How to travel to Peru from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Ireland

Travel to Peru from the USA

The US has the most direct options to Peru. Some airlines fly direct to Lima from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles and other cities at times. From elsewhere, connect in one of these hubs or in Panama City, Bogotá or San Salvador. Check current schedules, as routes vary through the year.

Flight time: roughly 5.5–6 hours from Miami, around 6.5–7 hours from Houston or Atlanta, about 7.5–8 hours from New York and 8.5–9 hours from Los Angeles.

Entry for US citizens

US citizens have generally been able to visit Peru for tourism without a visa. The immigration officer decides how many days you get on arrival, so say if you plan a long stay and check the number you were given. Entry is usually recorded digitally rather than with a paper card. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from entry. Check travel.state.gov before you go.

Time difference

Peru is on UTC−5 all year with no daylight saving. It is the same time as New York in the US winter and one hour behind New York in the US summer. Peru is 2 hours ahead of Los Angeles in summer and 3 hours ahead in winter.

Tips for the trip

Jet lag is small from the US, which is a big advantage. Many flights from the US land in Lima late at night, and the first flights to Cusco leave very early, so some travellers stay at the airport hotel or a nearby guesthouse rather than going into the city.

Travel to Peru from the UK

Some airlines have flown direct from London to Lima at times; check current schedules. Most British travellers connect through Madrid, Amsterdam or another European hub, through a US city such as Miami, Houston or New York, or through Bogotá, Panama City or São Paulo. If you connect in the US, you will need an ESTA or visa for the US even when only changing planes.

Flight time: roughly 12–13.5 hours non-stop from London, and often 15–20 hours with a connection.

Entry for UK citizens

British passport holders have generally been able to visit Peru for tourism without a visa. The number of days is set by the officer on arrival, so ask for enough if you plan a long trip. Your passport should usually be valid for at least six months. Check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/peru before booking.

Time difference

Peru is 5 hours behind the UK in the UK winter and 6 hours behind during British Summer Time.

Tips for the trip

Westbound flights from Europe usually arrive in Lima in the afternoon or evening, which helps with jet lag: you go to bed late by Lima time but early by your body clock. Many UK travellers combine Peru with Bolivia, Chile or Ecuador; if you go overland, check each country's entry rules separately.

Travel to Peru from Canada

Some airlines fly direct from Toronto to Lima at times, and there have been seasonal routes from other Canadian cities. Most Canadians outside Toronto connect through a US city, Toronto, Panama City, Bogotá or Mexico City. Check current schedules and, if you connect in the US, make sure you have the documents needed for a US transit.

Flight time: roughly 8–8.5 hours non-stop from Toronto, and often 11–16 hours with a connection from Vancouver, Calgary or Montreal.

Entry for Canadian citizens

Canadian passport holders have generally been able to visit Peru for tourism without a visa. The length of stay is decided on arrival, and entry is usually recorded digitally. Check travel.gc.ca and keep your passport valid for at least six months from entry.

Time difference

Peru is the same time as Toronto and Montreal in the Canadian winter and one hour behind in the summer. It is 2 or 3 hours ahead of Vancouver.

Tips for the trip

Many Canadians travel in the northern winter, which is the Andean wet season. That is fine for Lima, the coast and a Machu Picchu visit with some rain, but if trekking is your goal, the dry season from around May to September is better. The classic Inca Trail is closed every February.

Travel to Peru from Australia

There are no direct flights between Australia and Peru. The most common route crosses the Pacific to Santiago de Chile, from Sydney or Melbourne, and continues to Lima. Other options connect through Auckland and then Santiago or Buenos Aires, or through a US west coast city. Check current schedules and choose a route that suits your other South American plans.

Flight time: roughly 12–14 hours across the Pacific to Santiago, then about 3.5–4 hours to Lima, so around 18–24 hours in total including the connection; longer via the US.

Entry for Australian citizens

Australian passport holders have generally been able to visit Peru for tourism without a visa, with the number of days set on arrival. If you connect through the US, you need US travel authorisation even for a transit; Chile and other countries may have their own transit rules. Check smartraveller.gov.au before you book.

Time difference

Peru is 15 hours behind Sydney and Melbourne in the Australian winter and 16 hours behind during Australian daylight saving time. You arrive in Peru on the same calendar day you left, or even earlier.

Tips for the trip

Jet lag going east across the Pacific can be tough. Spend two nights in Lima, at sea level, before flying to Cusco. Many Australians combine Peru with Chile, Argentina or Bolivia on a longer trip, often using an open-jaw ticket into Lima and out of Santiago or Buenos Aires.

Travel to Peru from Mexico

Some airlines fly direct from Mexico City to Lima, and there have been routes from Cancún at times. You can also connect through Bogotá or Panama City. Check current schedules.

Flight time: roughly 5.5–6 hours non-stop from Mexico City.

Entry for Mexican citizens

Mexico and Peru have changed their visa rules for each other's citizens in recent years, and Mexican passport holders may currently need a visa or other prior authorisation for Peru. Do not rely on older advice: check with the Peruvian embassy or consulate in Mexico and on gob.mx/sre before you book flights. If you need a visa, allow plenty of time.

Time difference

Peru is 1 hour ahead of Mexico City all year, since neither country changes its clocks. Cancún and Peru are usually on the same time.

Tips for the trip

A short flight, a small time difference and a shared language make Peru one of the easiest long trips from Mexico once entry is sorted. Peruvian Spanish has its own expressions, and in the Andes many people speak Quechua as their first language. Mexican travellers are often surprised by the cold at altitude: nights in Cusco and Puno can drop close to freezing, so pack warm layers.

Travel to Peru from Ireland

There are no direct flights from Ireland to Peru. The most common routes connect through Madrid or Amsterdam, which both have direct flights to Lima, through another European hub, or through a US city such as New York, Miami or Atlanta. Dublin offers US preclearance, so you complete US immigration before you leave Ireland if you connect in the US. Check current schedules.

Flight time: roughly 15–19 hours in total from Dublin, depending on the connection.

Entry for Irish citizens

Irish passport holders, like citizens of other EU countries, have generally been able to visit Peru for tourism without a visa. The number of days is set on arrival. If you connect through the US, you will need an ESTA or US visa. Check dfa.ie/travel before you go.

Time difference

Peru is 5 hours behind Ireland in the Irish winter and 6 hours behind in the Irish summer.

Tips for the trip

Connecting via Madrid often gives an evening arrival in Lima, with a night's rest before the early Cusco flights. Keep your onward ticket and accommodation details to hand at immigration, and keep any record of your entry, as hotels may ask for it. A through-ticket to Cusco protects you if the first flight is late.

Arriving in Peru solo: Lima airport, night arrivals and meeting your group

Jorge Chávez International Airport is in Callao, west of central Lima. The ride to Miraflores or Barranco, where most visitors stay, usually takes around 45–90 minutes depending on traffic, which can be very heavy. Options include an airport express bus to Miraflores, official airport taxis booked at the counters inside the terminal, ride-hailing pick-ups and pre-booked transfers.

Arriving at night

Many international flights land late in the evening or after midnight. Do not accept rides from people offering taxis in the arrivals hall or outside; use an official counter or a pre-booked transfer. Message your accommodation with your arrival time. If your flight to Cusco is early the next morning, staying at or near the airport saves a long trip through Lima.

Flying on to Cusco

Most group trips spend time in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, at high altitude. Many travellers stay a night in Lima first and fly to Cusco in the morning, then head down to the slightly lower Sacred Valley to adjust. Leave plenty of time between your international arrival and the Cusco flight; morning flights are often the most reliable because weather can affect afternoon landings.

First steps at the airport

• Keep your entry record or confirmation; you may need it at hotels and on departure.
• Withdraw some soles from a bank ATM inside the terminal.
• Buy a local SIM or eSIM if you need data straight away.

Joining a group trip on arrival

Check whether your group meets in Lima or Cusco and whether the domestic flight is included. Save the organiser's emergency number offline, and allow at least one buffer night before the group's first day at altitude.

Best time to fly to Peru from the northern and southern hemisphere

For most visitors, the priority is the Andes and Machu Picchu, which are best in the dry season from around May to September, with April and October as good, quieter compromises. For travellers from the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland and Mexico, that period includes the northern summer holidays, so flights and Machu Picchu tickets go quickly; book early.

From the southern hemisphere

For Australians, the Andean dry season falls in the Australian winter, which is also a good time to combine Peru with Chile's Atacama or Bolivia. Travelling over the Australian summer holidays means arriving in the Andean wet season, when Lima's coast is sunny but trails in the mountains are muddy and views cloudier.

Busy periods

Inti Raymi in Cusco on 24 June, the Peruvian national holidays at the end of July, Easter week and Christmas bring the busiest flights and hotels. Domestic flights to Cusco fill up first.

Jet lag and altitude tips

• From North America and Mexico, jet lag is small, but altitude is not: plan a slow first day in Cusco.
• From Europe, flights usually arrive in the evening; a night in Lima helps you reset before heading up.
• From Australia, the jump of more than 15 hours is hard; give yourself two nights at sea level first.
• Drink water, go easy on alcohol for the first days at altitude, and ask a doctor about altitude medicines before you go.

Combine Peru with Morocco

Peru and Morocco are on different continents, so combining them means flying across the Atlantic. There are no direct flights between them. The most practical link is through Madrid, which has direct flights to Lima and many short flights to Moroccan cities, or through another European hub such as Paris or Amsterdam. Casablanca also has flights to some North American cities, which can work for travellers from the US or Canada. Check current schedules for your dates.

A common pattern for North Americans is an open-jaw trip: fly home-to-Lima, then Lima to Madrid, spend a few days in Spain and continue to Morocco, and finally fly home from Morocco or Spain. For travellers from the UK and Ireland, Morocco is a short flight from home, so it often makes more sense as a separate trip.

The two countries share a love of markets, mountain villages and big landscapes, from the Andes to the Atlas and from the Peruvian coastal desert to the Sahara. Peru's best Andean season, May to September, is summer in Morocco, when the desert and cities are hot, so spring or autumn are better for the Moroccan leg. Check Morocco's entry rules for your passport separately.