Americas · PreGoYa
Andean traditions, colonial cities, and Machu Picchu. Peru asks visitors to respect sacred sites, coca leaf customs, and a culture thousands of years old.
What to know
Machu Picchu and the Inca ruins are sacred heritage. Climbing on walls or removing stones is both disrespectful and illegal.
Why
These sites carry spiritual and national meaning.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Coca leaves are a sacred Andean plant used in offerings and to ease altitude sickness. Foreigners should treat the custom with respect.
Why
Coca is woven into Andean spirituality for thousands of years.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Peruvian food is one of the world’s most celebrated — ceviche, lomo saltado, and aji de gallina. Coca tea is offered for altitude.
Why
Food and traditional plant knowledge are central to Andean culture.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Tipping is modest but appreciated, especially for guides, porters, and drivers on treks.
Why
Tourism wages are low, and trek crews rely on gratuities.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Cusco sits at around 3,400m and Machu Picchu is lower but still high. Acclimatisation days genuinely matter.
Why
Altitude sickness affects most visitors to some degree.
Do
Avoid
The things travelers most often get wrong — rated by how much they matter.
Why? It damages sacred heritage and is strictly prohibited.
Why? It is a sacred Andean tradition, not a punchline.
Why? Andean communities value consent and dignity.
Why? Altitude sickness can ruin a trip; a rest day in Cusco is not wasted time.
Peru is a living link to an ancient world. Move through sacred sites with reverence, honor local customs, and the Andes will open their heart to you.
Written by PreGoYa · Last updated · pregoya@foxmail.com
Common questions
Modestly, yes. Around 10% in restaurants, and separate gratuities for trek guides, cooks, and porters on the Inca Trail and other hikes. Small soles are useful for taxis, porters, and restroom attendants.
Layers for the highlands — temperatures swing dramatically between day and night. Cover shoulders and knees in churches and Cusco’s colonial cathedral. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for ruins and cobblestones.
Climbing on or removing stones from Inca ruins, joking about coca leaves, not allowing time to acclimatise, and photographing Andean people without asking.
Yes. Coca tea (mate de coca) is legal, traditional, and genuinely helps with altitude symptoms. It is not the same as cocaine, and making drug jokes about a sacred Andean plant is considered insulting.
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