How to be Prepared for Cusco Region Weather

Written by: Sam Travel | 25 April, 2024
weather in cusco

Cusco is a city in the high Andean Mountains, surrounded by snow capped peaks. The ancient city is an unforgettable and prodigious experience not one that you will want to miss. Full of history, culture, manmade and natural beauty at every turn. The weather in Cusco varies from day to day and depends on the time of year that you visit. The mountain sky in Cusco is a clear and crystal blue not like anything you will ever see anywhere in the world.

The high Peruvian Andes has 2 seasons and a visit in each will give a totally different experience. A visit in the Wet Season, which falls from November to March means that you will experience rainfall. Most days it will rain, not all day but the skies will be cloudy. You will need to bring with you your wet weather gear, including a rain coat and pants. If you plan to do a hike during this time, ensure that you also bring waterproof hiking boots and waterproof cover for your backpack.

Most of the ruins that you will visit, including Machu Picchu will have cloud cover, the pictures you will take will be cloudy. The plus side for visiting Cusco in the wet season is that the herds of tourists that visit Cusco in the high season will be less, making a visit to the more popular attractions a more pleasant, peaceful experience with the mountains green and lush.

If you travel to Cusco in the Dry season from May to September the weather will be clear and dry. Experience the clear blue skies and perfect weather. This time of year, the temperatures will be colder, with the mornings crisp and the nights cold. You will need to bring a warm down jacket and don’t forget your raincoat as the weather in Cusco and the Andes can be unpredictable.

When in Cusco in the dry season expect to see loads of tourists. Most of the ruins you will visit in Cusco will be teaming with happy tourist excited to see all the Inca treasures that the Cusco region has to offer. Expect to wait to take photos at the best spots in Machu Picchu, but the pictures will be exquisite. Remember to book in advance for high season as tickets sell out quickly.

Also, there are 2 months of the year that are considered the shoulder season, not wet and not dry, April and October have become popular with less rainfall and less crowds, these months would be perfect for a visit to Cusco.

The overall high temperature does not vary much all year round from around 18° centigrade (65° Fahrenheit) to 22° (72° Fahrenheit) high. What varies is the low temperature at night, which can get to below zero in the dry season and wet nights in the rainy season.

Please review the charts below to better understand month by month how to be prepared for the weather and be able to enjoy our beautiful Cusco Region.

 
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
High °C 17 17 17 18 18 18 17 18 18 19 19 18
High °F 63 63 63 64 64 64 63 64 64 66 66 64
Low °C 4 4 4 3 0 -2 -3 -1 1 3 3 4
Low °F 39 39 39 37 32 28 27 30 34 37 37 39
 

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Bernie s 2023/03/02

Had a great trip with our guide Ray Herrera and driver Alfredo. Lots of good experiences in a short period of time 4 days. Learnt a lot not just about the main tourist destinations but Peru in general by Ray. Ray has a passion for Inca history and local produce. Ray knows all the good photo spots and we managed the sun out every day .. Good culture and if you want to get on a tour ask for Ray at Sams Travel = amazing

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Ray was our Tour Guide and Alfredo was our driver for a 4 day tour we did with SAM Travel Peru. Ray's knowledge of the history of Cusco and Machu Picchu was outstanding. Ray was very accommodating with all our needs. He stayed alongside us when trekking and helped where he could. His sense of humour was pleasant to be around. Ray spoke very good English. He is such a nice guy. I would strongly recommend Ray to be your tour guide to visit Machu Picchu. Ray explained everyday what the plans were for the next day, which was reassuring what we needed to take etc

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Our 1 day tour thru the Sacred Vally with Danny was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions in detail. I would recommend asking for him personally if you are able.

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We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.

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Wow. We had such an incredible experience in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Our guide, Dayvit, is the most knowledgeable guide we have ever had. He has such an extensive knowledge of the history and is very friendly and helpful. If you are planning a trip to Peru, I highly recommend SAM travel and be sure to request Dayvit!

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2 day tour sacred valley / Machu Picchu highly recommend! David was the best tour guide. He knows an incredible amount about Incan culture and is personable and funny. He also kept us up to date on a political situation happening when we were there and was informative. Overall, this tour checks all the boxes. Thank you!

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We used SAM Travel for a 2D/1N trip from Cusco to Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu on Dec 25-26, 2022. The team was good with communication from the start - both Saul and Junior were very helpful and professional with answering any questions and clearing up any misunderstandings. Our guide, Miguel, was prompt, pleasant, and quite knowledgeable. We enjoyed his company and insight over the 2 day trip and recommend him to anyone booking with SAM Travel.

Xueying Chen 2022/12/20

We booked the Classic Cusco to Machu Picchu tour with SAM travel which we really had a good experience. SAM travel is very responsive during the communication and cater to our changes needed. Our guide is Ray who is also an very awesome guide. He is knowledgeable, patient, humorous as well reliable, he help us take many good photos and also go extra mile to help with our request. Thanks Ray! Thanks SAM travel that gave us good memories in Peru! Highly recommend if you consider booking any tour in Cusco.

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Cheri Buccino April 21, 2024
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Powerful! This journey tests your humanity and leaves you in awe of yourself and the beauty that Pachamama provides. April 2024 We conquered the Inca trail and it was only made possible with the help and guidance from our expert guides Jean Pierre (JP) and Jimmy. The knowledge these gentlemen shared was admired by all of our group and the envy of other trail hikers who stopped to listen. The hike has many layers of challenges including language barriers, altitude sensitivities and food specifications. The team at Sam travel exceeded the needs and went above to ensure our comforts were met. A special mention must be made to Mario, the Chef who somehow performed magic with nutritious flavourful meals to satisfy even the pickiest consumers and Francesco who was our lead porter who orchestrated the harmony that happened behind the scenes to get everything done. Nothing less than marvellous from this team. Thank you to each of the group who made our trek a remarkable experience.

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Jose and Henry were great guides for our first time exploring machu pichu! They were very attentive and kept everything on a smooth schedule. Highly recommend!

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The whole experience was amazing. Ray, our guide answered all of our questions and definitely had our best interest in mind the whole time. Timothy the cook made fantastic food and somehow found a way to prepare a birthday cake with no notice! Boni our head porter and his whole crew were kind, accommodating, and had such upbeat attitudes which really made the experience great!

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I spent two days with Sam Travel’s guide Raymier, who guided us through the one-day 12-km stretch of the Inca trail and then took us to Machu Picchu the next day. In my group, I was always the last one on the trail because I come from the coast and I’m not used to altitudes, and honestly I could also have prepared physically a little better. Raymier respected my pace, never rushed me, and supported me throughout the ardous trail. He had much knowledge to share. I speak Spanish, but ended up in an English tour, and Ray’s English was very good. He was funny, respectful, and versatile. He knew where to take all the best photos and patiently took photos of all of us. I would trust Sam Travel again especially if I was lucky enough to have Ray as a guide again.

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