Written by:Claire Dean
Published: 13-06-2024
If you could choose just one word that sums up Peru, it would probably be "DIVERSITY". This South American country literally has it all! From stunning coastal regions to some of the highest mountains in the world, Peru is big, geographically disparate, culturally divergent, historically profound, and mind-bogglingly adventurous! Is it any wonder why intrepid travelers want to visit this astounding country? To get to this South American powerhouse of a travel destination you invariably have to take a plane, unless you already have the pleasure to be in one of Peru´s neighboring countries. Here are some useful Peru travel tips about how to get to Peru by plane.
The Magical Machu Picchu
Time of Year
The cost of airfares vary depending on the time of year you are traveling. High season in Peru runs from May to September when it is dry season in The Andean region, and most importantly Cusco and Machu Picchu! This coincides nicely with when most of Europe and the USA have their holidays and are looking to travel. The main airlines generally maintain their fares and tickets can easily be bought online. Christmas and public holidays also have a mini price increase for international travel and should be taken into account.
Entrance to Machu Picchu in High Season
Peru has only 1 International airport (…… kind of!)
All international air passengers to Peru will first arrive to Peru to the capital, Lima, at the Jorge Chávez International Airport. There are limited international flights that arrive at Cusco from Bolivia or Chile but they are few and far between.
Jorge Chavez International Airport
From the Lima airport to your hotel in one of the "tourist-friendly" Lima districts, such as San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco, (these "barrios" are generally preferred by travelers and tourists), it's usually a 40-minute taxi ride outside of rush hour. Inside of rush hour, this can often take up to two hours!
Take a taxi from an authorized taxi company. Each company has its stand just after you pass through customs. Don’t pick up a taxi outside of arrivals from the zillion taxi drivers offering their wares and shouting "taxi" at you, nor from the road outside of the airport terminal. There is also an Airport Express Lima bus that offers transfers to and from the Miraflores district).
Official Taxis
Booking your International Flights to Peru
There are a few options for booking your flights to Peru including using a Peru travel agency- maybe be the one you booked your Peru trip with?, online flight platforms such as Kayak, Sky Scanner, or Expedia, LATAM which is the main airline in Peru, and also offers international flights as part of the "One World" chain.
Andean Traditions
Flying From The UK
There are no direct flights from the UK to Peru anymore. Getting to Peru involves changing planes somewhere in Europe or The USA. From Heathrow Airport, you can expect the trip to take around 20 hours, approximately, depending on your route and the stopovers involved. The most popular routes are via Amsterdam on KLM , via Madrid on Iberia , via Frankfurt on Lufthansa or via Miami, Atlanta, New York and Houston on one of the US airlines.
Fares can range from £750–£1200 depending on the time of year and the nearer to the departure date, the higher the cost. Buy in advance! KLM, Iberia and Continental Airlines are the Airlines that generally offer the most competitive prices.
Peru Travel Tips
It is not recommended to buy your return tickets in Peru. Air taxes are higher which inflates the cost and the rule of thumb when buying flights is that a return trip generally works out cheaper than a one-way flight.
Check-In Time!
Flying from The USA and Canada
Most flights to Peru from the USA go via Miami, Houston, or Atlanta. Delta, Continental Airlines and American Airlines are the main airlines serving Peru from the USA. Most airlines can book connecting flights to Miami, Houston, or Atlanta from a range of cities throughout the USA. A number of airlines fly Miami-to-Lima, including American, Copa and LATAM; Expect to pay around $1000–1500 return. Fares from New York (via Miami) cost the same as fares from just Miami in general.
Flights from Toronto direct to Lima start at about Can$900 with LATAM; it costs the same price when flying from Montréal via Toronto.
Peru Travel Tips
There are often tours and packages on offer from the USA and Canada to Peru. They start from around $1500 for a two- to three-day package and range up to $4000–5000. You’ll also find a number of packages that include Peru on their itineraries as part of a longer South American tour.
American Airlines
Flights from Australia and New Zealand
Flights to Peru from Australia and New Zealand tend to be limited and generally involve changing planes, usually in the US. High season is December to February; low season is the rest of the year, but prices also vary depending on how long you stay. Aerolineas Argentinas fly from Sydney via Auckland and Buenos Aires, with connecting flights to Lima; fares start at Aus$1875. LATAM in combination with Delta and Air Canada, also fly from Sydney to Lima via the USA; their cheapest tickets are 45-day returns at Aus$2500. Continental and American airlines regularly fly from Melbourne via Sydney, Auckland, and the USA with fares that start at Aus$2800/NZ$3600 and range up to Aus$4000/NZ$5160 for a six-month return in high season, including connecting flights to Lima.
Air New Zealand fly to LA from Auckland and Wellington but has no specific connections to Peru. Qantas (qantas.com .au) has flights from Auckland to LA via Sydney or Melbourne and also fly to Dallas and New York from Sydney, from where there are connecting flights to Lima; prices start from about NZ$1300.
Lima Streets Await You!
Entry Requirements
A Peru tourist visa will last for anywhere between 30 and 183 days. This is given on entry to Peru and you do not need to apply ahead of time in most cases. If you have an onward ticket your visa will usually be given for the duration of your stay. Check out this ValenciaTravel Blog about entry requirements to Peru.
Passports At The Ready
Peru Travel Tips
Make sure you are traveling with your Passport that has at least 6 months validity and a spare page for the stamp. Make sure you have a return ticket and can show that you have a Budget for traveling in Peru. If you are on Peru vacation packages, have the details at hand. ALWAYS travel with a comprehensive travel insurance plan for any unexpected events or illnesses.
Travel Insurance!
The main advice we can give about how to get to Peru by plane is to book ahead, make sure your travel documents are in order, have travel insurance and pack your spirit of adventure! Please contact us if you need help with booking your flight to Peru and we will be more than happy to help! Bon Voyage!
