220V on Type and sockets - an unusual combination that destroys 110V devices with a flat American plug. UTC-5 all year, and toilet paper goes in the bin.
- Power is a trap here. Peru runs at 220V but sockets accept flat North American type plugs as well as round type .
- A 110V American appliance will physically fit and then be destroyed. Check your device says 100-240V before plugging anything in.
- Toilet paper goes in the bin beside the toilet. The sewers cannot process it, and this applies everywhere including good hotels.
- Fiestas Patrias in late July is the big holiday - the whole country travels and transport and hotels sell out.
- Nights are cold in the highlands all year. Cusco in July drops below freezing at night while being pleasant at midday, so pack layers.
- Power is a trap here. Peru runs at 220V, 60 Hz, but sockets accept both flat two-pin Type (North American) and round Type plugs. A 110V American appliance will physically fit and then be destroyed. Check your device says 100-240V before plugging anything in.
- Time: UTC-5 all year, no daylight saving.
- Tap water: not drinkable.
- Language: Spanish, with Quechua and Aymara official in their regions. English is spoken in hotels and tour agencies and almost nowhere else.
Hours and holidays
- Shops 09:00 or 10:00 to 20:00 or 21:00, daily. Banks 09:00 to 18:00 weekdays and 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays.
- Public holidays: 1 January, Holy Thursday and Good Friday, 1 May, 28 and 29 July (Fiestas Patrias), 30 August, 8 October, 1 November, 8 December and 25 December. Fiestas Patrias is the big one - the whole country travels and transport and hotels sell out.
Small things
- Toilet paper goes in the bin beside the toilet. The sewers cannot process it. This applies everywhere, including good hotels.
- Cover shoulders and knees in historic churches.
- Do not question whether pisco is Peruvian. It is a genuinely sensitive subject, and the joke about Chile is not funny here.
- Nights are cold in the highlands all year. Cusco in July drops below freezing at night while being pleasant at midday - pack layers rather than warm-weather clothing.
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