Best time to go to Peru for a perfect weather and where to go?
Find the best time to visit Peru from average climate conditions in many locations like Huaraz or Puno below.
When is the best time to go to Peru?
Because of its climatic diversity, Peru allows for visiting and discoveries all year long. The best periods vary from region to region of course and depend greatly on the activities one desires to practice.
Both the sunshine and the beautiful sun-filled days help contribute to a pleasant moment for beach lovers relaxing in the sand. For this reason, one can choose the period between December and March.
The Easter season, which is known as the high season, is a time of excitement where tourists are at their maximum. Because of the generally high price in hotels, one must budget accordingly.
The intermediate seasons, ranging from March to May and September to November, the one before as well as the one that follows the southern winter, prove to be good compromises because even if the weather faces certain changes, the climatic conditions remain favorable for travelling and cultural discoveries. Moreover, sites are more accessible because the crowds are dwindling and falling prices, allowing several differents offers to be within reach of a variety of travellers.
So, when is the best time to go to Peru? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:
- In Peru, the weather is good across more than 60% of the territory for: January, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December
- The weather is good all year in Lima
- On average, the warmest months in Lima are January, February, March, April and December
- The cities with the best climate are Lima, Máncora, Atico, Barranca, Bayóvar, Boca del Rio, Boliviamar, Camaná, Canyon de Colca and Caral, with good weather at least 11 months a year
- March is the best month for swimming in Lima
Annual weather in Peru
For information about the climate and the weather city by city in Peru for a specific month, click on the corresponding line below:
| Month | Our opinion | View Details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38°F to 90°F | good weather* | |||
| February | 40°F to 92°F | perfect weather* | |||
| March | 40°F to 92°F | perfect weather* | |||
| April | 38°F to 90°F | perfect weather* | |||
| May | 36°F to 92°F | perfect weather* | |||
| June | 32°F to 90°F | perfect weather* | |||
| July | 32°F to 92°F | perfect weather* | |||
| August | 34°F to 97°F | perfect weather* | |||
| September | 38°F to 99°F | perfect weather* | |||
| October | 38°F to 97°F | perfect weather* | |||
| November | 40°F to 94°F | perfect weather* | |||
| December | 40°F to 92°F | perfect weather* |
Best time to travel to Peru by cities
Lima
The best months to go to Lima are january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, october, november and december.
Arequipa
The best months to go to Arequipa are january, february, march, april, may, august, september, october, november and december.
Cusco
The best months to go to Cusco are january, february, march, april, may, august, september, october, november and december.
Climate and Weather in Peru
Throughout its entire length, Peru has many neighbors such as Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and Chile. Due to its geographical position, Peru's climate is very varied and temperatures experience large differences between each region. It is actually milder on the coast and temperatures can drop dangerously low in mountainous areas, such as the Andes.
Climate on the Coast of Peru
The coast of Peru, from and including Lima to Chimbote, is a fairly hot area between the months of December and February and a rather cool one between June and August. Note that particularly around the area of Lima, a very damp mist regularly falls between May and mid-September.
Climate in the Andes
Peru's climate towards the Andes can be quite rough - especially in the higher areas, like the neighboring capital, La Paz. In this area, the rainy season is from December to April. The days are hot and the nights are cold. The rainfalls can sometimes continue all the way until the month of May in the highlands. Although they are less abundant, the rains leave behind a wonderfully green landscape. In the mountains, the dry season ranges from June to October. As during the previous rainy season, the days are still warm and the nights are still cold. Certain areas, like Puno and Lake Titicaca face the arrival of large cold spells in July and August.
Climate in the Peruvian Amazon
The climate within the Peruvian Amazon, just as with its Brazilian neighbor of Cruzeiro do Sul, is quite heavy. The rainy season here is lengthy and lasts from December to April while the dry season is only from June to August. It is especially at this time that the temperatures become specifically hot and stuffy. It is best to avoid this time of the year, as it is hard to endure the hot weather.
Temperatures and rainfall in Peru
On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Peru and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Iquitos and Machu Picchu, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.
Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Peru
Find out when Peru has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.
Tourist seasons in Peru
The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, May, June and November. The number of visitors to Peru is high in: July, August, September, October and December.
- Very low season in Peru: February, March, April, May and June.
- Low season in Peru: January and November.
- High season in Peru: September.
- Peak season in Peru: July, August, October and December.
Figure: Visitor index for Peru month by month
Average price for flights to Peru
A return flight between New York City and Lima is generally cheaper if you go in november ($ 517 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 294 more for your airline ticket to Lima if you go in december.
Where to go in Peru?
This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).
| Cities | jan. | feb. | mar. | apr. | may | jun. | jul. | aug. | sep. | oct. | nov. | dec. |
| Lima | 79°F | 81°F | 81°F | 77°F | 76°F | 74°F | 72°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
| Arequipa | 65°F | 65°F | 65°F | 67°F | 67°F | 67°F | 67°F | 68°F | 70°F | 70°F | 68°F | 67°F |
| Cusco | 58°F | 58°F | 59°F | 59°F | 59°F | 58°F | 58°F | 59°F | 59°F | 61°F | 61°F | 59°F |
| Iquitos | 86°F | 88°F | 88°F | 86°F | 86°F | 86°F | 88°F | 92°F | 94°F | 92°F | 90°F | 88°F |
| Machu Picchu | 61°F | 61°F | 61°F | 63°F | 63°F | 61°F | 59°F | 63°F | 63°F | 65°F | 65°F | 63°F |
| Máncora | 83°F | 85°F | 85°F | 85°F | 83°F | 81°F | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 79°F | 81°F |
| Puno | 61°F | 61°F | 61°F | 59°F | 59°F | 58°F | 56°F | 58°F | 59°F | 61°F | 63°F | 61°F |
| Angoteros | 86°F | 86°F | 85°F | 85°F | 83°F | 83°F | 83°F | 88°F | 92°F | 90°F | 88°F | 88°F |
| Atico | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 68°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F |
| Barranca | 77°F | 79°F | 77°F | 76°F | 74°F | 72°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F |
| Bayóvar | 88°F | 90°F | 90°F | 90°F | 86°F | 85°F | 83°F | 83°F | 85°F | 85°F | 86°F | 86°F |
| Boca del Rio | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F | 72°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 68°F | 68°F | 70°F |
| Boliviamar | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 72°F | 70°F | 67°F | 67°F | 65°F | 65°F | 67°F | 67°F | 70°F |
| Caballococha | 86°F | 88°F | 86°F | 86°F | 86°F | 88°F | 90°F | 94°F | 95°F | 94°F | 90°F | 88°F |
| Camaná | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 68°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F |
| Canyon de Colca | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 68°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F |
| Caral | 77°F | 79°F | 79°F | 76°F | 74°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 70°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
| Catarata Gocta | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 70°F |
| Chala | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 68°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 74°F | 74°F |
| Chan Chan (Huanchaco) | 77°F | 79°F | 79°F | 77°F | 76°F | 72°F | 72°F | 70°F | 72°F | 72°F | 74°F | 76°F |
Legend:
perfect weather
good weather
tolerable weather
bad weather
very bad weather
About Peru
What can I do in Peru?
Beaches / swimming
Nature and countryside
Culture and heritage
Sports
Family travel
Crafts / shopping
Gastronomy
Nightlife
Is this weather information for Peru reliable?
Climate data for Peru has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Peru allows us to determine the average for each month in Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, Iquitos, Machu Picchu, Máncora, Puno, Angoteros, and 78 other cities.
So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.