FACTS FOR THE TRAVELERS

Visas: Most travelers do not need visas; travelers of most nationalities are granted a 90 day tourist visa. All nationalities, however, need a tourist or embarkation card (tarjeta de embarque) to enter Peru, issued at the frontiers or on the plane before landing in Lima. Should you want to extend your visa (between thirty and sixty additional days), there are two basic options: either cross one of the borders and get a new tourist card when you come back in; or go through the bureaucratic rigmarole at a Migraciones office.

Health risks: Altitude sickness is common in the highlands, but can easily be treated by taking it slow and resting, staying hydrated, and with altitude sickness pills available at any pharmacy. There are very small risks of cholera, hepatitis, and malaria in the lowlands. A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for areas east of the Andes Mountains, but not needed for Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, or other places along the coast or in the mountains. It is however required for travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected areas in Africa or the Americas.

Getting There and Away:

Lima's international airport, Jorge Chavez, is the main hub for flights to the Andean countries from North America and Europe, and has plenty of connections to neighboring countries. Some international flights land at Iquitos, in Peru's Amazon region. Peru's major International Airline is Lan Peru, the only other being Taca. For flights leaving the country there is an airport departure tax of approximately US$30.

There are overland border crossings between Peru and Bolivia at Desaguadero and nearby Yunguyo on the shores of Lake Titicaca; between Peru and Chile at Tacna; and between Peru and Ecuador at Tumbes. It is also possible to travel by river from Colombia and Brazil to Iquitos.

Lima: S/. 18.31
Cuzco: S/. 14.73
Arequipa and Iquitos: S/. 12.28
Nazca, Piura, Juliaca, Tacna, Trujillo, Puerto Maldonado, Chiclayo: S. 11.95
Cajamarca, Tumbes, Chiclayo: S/. 11.95