How to travel cheap in Peru? Unlike about 50 years ago where traveling was extremely expensive, today it is not only accessible but also much safer, what I want to tell you is that you do not need to be a millionaire to travel and explore paradisiacal places in Peru, Even so, you can have an immense disposition to explore the “Country of the Inkas” this 2021 and we are almost sure that you have doubts about how to make your trip more economical without reducing quality but rather increasing a more local experience, find out with us about how cheap travel in Peru, the 8 tips and tricks.
Contents
- Search for flights on incognito mode on Google or another search engine
- Fly with hand luggage with low cost companies, cheap tickets to Peru
- Use flight comparators and book at the right time
- Join free walking tours in Peru
- Travel by Bus, you can not imagine how good the Service is!
- Couchsurfing: free accommodation
- Stay in Hostels and / or Airbnb
- Take shorter trips to take advantage of more offers
Search for flights on incognito mode on Google or another search engine
In the 21st century we live in a digital age where there are many terms that we do not understand, one of those terms most used by companies is the word “cookies”; Did you wonder what companies use this term for? Many airlines and pages Air ticket sales website use this information to store your navigation information, that is, they record your visits by installing cookies in your browser (many websites do not ask you for authorization to install cookies, they do them automatically), which can cause the price of the flight that appears in the search results is higher (although a cheaper one is available).
In other words, if you looked for “Lima – Madrid flights” yesterday and the cheapest price was $ 1,000, then you looked for it again today and the price remains the same: $ 1,000.
Why does this happen? Very simple, let’s say that I sell air flights and through my website it was detected that you are looking for a flight Lima – Madrid, you looked for it on my page several times yesterday and the cheapest price I gave you was 1000 dollars! Through this action I already know that you are very interested in this flight and all this information is being stored in my system. Now suppose that you did not buy and that you returned to look for this Flight today on my page. What is in my best interest, to continue offering you 1000 dollars or a cheaper price? Well, I keep offering you 1000 dollars, because I know that this way I earn more money, apart from that I also know that you are very interested in this flight and that you probably already looked for other alternatives in my competitions but, I am the one that offers you the best price ” cheap ”despite the fact that today I have a flight Lima – Madrid for 900 dollars, this is the reason!
So what is the solution? When you search for a flight on the internet, search for it incognito, if you are in the chrome search engine there is a button in the upper right part of your computer, there it clearly says: “Search in incognito mode” or you can press Ctrl + Shift + N
If you activate incognito mode, cookies are disabled.
Fly with hand luggage with low cost companies, cheap tickets to Peru
Low cost airlines have multiplied in the last 3 years in Peru, many of them especially in low season for tourism (January to March) offer flights from $ 10 to $ 30 to many destinations from Lima such as Cusco, Arequipa, Juliaca Or vice versa, always consider that these low cost companies such as Viva Air require as a main requirement that you do not have large luggage, only carry-on luggage and if you did, you will have to pay an extra cost for your luggage before boarding.
How much does my hand luggage have to weigh? An average of 10 to 12 kg max., And if you had any extra kilo, then put on a jacket or jacket with many pockets and then store your duty free gifts for example!
What companies are low cost in Peru?
We recommend Viva Air and Sky!
But everything that is written does not help me much because I come from Argentina (for example), so if or if I will have a large luggage, what do I do? Apply the first trick, search incognito for your flight well in advance and you will find super cheap flights!
Use flight comparators and book at the right time
If you are flexible with the dates of your trip you can use search engines and/or web portals such as Kiwi, Kayak, Momondo, Mobissimo, Cheap Flights, Despegar and Google Flights. Usually, these are pages that have an algorithm that allows them to respond with more pressure to a search request about flight offers.
Honestly getting to the point we recommend using Kayak, a very honest platform at least in the sale of flights, and you will have very cheap prices.
When is the right time to buy flight tickets in Peru?
We recommend doing it in low season that starts in January and ends in mid-April.
We know that at this time it rains a lot in the Andes and therefore the weather is not favorable to visit Peru, apart from that it is winter in the northern hemisphere therefore all the Nordic countries like the United States or England are not on vacation, which is why which there are not many “Gringos” in Peru and the lower the demand, the cheaper the price of the product!
If you live in Argentina or Chile it is the southern hemisphere and we, as Latinos, know that from mid-December to mid-April it is summer, therefore it is common to see many Latinos visit Peru at this time, but don’t worry! There is always plenty of space on flights, hotels and even guided views come down in price.
Other Data you should consider to find cheap flight tickets:
- Flights with stopovers are usually cheaper. Also, you can save up to half the cost if you travel out of season and with a stopover.
- It is cheaper to travel from Tuesday to Thursday.
- Buying a round trip flight ticket from the same airline does not always come out cheaper. Consider buying tickets separately.
- If the flights are short-distance, the data shows that prices are much lower when you book an average of 54 days in advance. For long distance destinations, it is best to book 4-9 months in advance.
- Airlines lower prices when the flight’s departure or arrival time is very early in the morning, early in the morning or at night.
- Avoid coming to Peru on the following dates: July 28, anniversary of the independence of Peru, June 24 is the day of the Sun in Cusco or the Winter Solstice (we know that the correct date to celebrate this astral event is 21 June but in Peru we celebrate it on June 24, find out with our free tour guides) and other dates such as Christmas or New Year is not recommended at all!
Join free walking tours in Peru
Traveling with little money does not mean that you cannot visit super interesting places in a city. Although it sounds obvious, walking is always the cheapest alternative! But what if you walk on an organized tour at zero price? Free tours are a great way to enjoy authentic experiences and enrich your historical vision and appreciate the site you are visiting, at the end of the walking tour you can leave your donation.
In Peru there are currently free tours in three cities: Free Tour Cusco, Free Tour Lima and Free Tour Arequipa organized by Free Walking Tour Peru are operated through highly trained Local Guides that offer visitors excursions and tours on topics as diverse as history and culture at no initial cost. In addition, there is nothing better than talking to a person who knows the place perfectly and who can offer you the best advice on places to visit or places to eat without being obliged to pay, but rather leave a reward in accordance with the quality of the tour! Don’t know how much tip to leave? Well, take a look at the tip article in Peru, this great!
These free guided tours are an excellent option when you only have a day or two to get to know a city, especially when you do a long layover and you have the possibility to leave the airport and leave your suitcase there.
Travel by Bus, you can not imagine how good the Service is!
We have been in many countries in South America and in many of them the bus trip was not necessarily the best experience, but in Peru that definitely changes, at least with most national (inter-provincia – city to city bus service) tour bus companies by far prestige.
For example you can go from Lima to Arequipa via bus paying an approximate of 20 dollars and if you take a flight you would pay about 50 to 70 dollars, we know that sometimes it is tired and boring to travel by Bus, but tourist buses are very well implemented so that do not feel bored.
All of them have air conditioning, seats with an inclination of up to 180 degrees for you to travel asleep, here they call it “bus bed seat” and when it comes to long-haul trips all of them will give you a good lunch or dinner!
Also for people who are bored they have good screens where they will program good movies for you to have fun.
In all of them there are staff on board, who will assist you for whatever you need!
Do not worry about modernity, almost all buses that are in circulation are modern and professional drivers and security is very good!
¿Qué compañías te recomendamos?
Cruz del Sur is the most famous, the prices are sometimes a little high compared to other bus companies so if you want something cheap, we recommend Tepsa and if you want to travel on a 100% local but clean and super cheap bus, you can take Civa or Cromotex! 100% recommended. Most of these companies cover routes almost throughout Peru.
Couchsurfing: free accommodation
If you save spending on hotels, your trips will always be at least 50% cheaper. For this you can use Couchsurfing, a website that connects travelers with local residents who offer free accommodation in their home for one or more nights. It can be a sofa (couch in English), a bed in a shared room or a private room. The point is that the platform in no case allows charging the stay.
The most interesting thing is that this community is made up of people who want to meet people from other cultures and practice languages and on many occasions are willing to give you first-hand information to explore their city and even accompany you.
Couchsurfing sometimes involves sacrificing things like comfort or privacy, so it may not be an option for everyone. However, it is a form of travel that has become very popular, based on public reviews from both guests and hosts to ensure a dynamic of trust, security and transparency.
Stay in Hostels and / or Airbnb
Hostels for modern travelers!
If you are someone who prefers the comfort of your own bed or room, the cheapest and most comfortable accommodation is Hostels. You can find them for prices as low as $ 10 a night because you will be renting a bed (not a room) that is why the Hostels in most cases are fully implemented with cabins, some also have private rooms.
Hostels we recommend in Peru:
- In Cusco we recommend, Pirwa and Milhouse, both located in the old town.
- In Lima, stay at Kokopelli and Dragonfly, both located in Miraflores, very close to Kennedy Park | There are also good hostels in Lima located in the historical case such as: Plaza Mayor hostel and Orchid hostels.
- In Arequipa stay at Le Foyer and Peters Hostel, both are located in the historic center.
Airbnb, feel at home away from home!
Stay in the house of a Local, who will provide free internet, you can use the kitchen apart from many other facilities. Unlike Hostels, there are now quite a few Air BnB accommodations that are located far from the historic city center, which makes the price cheaper.
Consider that Air BnB has the lowest commissions to book. If you book via booking.com or hotel.com, the commissions are high!
Take shorter trips to take advantage of more offers
To travel more times a year, try to shorten the duration of your stays and choose your tourist destinations based on specific offers. There are many destinations that are ideal for a short trip and cities that can be explored in three or four days. Sometimes it doesn’t take more than a week to get the most out of a vacation. In fact, trends show that people are increasingly betting on short breaks coinciding with days off, weekends and long weekends.
As you can see, even if you have a low budget, travel alone or accompanied, the world is at your fingertips. You just have to go out and discover it!
If you have any other tips or tricks that you think could help you travel cheaper, leave us a comment. If you liked the article, don’t forget to share it.