance 116Fire 0800-22221Tourist police 113All emergencies

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Visa · United Kingdom passport

No visa neededSource: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

TippingA tip of 5 to 10 percent is customary.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Water at restaurantsRestaurants usually serve water free of charge.Source: U.S. Department of State · Checked 25 Oct 2026 ↗

Apps locals use

Compares Peru's many bus companies.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Cards or cash

Mostly cashMostly cards

Step 2 of 5: Most payments are made in cash, though cards are accepted in some places.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Money in Peru

Peruvian Sol · PEN

Banco de la Nacion ATMs (marked MultiRed) seem to be the only ones with no withdrawal fee.

Counterfeits are common, so spend 10 seconds checking every note you get, even from a bank.

Keep a stock of small notes; large ones are often hard to break.

Some shops add up to 6% when you pay by credit card instead of cash.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Collect Peruvian Sol in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpen

Public holidays in the next 12 months

Tue, 8 Dec 2026 · Immaculate Conception Inmaculada Concepción

Wed, 9 Dec 2026 · Battle of Ayacucho Batalla de Ayacucho

Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day Navidad

Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day Año Nuevo

Thu, 25 Mar 2027 · Maundy Thursday Jueves Santo

Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday Viernes Santo

Sun, 28 Mar 2027 · Easter Sunday Domingo Santo

Sat, 1 May 2027 · Labour Day Día del Trabajo

Tue, 29 Jun 2027 · Saint Peter and Saint Paul Día de San Pedro y San Pablo

Fri, 23 Jul 2027 · Air Force Day Día de la Fuerza Aérea

Wed, 28 Jul 2027 · Independence Day Día de la Independencia

Thu, 29 Jul 2027 · Independence Day Día de la Independencia

Fri, 6 Aug 2027 · Battle of Junin Batalla de Junin

Mon, 30 Aug 2027 · Santa Rosa de Lima

Fri, 8 Oct 2027 · Battle of Angamos Combate de Angamos

Mon, 1 Nov 2027 · All Saints Day Día de Todos los Santos

Source: Nager.Date · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

02Free

Safety today

Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Peru say, side by side, checked daily.

German Foreign Office says

No travel warning

Calm ●

Caution

Serious

Don’t go

Source: Auswärtiges Amt
Updated 13 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

U.S. Department of State says

Exercise increased caution

Calm

Caution ●

Serious

Don’t go

Level 2 of 4

Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 3 Sept 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

UK Foreign Office says

Advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country

Some regions differ, see the official page.

Source: GOV.UK
Updated 9 Oct 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Scams to know

Fake taxi drivers

Use official airport or terminal taxis, or book by phone, app or hotel; never hail one.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Street changers paying in old intis

Change money at banks or proper exchange offices; learn what current sol notes look like.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Fake kidnapping ransom calls

If a phone is stolen, warn family about possible ransom calls and report any to police.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Drug courier recruitment emails

Ignore offers to travel to Peru to collect items; never carry anything for anyone else.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Counterfeit banknotes

Check the watermark and security strip on every sol or dollar note; refuse doubtful ones.

Source: GOV.UK · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.

03Free

Health

Hepatitis A and B advised; yellow fever for the Amazon lowlands, not Lima, Cusco or Machu Picchu.

Vaccinations

Be current on routine shots including measles; hepatitis A and B are recommended, typhoid and rabies are worth considering, and yellow fever is advised for low-lying Amazon and eastern areas but not for Lima, Cusco city or Machu Picchu.

Malaria

In some regions

Altitude

Altitude sickness is a serious risk in Cusco, Puno, the Colca Canyon and Kuelap.

Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.

Source: CDC
Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page

Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.

04Travel layer

In the app: the travel layer

The travel layer

Read a country like someone who’s been there.

What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use

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Must-see · 1Machu Picchu

Best-known symbol of the Inca Empire and a celebrated ruin.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

Strange & surprising · #1

Peru contains 84 of the 104 ecological zones recognised worldwide.

Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

National anthem: National Anthem of Peru. The lyrics, translated, and the story are in the app. Source: Wikidata · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

13 World Heritage sites in Peru, each with a photo and its story, in the app. Source: UNESCO World Heritage List

05Free

Deep facts

Economy
GDP	≈ $334.9 billionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Per person	≈ $9,684Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Top exports	copper ore, gold, refined copper, refined petroleum, grapes (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Population
Population	34.6 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Median age	30.4 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Life expectancy	68.9 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Religions	Catholic 76%, Evangelical Christian 15.7%, no religion 5.1%, other religions 3.2% (2017 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2017 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Geography
Area	1,285,216 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Climate	varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in AndesSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Terrain	western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Government
Type of government	presidential republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Calling code	+51Source: libphonenumber · Checked 24 Oct 2026 ↗

About the data

Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.

From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.

CDC · 24 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 24 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗U.S. Department of State · 25 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 24 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗

Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).