We recommend that you bring as much money as you feel comfortable carrying. Intense Peru Tours are usually fully inclusive, and extra money is only needed for an occasional meal - where the Intense Peru Tour has left this out of the itinerary to give you more dining choices - and for purchasing souvenirs. Tips are not included in the overall price of the Tour. If you wish to give tips it is recommended that you bring along extra cash.

Here is a sample list of average prices for products and services that you can use to help you plan your budget.

We suggest that you bring some cash and a credit card and/or debit card. Not many restaurants outside of Lima have access to Visa or MasterCard services so credit/debit cards are useful mostly for withdrawing cash from ATMs. You can easily find ATMs in most Peruvian cities. Some even offer a choice between the kinds of currency you withdraw. Using the ATMs adds security to your transactions as you can then avoid the risk of scam artists, whether through counterfeit money when you exchange your cash, or by avoiding the risk of credit card duplication, double charging, or theft. US Dollars are accepted almost everywhere and currency exchange bureaus are easy to find. Euros are also widely accepted.

U.S. dollars are accepted almost everywhere and currency exchange bureaus are easy to find. Traveler’s checks can be useful but the exchange rate is lower than it is for cash (there’s between a 5 and 10% loss). Also, it can be difficult to locate places that take traveler’s checks. We suggest you bring some cash and debit or credit cards. It is always a good idea to bring a little extra for the unexpected purchases that suddenly come up, such as that souvenir you just have to have.

Most banks and exchange bureaus are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays until 12:00 p.m.

Tipping is not included in the Tours. We suggest you tip according to how well you were served, up to 10 – 15% of the total bill. Of course, it is entirely up to you should you desire to tip more for exceedingly exceptional service.

Sales tax in Peru (IGV: Impuesto General a las Ventas) is 19%. Foreign travelers without residence permits in Peru are exempt from paying the sales tax on hotel expenses (lodging and food at the hotel).
To avoid this sales tax on hotel expenses make sure your passport has a valid entry visa for at least 60 days, an official migration stamp, and a stamped Andean Migration Card. All of these will be issued to tourists upon arrival to Peru. If you don’t present any of the above upon request, Hotels will charge you the 19% tax for your hotel expenses.

Peru’s government is working hard to formalize the economy but the population’s old habits are hard to change. The informal economy is still a big part of the economic reality of the country so be aware that not everybody that is involved in sales or services will be able to provide you with a receipt for your payment. This happens frequently with traditional artisans who mostly work out of their homes and sell their goods in the street or small market stalls. The quality of the products is not necessarily affected by this. We just want you to be aware in case you would like to receive receipts for your purchases.