Travel insurance for Peru

It’s important to buy travel insurance before any trip or holiday abroad, so if you are planning a trip to Peru, make sure you buy the appropriate policy before you go. Before you choose a policy, think about:

• The total cost of your baggage, especially any expensive small valuables or backpacking gear
• The cost of your trip or holiday – Unforeseen events sometimes force you to cancel your holiday; it’s reassuring to know you can get your money back
• The activities you’re likely to be doing – If you’re planning anything really extreme, we can offer you extra cover if needed. We’ll cover your hike up Machu Picchu within our standard cover
• Also, don’t forget to check the latest travel advice for Peru from the FCDO

Our Coronavirus Travel Insurance is rated Superior by a leading UK Consumer Champion. All of our policies will cover you if you catch Coronavirus.

What is covered with travel insurance to Peru?

As standard, our policies cover for over 100 sports and activities, so you can get up to more on your holiday. With Machu Picchu being 2,430m high, we include hiking and trekking travel insurance up to 3,000 metres at no extra cost.

We also offer a range of benefits, including:

• Medical expenses and hospital benefit
• Personal accident and liability
• Cancelling and cutting short your holiday
• Abandoning your trip
• Delayed departure
• Accommodation cover
• Personal belongings and baggage
• Personal money, passport and travel documents
• Legal expenses

For more information about what’s covered with travel insurance for Peru, have a read of our policy documents here.

Handy information about Peru

To make sure you have a really good experience on your trip to Peru, we’ve listed some important information that you might want to know before you travel.

Do I need a visa for Peru?

As a British citizen travelling to Peru, you don’t need to apply for a visa and can stay for a maximum of 183 days as a tourist. If you’re planning to stay for longer than this or are going for work or to study etc. then you’ll need to apply for the appropriate visa from the Peruvian Embassy.

Information about visas and entry requirements for Peru can be found here.

Healthcare in Peru

Private and public healthcare services are available in Peru; however, the private healthcare facilities can be quite expensive and the public facilities are generally subject to long waiting times and lower standards than the UK. Make sure you have adequate travel insurance with illnesses and injury cover prior to travel.

It’s also important to make sure you speak to your GP at least four to six weeks prior to travel to check whether there are any vaccinations needed.

You can find out more information about healthcare in Peru here.

Medical & Emergency Assistance in Peru

If something happens while you’re in Peru and you need emergency treatment for an illness or injury, we’re here to help. All travel insurance policyholders have access to our 24-hour medical assistance team.

Did you know that…?

• The Inca fertility temple of Chucuito, Peru, isn’t what it seems. It features rows of upright stone “phalluses”, but experts guess they may really be building beams. Locals admit they arranged them suggestively not long ago to bring in the tourists!
• Cuy – guinea pig – is not only a national favourite dish among Peruvians. It also appears that Jesus was partial to a bite – according to the picture of The Last Supper hanging in the Cathedral of Cusco, which shows a roast cuy on the table!
• In the 19th century, Peru made a fortune out of bird poo. It had huge amounts of guano, a natural high-quality fertiliser that could also be used as gunpowder, made from the droppings of seabirds. During the boom guano was more valuable than gold!
• All potatoes grown in the world can be traced back to a genetic origin located in southern Peru. Today Peru has more than 3,000 varieties and takes the humble spud very seriously – Lima is even headquarters of the International Potato Centre.
• Coca leaves – from which cocaine is made – can be legally bought and sold in Peru. Local people have been chewing them for centuries for a caffeine-like boost and natural vitamins. Don’t try to bring them home though – they’re classed as cocaine!
• The Inca Trail to the famous clifftop ruins of Machu Picchu goes over five passes up to 4200m and is usually walked in four days. At just over 26 miles, some tough-nuts run it as a marathon – the fastest completing it in a little over three hours!
• The Incas had 3D writing! Not writing as we think of it, but records kept by tying sequences of knots in string. The system was called “khipu” which means “knot” and was mainly used for accounting – but no one’s deciphered all the knots yet.