How much will it cost to go to Peru in 2025?

peru It’s one of the best places I’ve ever been (and that’s saying something). I loved every moment (This blog post explains why this is so in more detailBesides being incredible, it’s also an extremely affordable destination (provided you limit your time in Lima to fine dining and guided walking tours).

If you’re visiting Peru and wondering how much you’ll have to spend, think no further. In this post, I’ll explain how much I spent, where I went wrong, typical prices, and how you can save money.

how much did i spend

During my sixteen days in Peru, I visited Lima, Arequipa, Cuzco, and hiked around the Sacred Valley. I spent $4,992.63 USD or $312 per day. The details are as follows (in USD):

• Accommodation: $1,246.51
• Eat:$795.96
• guidance 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 Very More than you in the same time. This is for a few reasons:

First of all, Lima is one of the gastronomic hubs with some of the best restaurants in the world. I ate at more than a few of these places and it added up to my food costs.

Second, I took private tours for my guided hikes in Cusco for work-related reasons and that really increased my costs (you are unlikely to pay for a private guide when you travel). Without those tours, my costs would have been down to $200 USD per day!

Third, I had limited time in the country and given the ground I had to cover, I flew between most destinations rather than taking long overnight buses. Also, because, again for work, I had to change some flights at the last minute, I had to pay the change fee.

Ultimately, I spent the money in a very luxurious hotel in Cusco for a few nights, which was actually 50% of the cost of my accommodation. YOLO!

How much budget should you, the average traveller, need if you want to travel to Peru? Well, not as much as me, that’s for sure! Here are some more reasonable budget suggestions for Peru:

backpacker budget
If you want to backpack Peru, I would plan on $50-80 USD (185-300 PEN) per day. On this budget, you’ll stay in hostel dorms, eat at typical restaurants and cafes, limit your drinking, take public transportation and overnight buses, and do some paid activities and tours. If you’re going to be partying a lot, you’ll want a top in this range.

midrange budget
If you want to do basically what I did (minus the private tours), you’ll need $150-200 USD (560-750 PEN) per day. This will get you hostels or private rooms in two or three-star hotels, some of the high-end dining for which this country is famous, all the drinks you want, flights within the country, and any tours and activities your heart desires. .

From there, you can add or subtract $30-50 USD per day depending on whether you’re staying in name-brand hotels (or not), taking flights within the country (or not), Or partying too much (or not).

You can use the price list below to help you create your budget.

specific prices

How much do things cost in Peru? Below are some typical prices (listed in Peruvian Sol, abbreviated PEN). High-end numbers are what you’d pay at luxurious, top-rated restaurants (and sometimes even more). Most other places in Peru are towards the lower end.

• hostel hostel: 40-100 pennies per night
• dorm private room: 100-250 pennies per night
• budget hotel: 110-300 pennies per night
• Global Chain Hotel: +375 pennies per night
• Appetizer: 20-30 pens
• ceviche: 40-60 pens
• main dishes: 40-60 pens
• Cuy (guinea pig, a delicacy):55 pen
• Burger: 20-28 pens
• sandwich: 12-15 pens
• fast food combo: 15-20 pens
• Pizza: 25-60 pens
• Sweet: 20-40 pens
• Water (at a restaurant): 4-10 pennies
• soda: 4-7 pens
• coffee: 5-10 pens
• iced coffee: 13-15 pens
• Tea: 5-12 pens
• beer: 15 pens
• Liquor:29-45 pen
• cocktail: 25 pens
• museum admission: 10-20 pens
• ubers: 10-20 pens
• taxi: 15-30 pens
• domestic flights: 150-300 pens
• Guided Machu Picchu Hike/Tour: 3,000-6,000 pennies

Budget-Saving Tips

It is very easy to avoid spending too much money in Peru. Your biggest expenses will be accommodations, domestic flights, multi-day guided tours, and fine dining. If you limit it to anything else, you’ll be fine as public transportation is cheap, Ubers are 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 – Tap water here is not safe to drink, so bring a reusable water bottle with a filter to save money and reduce plastic use. lifestraw This is my favorite brand, because its bottles have built-in filters to ensure that your water is always clean and safe.

travel offseason – The cheapest times to travel to Peru are the mid-months from January to April or November and December, as prices are usually lower during these months.

Take colectivos – These are inexpensive shared minivans that cost around 10 PEN a ride. They leave when they are full and it is a low-cost way to get from the city to the nearest town (think within a two-hour range).

use uber – Uber is in all major cities of the country and is really cheap. You never pay more than a few dollars per trip and they are often cheaper than taxis.

Book last minute trips – If you want to do this Inca Trail And while you have a little extra time to wait for a deal, showing up in Cusco and booking a tour at the last minute can save you a lot of money. (But I wouldn’t recommend it if you don’t have time as you may have to wait for several 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’re visiting and avoid missing any must-see stops. free walking tours peru All major cities have a really good tourism offer.

get student discount – If you are a student, be sure to have your student card with you for major discounts (up to 50% off) at archaeological sites and museums in Cuzco and the surrounding area.

Limit your indulgent meals – Peru is one of the gastronomic centers of the world, home to some of the best restaurants in the world (in fact, the world’s number one restaurant, Central, is right here). Eating one meal is usually on people’s must-do list. But meals usually cost $100 USD or more (375 PEN), so avoid this if you want to save money.

Book LATAM flights using the New Zealand website – LATAM prices are cheaper if you use the NZ version of its website (instead of the US site). This is the irony of the system. Even if you are not a New Zealand resident, you can book through the site without any problems.

take peru hop , Peruvian Hop A Backpacker is a hop-on/hop-off bus that travels on fixed routes across the country. There are also lots of activities included and the guides are great. Plus, unlike most regular buses, they run on time and have free Wi-Fi. A lot of locals have them too, as they are really good value.

hit happy hour – In all major destinations, you can find two-for-one Happy Hours as well as dining specials and other discounts. Check with your hostel or hotel or Google for the latest information on what specials places are currently offering.

peru Can meet any budget. It has some of the best restaurants in the world, fancy resorts, private guided hikes and expensive jungle lodges that can blow your budget. But there is also incredible local transportation, affordable hotels and restaurants, and cheap group tours. Hopefully this post will help you make the most of your trip, no matter where your budget is on that spectrum.

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