Visiting Peru in May

It’s one of the best months for a holiday in Peru, with dry weather in the Andes, Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca and the Amazon, so you can see some of the country’s highlights without the crowds of peak season but with better weather than the shoulder month of April. The landscape is still lush and green, so it’s a wonderful time to go trekking and soaking up the fantastic views of the Andean scenery.

There are options for every level too, with a one-day hike to get a taste of the Inca Trail if you don’t fancy a multi-day hike and camping overnight, or for an unforgettable adventure, mountain biking, rafting and ziplining your way there. There’s plenty of choice if you fancy a longer trek too; it’s a good month for the classic Inca Trail experience, before the busiest months of the year, but you can also try alternative routes including the Lares Trek and Salkantay Trek.

If you’d love to see the spectacular scenery of the more remote Salkantay route but want an alternative to the four-day route, there’s a day trip from Cusco to the Humantay lake, to see mountains and glaciers reflected in the still waters. Or for another challenging but rewarding climb in the Andes, head to Rainbow Mountain, aka Vinicunca, with its otherworldly stripes and swirls. You can also head to Machu Picchu and the sites of the Sacred Valley without needing to trek at all – choose a train journey or the chance to explore by car.

Mornings and evenings are still cool at Lake Titicaca but you’ll have to share this fascinating destination with fewer other people this month. Try an island-hopping trip to learn more about life on the world’s highest lake. From here, it’s easy to head to Arequipa and a chance to spy condors soaring over the Colca Canyon with some of the best conditions to spot these majestic birds, but before the coldest months of winter. It’s getting cooler at the Nazca Lines as well, and you can also see more wildlife at the protected Islas Ballestas reserve before winter begins in earnest, although Lima can be cold and misty this month.

For another taste of the Andes, trek through the world’s highest tropical mountain range at Huascarán National Park, with snowy peaks reflected in sparkling blue lagoons. Or head towards the border with Ecuador to discover the Machu Picchu of the north at Kuelap, once home to the Warriors of the Cloud Forest, with a chance to discover one of the world’s highest waterfalls, the Gocta Falls.

Over towards Bolivia, there’s always some rain in the Amazon – it is a rainforest, after all – but May marks the start of the driest months, so you can expect to see more wildlife around water sources and as the vegetation thins out in the Tambopata National Reserve. The water levels of the Amazon river itself have dropped slightly but it’s still very easy to get around.

Festivals: Q’oyllur Riti mixes pre-Colombian fertility rituals and Catholic ceremony on the Tuesday before Corpus Christi, usually in late May (or early June), with a chance to discover Andean traditions in the mountains at Ausangate as well as a pilgrimage to a site associated with a miracle.

The Fiesta de las Cruces takes place in early May, with crosses covered in flowers and paraded to churches and to the top of hills in the area around Cusco, with vigils held overnight.

Best for: Exploring without the crowds, Inca sites, trekking and hiking, condors in the Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, the Amazon

January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December

Region	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Coastal	● 26°C ☀️	● 27°C ☀️	● 27°C ☀️	● 24°C 🌤️	● 22°C 🌤️	● 20°C 🌥️	● 19°C 🌥️	● 19°C 🌥️	● 20°C 🌤️	● 21°C 🌤️	● 23°C ☀️	● 25°C ☀️
Machu Picchu	● 17°C 🌧️	● 17°C 🌧️	● 18°C 🌧️	● 18°C 🌦️	● 17°C ☀️	● 16°C ☀️	● 16°C ☀️	● 17°C ☀️	● 18°C 🌦️	● 19°C 🌦️	● 18°C 🌧️	● 17°C 🌧️
Amazon	● 28°C 🌧️	● 28°C 🌧️	● 28°C 🌧️	● 27°C 🌦️	● 27°C ☀️	● 26°C ☀️	● 26°C ☀️	● 27°C ☀️	● 28°C 🌦️	● 28°C 🌦️	● 28°C 🌧️	● 28°C 🌧️

Legend:
● Good weather
● Average weather
● Poor weather