Best Time to Visit Peru

Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

Visit Peru between May and September. Measured across 2025, Cusco — the gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley — recorded just 5.2mm (0.2in) of rain over 2 days in June and 10.7mm (0.4in) over 3 days in July, against 234.5mm (9.2in) spread over 28 days in March. Daytime highs barely move all year (16.4°C/61.5°F in March to 19.1°C/66.4°F in November), so the real decision isn't temperature — it's whether you want trails that are dry or trails that are mud.

The best months: June, July and August

These three months are the Andean dry season, and the numbers are stark. June logged 5.2mm (0.2in) of rain across 2 days in the entire month. July: 10.7mm (0.4in) over 3 days. August: 26.5mm (1.0in) over 10 days — but spread that out and it's about 2.7mm per rainy day, which is a passing shower, not a storm. Twenty-eight of thirty-one days in June and July are simply dry.

Daytime is comfortable: highs of 17.8°C (64.0°F) in June, 18.3°C (64.9°F) in July and 18.6°C (65.5°F) in August. That's fleece-and-t-shirt hiking weather at 3,400m, where thin air makes the sun feel considerably stronger than the thermometer suggests.

The catch is night. July's average low is 3.4°C (38.1°F) — the coldest of the year — and June sits at 4.4°C (39.9°F). The gap between July's high and low is 14.9°C (26.8°F), the widest swing of any month. You will be peeling layers off at 11am and putting all of them back on by 6pm. If you're camping on the Inca Trail or Salkantay in July, that 3.4°C figure is an average, meaning half the nights are colder, and the high passes sit well above Cusco's elevation. Bring a bag rated properly below freezing, not to freezing.

Months to avoid: January, February and March

This is not a marginal call. The three wettest months are:

• January — 223.2mm (8.8in) over 27 days
• February — 233.4mm (9.2in) over 28 days
• March — 234.5mm (9.2in) over 28 days

February had rain on all 28 days. And this isn't drizzle: January averages 8.3mm on each rainy day, roughly triple the intensity of an August shower. In practice that means heavy afternoon downpours on a near-daily basis — mornings often open clear, cloud builds through midday, and it comes down hard from early afternoon. You can still see things, but you cannot plan around dry weather.

Temperature isn't the problem — January highs of 17.0°C (62.6°F) are within one degree of June's. Nights are actually the mildest of the year at 7.4°C (45.3°F) in January and 7.5°C (45.5°F) in February. Heat is never the issue in the Andes. Mud is. Wet stone steps are. Landslides that close the rail line to Aguas Calientes are. And the Inca Trail is closed for maintenance every February, which tells you what the operators think of 233.4mm across 28 days.

December is nearly as bad — 187.8mm (7.4in) over 28 days — and October, despite a lower total of 144.4mm (5.7in), still rains on 28 days out of 31. October is frequent-but-lighter (about 5.2mm per rainy day); December is frequent and heavy.

Shoulder season: May and September

These are the two months worth targeting if you want dry-season conditions without dry-season crowds and pricing.

May is the better of the two. It recorded 24.6mm (1.0in) over 9 days — the wet season has drained away, but the peak-season rush hasn't started. May also has the warmest daytime feel of the transition months at 18.0°C (64.4°F), with lows of 6.2°C (43.2°F), nearly three degrees milder at night than July. The landscape is still green from the rains that ended in April, which June and July visitors never see; by August the Sacred Valley has gone brown and dusty.

September is drier than August by total intensity but wetter by frequency: 41.0mm (1.6in) over 16 days, versus August's 26.5mm over 10. Sixteen rainy days sounds alarming until you divide it out — about 2.6mm each, which is fifteen minutes of light rain, not a washout. September also has the year's second-warmest high at 18.9°C (66.0°F) and a mild low of 5.5°C (41.9°F), so nights are noticeably kinder than July's 3.4°C.

April is the gamble. At 85.6mm (3.4in) over 20 days it is genuinely transitional — a third of March's rainfall but still raining two days in three. Late April is usually fine; early April can still feel like March.

What each season actually means for your trip

Dry season (May–September). You are hiking in the morning in a long-sleeve base layer, stripping to a t-shirt by mid-morning, and wearing a down or fleece jacket plus a hat from sunset onward. Sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen matter more than a raincoat — at 3,400m with 28 clear days a month, altitude sun burns fast even at 18°C. Most Cusco accommodation has no central heating, so a 3.4°C July night means a cold room; ask about heaters or extra blankets. Pack for the swing, not the average: the same day covers 3.4°C to 18.3°C.

Wet season (December–March). Rain shell, waterproof boots with real tread, and dry bags for camera gear. Plan sightseeing for the morning — Machu Picchu entry slots before noon are meaningfully more likely to be clear. Because nights sit around 7.4°C rather than 3.4°C, you actually need less insulation and more waterproofing. Build in buffer days; rail and road disruptions in a 233mm month are common enough that a same-day connection to your international flight is a bad bet.

Shoulder (April, October, November). Carry both. November's 107.4mm over 20 days and 19.1°C (66.4°F) high — the warmest of the year — produce warm, humid afternoons that turn stormy. October's 28 rain days mean you will get wet, but rarely soaked.

One note on scope: these are Cusco measurements. Peru's coast and its Amazon lowlands run on different patterns, and Lima in particular is warmest when the Andes are wettest. If your trip is Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca — which describes most Peru itineraries — this table is the one that governs your plans.

Month-by-month

• January — 17.0°C/62.6°F, 223.2mm over 27 days. Peak wet season; daily heavy afternoon rain.
• February — 16.9°C/62.4°F, 233.4mm over 28 days. Rain every single day. Inca Trail closed.
• March — 16.4°C/61.5°F, 234.5mm over 28 days. Wettest month and coolest daytime high of the year.
• April — 16.9°C/62.4°F, 85.6mm over 20 days. Rain drops by two-thirds; late April is often good.
• May — 18.0°C/64.4°F, 24.6mm over 9 days. Green landscape, dry weather, pre-peak prices. The sweet spot.
• June — 17.8°C/64.0°F, 5.2mm over 2 days. Driest month. Nights at 4.4°C/39.9°F.
• July — 18.3°C/64.9°F, 10.7mm over 3 days. Reliably dry, coldest nights at 3.4°C/38.1°F, busiest trails.
• August — 18.6°C/65.5°F, 26.5mm over 10 days. Still dry; brief light showers return.
• September — 18.9°C/66.0°F, 41.0mm over 16 days. Frequent but light rain, mild 5.5°C nights, thinning crowds.
• October — 18.1°C/64.6°F, 144.4mm over 28 days. Rain most days, but lighter than December's.
• November — 19.1°C/66.4°F, 107.4mm over 20 days. Warmest highs of the year; storms building.
• December — 18.2°C/64.8°F, 187.8mm over 28 days. Full wet season returns.

FAQ

What is the single best month to visit Machu Picchu?

June, on the weather numbers: 5.2mm (0.2in) of rain across just 2 days, with an 17.8°C (64.0°F) high. If you'd rather trade a little certainty for fewer people and warmer nights, May (24.6mm over 9 days, 6.2°C/43.2°F lows) or September (41.0mm over 16 days, 5.5°C/41.9°F lows) get you most of the same conditions.

Is it worth visiting Peru during the rainy season?

It can be, if you're realistic. January through March brings 223–235mm across 27–28 days each month, so you will not get a dry week. What you get instead is green scenery, thin crowds, lower prices, and mild 7.4°C (45.3°F) nights. Avoid February specifically — the Inca Trail closes, and 28 rainy days out of 28 leaves no margin.

How cold does it get at night in Cusco?

Average lows bottom out at 3.4°C (38.1°F) in July, with June and August both at 4.4°C (39.9°F). Individual nights drop below that, and high-altitude campsites are colder still. The mildest nights are in the wet season: 7.5°C (45.5°F) in February and 7.4°C (45.3°F) in January and December.

Do I need a rain jacket in the dry season?

A light packable shell, yes — nothing heavy. August still sees rain on 10 days and September on 16, but at roughly 2.6–2.7mm per rainy day those are short, light showers. June and July, with rain on 2 and 3 days respectively, barely need one. Your bigger enemy is the 14.9°C (26.8°F) day-to-night temperature swing, so spend your packing weight on an insulating layer instead.