(Last updated: 28 Jul 2011)

Visas

Travellers to Peru for business purposes do not need to obtain a business visa for visits involving marketing development, meetings with clients, seminars, trade fairs, or other marketing activities. Although some Peruvian officials may advise otherwise, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Australians do not need a visa to visit Peru for purposes of business development.

A business visa is only required for Australians who plan to sign official documents while in Peru. Travellers on a business visa are also required to complete a statutory declaration upon leaving the country to state that they have received no money for work done during their stay in Peru on the business visa. This procedure has caused some Australian visitors difficulties at the Lima airport.

Note that all visitors to Peru are required to keep their white entry card and hand this to immigration officials when they leave the country.

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.

Airports

Jorge Chávez international airport is located about a 30-minute drive from central Lima, but during rush hour (7.00am-10.00am and 5.00-8.00pm) you should allow up to 45 minutes in travel time.

The international airport departure tax is approx US$31 and must be paid in cash prior to immigration clearance. Money can be changed inside the customs area, or in the main airport hall in front of American Airlines. ATMs are located in front of the Domestic Departures area at the other end of the terminal.

Ground transport

A taxi from the airport to most major hotels will cost around 40 to 50 Peruvian Soles. Formal (yellow) and informal taxis are very common in Lima. Meters are not used so settle on the fare before you get in. Fares for a 20-minute ride should not be more than 15 Soles. Some top hotels in Lima provide luxury cars at higher fares in US dollars.

For security reasons we do not recommend the use of buses, vans or informal taxis. Visitors are strongly advised to use taxis from the hotel or radio taxis (requested by telephone) which are slightly more expensive, but safer and in better condition than taxis hailed from the street.

Hotels

Lima offers business visitors a range of four and five-star hotels as well as aparthotels and cheaper hostels. The most popular locations for both business people and tourists are the business districts of Miraflores and San Isidro. Downtown Lima is still considered dangerous at night and should be avoided.

The Marriott, Swissotel, Sheraton, Park Plaza, Hotel Country Club and Casa Andina (Private Collection) all offer facilities and services international visitors expect in a hotel. Prices range from US$160 to US$400.

There is now an airport hotel located opposite the main terminal at Jorge Chavez International Airport run by the Ramada and Costa del Sol Group.

Security and health

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) provides advice for business travellers and tourists going to Peru. This is regularly updated, and should be checked before planning travel.

Personal safety is an ongoing concern in Lima. Poverty, unemployment and congestion have led to theft, vandalism and assaults. The most common crimes are bag snatching, pick pocketing and break-ins of parked cars.

Combined with the normal safety precautions, some extra tips include:

• Keep expensive watches, jewellery and other valuables in the hotel safe.
• When travelling by car or taxi, bags and briefcases should be kept under the seat or in the boot and keep the doors locked.
• Travel by road outside the major cities after dark is not advisable.
• Motorists rarely stop at pedestrian crossings.

Health

Avoid eating from the vendors cooking in pushcarts along the streets – cases of typhoid and cholera among their customers is high.

Tap water is processed differently in Peru, so we recommend you drink mineral water, either ‘con (with) gas’ or ‘sin (without) gas’. Care should also be taken with fresh fruit juices if there is a possibility that water may have been added.

Tipping

Tips for taxi drivers are not common practice. The usual tip for an airport or hotel porter would be US$1.

A service charge of 10 per cent is usually included in restaurant bills, however, it is customary in Peru to leave an additional five per cent at more expensive restaurants.

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.

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

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

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.

Dining

Lima is considered by many to be the gastronomic capital of Latin America, and has many excellent restaurants covering a wide range of cuisine and prices. In fact Peruvian gastronomy has been named Peruvian National Heritage.

Peruvians are fiercely proud of their cuisine and its growing global appeal. Most of the best restaurants are located in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro. Ask your hotel or look on the Internet for recommendations.

Tourist attractions

Tourists to Lima tend to visit the old Centre of Town (Centro historico) which includes the main plaza (Plaza de Armas), Cathedral, Catacombs and San Francisco Chapel. The changing of the Guards at the Presidential Palace is a highlight (12pm daily).

Other attractions include Lima’s Museums (archaeological and gold) as well is its historic and pre-Inca huacas or pyramids.

Larco Mar, located on the coast in Miraflores is the main tourist shopping area. The regulated Indian Markets, also located in Miraflores, is the best place for local crafts and souvenirs.

Lima is for many tourists only a stopover on the way to Cusco and the legendary Machu Picchu citadel in Peru’s southern highlands.

Other places of interest include the Nasca lines, Chan Chan in Peru’s north and the jungle resorts.

For more information on tourism in Peru visit http://peru.travel.