Tourist Attractions & Monuments Peru

Timetable

Some national museums are traditionally closed on Sundays or Mondays, but many sites are actually open 7 days a week. Museums traditionally open at 8 or 9 a.m., but it's not uncommon for the last visitors to arrive between 4 and 5 p.m., i.e. relatively early.

Weekends are busier in town, but not necessarily on the sites you'll be visiting, as weekends are, as everywhere else, devoted to shopping.

On Sundays, you can slip into the churches, but often you can't make the full visit, at least not during the still-popular mass times.

On traditional holidays such as Easter (dates vary), Fiestas Patrias (July 28 and 29) and Christmas, destinations such as Paracas, Cusco, Arequipa or Mancora are often "sold out".

To be booked

Peru is the land of flexibility, except when it comes to Machu Picchu. You need to book several months in advance, via an approved agency, the slots available to complete the Camino Inca, whether it's the 4-day version starting at km 82 or the 1-day version starting at km 104.

The Sanctuary itself has set a maximum number of visitors per hour.

Hikes that allow you to explore more of the site, such as Huayna Picchu (3A) or Montaña Machu Picchu (1A), are open to 400 people per day each. The ticket is specific and you can choose between 10 tours. It is possible to buy several tickets for the same person on the same day, by combining slots. Agencies usually have dedicated websites and booking areas, but you can also book directly on https://tuboleto.cultura.pe

Tickets for the Inti Raymi festival in Cusco on June 24 must also be purchased several months in advance. You have to go through an agency.

Budget & Tips

Some sites offer prices for children, students or senior citizens. While children and the elderly have no trouble proving their identity, student status is more difficult to prove. In general, you'll need to show a photo ID card with a start and end date of validity.

In Lima, some museums are free on the^1st Sunday of each month. There is also a Museum Night, usually on the^3rd Sunday in May.

Main events

In general, the busiest periods are Holy Week, the Fiestas Patrias (July 28 and 29) and the few days that follow, which are school vacations, Christmas and New Year.

Semana Santa in Ayacucho or Cusco attracts large crowds. The Inti Raymi in Cusco, held every June 24, is also well attended.

Guided tours

The tourist guide profession is well regulated in Peru. To work as a tourist guide, you need a card and a license that is specific to each region. On the most emblematic sites, guides who do not hold this card will simply not enter.

A visit to the local tourist office is always welcome. These small IPeru stands can be found in strategic locations throughout the city (www.peru.travel/fr)

In the most important museums, you can hire a guide directly at the entrance to the site. At Machu Picchu too, although those who sell their services outside the archaeological site are not necessarily the best.

Lima offers its Mirabus tourist bus with a pre-established route (www.mirabusperu.com), while Cusco offers the Sightseeing Bus or the all-wooden Tranvia (these services change frequently, so it's best to trust what you're sold on the Plaza de Armas). In Arequipa, you can explore the Campiña outside the city (several companies, all on sale in the Plaza de Armas).

Free Walking Tours (https://freewalkingtoursperu.com, www.guruwalk.com, www.inkanmilkyway.com, https://strawberrytours.com) work well in tourist cities like Lima, Cusco and Arequipa. There are sometimes several different kinds. They always have a commercial side to keep you coming back for more in certain places. In Cusco, some take you up to the heights of the city to Cristo Blanco, for example, which also includes a return trip in a minivan.

AirBnB experiences are well developed in Peru.

Then there are less traditional tours such as the ChocoMuseo tours (chocomuseo.com/peru), gastronomic tours (www.exquisitoperu.com, www.limagourmetcompany.com, www.secretfoodtours.com) or tours organized by NGOs or agencies that have been working hard for years to guide tourists towards more authentic encounters (www.alternativeperu.org, https://cbctupay.com).

Finally, and this is a very important part of discovering Peru, many villagers' associations or communities practice what is known here as Turismo Rural Comunitario (TRC). The state helps them to form, but unfortunately not to communicate. A list can be found at turismocomunitario.com.pe. IPeru agencies and conventional tourist agencies generally work with these communities.

Smokers

Peruvians are not big smokers. So you won't find people in the street or on the terrace puffing away on their cigarettes. Smoking is banned in many public places. Nevertheless, Peruvians are social smokers. As a result, you'll find greater consumption after dark on café terraces or even in nightclubs (which are a priori forbidden). Street vendors can be found selling cigarettes and/or chewing gum outside strategic locations.

Tourist traps

The very friendly nature of Peruvians can sometimes make you feel uncomfortable if someone claims to be escorting you around. This is especially true for solo travellers. These makeshift guides can be firmly rebuffed.

What's very local

If you're staying in a community, it's customary to dress in traditional Peruvian garb for a souvenir photo, which is certainly a cliché, but also pleases your hosts, who wear their outfits with pride.

Do you have to visit Cusco wearing a Peruvian bonnet and poncho? That's another question...