Machu Picchu is one of those bucket-list activities people dream about. While most people visit on a day trip, you can also visit via the Inca Trail, a challenging multi-day hike through the jungles of Peru. In this guest post, my friend Gillian divulges the details of her trek while sharing some tips and suggestions to help you plan your trip to Machu Picchu. Hiking to Machu Picchu along the Inca Trail in Peru remains the highlight of my year traveling. Looking out over the peaks of the Andes, and knowing that I hiked to get there filled me with joy and awe. I didn’t want to be anywhere else. I won’t lie, though — it took some work. A lot of work, in fact. But it was totally worth it. Sitting some 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level, Machu Picchu was an Inca citadel built in the 15th century. The citadel was built as a royal estate, though it was used for less than 100 years before being abandoned due to the arrival of the Spanish, who were set on conquest. It wasn’t until...
Peru is one of the best places I have ever visited (and that’s saying something). I loved every moment (this blog post goes into more detail why). Besides being incredible, it’s also an extremely affordable destination (provided you limit your fine dining in Lima and guided hikes).
If you’re heading to Peru and wondering how much you’ll need to spend, look no further. In this post, I’ll break down how much I spent, where I went wrong, typical prices, and how you can save money.
How Much I Spent
During my sixteen days in Peru, I went to Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and hiked around the Sacred Valley. I spent $4,992.63 USD or $312 per day. That broke down as follows (in USD):
- Accommodation: $1,246.51
- Food: $795.96
- Guides tips: $45.90
- Tours / Activities: $162
- Transportation: $80.96
- Private tours (see below): $1,770
- Internal flights: $480.06
- Travel insurance: $73.92
- Gear: $337.32
Now, I spent a lot more than you would in an equal amount of time. That’s for a few reasons:
First, Lima is one of the gastronomic hub with some of the best restaurants in the world. I ended up eating at more than few of these spots and that drove up my food costs.
Second, I did private tours for my guided hikes in Cusco for work-related reasons and that really drove up my costs (you’re unlikely to pay for private guides when you travel). Without those tours, my costs would have come down to $200 USD a day!
Third, given the limited time I had in the country and the ground I needed to cover, I also flew between most destinations rather than taking long overnight buses. Moreover, because, again for work, I had to swap some flights last minute, I had to pay change fees.
Finally, I splurged on a really fancy hotel in Cusco for a couple of nights, which actually accounts for 50% of my accommodation costs. YOLO!
So how much would you, the average traveler, need to budget if you wanted to visit Peru? Well, not as much as me that’s for sure! Here are some more reasonable suggested budgets for Peru:
Backpacker Budget
If you want to backpack Peru, I’d plan for $50–80 USD per day (185–300 PEN). On this budget, you’d be staying in hostel dorms, eating at typical hole-in-the-wall restaurants and cafés, limiting your drinking, taking public transportation and overnight buses, and doing a few paid activities and tours. If you’re going to party a lot, you’ll be on the higher end of this range.
Midrange Budget
If you want to basically follow what I did (minus the private tours), you’d need $150–200 USD per day (560–750 PEN). This would get you private rooms in hostels or two- or three-star hotels, a few high-end meals the country is famous for, all the drinks you want, intra-country flights, and any tours and activities your heart desires.
From there, you could add or subtract $30–50 USD per day depending on if you’re staying in name brand hotels (or not), taking intra-country flights (or not), or partying a lot (or not).
You can use the price list below to help make your own budget.
Typical Prices
How much do things cost in Peru? Below are some typical prices (listed in Peruvian soles, abbreviated PEN). The higher-end numbers are what you’ll pay at the fancier, top-rated restaurants (and sometimes more than that). Most other places in Peru are toward the lower end.
- Hostel dorms: 40–100 PEN per night
- Hostel private room: 100–250 PEN per night
- Budget hotel: 110–300 PEN per night
- Global chain hotel: +375 PEN per night
- Appetizers: 20–30 PEN
- Ceviche: 40–60 PEN
- Main course dishes: 40–60 PEN
- Cuy (guinea pig, a delicacy): 55 PEN
- Burgers: 20–28 PEN
- Sandwiches: 12–15 PEN
- Fast food combos: 15-20 PEN
- Pizza: 25–60 PEN
- Dessert: 20–40 PEN
- Water (at a restaurant): 4-10 PEN
- Soda: 4–7 PEN
- Coffee: 5–10 PEN
- Iced coffee: 13–15 PEN
- Tea: 5–12 PEN
- Beer: 15 PEN
- Wine: 29–45 PEN
- Cocktails: 25 PEN
- Museum entry: 10–20 PEN
- Ubers: 10–20 PEN
- Taxis: 15–30 PEN
- Intra-country flights: 150–300 PEN
- Guided Machu Picchu hike/tour: 3,000–6,000 PEN
Budget-Saving Tips
It’s pretty easy to avoid spending a lot of money in Peru. Your biggest expenses are going to be accommodation, domestic flights, multi-day guided tours, and fine dining. If you limit any bit of that, you’ll be fine as public transportation is inexpensive, Ubers are crazy cheap, and Peruvian restaurants are really affordable.
Here’s what you can do to cut your costs and save money in Peru without limiting your experiences:
Bring a water bottle – The tap water here isn’t safe to drink, so bring a reusable water bottle with a filter to save money and reduce your plastic use. LifeStraw is my go-to brand, as its bottles have built-in filters to ensure that your water is always clean and safe.
Travel offseason – The cheapest times to visit Peru are the shoulder months of January through April or November and December, as prices are usually lower during these months.
Take the colectivos – These are inexpensive shared minivans that cost around 10 PEN for a ride. They leave when they are full and are a low-cost way to get from city to nearby city (think within a two-hour range).
Use Uber – Uber is in all the major cities in the country and is really cheap. You never pay more than a few dollars per journey and they are often cheaper than taxis.
Book tours at the last minute – If you are looking to do the Inca Trail and have a bit of extra time to wait for a deal, showing up in Cusco and booking a last-minute tour can save you lots of money. (But I wouldn’t recommend this if you don’t have time as you may have to wait days for a spot to open up.)
Go on a free walking tour – This is a great way to learn the history behind the places you are seeing and avoid missing any must-see stops. Free Walking Tour Peru has tours really good offerings in all the major cities.
Get student discounts – If you’re a student, be sure to carry your student card with you for major discounts (up to 50% off) at archaeological sites and museums in Cusco and the surrounding area.
Limit your fine dining – Peru is one of the gastronomic centers of the world, with some of the best restaurants in the world here (in fact, the number one restaurant in the world, Central, is here). Dining at one is usually on people’s must-do list. But meals usually cost $100 USD or more (375 PEN), so avoid this if you’re looking to save money.
Book LATAM flights using the New Zealand website – LATAM has cheaper prices if you use the NZ version of its website (instead of the US site). It’s a fluke of the system. Even if you aren’t a NZ resident, you can book through the site with no problems.
Take Peru Hop – Peru Hop is a backpacker hop-on/hop-off bus that travels set routes around the country. These also include a lot of activities and the guides are great. Plus, unlike most regular buses, they run on time and have free Wi-Fi. A lot of locals take them too, since they are a really good value.
Hit the happy hours – In all major destinations, you can find two-for-one happy hours as well as food specials and other discounts. Check with your hostel or hotel or Google for the latest information on what places are currently offering specials.
Peru can cater to any budget. It has some of the nicest restaurants in the world, fancy resorts, private guided hikes, and upscale jungle lodges that can zap your budget. But there’s also incredible local transportation, affordable hotels and restaurants, and inexpensive group tours. Hopefully this post will help you make the most of your visit, wherever your budget falls on that spectrum.
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Book Your Trip to Peru: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- Safety Wing (best for everyone)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)
Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Want More Information on Peru?
Be sure to visit my robust destination guide on Peru for even more planning tips!
The post How Much Does It Cost to Visit Peru? appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
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