Practical Information for visiting Peru

Peru uses the sol (PEN). Cards work in Lima, Cusco and larger hotels and restaurants; markets, small towns, taxis and most rural transactions are cash, and small denominations are genuinely useful.

Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres. Check notes for damage — torn or heavily worn notes are frequently refused by businesses, which catches visitors out.

Tipping is modest: rounding up, or about ten per cent in a tourist-facing restaurant. Trekking guides, cooks and porters are tipped, and on the Inca Trail this is an established and significant part of their pay.

Coverage for mobile networks is good in cities and along main roads, absent in much of the Amazon and on high trekking routes. Peru is outside European roaming arrangements; local SIMs are cheap and sold at the airport and in any town.

Wi-fi is standard in accommodation. Domestic flights cover the long distances, and the Lima-to-Cusco route is the busiest; overland bus services are extensive and the better companies are comfortable, if slow, given the terrain.

Peru's major tourist circuits -- Lima's tourist districts, Cusco, and Machu Picchu -- are visited safely by millions of travelers each year, though the country has real regional variation and some specific risks worth planning around.

• Petty theft and bag-slashing are the most common issues in Lima and Cusco specifically -- keep bags zipped and worn in front on crowded buses and in markets, and be cautious with phones and cameras in crowded tourist areas.
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• Altitude sickness is a genuine, common issue for visitors arriving directly in Cusco (3,400m) or Lake Titicaca's Puno (3,800m) from sea level -- give the body a day or two to acclimatize before strenuous activity, stay hydrated, and take symptoms (headache, nausea, breathlessness) seriously rather than pushing through them.
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• "Express kidnappings" involving unlicensed taxis, where a driver forces a victim to withdraw cash from ATMs, is a documented if uncommon risk in Lima -- use registered taxi apps or hotel-arranged transport rather than hailing a cab on the street.
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• The VRAEM region (parts of Ayacucho, Cusco, and Junín) has a history of drug-trafficking-related activity and carries a government travel advisory -- this doesn't affect the standard Cusco/Machu Picchu tourist circuit, but check current advisories before venturing into rural areas of these regions specifically.
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• Natural hazards: Peru sits in a seismically active zone with real earthquake risk, and the Amazon's rainy season can bring flooding and travel disruption to river-dependent areas.
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• Emergency number: 105 for police, 116 for fire/medical.

Altitude is the main health issue in Peru and is frequently underestimated. Cusco is at about 3,400 metres and Puno higher still. Altitude sickness affects fit and unfit people alike, and the answer is to ascend gradually, rest on arrival, drink water and avoid alcohol for the first day. Coca tea is the local remedy and is legal here. Serious cases require descent, not endurance.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for Amazon travel and required by some neighbouring countries afterwards. Hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly advised.

Do not drink tap water. Take care with raw food outside good restaurants, though ceviche in a reputable place is fine.

Comprehensive insurance covering evacuation matters here, given the altitudes and the distances.

Coca leaf is legal in Peru and widely used; carrying it across borders, including home, is not, and it will test positive for cocaine metabolites.

Removing archaeological material is a serious offence, and antiquities may not be exported.

Ask before photographing people, particularly in the highlands, and expect that people in traditional dress posing near tourist sites do so for a fee, which should be agreed first.

Machu Picchu has strict rules: timed entry, set circuits, no re-entry, no large bags, no drones, no walking poles without rubber tips. They are enforced.

Peru does not use a single number. 105 reaches the national police, 116 the fire service and 106 ambulance services. English-speaking operators are not guaranteed.

Peru also runs a dedicated tourist police, and larger tourist centres have an office; they are the practical first contact for theft, lost documents and disputes.

On treks, rescue is arranged through your operator rather than a public service, which is one reason to use a reputable one and to carry insurance that covers evacuation.