Tips for a semi-independent trip to Peru

Hi there, I’m looking for advice on a semi-independent two-week trip to Peru. We’re not big fans of group tours and love exploring off the beaten path. Is October a good time to avoid the crowds? Thanks in advance for your tips! !

You should clarify what you mean by semi-independent. Do you want to hire a guide and mule services?

You should clarify what you mean by semi-self-sufficiency. Do you want to hire guide and mule services?

Hi Mathews, By semi-self-sufficiency, I mean a self-drive trip with pre-booked accommodations and a roadbook. I’m wondering if the country’s safety conditions allow for this? Thanks in advance for your advice. Have a great day

Hi there, Peru is an easy country to plan your trip in—infrastructure is well-developed, and safety issues are pretty rare.

Maybe more tips for you here:

https://toutperou.com/

Just to check if the country’s safety conditions allow it?

On the Altiplano—briefly in rural areas—no issues. Safety problems are mostly in Lima. Otherwise, I’d recommend using a tour operator like Terre d’Aventures, for example. You could do a tour of the Cordillera Blanca, for instance

Hello, Peru is an easy country to organize your trip in—infrastructure is well-developed, and security issues are pretty rare.

Maybe more info for you here:

https://toutperou.com/

Thanks for your reply, I’ll check it out more closely—sounds interesting!

Just to check if the country’s safety conditions allow it?

On the Altiplano, especially in rural areas, no issues. Safety problems are mainly in Lima. Otherwise, I’d recommend going with a tour operator like Terre d’Aventures, for example. You could do a tour of the Cordillera Blanca, for instance.

Perfect, thanks so much for your reply—I’ll look into all of this! Have a great weekend

Hi there,

There are travelers who’ve rented a car there and come back thrilled.

But it’s not the most common practice, and you need to be somewhat used to roads and drivers that are, let’s say, different.

If you’ve never driven in countries outside Europe/USA/Canada and if you’re not an experienced road-trip traveler, I’d advise against it.

Personally, we’ve driven in Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil. Peru seems manageable.

Hello,

There are travelers who rented a car there and came back delighted.

However, it’s not the most common practice, and you need to be somewhat used to roads and drivers that are, let’s say, different.

If you’ve never driven in countries outside Europe/USA/Canada and if you’re not an experienced road-trip traveler, I’d advise against it.

Personally, we’ve driven in Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil. Peru seems manageable.

Thanks for your reply, Attila, We’ve already driven in Costa Rica with a small 4x4, and everything went really well except for a little scare when crossing a river. We’re motorhome travelers, so we’re pretty used to moving around on the road. We really like this self-drive tour formula, which we tried in Costa Rica.

We’ve already driven in Costa Rica with a small 4x4, and everything went really well except for a little scare when crossing a river.

I’ve been to both destinations, and I can confirm that driving in Peru is a bit more "challenging" than in Costa Rica, and the distances can be really long... Public and tourist transport in Peru is very well organized and budget-friendly. That said, it does take away some of the freedom to move around...

We’ve already driven in Costa Rica with a small 4x4, and everything went really well except for a little scare when crossing a river.

I’ve traveled to both destinations, and I can confirm that driving in Peru is a bit more "challenging" than in Costa Rica, and the distances can be very long... Public and tourist transportation in Peru is very well organized and affordable. That said, it does take away some freedom of movement...

Okay, thanks for this great tip! :) We don’t know exactly when we’ll be leaving yet, but it’ll either be late October-early November or next year in May-June—I’ll finally be retired and have more freedom! Have a great rest of the day

We’re RV travelers and therefore somewhat used to moving around on the road.

Hi, are you planning to travel by RV in Peru? If so, it’s highly recommended to park your vehicle in secure spots in big cities like Lima or Arequipa. It’s not to scare you, but unfortunately, crime is on the rise in Peru. That said, you’re definitely safe parking by a lagoon at 4,000 m. But in big cities, stay cautious anyway

We’re camper van travelers, so we’re pretty used to moving around on the road.

Hi, do you want to travel by camper van in Peru? If so, it’s highly recommended to park your vehicle in secure spots in big cities like Lima or Arequipa. It’s not to scare you, but unfortunately, crime is on the rise in Peru. On the other hand, you’re definitely safe parking by a lagoon at 4,000 m. But in big cities, stay cautious anyway.

No, no, we’re not planning this trip by camper van! I was just telling Attila that we’re used to "road trips," but not for this kind of destination. Thanks anyway for your tip!

um, I didn’t quite get how you’re planning to travel around Peru. Are you thinking of renting a car? What are the stops you want to make? I’m a bit lost here