Peru (Cusco)

Peru (Cusco) – What you should know

Cusco sits at around 3,400 metres, and that dominates everything else. Temperatures barely change across the year — between 19°C and 21°C by day — but nights drop to 2°C in June and July. This near twenty-degree day-night range is typical of the tropical high Andes: the sun is intense, and the shade is immediately cold.

What separates the seasons is rainfall. December to March bring 102 to 140 mm a month across twelve to fourteen days, while May to August deliver 4 to 8 mm across a single one. The dry season from May to September is therefore the clear travel window for Machu Picchu and the Salkantay trek. The Inca Trail itself closes every February for maintenance.

Altitude is the factor travellers most often underestimate. Altitude sickness strikes regardless of fitness, and the standard advice — two to three days acclimatising in Cusco, take it slowly, drink plenty — is not a formality. Anyone flying in directly from Lima at sea level should deliberately leave the first days empty and place demanding hikes at the end of the trip.