What to Pack for Cusco: A Packing List by Season

For Cusco you need to dress in layers: quick-dry T-shirts, a thermal base layer, a fleece or down jacket and a rain jacket, because at midday you can be in a T-shirt and at night it can drop to around 0 °C. Add broken-in hiking shoes, high-SPF sunscreen, your original passport and a small backpack for Machu Picchu. What changes with the season is how heavy your warm layers are and how much rain gear you bring.

Below you’ll find the full list by category, what to add depending on the month and your itinerary, and the luggage limits for the train and for Machu Picchu, which are worth knowing before you pack.

The 10 essentials

Without these ten things you’ll have a hard time or end up buying them there:

1. Your original passport, or your DNI or national ID card if you’re Peruvian or from the Andean Community: the same one you used to buy your tickets.
2. A waterproof, windproof jacket, even in the dry season.
3. A fleece or light down jacket for the evenings.
4. A thermal base layer for predawn starts and mountain excursions.
5. Hiking shoes or boots with good grip, already broken in.
6. High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap or hat.
7. A wool beanie and gloves.
8. A daypack no bigger than 40 × 35 × 20 cm, the maximum allowed at Machu Picchu.
9. Your regular medications, with the prescription, in your carry-on.
10. A reusable water bottle and lip balm: the air is very dry.

Clothing: the layering system

Cusco’s daytime high barely changes through the year, between 20 and 22 °C, but at night it can fall below 0 °C in the dry season, according to the SENAMHI climate normals we explain in our guide to Cusco weather by month. On top of that, on a single trip you go from the cloud forest of Machu Picchu to mountain passes above 4,500 m. That’s why one heavy garment won’t do: you need layers you can take off and put back on throughout the day.

Base layer: the one next to your skin

• Short- and long-sleeve quick-dry T-shirts, in technical fabric or merino wool.
• A thermal top and leggings for sleeping and for predawn outings.
• Hiking socks: one pair per day of hiking, plus a spare.

Avoid cotton for hiking: it soaks up sweat and takes a long time to dry, which at altitude means feeling cold.

Mid layer: warmth

• A medium-weight fleece.
• A light, packable down or synthetic-fill jacket. It’s the piece you’ll wear most at night.

Outer layer: rain and wind

• A breathable rain jacket with a hood.
• A lightweight rain poncho, very handy in the rainy season because it covers your backpack too.
• Optional: rain pants if you’ll be trekking between November and March.

The rest of your clothes

• Two comfortable pairs of hiking pants and one for the city.
• A wool beanie, gloves and a scarf or fleece neck gaiter.
• A cap or wide-brimmed hat.
• A swimsuit if you plan to visit the hot springs in Aguas Calientes or on a trek.
• Warm pajamas: many homes and budget hotels don’t have central heating.

Tip: don’t pack an outfit for every day. Cusco has plenty of laundromats that charge by the kilo and usually have your clothes back the same day or the next. For a week, four or five T-shirts are more than enough.

What to add by season

The basics are the same all year. This table sums up what changes depending on the month you travel:

Season	What the weather is like	Prioritize	You can leave at home
Dry (May to September)	Sunny days, almost no rain; nights below 0 °C in June and July	Down jacket, thermal base layer, beanie, gloves and sunscreen	Rain pants
Shoulder (April, October and November)	Sunny mornings, the odd afternoon shower, cool nights	Fleece, light rain jacket and layers that are easy to take off	A very heavy coat, except for the high mountains
Rainy (December to March)	Frequent showers in the afternoon or evening; less cold at night	Poncho, backpack rain cover, waterproof shoes and dry bags	Cotton clothes that take a long time to dry
Year-round	Very high ultraviolet radiation	High-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat and lip balm	Nothing: the high-altitude sun burns even through clouds

In June, Inti Raymi week coincides with some of the coldest nights of the year. If you’re going to the ceremony at Sacsayhuamán, bring warm clothes for many hours outdoors and sun protection for midday.

Footwear

• Hiking shoes or boots with grippy soles. They’re your main footwear: the stone streets of the center are slippery and the ruins have lots of stairs.
• Broken-in mid-height boots if you’ll be doing the Inca Trail, the Salkantay or another multi-day trek. Never wear them for the first time on the trip.
• Light, comfortable shoes for the city and the evenings, and sandals if you’re staying in Aguas Calientes or doing a trek that drops down into the jungle.

In the rainy season, waterproof footwear makes all the difference. And remember that high heels and hard-soled shoes aren’t allowed at Machu Picchu.

What to pack for your itinerary

Cusco city and the Sacred Valley

For the historic center, the ruins just outside the city and trips to the valley, a daypack with water, sunscreen, a warm layer and your rain jacket is all you need. Always carry your Cusco Tourist Ticket with your ID, because you’ll be asked for it at every site.

Machu Picchu and Aguas Calientes

Machu Picchu sits in the cloud forest at 2,430 m: it’s warmer and more humid than Cusco. Bring light clothing, a layer for the early-morning time slots, a poncho and insect repellent in cream or lotion form. Food, trekking poles, umbrellas, tripods and backpacks larger than 40 × 35 × 20 cm aren’t allowed inside the sanctuary: the full list of rules is in what not to bring to Machu Picchu.

The train limits luggage too. PeruRail allows one backpack up to 8 kg and 100 linear cm or one carry-on bag up to 12 kg and 115 cm, and Inca Rail allows one bag up to 8 kg and 118 linear cm. Your big suitcase stays at your hotel in Cusco or, if you’re traveling with PeruRail, at its free luggage storage at Ollantaytambo station. The details are in our guide to the train to Machu Picchu.

Important: plan your trip around two bags. A suitcase that stays in Cusco or the Sacred Valley, and a small backpack with what you need for one or two nights, which is the one that rides the train and then goes into Machu Picchu.

High-mountain excursions

Rainbow Mountain, at 5,036 m, and Humantay Lake, at 4,200 m, leave Cusco between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m. At that hour and at that altitude it’s very cold, and the weather can turn from sunshine to hail in no time. For a day trip to either one, bring:

• A thermal base layer, fleece, down jacket and rain jacket.
• A beanie, gloves and a neck gaiter.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm.
• Water and a snack for the hike.
• Cash in soles for the entrance fee and, if you need one, the horse.

Multi-day treks

On the Inca Trail, the Salkantay or Lares you sleep in camps and cross passes between 4,215 m and 4,630 m, before dropping down into the cloud forest. On top of the basic list, you’ll need:

• A sleeping bag rated for below-freezing temperatures. Inca Trail agencies usually rent them out.
• Trekking poles, also available for rent. Note: they aren’t allowed into Machu Picchu.
• A headlamp with spare batteries.
• Warm clothes for sleeping and a dry change of clothes packed in a dry bag.
• Water purification tablets or a filter, wet wipes, toilet paper and a bag for your trash.
• Sandals for camp.

What the agency carries and what you carry depends on the trek. On the classic 4-day Inca Trail, porters carry the tents, kitchen and food, and you can usually hire a personal porter for up to 7 kg of your things; on the Salkantay, the gear goes on mules. Compare routes in our Machu Picchu treks comparison.

Documents and money

• Original ID document: a passport for foreigners; a physical DNI for Peruvians; a passport or national ID card for citizens of Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador; a foreign resident card (carné de extranjería) for residents. It must be the same one you used to buy your Machu Picchu ticket, your train and your other services.
• A valid student ID, if you’re going to use a student rate. Check the requirements in Machu Picchu ticket types.
• Digital copies of your passport, insurance and all your bookings, also saved for offline access.
• Travel insurance with medical coverage. If you’ll be trekking or going on excursions above 4,000 m, make sure it doesn’t exclude high-altitude activities.
• Cash in soles for markets, community entrance fees, taxis, tips and small shops, which often don’t take cards.
• A debit or credit card, plus a backup card kept separately.

First-aid kit and health

• Your regular medications, enough for the whole trip, with the prescription.
• Whatever your doctor recommends for the altitude. Read our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco first: the most effective measure doesn’t go in your suitcase, it’s acclimatizing gradually.
• Common painkillers, oral rehydration salts and something for your stomach, as long as your doctor approves.
• Band-Aids or blister dressings, essential if you’re hiking for several days.
• Insect repellent for Machu Picchu and the lowlands. The CDC recommends products with 20% DEET or more.
• High-SPF sunscreen, lip balm with SPF and moisturizer.
• Hand sanitizer.

About vaccines: according to the CDC, the yellow fever vaccine isn’t recommended if your trip is limited to the city of Cusco, the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Lima, but it is recommended for areas below 2,300 m east of the Andes, such as the Madre de Dios rainforest. There’s no malaria transmission in Cusco or Machu Picchu either. If you’re adding the Amazon to your trip, book an appointment at a travel medicine clinic well in advance.

Tip: don’t drink tap water without boiling or filtering it. A reusable bottle with a filter saves you from buying plastic and is very handy on treks. And if you’re offered coca tea, enjoy it there, but don’t buy coca leaves to take home: the coca leaf is still on Schedule I of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and importing it is banned in many countries.

Electronics

• Plug adapter: Peru runs on 220 V, and outlets are type A, with flat prongs, and type C, with round prongs.
• Check your chargers: phone, camera and laptop chargers usually handle 100 to 240 V and only need the adapter. 110 V hair dryers or straighteners need a voltage converter, or better yet, leave them at home.
• Power bank: excursion days start before dawn and end after dark. Mountain cold drains batteries faster.
• Headlamp: for treks, predawn starts and the occasional power outage.
• A waterproof case or dry bag for your phone in the rainy season.
• Offline maps downloaded to your phone: there are stretches with no coverage on mountain routes and on the train.

What not to bring and what to buy there

Leave at home

• Large, hard-shell suitcases if you’ll be moving around a lot: they don’t fit on the train and they’re hard to drag over cobblestone streets.
• An umbrella: it’s banned at Machu Picchu and useless in mountain wind. Bring a poncho instead.
• A drone, tripod or selfie stick if your trip revolves around Machu Picchu, where they aren’t allowed.
• Jewelry and valuables.
• Too many clothes: it’s the thing people overpack most.

You can buy in Cusco

• Alpaca wool beanies, gloves, scarves and sweaters, at markets and craft shops in the center and in San Blas.
• Rain ponchos, at shops and markets in Cusco and Aguas Calientes.
• Trekking gear for rent, such as sleeping bags or poles: ask your agency first, since they usually offer it.
• Sunscreen, repellent and common medications, at pharmacies in the center.

It’s a good idea to leave some room in your suitcase for the trip home. Cusco’s textiles are among the loveliest souvenirs of the trip, and the San Blas neighborhood is full of artisan workshops.

Summary: your suitcase for your kind of trip

• Short trip to the city, the valley and Machu Picchu: the basic list with layers, a rain jacket and a small backpack. It’s also enough for two days with a night in Aguas Calientes.
• Dry season: add extra warmth for the nights and don’t forget your sunscreen.
• Rainy season: a poncho, backpack rain cover, waterproof shoes and dry bags.
• With high mountains: a thermal base layer, down jacket, beanie, gloves and cash for the entrance fee.
• With a multi-day trek: broken-in boots, a sleeping bag, a headlamp and poles, which you can rent.
• With kids: bring a baby carrier instead of a stroller and check our tips for Machu Picchu with kids.

Once your bag is packed, the next step is to plan your days so you acclimatize well and make the most of your trip: take a look at our 3, 5 and 7-day Cusco itinerary.