Rental vehicle equipment for winter mountain driving in Peru

Hi there,

We’re heading to Peru from February 3 to 27, 2025. From the 12th to the 23rd, we’ll be traveling through high-altitude areas above 4,000 meters between Arequipa and Puno, Puno and Cuzco, and then Cuzco and Nazca. My question is whether we might encounter snowy roads, and if so, whether rental vehicles (a standard tourist car rented at Lima airport) come equipped with chains or anything similar. Thanks in advance! Eric

From the 12th to the 23rd, we're crossing summits over 4,000 meters between Arequipa and Puno, between Puno and Cusco, then between Cusco and Nazca.

Hi there, Those won’t be summits! Snow is rare on Peruvian roads, but there are exceptions in August around Lake Titicaca (Puno) or near Arequipa since it’s the southern hemisphere winter then. Anyway, no chance of finding any in February—it’s the southern hemisphere summer! Same as how you’re unlikely to see snow in Marseille or Nice in August!

Hi again Djalma,

Thanks for your reply about driving in the mountains.

Eric

Yes, the two months when you might encounter occasional snow (though it's rare) on the Arequipa–Puno and Puno–Cusco roads are the two winter months: July and August. For info, between Puno/Juliaca and Cusco, you're not on "summits" but on the altiplano—it's flat as a pancake but still around 3,700m above sea level.

In Peru, it has never snowed below 3,300 m in altitude. In Cusco [3,400 m], it snowed in July 1911 and 1968. In the mountains, the rain-snow line never drops below 3,600 m. At 4,000 m, snow is rare and, when it does fall, it’s usually in small amounts. In February, and in the areas you mentioned, there’s no chance of finding a snow-covered road.

Hi there. I completely agree with you. There are two seasons in Peru. Snow is found at high altitudes.

the snow is at high altitude.

That’s often the case, but not just in Peru! ;) After that, it depends on the altitude depending on the country..

In Peru, this is often the case. In Ecuador, it's completely different. I've been hiking in the Andes for over 30 years and have quite a few summits under my belt. Best regards.

Hello,

Hello. I completely agree with you. There are 2 seasons in Peru. Snow is at high altitude.

It's nice of you to agree with me, but these are mainly facts, not "hearsay." Climatology is kind of my specialty. 😉

hi again. sorry, but I know what I'm talking about; there are two seasons in Peru; for me, this isn't just "hearsay". snow is at high altitude. during my trip in June, it was around 5,500m.

I think it’s more useful to point out that Peru is a tropical country. It rarely snows, and the sunshine and strong radiation mean snow usually doesn’t last more than a morning.

It doesn’t seem relevant to talk about winter or summer—between December and March, it’s the wet season, with risks of heavy precipitation and thus snow in high-altitude areas (above 4,000 m). In Peru, snow removal or chains don’t exist.

On the contrary, during the winter from June to September, precipitation is rare, and although it gets very cold, it rarely snows. However, in the cordilleras on the eastern side of the Andes, snow isn’t uncommon in July-August, though it’s rare to venture onto those roads by car...

In short, snow isn’t really a concern for those who want to drive on the tourist routes in southern Peru. On the other hand, it’s not recommended to explore remote areas of Peru during the rainy season due to risks of landslides, rockfalls, and snow at high altitudes.

Thomas

hi, You say:

It doesn’t seem relevant to talk about winter or summer,

And I totally agree. But then you say:

On the contrary, during the winter between June and September, precipitation is rare

That seems a bit contradictory to me...[;]

Yeah, it's still the southern hemisphere winter after all! 😏

Yes, it's the southern hemisphere winter starting in July-August. Nothing has changed.

In many countries in the tropical belt, the concept of winter doesn’t really apply. Instead, we talk about the dry season. Just like summer isn’t necessarily the hottest time of the year...

Hello. Maybe, but the definition is: Southern hemisphere summer and southern hemisphere winter.

No kidding? Look, this is my area of expertise—I’ve been studying it for 30 years, so...

No joke, I stand by what I said.