(Last updated: 28 July 2012)
Visiting
Business hours
Normal business hours range from 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.
Business visitors should check to avoid major holidays, including Christmas and New Year's break, Easter, and Fiestas Patrias (28 and 29 July). January is the traditional holiday month in Peru.
Public holidays
May 1 – Labour Day
June 29 – St Peter and St Paul's Day
July 28 – Independence Day
August 30 – St. Rose of Lima
October 8 – Battle of Angamos Day
November 1 – All Saints’ Day
December 8 – Immaculate Conception
Climate
Lima is on a coastal desert so the climate is temperate and dry year-round and seldom windy.
Dense mist in the winter months (June to September) is the only notable precipitation.
Summer (December to March) is usually sunny with low humidity and temperatures from 20°C to 28°C. Rainy season in the Andes is from December to April; weather in the other months is dry.
For weather details in Peru, please visit the World Meteorological Organization.
Currency
The unit of currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol (S/.) which is divided into 100 centimos. Bank notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200. Coin values are 5, 10, 20, 50 centimos and 1,2 and 5 soles.
US dollars are readily accepted in major hotels and better restaurants and shops.
Credit cards, especially Visa and Diners Club, are widely accepted in Peru, although a passport is usually requested as proof of identification.
ATMs are common throughout Lima and major provincial cities and most dispense US dollars and Peruvian Soles.
Beware of false bank notes, both in US dollars and Peruvian Soles, particularly from taxi drivers and moneychangers on the street. There are forged US notes in circulation so to avoid this you should obtain notes from ATMs, banks, or major hotels.
Oanda currency converter
Time zones and time differences
Peru is 15 hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time.
To find out the current time in Lima, view the World Clock.
Dialling codes
Peru's country code is 51.
For calls to Peru from Australia dial: 0011 + 51 + area code + telephone number.
For calls from Peru to Australia dial: 00 + 61 + area code + telephone number.
For further information (eg. area codes) please visit the White Pages - international dialling codes.
Electricity and water
Peru’s power supply is 220 volts, 60Hz 1, 3 phases, 2, 3 wires. The two-prong round (Europe) and two-prong flat (North American) plugs are the most common.
Links and resources
Travel and tourism
Peru - http://peru.travel
Peru Tourism - www.perutourism.com
Peru Travel Guide - www.justperu.org
Please note: this list of websites and resources is not definitive. Inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement by Austrade. The information provided is a guide only.