Peru in December: Weather, El Niño 2026 and the Best Things to Do

December is a good time to visit Peru if you split the trip between the dry, sunny coast and the green, rainy Andes. Rain in Cusco and Machu Picchu usually comes in showers that clear, and early December is quieter than July. The catch is Christmas and New Year, when Cusco fills up with Peruvian and foreign travelers.

What changes compared with the dry season (roughly May to September):

• The Andes are green and the clouds move fast, but you lose some mountain views to clouds, especially in the afternoon.
• The coast is at its best. Lima loses its gray winter sky and Paracas and Huacachina are hot and dry.
• Late December is high season for Peruvians. December demand for Cusco and Machu Picchu is high: on top of international visitors, a lot of Peruvians travel to Cusco for New Year’s.

Peru’s December weather depends on altitude and region, not on the country as a whole: the desert coast gets almost no rain, the southern Andes get regular showers, and the Amazon gets heavy rain. These are long-term December averages from SENAMHI, NOAA and WMO climate normals.

Sources: SENAMHI 1991–2020 normals for Lima (Campo de Marte), Ica and Puno; NOAA normals for Cusco (Alejandro Velasco Astete airport) and Puerto Maldonado (1961–1990); World Meteorological Organization for Arequipa. Peru’s weather service publishes station data on the SENAMHI website.

The Peruvian coast in December is warm and dry, the start of summer. In Lima the gray winter sky (the locals call it “panza de burro”) breaks up and you get sun most afternoons. In Ica and Huacachina average highs reach 31 °C, so dune buggies and sandboarding are best late in the afternoon.

The southern Andes in December have warm days, cool nights and regular rain. In Cusco, December brings about 125 mm of rain, less than January (about 153 mm), the wettest month. Showers usually build in the afternoon, so plan tours for the morning. Machu Picchu sits lower, at 2,430 m (UNESCO), so it is warmer and more humid than Cusco, and the morning often starts in cloud that lifts later.

Tambopata in December is hot and very wet, with about 279 mm of rain on average. Our Amazon Escape (3 days) and Macaws & Wildlife (4 days) trips run normally in December; the camping Amazon Expedition only runs April to November. Plan for rain gear, mud on the trails and a flexible schedule around storms.

December 2026 comes with an extraordinary coastal El Niño. In its official statement No. 19 of October 30, 2026, ENFEN, the Peruvian government commission that monitors El Niño, says the coastal event will keep an extraordinary magnitude until February 2027 and then weaken gradually until June 2027.

What ENFEN forecasts for November 2026 to January 2027, and what it means for a trip:

• North and central coast (including Lima): rain above normal, with moderate to strong episodes. Lima rarely gets real rain, so even a little causes traffic and flooded streets. Expect a hotter, more humid Lima than usual.
• The whole coast: air temperatures well above normal, with new records. Plan beach and desert time for the morning or late afternoon.
• Southeastern Andes (Cusco and Puno) and the Amazon: rain normal to below normal, and below normal around Lake Titicaca. That could mean a December in Cusco with fewer showers than usual, though it is a forecast, not a promise.
• Northern beaches (Máncora, Piura, Tumbes): this is where ENFEN expects the heaviest and most frequent rain this summer. This year I would not build a December trip around the north coast.

ENFEN publishes a new statement about every two weeks; the next one is due November 13, 2026, and we update this section when it changes the picture. You can read ENFEN’s statement No. 19 in Spanish.

Machu Picchu stays open through December, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Expect showers and low clouds, especially early in the morning, and crowds that grow from mid-December. The real problem this year is tickets: for December 24 to January 1, availability is already scarce.

What we do with December travelers:

• Book Machu Picchu first, before flights and hotels. We always tell clients to buy two months or more ahead; for Christmas week, by early November most dates are already gone. Here is how Machu Picchu tickets work now.
• Keep a buffer day in the Sacred Valley or Cusco in case a train is delayed by rain.
• Bring a real rain jacket or poncho, not an umbrella: umbrellas are a nuisance on the narrow paths.
• The Inca Trail is open in December. It closes every February for maintenance (Ministry of Culture), and in very rainy years the closure can run longer: in 2025 it stayed closed until March 31.

The best things to do in Peru in December mix the coast’s summer with the green Andes. These are the ones I recommend most.

• Ballestas Islands and Huacachina. Sea lions and penguins in the morning, buggies on the dunes in the afternoon. The Ballestas and Huacachina full day from Lima starts at USD 119 per person. If you have time, sleep a night on the coast (see below).
• Lima’s food scene in summer. Ceviche at lunch, as Peruvians eat it, and long evenings in Barranco. See what to do in Lima.
• The Sacred Valley at its greenest. Maras, Moray and Ollantaytambo look their best after the first rains. Tours run early to beat the afternoon showers.
• Machu Picchu in the mist. If you go early and the cloud lifts mid-morning, it’s one of the best views of the year.
• Santurantikuy in Cusco. Every December 24, artisans fill Cusco’s Plaza de Armas with nativity figures, saints and crafts (organized by the city’s Emufec, per Andina).
• New Year’s Eve in Cusco’s Plaza de Armas. It gets packed, mostly with Peruvians. Book hotels early.
• Arequipa and the Colca Canyon. Arequipa is one of the driest stops in the Andes in December. See Arequipa itineraries.
• Lake Titicaca. The Uros and Taquile islands work in December, and this year ENFEN expects less rain than normal around the lake. See Puno and Lake Titicaca.
• Tambopata. The Amazon is at its greenest; just accept you’ll get wet. See our Tambopata trips.

Peru has three national holidays in December 2026: Tuesday December 8 (Immaculate Conception), Wednesday December 9 (Battle of Ayacucho) and Friday December 25 (Christmas). On top of that, December 24 and 31 are big family nights everywhere.

• December 8 and 9: a long midweek holiday this year, so expect Peruvians traveling and busier roads and hotels around those days.
• December 24: Santurantikuy market in Cusco by day; at night Peruvians celebrate Nochebuena at home, so book Christmas Eve dinner ahead.
• December 25: quiet day, many shops closed.
• December 31: New Year’s Eve parties in Cusco, Lima and on the beaches.

For the rest of the year, see our Peru festivals calendar.

For Christmas and New Year’s in Peru, Cusco is the big one: Santurantikuy on the 24th and the fireworks and crowds in the Plaza de Armas on the 31st. Lima is better if you want a calmer Christmas, good restaurants and beaches. Paracas is the summer escape from Lima, with a relaxed New Year by the sea.

Our tip: if you want Cusco for New Year’s, lock in Machu Picchu, the train and the hotel together, because all three sell out the same week.

Not everything works well in December. These are the changes we suggest most often:

• Rainbow Mountain: the viewpoint is at 5,036 m and the colors need sun. In December we put it at the end of the trip and keep a backup day; if the forecast is bad, Humantay Lake or a free day is a better use of the time.
• Long multi-day treks: they are doable, but muddy and cloudy. If trekking matters, we prefer day hikes from the Sacred Valley.
• The north coast in 2026: Máncora and the northern beaches are where El Niño hits hardest this summer.
• Tight connections: don’t book Cusco and Machu Picchu on the day you land. Go through Lima first and climb gradually; here is how we order a route for the altitude.

The easiest December route in Peru starts on the sunny coast and finishes in the Andes: Lima, a day to Paracas and Huacachina, then a flight to Cusco (about 1 h 20 min), the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco. You get the coast while it’s at its best and arrive in the mountains already rested.

That’s our Desert & Andes trip: 10 days with Lima, the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina, Cusco, two nights in the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain at the end. It starts at USD 974 per person, based on 2 travelers (USD 1,178 for one traveler). We can book your domestic flights inside Peru as part of the trip; international flights you book yourself.

Pack for two climates: summer clothes and sunscreen for the coast, and layers plus real rain gear for the Andes.

• A waterproof jacket or poncho, and quick-dry trousers
• A warm layer for Cusco and Puno nights (6–8 °C)
• Shoes with grip for wet stone steps at Machu Picchu
• Strong sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat: the sun is intense on the coast and at altitude
• Insect repellent for Machu Picchu and Tambopata

We plan trips across Peru from Lima, private or small-group depending on the tour, and December fills up fast in Cusco. Tell us your dates and what you want to see, and we’ll send you a route with prices the same day, free and with no commitment. If you’re traveling over Christmas or New Year’s, write soon: Machu Picchu is the first thing to sell out.

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Does it rain a lot in Cusco in December?

Cusco gets about 125 mm of rain in December over roughly 17 rainy days, usually as afternoon showers rather than all-day rain. January is wetter. In 2026 ENFEN expects normal to below-normal rain in the southeastern Andes.

Is Machu Picchu open in December?

Yes. Machu Picchu stays open through December, including December 25 and January 1. The Inca Trail is also open in December; it closes every February for maintenance.

What is the weather in Lima in December?

Lima in December averages about 23 °C during the day and 18 °C at night, with almost no rain in a normal year. In 2026 El Niño is expected to bring a hotter Lima and some rain episodes on the central coast.

How does El Niño 2026 affect a trip to Peru?

ENFEN expects an extraordinary coastal El Niño until February 2027: extra rain on the north and central coast, record heat along the coast, and normal to less rain in Cusco, Puno and the southern Amazon. The north coast is the area to avoid this summer.

Is December high season in Peru?

Early and mid-December are quieter; Christmas week through New Year’s is high season, with many Peruvians traveling to Cusco for the holidays. Book Machu Picchu, trains and hotels for those dates as early as possible.

Is Rainbow Mountain worth it in December?

Only with a good forecast. The colors need sun and the viewpoint is at 5,036 m. We schedule it at the end of the trip with a backup day.