How to Budget For a Peru Trip
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on November 21, 2022 by James Bustamante
For many, budgeting for an upcoming trip is a way to get excited. They use it as the initial step to getting ready to venture into a new destination. Some people, of course, can take it to extremes occasionally.
For many of us, though, budgeting for a trip makes us think about our entire itinerary, and details we may have yet to consider begin to come up. In addition, budgeting is a great way to ensure you have enough money for additional expenses that could arise last minute. Just imagine making the entire trip: arrival in Lima, flight to Cusco, overnight stay in Calientes, and suddenly realize you forgot to budget your train tickets into the total. It’s happened, we’ve seen it, and it’s not fun.
So here we answer some common questions about how to save money successfully and budget for your Peru trip, along with a few items to consider if you’re booking a Peru tour package that includes just about everything you’ll need for the journey.
How much will I Need For My Peru trip?
Begin by putting together what would be your daily costs. You can work out a daily cost based on meals and room rates. After that, we can add costs for activities, museum fees, and transportation like cabs or train tickets if the trip starts in Cusco.
Remember always to have a little extra money left over daily. You never know when you might want to have the random Pisco sour somewhere or just one more Peruvian ceviche at a new restaurant. The worst type of budget is always the super restrictive one. Imagine weighing the pros and cons of tasting something so ethnic to Peru, like a “suspiro a la limena” or a delicious “aji de gallina” in its country of origin.
What Should I Buy Before I Leave For My Peru Trip?
Now, look at the costs you might have before starting your trip. There might be some visa costs, good travel insurance, and immunizations, depending on where you are coming from. Unfortunately, some travelers decide to leave out travel insurance. This tends to be a massive error. You never know what can happen with your luggage or if a flight gets canceled. Look at it this way, if you can’t afford travel insurance, can you afford to travel? Some people like to take a backpacker route across Peru, but even in these cases, there is no way to backpack an international flight.
Now let’s get into your travel gear. Travelers, especially first-timers, often overinvest in specialized travel gear. For example, many travelers coming to Peru will commonly invest in hiking to Machu Picchu. There are the few that think they’ll need as much gear to take the Inca trail as someone climbing Everest. A robust and comfortable backpack is vital and worth their price for a good quality model. An equally important investment is a pair of comfortable hiking shoes for something like the Salkantay trek. Hiking boots are a little too much and can even hurt your feet.
How Do I Save Money For My Trip?
At this point, you probably figured out how much you will need, more or less. Now it’s time to streamline how you will reach your goal. A popular method to constantly remind you of how you need to save is setting the number on your fridge, computer screen (screensaver), or as wallpaper on your smartphone.
Miraflores
Sometimes (most times for many), saving money can be challenging. A good budgeting app can be beneficial in these circumstances. If you don’t hit your money goal, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and re-check the budget. Going over your original cost sheet for your Peru trip can bring up new ideas and ways to save a little bit of extra cash.
For example, instead of visiting an a la carte restaurant for an excellent Peruvian dish, you can go to a “Menu” restaurant. A Menu restaurant will have very affordable lunch specials, almost always Peruvian Peruvian dishes at a fraction of the price.
Being flexible can be a lifesaver in these situations. Stay away from the Libertador hotel in Cusco and go with a more affordable three or 4-star hotel. Even the hostels in Cusco are a good and no better place to meet travelers from around the world.
How Can I Keep Cash Safe While I’m in Peru?
Peru is a very safe country by any standards, and this is especially true for visitors. However, just like any other country, it has its not-so-savory areas, and there are always a few rotten eggs, no matter the circumstance. After all, if you went through all the trouble of creating a budget for a Peru trip, you’ll want to keep your money safe.
That being said, here are a few suggestions that would help no matter where you are. First, remember to keep your valuables safe in your pockets or zipped up in your jacket or coat.
Diversifying your money is a great way to ensure you know what to do in case you lose some cash while touring. Remember to carry some money, a credit card, and an ATM card. Leave your ATM card in your hotel and only use it for emergencies. A good suggestion is to take out the money at the airport and exchange currency there. Then, use that cash up until you need to take out anymore. You always have your credit card for restaurants or shops.
As stated, these are only suggestions but please remember to avoid dodgy places and bars.
Source: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/travel-tips-and-articles/how-to-budget-for-a-big-trip/40625c8c-8a11-5710-a052-1479d2772aa0
