Peru
Cusco in December
🌦️ Shoulder (showers)Pleasant and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings · compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why December scores 9.0What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.5
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (21°C highs / 8°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 6.1°C)
- !Wet: ~125 mm rain, ~3 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~5 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | Apr | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.0 Excellent | 9.4 Excellent |
| Season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 21° / 8° | 21° / 6° |
| Rain | 125 mm | 38 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 6° | dew pt 7° |
| PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Cusco weather-station normals. Rainfall: Cusco weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Christmas Day 25–27 Dec · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Immaculate Conception (8 Dec) · Battle of Ayacucho Day (9 Dec)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore CuscoEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA high-altitude city in the Peruvian Andes that was the Inca capital, now the base for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
SanturantikuyEvery year24 December every year
A large Christmas Eve market of handmade nativity figures and crafts.
Why go: Very crowded.
Where: Plaza de Armas
Coming up later
Corpus ChristiDate variesUsually May or June; date moves with Easter
Saints' statues from local churches are paraded around the main square.
Why go: One of Cusco's most important festivals.
Where: Plaza de Armas
Inti RaymiEvery year24 June every year
A re-enactment of the Inca Festival of the Sun.
Why go: Tickets for seats at Sacsayhuamán sell out; hotels are busy around the date.
Where: Qorikancha, Plaza de Armas and Sacsayhuamán
Plaza de Armas and Cathedral
The main square with the cathedral and colonial arcades.
💡 Cusco is about 3,400 metres high; take it easy for the first day or two.
Qorikancha
The Inca Temple of the Sun, with a Dominican convent built on top.
Sacsayhuamán
Massive Inca stone walls on a hill above the city.
Sacred Valley
Inca sites and villages such as Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and the Maras salt pans.
Machu Picchu
The famous Inca citadel, reached by train and bus or by trekking.
💡 Book entry and trains ahead; the classic Inca Trail closes every February for maintenance.
San Pedro Market
A large food market with juice stalls and local produce.
Cuy
Roasted guinea pig, a traditional Andean dish.
Alpaca
Lean alpaca meat, grilled or in stews.
Chiriuchu
A cold platter of meats, cheese and seaweed, made for Corpus Christi.
Choclo con queso
Large-kernel Andean corn with fresh cheese.
Chicha morada
A sweet drink made from purple corn.
Alpaca and baby alpaca wool
Sweaters, scarves and blankets; ask what fibre is used.
💡 Shops in the centre
Andean textiles
Hand-woven pieces using traditional techniques.
💡 Weaving centres such as those in Chinchero
Ceramics
Hand-painted pottery.
💡 Workshops in the San Blas neighbourhood