Citizens from most countries in the Americas (including the United States and Canada), Western Europe (Great Britain), and South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia do not require visas to enter Peru as tourists -- only valid passports. Only some Asian, African and communist countries, need visas when entering Peru.

Tourists are permitted a stay of 30 to 90 days, stamped into their passports and onto a tourist card, called "Tarjeta Andina de Migracion" or Andean Immigration Card, that you must return upon leaving the country. The actual length of stay is determined by the immigration officer at the port of entry. If you lose your tourist card, you will have to queue up at an "oficina de migraciones" or immigration office for a replacement. Carry your passport and tourist card with you at all times, especially when traveling in remote areas (it's required by law on the Inca Trail).

Extensions of 30 days cost about S/. 28.00 and can be obtained at immigration offices in Lima, Arequipa, Cuzco, Iquitos Puerto Maldonado, Puno and Trujillo, as well as near the Chilean and Ecuadorian borders. You can keep extending your stay up to 180 days total. When your time is up, you can leave the country overland and return a day later to begin the process again.

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You will only need a vaccination if you will at some point be traveling to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. Although it is not mandatory, Intense Peru highly recommends you the Yellow Fever Inoculation. This vaccination can be easily obtained from your local physician back home. It must be administered at least 10 days before your trip to be effective. We also recommend you check with your doctor the different cautions/vaccinations one should take for each destination (this varies depending on where each passenger comes from).

It is recommended that you take the proper measures to protect yourself, specially from mosquito bites, in order to prevent infection from, among other diseases, yellow fever (vaccination) and malaria (repellant and medication). Consult your doctor before traveling.

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Coast
The coastal region of Peru is cool for its latitude, and quite dry year-round. Temperatures are warmest during the summer months (January to March), with hot and humid days of around 29C (84F) and cool nights of just below 20C (68F). Winters are not too cold, but frequent low cloud may cause some to pine for shine. Inland, the temperature drops substantially, with less seasonal variation during the day - average highs are about 21C (70F) throughout the year and winter nights are chilly, particularly at higher elevations. There is also a moderae wet season here from December until May.

On the desert coast, summer (Dec-Apr) is hot and dry, with temperatures reaching 77F to 95F (25C - 35C) or more along the north coast. In winter (May-Oct), temperatures are much milder, though with high humidity. Much of the coast, including Lima, is shrouded in a gray mist called garua. Only extreme northern beaches are warm enough for swimming.

Mountains
Generally, May through October is the dry season. Daytime temperatures reach a warm 68F to 77F (20C - 25C), and nights are often quite cold (near freezing), especially in June and July. Rainfall season is very abundant November to April, when temperatures are slightly milder -- 64F to 68F (18C - 20C) dropping only to 59F (15C) at night. The wettest months are January and February. Most mornings are dry, but clouds move in during the afternoon and produce heavy downpours, making Roads and trek paths impassable.

Amazon
Although it is consistently humid and tropical, with significant rainfall year-round, it also experiences two clearly different seasons. During the dry season (May-Oct), temperatures reach 86F to 100F (30C - 38C) during the day. From November to April, there are frequent rain showers (which last only a few hours at a time), causing the rivers to swell; temperatures are similarly steamy.

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Peru's climate can be divided into two seasons - wet and dry - though this can vary depending on the region. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation: the higher you climb, the cooler it becomes.

Peru's peak tourist season is from April to October, which is the dry season in the Andean highlands. It's also the best time to go if you're interested in hiking, cicling or mountain climbing. While travelers visit the highlands year-round, the wettest months, January and February, make trekking a muddy proposition. Many of the major festivities occur around this time and continue undiminished in spite of heavy rain.

On the coast, Peruvians visit the beach during the sunny, humid months from December through March. The rest of the year, the coast is clothed in mist. In the eastern rainforests, it naturally rains a lot. The wettest months are December to May, but travelers visit year-round; it rarely rains for more than a few hours at a time and there's plenty of sunshine to enjoy.

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