Best Time to Visit Cusco

Figuring out the best time to visit Cusco depends on how you want your ideal trip to be. There is no wrong time to visit Cusco since the weather conditions vary as the months go by and the peak and low seasons come and go as well, so find it the best time for you.

There is only two well-determined weather seasons in the Cusco region. And contrary to Peru’s coastal regions, in the summer, rainfall is permanent in the skies over Cusco, whereas in the winter season, the sun shines most of the day, neither less to say day round.

Visiting Cusco in Winter(June – September)

Although the morning and afternoon temperatures get chilly, this is a good season to visit Cusco. The Peruvian winter spams from June through September, in which June and July are the driest months with mostly sunny days, and that is to say, when trolling around the tourist spots, you have clear vistas most of the time. The average temperature fluctuates between 4 ° C (39 ° F) and 20 ° C (68° F) anywhere below Cusco, but at a higher elevation, it drops as low as – 10 ° C (14 ° F).

Many people used to walk around Cusco’s downtown on winter nights, and the next day the streets used to become busy again very early as tour groups and cars ran in all directions. It used to be so before the COVID-19 had shaken the world. Now, in attempts to travel to Cusco once more and tourism restart, wintertime in Cusco will surely be different, with days mostly sunny as always but fewer crowds.

Key Events:

Qoyllority(June, full moon weekend)
Corpus Christy(June)
Festival of the sun(June 24)
Virgen del Carmen(July 16)
Independence day(July 28)
Andean new year(August 1)
fiesta de la virgen de Natividad(September 8)

Visiting Cusco in Summer(December – March)

February is the wettest month, January and March are quite the same, but temperatures get warmer. These months should be avoided if you are not a big fan of rain, but if you are somewhat used to travel on those months, do it because it leads you to get high bargaining power on restaurants and hotels. In addition to that, the outskirts of Cusco and the landscapes display blanketed by lush green pastures and booming flowers. Also in the sacred valley or Chinchero plains, the rainbow arises after some downpour, so that is a pretty amazing natural phenomenon to see.

Key events

Santurantikuy(December 24th)
Fiesta de los 3 Reyes magos(January 6)
Fiesta de San Sebastian(January 20)
Carnaval(February)

Visiting Cusco in shoulder seasons(October, November, April, May)

Mid seasons are a good choice either. Just when the rain is about to start in October through November or after rainy months in April. Most of the tourists found it the best months to travel to Cusco with pretty fabulous weather and fewer guests at hotels, on trains, and sidestepping overcrowded archeological sites. Even though rain is unpredictable and can come in downpours; months like April, May, and September to November suit well for anyone.

Key events:

Señor de torrechayoc(May)
Fiesta de los 3 Cruces(Mayo 03)

Is Cusco worth visiting?

Based on the overwhelming reviews about visiting Cusco, yes!, It is worth it. Because there so many things to see and experience: From rainbow mountain to low land valleys and waterfalls and the jungles of the Inca trail and Machu Picchu, which is Peru´s highlight. Not only those natural wonders but the local food and cultural festivities, such as seeing people performing dances with great joy and excitement. Honestly, time is just not enough to see everything Cusco has to offer.