Explore senamhi cusco climate data temperatures rainfall altitude best worst months and pick the perfect time for your Cusco trip
Those considering travelling to Cusco should plan to go May through September. Those months constitute the dry season, with warm, sunny days, very little rain, and clear nights. The drawbacks are how cold nights can be in June and July-near freezing. If you plan to combine continents, this same dry-season window also suits the most beautiful places in Botswana, so you can pair both trips.
January and February are the worst months. They’re the rainiest, the trail is the muddiest, and the cloud sits on the mountain pretty much all day. Even the legendary Inca Trail closes down for February upkeep.
The rest of the median is in the middle, and the median can be wonderful. Keep reading to see the actual numbers.
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Why I Went Digging for the Data
I won’t lie: when I first started planning a trip to Cusco, the sheer volume of conflicting advice left me completely frozen. One website said “July is perfect to visit Cusco” and another said “never visit Cusco in July -it’s freezing!” and a third swore that April is the ideal month for visiting Cusco.
So I closed 14 browser tabs and made a spreadsheet.
Which is why I started hunting down the original data. Peru has a national weather service, SENAMHI (Servicio Nacional de Meteorologa e Hidrologa del Per), and their long-term climate data is the best benchmark you’ll find. The blogs didn’t match, but the measurements from the weather station did.
This is what that spreadsheet became, then: the spreadsheet first, then what it’s really like to be in a town square at 3,400 meters in January vs. July.
Where This Climate Data Comes From
The numbers below are averages taken from the 1991 to 2020 climate normals which are provided by the SENAMHI – Granja Kayra station near the city, approximately 10 km away. “Normal” just means a 30-year average, which removes fluctuations due to random bad or good weather – so a month that was once unexpectedly damp won’t be influential. In other words, this page is your primer for all things senamhi cusco climate data temperatures rainfall altitude best worst months.
A brief note of honesty – I suspect you should hear this. Different weather sites compare, find their numbers vary, and some are miles apart. Different weather stations, different time frames, and different definitions of a “rainy day” lead to the variation. Treat these figures as a good indicator of the pattern not a forecast for any individual week. For the actual numbers, you can always go to the source: SENAMHI’s own website.
Cusco Climate by Month: Temperatures and Rainfall
The monthly snapshot (numbers are rounded and all converted to metric units):
| Month | Avg High (C) | Avg Low (C) | Rainfall (mm) | Verdict |
| January | 20 | 7 | ~145 | Wettest, avoid |
| February | 20 | 8 | ~127 | Very wet, avoid |
| March | 21 | 7 | ~97 | Wet, trails still muddy |
| April | 21 | 4 | ~33 | Good, drying out |
| May | 21 | 1 | ~5 | Excellent |
| June | 21 | -0.5 | ~3 | Excellent, but cold nights |
| July | 21 | -1 | ~5 | Excellent, but cold nights |
| August | 22 | 0.5 | ~5 | Excellent |
| September | 22 | 3 | ~15 | Very good |
| October | 22 | 6 | ~43 | Good, rain returning |
| November | 22 | 6 | ~71 | Mixed |
| December | 21 | 7 | ~114 | Wet |
Check the temperatures out first, they hardly budge. The days in Cusco are around 20 – 22C year-round, which is why people will inform you there truly is no such thing as a “hot” season or a “cold” season. There’s a wet one and there’s a dry one.
OK now check out the lows and the rainfall columns. See where the real story is? You get 145 millimeters of rain in January. You get three in June. It’s like flipping a switch.
How you can Preserve this Desk If You’d Like senamhi cusco local weather records Temperatures Rainfall Altitude Greatest/Worst Months At A Look.
The Altitude Element: Why the Weather in Cusco Feels So Different
Cusco is at about 3,400 meters (11,150 feet) elevation. That one single number is the biggest part of why the climate is so odd.
Big temperature swings from morning to night.High and thin air doesn’t retain much heat. When the sun’s up, you’ll be in a T-shirt. The second it disappears, the temperature plummets. I compare it to a cast-iron pan and paper plate. Sea level cities are like the pan: they absorb the heat and radiate it at you like a furnace. Cusco’s more like the plate. It’s hot when the sun’s up and then it’s freezing the instant the sun’s gone. In the dry season, the gap between daytime highs and nighttime lows can top 20°C.
Bite of the sun At that altitude there’s also less air to block the UV. I’ve been sunburned in Cusco despite wearing a jacket on the day. Let that be a lesson to you: sunscreen and a hat, even when the temperature is low.
Thin air. Your body has to work twice as hard to do the same work, so the first day in town is just like climbing stairs carrying a backpack full of heavy books. It’s the same with the weather and the elevation. Wet cold weather is a lot harder to work in than nice and warm, even before you get on the trail.
If you fly directly in from the coast, you might as well rest for the first two days. Consume plenty of water, skip drinks, and talk with your doctor about altitude before departure. Most travelers drink coca tea to beat the effects of altitude, which can be found in each and every corner of Cusco – it’s a nice convention regardless of its effects.
Altitude is the missing factor in every senamhi cusco climate data temperatures rainfall altitude best worst months table above.
The Dry Season (May to September)
For the more traditional postcard of Cusco, this is the picture.
The sky is a stunningly deep, almost surreal shade of blue. There isn’t any rain. The ruins throughout the Sacred Valley are dry and photogenic and you stand a much better chance of getting a mountain view to actually appear in your camera.
The trade-offs:
- Cold nights. The minimum June and July temperatures are just below freezing with a few mornings of frost. It’s not very well heated in most hotels and hostels so check this when you book.
- Crowds. The busiest time of year to visit is during the summer (June through August). It is recommended to purchase tickets far in advance.
- Price. Room rates that go up to match passenger levels.
I once stayed over at a tiny guest house in July, which only heated one hot water bottle. It was charming for a few minutes, then it got very uncomfortable and I ended up wearing everything I had brought with me, including my hat, and sleeping in my coat. Charming, no. Bring something warm for bed.
The Wet Season (November to March)
The rain season has a poor reputation and some of it is justified. January and February are the most damp months and the afternoon is the time for showers. Clouds frequently appear and settle over the summits.
But here the rain isn’t a constant all-day pour! It tends to hit in the afternoon, so the mornings are still sunny, the hills become a bright, vivid green, the people melt away, and the prices fall!
The trade-offs:
- Muddy, treacherous tracks and the odd landslide or embankment failure the worst weeks.
- Cloud cover you could hide behind.
- The Inca Trail is shut in February each year to repair and in-directing other tourist routes to Machu Picchu are available, which should be scheduled to fit each needs.
If you are broke, or if you generally have an intense dislike for large groups of people that borders on hatred of umbrellas, then the wet season is an option. Travel light and be adaptable. Bring a waterproof jacket.
The Shoulder Months: April, October, and November
These are the shoulder months, and to be honest, they probably are the best choice for many travelers.
April: the end of the rains. Rainfall is less than in March. The country is still green and the tourists haven’t come yet. The nights are still cool but not freezing.
October and November are on the way back down: the rains are returning, but mornings are mostly still clear, the crowds are low, and the temps are not too hot. You might get a shower or two, but so too will the bargain prices.
I’d probably want to go back in late April or the first part of May. That will give the dry season benefits with a bit less traffic and less intense nights.
Best Months to Visit Cusco
Here’s how I’d match the month to the trip:
- Best weather by the whole (thanks to the warmth sunlight and dry weathers): May June July, August Dry, sunny, and cold night is the cost.
- For less busy with good weather: the late April, May, and September.
- Hiking and trekking (Inca Trail Salkantay Rainbow Mountain). May to September. Trails are drier and the scenery is much more predictable.
- For photographers: the dry season, due to the clear blue skies, the early wet season if you like stunning green scenery.
- For cultural events: June is busy. Inti Raymi, the Inca festival of the sun, is June 24. Book early.
- Budget friends: shoulder and wet, the sweet and untrapprising times.
Worst Months to Visit Cusco
Now for the sting in the tail.
- January and February are hard months. The heaviest rainfall, the muddy trails and the closing of the Inca Trail make it a challenging couple of months.
- Old March is still wet, and it is actually beginning to get better later on, to the end of the weather.
- In December the weather should be rainy and the atmosphere very busy from holidays.
The thing though, is that “worst” is somewhat a matter of what you want. If you’re not interested in treks, and if you enjoy deserted streets, cheap prices, and green hills, it’s totally possible to love a wet-season visit. I know travelers who enjoyed February in Cusco because it was like they had the town all to themselves, as long as you were prepared.
What to Pack for Cusco‘s Climate
Since they have large fluctuations from night to day, the golden rule in Cusco is layers.
- A warm undergarment. And a mid layer fleece or jumper. You will be wearing these every night, every month.
- What a multi role item of clothing. A waterproof jacket that can be worn on a daily basis from October through to April, and is a lot more effective than in the other three seasons.
- Sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses or a hat. Yes, you heard right! Walking in the sun!
- A pair of warm hats and gloves [winter] to wear in the mornings and evenings, during the dry season.
- Hard, weathered-in shoes, some grip, mostly on the muddy ground.
- A water bottle-to-fill-and-carry-out, as (say) being 2000m up suddenly makes one thirsty.
I think to myself that when I pack for Cusco now, I think that I am packing for three cities in a day: a cold morning city, a hot afternoon city, and an ice-cold midnight city. Pack for 3 cities and you are all set.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which months are the wettest for Cusco? For Cusco, it would be January (c. 145 mm of rain) then February.
What is the driest month of the year in Cusco? June, July and August. Because in these months, the rain percentage is very low.
Is Cusco cold at night? Yes. During the time when the daytime was having nice, even warm days (May through August), the lows averaged around freezing.
What is the best month to go to Machu Picchu? The best months for the weather are May to September. Bear in mind that Machu Picchu is not 2,400 meters like Cusco so it‘s warmer and more humid and it can be quite common the fogginess even during the dry season.
How is altitude influencing weather conditions in Cuzco? A lot. Less atmosphere implies the temperature decreases very much from the maximum temperature during the day to the minimum at night. Outside the sun it is very cold.
Can I go to Cuzco in the rainy season? Yes! There will be plenty of magnificent heavy rain in the afternoons, the roads having traffic jams, wet shoes, the trails turning to mud and less fellow travelers. Just make sure you load your pack with waterproofs, and don‘t attempt the Inca Trail in January.
Final:. Select the month that fits into your traveling schedule.
If there‘s one thing which we have learnt by the end of all these tables and all this data, it is that really….there‘s no bad time to go to Cusco. It‘s got its varying balances. The wet season provides extremely cheap prices and the gorgeous green hills. Dry season provides….reliability, and cold nights. Shoulder months provide you with a little bit of everything.
My tip: don’t obsess over finding the “perfect” month, because it doesn’t exist. Choose whatever is more meaningful for you (trekking photography budget, tourists) and you‘ll find it in the above table, pack your layers and you‘re good to go. Whatever a month you choose once you reach the first red roofs or mountains you‘ll know all the effort was worth it.
And do yourselves a favor…give yourselves 1day to breathe! You‘ll thank yourselves later, I promise.
And that is about it for senamhi cusco climate data temperature rainfall altitude best/worst months for planning your trip.
Helpful Resources and Official Links
Or if you want you can verify the figures yourself by using a couple of interesting solid authoritative sites to notice:
- SENAMHI: are the national weather station, providing official predictions, climate records, and weather warnings for the Cusco region and other locations throughout the whole of Peru.
- Tu Boleto: The authorized website for tickets to Machu Picchu.
- Inca Trail February closures: the official information regarding the February closure of certain Inca Trail routes and their reopening dates.
