Peru celebrates so many different cultures and holidays that it’s hard to choose which ones to attend. There are about 3000 cultural celebrations throughout the country each year. Many are a syncretism of traditional Andean cultures and Catholic holidays introduced by the Spanish.

Trekking

The best time for Cusco Region Treks is during the dry season, when you can reliable go hiking and sightseeing on sunny days. However, the best time to see flora and fauna is in the early dry season, while the hills are still covered with wildflowers.

Rain

It will rain in the Peruvian Amazon even during the dry season. It does rain less, but being a rainforest means you risk rain all year. Machu Picchu is on the edge of the Amazon but still close enough that it can rain at any time of year. The coast of Peru is a desert and the only time you should expect rain is during the phenomenon of El Niño.

Seasons & temperatures

Even though Peru is in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s close enough to the equator that it doesn’t have seasons like North America or Europe. The dry season is colder, because it’s austral winter and the rainy season is warmer, because it’s austral summer.

However, the difference in temperature by month is not significant. Temperature changes are mostly felt when you change altitude. It’s the difference in precipitation that’s dramatic, which is why it’s more helpful to think of Peru as having a rainy season and a dry season without calling them summer or winter.