Month by month
| Month | Afternoon | Sea | Rain | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16.4 °C | — | 29 days | Unfavourable season |
| February | 16.2 °C | — | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| March | 16.2 °C | — | 26 days | Unfavourable season |
| April | 16.5 °C | — | 19 days | Unfavourable season |
| May | 16.6 °C | — | 10 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| June | 16.9 °C | — | 2 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| July | 17.5 °C | — | 3 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| August | 17.9 °C | — | 7 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| September | 18.4 °C | — | 11 days | Possible, with trade-offs |
| October | 18.3 °C | — | 20 days | Unfavourable season |
| November | 18 °C | — | 23 days | Unfavourable season |
| December | 17.1 °C | — | 27 days | Unfavourable season |
Nearby in March
Before you go
Three things to check once you have picked your dates.
Entry
No visa needed for stays of up to 90 days. Passport valid for at least 6 months. Usually 90 days in a 180-day period, entry registered digitally (virtual TAM); a separate airport fee (TUUA) applies when transiting through Lima.
For a British passport, per the UK Foreign Office on 22 June 2026. Rules change: check before booking.
Safety
Outside the areas advised against
Parts of the country are advised against (the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro river valley (VRAEM); within 20 km south of the Colombian border (Loreto), except the Amazon River); Cusco (Machu Picchu) is not one of them.
Official advice updated 22 June 2026
Health
Vaccines · hepatitis A and hepatitis B if you are not already vaccinated; chikungunya depending on activities and areas visited. Routine vaccines up to date (measles in particular).
Yellow fever · Vaccine recommended for parts of the country (not recommended for the following areas west of the Andes: the region of Tumbes and designated areas of Cajamarca (west-central), Lambayeque (west-central), and Piura (west). Vaccine is not recommended for travel limited to areas >2,300 m (7,550 ft) elevation, areas west of the Andes not listed above, the city of Lima (the capital), and the highland tourist areas (the city of Cusco, the Inca Trail, and Machu Picchu)). No entry requirement.
Malaria · Present. Areas: All areas of the country <2,500 m (<8,200 ft) elevation east of the Andes, including the cities of Iquitos and Puerto Maldonado Rare cases in Tumbes and Piura regions No malaria transmission in the following areas: Lima Province; the cities of Arequipa, Ica, Moquegua, Nazca, Puno, or Tacna; the highland tourist areas (the city of Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lake Titicaca); along the central and southern Pacific Coast. Preventive medication recommended: Areas <2,500m (<8,200 ft) elevation east of the Andes (see map): Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine All other areas with malaria transmission (see map): No chemoprophylaxis recommended (insect bite precautions and mosquito avoidance only) — prescribed before departure.
Mosquitoes · dengue and Zika reported: protect yourself from bites.
Per the CDC (page reviewed 3 September 2026); see a travel clinic a few weeks before departure.
Beau Fixe is not a safety or health authority. These notes summarise dated public texts and link to their source: France Diplomatie (Licence Ouverte 2.0), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Source: CDC). Only the competent authorities are authoritative.
FAQ
Can you swim in Cusco (Machu Picchu) in March?
Cusco (Machu Picchu) is not a seaside destination (no sea data).
How hot is Cusco (Machu Picchu) in March?
Expect 16.2°C in the afternoon and 7.9°C at night, averaged over the last 10 years.
Does it rain a lot in Cusco (Machu Picchu) in March?
Around 26 days with rain (≥ 1 mm) in the month — 84% of days.