Travel to Peru during COVID-19

We traveled to Peru during COVID-19 for a trip on the Inca Trail in May 2022. Peru is an amazing country and should be on everyone’s bucket list! This article answers all your questions about the logistics of traveling to Peru based on our experience in May 2022. Always check the latest rules and regulations, as they do change, but we will share our experience.

Entry to Peru

We are both fully vaccinated and did not require any COVID-19 testing. If you are not fully vaccinated there are testing requirements. We had no issues with showing our vaccination cards. Be sure to pay attention to requirements regarding age and booster requirements.

There is a health declaration form that must be filled out online before arriving in Peru! Your departing flight will double-check to make sure it is completed. It was a bit of a hassle to get it all to work on the website. Look for USA in the “E” part of the menu for country selection, and some of the phone number requirements only accept 8 numbers. Do with that what you can. Screenshot the completion of the document to show at airport check-in.

Upon landing, it took about 30 minutes to get through immigration. The scene outside the airport is a bit hectic: set up a trusted driver from your hotel ahead of time.

• Masks?

Our flight from Fort Lauderdale to Lima did not require masks. However, once on the ground in Peru you are required to wear a mask to get off the plane and into the airport. The rules stipulate you must wear either 2 surgical masks or an N95 mask. Those rules were enforced (mainly in Lima). You can buy a pack of 4 KN95 masks at the Lima grocery for about $1.50. 

• Lima

We arrived very late in Lima and spent the night at a hotel close to the airport. The area around the airport isn’t great, so set up a trusted driver. Also, get food and drink before you leave the airport if you are arriving after dark.

In regards to COVID-19, the restrictions were enforced much more strictly in Lima. The morning after arrival we went to a shopping center for some grocery supplies for our packing for the Inca Trail and to use a bank ATM for local currency. Our vaccine cards were checked and we were required to wear an N95 or 2 surgical masks, but otherwise, we had no problems.

• Cusco

In our experience, Cusco was SIGNIFICANTLY more relaxed regarding COVID-19 regulations. We did not use any public transportation but enjoyed many open-air restaurants, walking around the city, and outdoor excursions all mask-free.

Our top adventure experience of all time was the Skylodge Adventure Suites sleeping pods, and they did not require any use of masks. The entrance area for the Inca Trail and Macchu Picchu required masks, but the actual hiking areas all did not. We did also have to show our vaccination cards to begin the Inca Trail hike.

Returning to the USA

As of our trip, the USA still requires a negative COVID-19 test within 1-calender day of the return flight. We got antigen tests performed at our hotel in Cusco for 100 sol per person (roughly $27). Our hotel was amazing and set up for the physician to come and do it on-site. Definitely plan to do this, and check with your hotel ahead of time. 

We got our tests in Cusco before flying back to Lima, and returned home to the USA the next day. We had no issues with returning to the USA with our electronic copy of the negative antigen test. 

All in all, our trip to Peru was minimally affected by COVID-19. As fully vaccinated travelers that have no problem with mask regulations, it was a very easy experience. See our other posts on our time in Peru here:

To see all our travel adventures during a year-long trip around the world, head over to our Instagram page.

If you have questions or tips for travel to Peru during COVID, let us know!  Happy Travels!