Monday, May 2, 2022

Peru During COVID-19

By the time we traveled to Peru in late April 2022, Peru was no longer requiring fully vaccinated visitors to have a COVID test before entering the country. The Peruvian COVID requirements did require us to submit an Affidavit of Health and Geolocation Authorization before being allowed to fly to Peru.

We also were required to wear a KN95 mask or double masks in many places in Peru. The documentation stated, "The use of a KN95 mask or, alternatively, a 3-fold surgical mask with a fabric mask, is mandatory for being on public roads and in enclosed spaces." Face shields had formerly been required for riding the train to Machu Picchu, but that restriction was removed before we got there (KN95 or double masking still required).

This sign was posted inside one of the three elevators at our Lima hotel, but I think it was from prior months because it wasn't displayed in the other two elevators.

Marketplaces, stores, restaurants, and other facilities had postings on rules related to COVID-19.

The most stressful part of traveling to Peru during COVID-19 was the need to have negative COVID tests to return home to the United States. Gate 1 Travel arranged for a doctor to visit us at our Lima hotel the day before we departed Lima. It cost 110 soles (~$30 USD) per person for the test and we were relieved that we both tested negative!

Peru: Muy Rico!

We visited Peru for two weeks in late April 2022 and it was a fantastic experience!

As is the case for many people, Machu Picchu was our primary motivation for visiting Peru, but we quickly realized that Peru offers much more.

The "core" of our trip to Peru was Gate 1 Travel's "11 Day Classic Peru with Nazca Lines" tour. We added a night in Lima before this tour and three nights in Lima after this tour to be able to do and see more in Lima.

By traveling to Peru in late April, we took advantage of the transition from the rainy season to the dry season. This offered the advantage of seeing greenery in places such as Machu Picchu thanks to the ending rainy season but the weather was drier. In fact, though there were a couple of days in which the forecast called for rain, we never really saw it materialize and had beautiful days the entire time with temperatures (Fahrenheit) in the high 60 degrees to mid 70 degrees range. We highly recommend April for Peruvian travel based on our experience.

Future blog posts will provide more details on these experiences in Peru:

  • Peru During COVID-19
  • Flying to, from, and within Peru
  • Machu Picchu
  • Nazca Lines
  • Ballestas Islands
  • Chinchero
  • Ollantaytambo
  • Cusco
    • Plaza de Armas
    • Sacsayhuaman
  • Urubamba Sacred Valley
  • Raqchi
  • Sillustani Tombs
  • Lake Titicaca and the Uros Floating Islands
  • Lima
    • Museo Larco
    • Historic Centre of Lima
    • Palomino Islands
    • Peruvian Cooking Class
    • Chocolate Making Class
    • Parque Kennedy
    • Barranco
    • Malecón de Miraflores: Lacromar Shopping Center and Parque del Amor
    • Pachacamac
    • Dinner at Huaca Pucllana
    • Circuito Mágico Del Agua (Magic Water Circuit) at Parque de la Reserva

We loved visiting Peru. Machu Picchu was even more magnificent than we had hoped, but we also saw that Peru is much more even than Machu Picchu!