HOW IS THE CUSCO WEATHER? WHAT TO EXPECT?
Posted on : 11 February 2023
CUSCO WEATHER
If you are planning a trip to Peru furthermore booking a tour in Cusco you must know a few things about the Cusco weather before visiting, but don’t worry, here we tell you everything about the Cusco weather and how to be ready for your journey to Cusco.
- Cusco City is located about 3200 meters above sea level and is completely surrounded by mountains.
- Cusco weather is a bit tricky because is fluctuating, due to sudden changes between a sunny and rainy day, since it can rain at dawn and in a few minutes the sun rises or vice versa, and the temperature ranges from 2ºC to 22ºC. Which relies heavily on the month or season you are visiting it.
- The Cusco weather has two seasons that are very well differentiated, the first is the dry and frosty season that goes from April to October and the second is the rainy season that goes from November to March.
DRY SEASON
This season begins from April to October, during these months there is little rain and the sky is completely clear with few clouds and a shining sun.
The temperature between May, June and July is very cold, reaching minus 5ºC at night and 23ºC during the day. These months are called “frost season”, because the weather gets dry and very cold, this can crack your skin and the lips.
In the first week of August the weather is irregular between wind, rain and sun. The people of Cusco say that each day in the first week of August represents a month of the year starting with January and in this way the Cusco weather for the whole year is forecast.
At this season Machu Picchu is very hot because it is in rim of the jungle between about 23ºC to 25ºC and has the presence of sporadic rains, on the other hand the Sacred Valley is a little drier and hotter than the city of Cusco between about 14°C and 22 ºC but its nights are equally cold.
RAINY SEASON
This second season begins the first days of November and ends in April. During the months of November and December the rains are light and moderate for a maximum of 1 or 2 hours during the day.
The strongest months with the presence of rain are intense, lightning and thunder are in January and February, with February being the strongest month in terms of rain, since it is at this time that the rain falls from 3 to 4 hours a day almost every alternate day with a bit of sun, but if it gets cloudy at any time it will rain, this does not mean that it necessarily rains all day or every day.
For this reason, you must be prepared so that a rain does not surprise you in the middle of your journey through Cusco.
In March and even a part of April the rains are already light and moderate and there is almost no rain anymore, these months are very good because the Cusco weather is quite favorable to taking pictures, there will be no overcast sky or clouds that prevent you from taking pictures and also that the landscape will still be very green.
In this rainy season, all the mountains, the hills and in general all of Cusco are filled with a very greenish exuberant color and that is because the flora grows, that is something that will favor you a lot when taking your photographs by the beautiful green landscape that you will have in Cusco.
What to bring to visit Cusco?
The Cusco weather is unpredictable, do not trust a day when there is sun because it can surprise you. For this reason, we have some recommendations on what to bring to be prepared:
- Suitable footwear: So that you can move with greater comfort, since you are going to spend most of your tours walking on countryside or in the mountains and you will need comfortable shoes to help you walk calmly.
- Raincoat: In the event that Cusco weather surprises you with rain, you can put it on, preferably a light one, because when the sun comes out it is very hot and strong and you will want to wear a much lighter garment, as well as avoid strong winds in some places you visit, so you will be ready to do your tour.
- Sun protection: It can be a sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen (very important) because the sun in Cusco is very radiant and you will need to protect yourself sufficiently.
Finally, due to global warming of the earth, the Cusco weather has been affected like other parts of the world, the dry and rainy seasons have been altered and the weather can obviously surprise you with unusual meteorological manifestations. Therefore, it is better that you follow the recommendations and avoid having bad times and you can enjoy your tours to the fullest!
Book Any Of These Guided Tours In Cusco Now
Machu Picchu Tour – 1 Full Day
Rainbow Mountain Tour In The Afternoon – 1 Full Day
Contact Us
You can contact the Peru Private Tours team; we are happy to help you plan a once-in-a-lifetime experience during your journey in Cusco.
Contact us at info@pptoursperu.com or our WhatsApp number +51 915 105 124.