The altitude of the area you are visiting has more effect on the climate and weather than anything else. Peru is close enough to the equator that it doesn’t see big differences in temperature throughout the year. The coast is mostly a desert all year and the Amazon is a rainforest all year. However, in the mountains, between the coast and the Amazon, your packing list will depend on the altitude. In general, the higher you are, the colder it will be.

Dealing with high-altitude

People who live at sea level, or close to it, should plan two or three days resting at whatever altitude you are visiting. There are several strategies for adjusting to altitude. The first is rest and lots of water.

Peruvians drink tea made with coca leaves and also chew coca leaves. While this is perfectly safe and legal, many travelers are uncomfortable with coca leaves because they can be used to make cocaine. (It takes about a ton of leaves to make one kilo of cocaine).