Welcome to Peru! This detailed guide is packed with info covering everything you need to know about motorcycle travel in Peru including paperwork, routes, safety, top tips and more. If you’re planning an overland motorcycle adventure in Peru – start here.
This Peru motorcycle travel guide is based on our ride through Peru during our round the world trip. The guides on this website are constantly updated with info from contributors to keep them current, up-to-date and as helpful as possible for you.
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Motorcycle Travel Guide Peru
By Andy Davidson
Mad or Nomad: Round the World Motorcycle Traveller
Peru is one of the most adventurous countries for motorcycle travel we have been through. It’s an incredible mix of Andean mountains, culture, ancient culture and stunning landscapes. Riding here is special, and if you’re up for heading into the mountains you’ll find one of the best motorcycle adventures of your life.
This guide explains everything you need to know about riding in Peru for overland motorcycle travellers, including entry info, paperwork, routes, tips and so much more. If you want to ride in Peru, read this guide first.
READ MORE: All Peru Motorcycle Guides
Our motorcycle ride through Peru
We (Andy and Alissa from Mad or Nomad) are on a round the world motorcycle trip and entered Peru in November 2024 and rode 10,000kms through the country – entering via Ecuador and exiting to Bolivia. This guide is based on our experiences and what we learnt. However, as with all our guides, readers and fellow travellers kindly contribute more info, which we always update our guides with so they stay current.
For more info on our ride there and what we got up to, have a read of our Peru Blog – and check out our route in the section below.
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Our route through Peru
Here’s a rough waypoint map of our motorcycle route through Peru. This map can be downloaded and saved to help you plot your own route.
Paperwork for motorcycle travellers in Peru
To enter Peru with a foreign motorcycle, you will need your passport, motorcycle registration document and driver’s licence.
You will then need to obtain a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) at the border and purchase insurance. Here’s the info in more detail.
Immigration
Peru operates a 90-day visa-free program within a 180-day period for over 100 countries. That means you can enter without a visa and stay up to 90 days and nothing has to be done electronically before entering. Check this page to see Peru’s visa policy and which countries are exempt.
If you’re from the UK, keep an eye on the Gov UK website for any recent changes.
Temporary Import Permit (TIP)
You will require a temporary import to take your foreign registered motorcycle into Peru. To get your TIP you will need copies of your passport, vehicle registration and driver’s licence. These copies are made at the border by the staff, so you shouldn’t need to carry them with you.
Your TIP will be valid for the same duration as your visa free entry (90 days) and you cannot extend your TIP. Your motorcycle must be taken out of Peru before the TIP expires or it will be seized.
Your TIP can be paused while you are in Peru if you want to store your motorcycle and leave the country. More information on this in the Storage section further on in the article.
You do not need a Carnet de Passage for Peru or any countries in the entire Americas.
Motorcycle insurance
Motorcycle insurance is compulsory in Peru. Insurance is called SOAT and can be obtained at SOAT insurance offices, or you can employ someone to obtain it for you before you land if you don’t want the hassle.
We recommend using the services of Anibal, he can obtain your SOAT for you via WhatsApp. His number is: +51 990 128 105
Detailed info on motorcycle travel paperwork
If you’re planning a motorcycle trip and aren’t used to the different types of paperwork requirements, or are just trying to get your head around motorcycle paperwork in general, have a read of our packed paperwork for motorcycle travellers guide too.
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Getting in and out of Peru
Peru shares land borders with Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile.
Border situations are always changing, so we recommend using the iOverlander app to find a border that suits your route and reading the current and up-to-date info left by other travellers to pick your border.
Note that border towns are rarely the nicest places to stay. So, it’s always worth getting to the border early with a full stomach and drinks and snacks to hand so you’re not rushing or stuck in mid-day heat.
The most common entry and exit points for Peru are via Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia.
Borders between Peru and Ecuador
We recommend crossing at the La Balsa border. It’s remote and entirely off-road but offers a beautiful ride through Ecuador to get there. However, if it’s been raining heavily it can be very muddy. Once you get into Peru it’s tarmacked. Note that Ecuador has constant electricity outages so check on Google and iOverlander for its opening times.
Entering at this border sets you up for a great ride east to Chachapoyas, Leimebamba and then onto Cajamarca.
If you don’t want to take this border, there are plenty of other options further west via the main roads. Expect them to be slower though.
Borders between Peru and Chile
The main border crossing between Peru and Chile is Santa Rosa. This border crossing sets you up perfectly for a ride to Atacama.
Borders between Peru and Bolivia
We recommend crossing at the Kasani border crossing at Lake Titicaca. There are two crossings at the lake.
The Kasani border crossing is quiet, easy and straightforward. If you’re exiting to Bolivia the last petrol station in Peru is here (cash only). If you take this crossing you’ll end up in the cool town of Copacabana and there’ll be a fun ferry crossing to get to Bolivia’s mainland. More on this in the Bolivia Motorcycle Travel Guide.
The other option is to cross at Desaguadero. However, this is the main border crossing, which is slower, busier and less fun.
The border between Peru and Brazil
This is not a common route for overland motorcycle travellers as most people will be riding the Americas between north and south and then loop up to Brazil thereafter. However, if you want to go east, we recommend having a read of this guide first as it explains the process of getting between Peru and Brazil.
READ MORE: How to Motorcycle from Peru to French Guiana Using Amazon Cargo Boats
Motorcycle shipping to Peru
The only shipping company we’re aware of is Uniex Shipping based in Peru. Although we have not used this company before, we have heard some good recommendations about them. Contact Eduardo Bueno from Uniex Peru.
Peru is not a common country to ship to. It’s far easier to ship to Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Chile. You’ll find a selection of great companies based in these countries on our Shipping Finders page.
READ MORE:
Recommended mechanics in Peru
The mechanics we recommend for Peru are located in Lima. This is the company: Motos Workshop Peru.
For metal work of any kind we recommend Pac, located next door. His company name is Epic Experience. He’s a genius metal worker and speaks perfect English.
Huaraz – Motoslid are a decent big bike mechanic shop in Huaraz.
Motorcycle storage in Peru
Peru is the easiest country in South America to store your motorcycle for long periods of time. Most travellers who want to fly home or just leave their bike for a while, do so in Peru. This is because it’s easy to pause your Temporary Import here.
Your motorcycle must leave a country before the TIP expires, and Peru is very strict on that. However, you can have it paused, leave the country, return and then have it resume.
For example, you have a 90 day TIP. You ride in Peru for 30 days. You pause your TIP, fly home for six months, return and resume your TIP, and will still have 60 days to leave.
However, your TIP must be properly and legally paused, you must safely store your motorcycle and it can not be used on the roads while it’s paused.
There are three main places to both pause your TIP and store your motorcycle.
El Tip Viajero are based in Lima and conveniently located right next to Lima airport. They offer accommodation, TIP pausing and storage. The owner is also a lawyer and offers free legal advice for motorcycle travellers and overlanders in Peru. You can find them on eltipviajero.com and make reservations through WhatsApp (+51941483585) or through the Airbnb links on their site.
Anibal is a well known in the Peru overlanding community. He regularly helps travellers pause their TIPs and stores bikes just outside of Lima. He can also obtain your SOAT insurance for you. Contact him via WhatsApp: +51 990 128 105
Around the Block Adventures are a motorcycle rental and tour company, but also pause TIPs and offer storage – as a well as a sell and buy back program. You can get in touch with them via their website: aroundtheblockmotoadventures.com
When to ride in Peru
Peru has two seasons: wet (October to April) and dry (May to September).
The coastal routes stay warm and relatively dry even during the wet season. So the main weather concerns are for riders in the Andes.
June, July and August are popular months for riding because it’s peak weather, but that means it’s busier (especially in places like Machu Pichu and Cusco). So, it’s better to go either side of these months in the shoulder season.
Our experience
We rode the length of Peru solely in the Andes range from November to January and had good weather. The evenings were cold in some parts of the highlands, but certainly manageable and we only had the odd day of rain. A few months before and the weather was perfect.
However, friends of ours rode through in March and most of the off-road routes through the Andes were either snowed in, too muddy and very rainy. February has been largely reported as the rainiest month in the Andes.
Money and costs
Peru is exceptionally cheap for motorcycle travellers – especially when compared to North and Central America and Chile and Argentina.
Hotels, food, activities and petrol are all very affordable and it’s easy to live and travel in Peru for long periods of time. But of course, this depends on your travel style and budget.
Money can easily be withdrawn at ATMs in large towns, you’ll find them using Google Maps.
Accommodation
We recommend using iOverlander and Booking.com to find cheaper accommodation options in Peru. AirBnB is also surprisingly good too in cities.
Camping is possible in Peru, but as always, use your common sense and don’t camp just anywhere. Speak to locals and make sure you have a good understanding of the area you’re planning on staying first.
For more info on camping, have a look at our camping guides.
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Hotels we recommend in Peru
Here’s a selection of hotels we stayed at and recommend in Peru. Clicking the links below will take you to either Google Maps or Booking.com. You can see where they are on the map below.
- San Ignacio – Gran Hotel San Ignacio
- Jaen – Goya Hotel
- Chachapoyas – Hostal Revash y Casona Del Rosario
- Leymebamba – Hostal La Petaca
- Cajabamba – Hotel Roagui
- Cachicadan – Hotel De Turista Cachicadan
- Pallasca – Hotel hospedaje Angie y Joseph
- Chuquicara – Petrol station hotel
- Caraz – La Casa Azul Motoposada & Camping
- Yungay – Casa Hotel Alpamayo
- Huaraz – La Cabana
- Chiquián – Hotel Los Nogales
- Pativilca – Hostal Pativilca
- Lima – El Tip Viajero (TIP suspension and storage)
- Chaclacayo – Hotel Hatunkay Chaclacayo
- San Mateo – Restomarket Hospedaje Las Brisas
- Huancaya – Hotel La Casa de Paquita
- Huayucachi – Hostal kaypim cruz
- Huanta – Park Suites Hotel
- Uripa – Hotel Chaska
- Pampachiri – Tayta Chapa Samanan
- Abancay – El Peregrino Apart Hotel
- Cusco – Chelito’s Backpacker
- Pitumarca – Hospedaje Malvin Motoposada
- Ayaviri – The Chapel – La Capilla (one of our favourites)
- Puno – Hostal Virgen de las Nieves II Centro
Petrol
You won’t have too much trouble finding petrol throughout Peru. However, there are some very remote sections in Peru so you may need to calculate your mileages. We have 14L tanks which return 400-450kms and did not need to carry any spare fuel in our jerry can – even with remote rides.
If you get caught out, you should be able to find petrol in small villages, which will most likely be sold from plastic bottles.
Food and water
Peru is known for having one of the best cuisines in the world. And that may be true when you are in big cities (mainly in the capital, Lima, where you can find exceptional restaurants). However, for the motorcycle traveller – especially if you’re riding through the Andes – don’t expect as much luck. Your diet will consist of chicken and rice (unless you’re vegetarian).
Pollerias (pollo a la brasa) are popular in Peru and offer large portions of rotisserie chicken and rice with salad for little money. The more rural you go the more you’ll be given chicken feet and heart soups. Guinea pigs (coy) are also very popular and common in Peru.
Either way, food is very cheap throughout Peru.
Don’t drink water from taps. You can easily find water for sale in bottles throughout the country, but we still recommend making sure you always have enough water strapped to your bike at all times in case of emergency.
Safety and security for motorcycle travellers in Peru
Peru is generally a safe and popular country for motorcycle travellers, however, safety is always subject to change and cannot be guaranteed. Situations change daily, especially in volatile countries. We recommend checking the UK Gov website for info on Peru. Using that link you will find a map with areas the UK Gov recommends you do not ride as well as a lot of safety and security information for Peru.
READ MORE: How to Stay Safe on the Road
Avoiding dangerous areas
iOverlander
iOverlander is a great resource. You will find pins marked on the map where others have had trouble. But don’t take it as gospel because pins can be out of date. There were times we travelled along roads where there were pins that others had mentioned they had been robbed etc. But times change and those pins need updating. Still, it is a valuable guide.
Locals
Asking the locals is a great way to suss out a route or area. This is especially handy and useful if you’re thinking of taking a less travelled route or for off-road riding.
Don’t ride at night
This is an important one. For travellers, it’s sound advice wherever you are in the world. Livestock, wild animals, sand, gravel, potholes and speed bumps litter the roads. Always try and get to your accommodation way before it gets dark.
Ask fellow travellers
There are lots of Facebook groups for Overlanders. For South America we recommend the PanAmerican Highway Riders Association. They’re a friendly bunch and you may find recent safety updates on there.
And join the Peru WhatsApp group. Click this link from your phone or desktop to be taken to the group.
Common sense
Most importantly, use your common sense. If an area feels particularly dodgy or you have a lot of eyes on you without a lot of smiles accompanying them, just move on. The longer you travel the more you develop a kind of sense for these things regardless. And even if your sense is wrong, at least you avoided the potential risk.
READ MORE: How to Deal with Bribes
Keeping your motorcycle and gear safe
It’s always a good idea to find accommodation that has secure parking. And if it doesn’t, then pay to put your bike in a secure carpark with security for the night.
If you’re booking via booking.com then it’ll say whether or not it has parking and you can set a filter. If you’re on iOverlander, then again it will most likely say in the description. And if it’s via Google Maps, you can either look through the pictures or call and ask (one of the reasons we recommend buying a local SIM card so you can make calls).
We tend to put our bikes in safe parking areas belonging to the hotel or more commonly inside a hotel’s courtyard. On occasion, when a hotel doesn’t have that, they just let us bring our bikes inside. We have even brought the bikes into our rooms before.
It’s common for hotels and accommodations throughout South America to provide secure parking for motorcycles in a garage or behind a locked gate.
Regarding kit, we leave both our panniers on the bikes. Alissa’s panniers hold our personal rucksacks and they come into the hotel and that’s it. Everything else stays on the bikes. My panniers hold the camping gear in one and the tools and miscellaneous in the other. Mine are secured with a Mosko Moto cable lock. This could be cut relatively easily but deters opportune thieves. In our crash bar bags we have things like food, snacks, waterproofs. All of this stays on the bike overnight and when we leave the bikes to walk about and we’ve never had a problem.
When we started our round the world trip back in 2018, we left with a big chain lock, disc lock and motorcycle cover. Now we have a small bicycle lock and very rarely use it. If you are concerned, a tatty old cover is a good idea to act as an invisibility cloak.
READ MORE: How to Keep Your Motorcycle and Gear Safe While Travelling
Health
Vaccines
When travelling abroad, it’s important to read up on the vaccine recommendations and requirements of the countries you are travelling through.
The best website we have found, that clearly explains what is needed and required is travelhealthpro.org.uk. Simply click on each country you plan on travelling through and read through the vaccine recommendations.
Yellow Fever
There is a risk of yellow fever transmission throughout parts of Central and South America. And some countries in the Americas will require you to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate. So, we recommend getting the vaccine before travelling. You can find info on the travelhealthpro website, and the fitfortravel.nhs.uk website has additional info with a map of areas at risk of yellow fever.
Common sense
Use your common sense when travelling anywhere in the world. Ask if it’s okay to drink the tap water first, buy bottled if not. Be selective where and what you eat for example. Food and hygiene standards may not be what you are used to so a degree of caution should be taken to avoid falling sick. Have a read of our Staying Healthy guide below for more info.
READ MORE: How to Stay Healthy on the Road
Travel insurance and emergencies
We highly recommend getting decent personal travel insurance before you leave on your trip. It’s incredibly important that you’re covered in case of an accident and your medical bills will be taken care off.
If you are planning on heading into very remote regions and off-roading, then we also recommend carrying an emergency satellite GPS device so you can call for help if you have a medical emergency. There are very remote sections in Peru and some very rural parts too where help may take a long time to come, so this is an important one.
Alissa had a serious crash in Nepal years ago and we wish we had an SOS device back then. Luckily we had excellent travel insurance though, which took care of the £20,000 hospital bill. Do not risk it, make sure you are covered.
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Planning your motorcycle route through Peru
Peru is the third largest country in South America (after Brazil and Argentina). It’s home to (in our opinion) the best section of the Andes Mountain Range. The Andes runs down the middle of Peru dividing the country from the cost to the west and the jungle to the east. For adventure bike riders and overland travellers, we highly recommend sticking to the Andes.
The Andes in Peru
The Andes range stretches over 4,000 miles (7,000kms) along the entire western edge of South America – it’s the longest mountain range in the world. And 1,000 of those miles are situated in Peru. It’s an incredible section of the range and that’s where the best riding in Peru can be found.
You can ride the Andes in Peru all the way between Ecuador and Bolivia or Chile and is the ride we recommend doing.
If you decide to go this way, check out our best routes in Peru guide where we list our absolute favourite guides with downloadable maps.
READ MORE: Best Motorcycle Routes in Peru
Pan-American Highway in Peru
Alternatively, you have the Pan-American Highway. The PanAm runs along Peru’s Pacific Coastline for around 1,500 miles (2,500kms). The road is in generally good condition and you will find a lot of toll booths (but it’s free for motorcycles). However, again in our opinion, this is a boring, long and straight ride. It’s full of trucks and fast moving traffic. Sections are dusty and strewn with litter. It’s a world apart from the Andes ride.
Of course, this is opinion based, and you may prefer to quickly whizz through Peru on the PanAm, but for the more adventurous, stick to the Andes.
Rides, attractions and things to do for motorcycle travellers in Peru
There are some incredible routes throughout Peru – especially for adventure bike riders and anyone who likes off-roading. In general, the routes are at an easy level, you’ll find a lot of easy gravel tracks. However, you can make it much harder if you prefer more technical riding, but you’d have to go looking for it and specifically choose tougher paths and trails.
If you’ve ridden a bit of gravel before and have a suitable motorcycle with decent tyres you’ll be fine throughout the Andes.
For our top recommendations, have a read through the below dedicated guides.
The best motorcycle routes in Peru – You’ll find all our favourite motorcycle routes through Peru in this dedicated guide with maps.
Machu Picchu guide – Here’s a full guide on how to visit one of the seven wonders of the modern world as a motorcycle traveller.
Smurf house guide – the little known and less travelled smurf houses of Peru should be on your list.
Uros island guide – if you’re heading past Lake Titicaca, drop in and say hello to the Uros people.
Rainbow mountain guide – here’s what you need to know about visiting Rainbow Mountain as a motorcycle traveller.
Riding gear
The weather can change dramatically in Peru dependent on which region you’re in and at what time of year. You have the coastal routes, the Andes mountain range and the Amazon and pampas grasslands.
We recommend wearing a lightweight, ventilated and breathable riding suit. Remove all thermal and waterproof liners if it comes with any. Pack a pair of decent throwover waterproofs in case it rains and a compressible down jacket in case it gets cold (or an electric heated riding jacket). If you’re riding through the mountains, warm clothing is an absolute must and you may want thermals as well as a down jacket and warm gloves.
For more info and guides on adventure riding gear have a look at the below guides.
READ MORE:
Rentals, tours and buying a bike in Peru
Peru is a great country to rent a motorcycle, but it’s also fairly easy to buy and sell a motorcycle here too. These options can make life a lot easier if you’re strapped for time or want to save the hassle of taking your own motorcycle into the country.
READ MORE: Should I Ship, Rent or Buy
Renting a motorcycle in Peru
You may want to travel in Peru using a rental bike or by joining a guided tour instead of taking your own bike there. This is a great way of exploring the country without having to take your own bike to the Americas, or for a quick trip or even if you’d just rather ride with a professional guide who knows the country inside out.
You’ve got a range of options here including road only tours, off-road only or even a mix of the two. There’s a decent selection of rental and tour companies in Peru. You’ll find most companies based in Cusco.
Check out our recommended rental and tour companies for more info.
Buying a motorcycle in Peru
Another option to consider is buying a Peru plated motorcycle as a foreigner. This is of course trickier than renting, but totally possible. Riders normally buy motorcycles in Colombia as its quite easy there. We have a dedicated guide on this if you’re interested.
However, it is possible in Peru. To do this we recommend getting in touch with Around the Block Adventures. This company offers rentals, tours, TIP suspension and a buy and sell program.
Top tips
Facebook – There are lots of Facebook groups for Overlanders. For South America we recommend the PanAmerican Highway Riders Association. You’ll find lots of info on travelling in Peru in there with recent and up-to-date reports.
WhatsApp – We recommend joining the Peru WhatsApp group for overlanders.
Language – Learning the language goes a long way in any country you visit. And luckily, Spanish is a relatively easy language to learn for English speakers. We recommend at least learning the basics (hello, thank you, please etc) to be polite and make an effort. Anything else you learn goes a long way in improving your experience interacting and engaging with locals. But don’t worry, it’s easy and fun to communicate even if you really struggle with languages and you can get by without it. Communicating When You Don’t Speak the Language
Apps – Download the Google Translate app onto your phone, and then download Spanish onto it. This will work offline and you can easily communicate with locals using this app.
iOverlander – It’s a fantastic tool for overland travellers and is free. Download it and contribute wherever you can.
Maps.Me – A free offline map and navigation app. Simply download the maps for Peru and use it offline. The Best Free Apps for Motorcycle Travellers
SIM card – We recommend purchasing a Peruvian SIM card for your travels. It will make life easier when travelling and you can make phone calls to book hotels. You can purchase it from a Claro store. It can be a pain though in Peru and requires a lot of patience at times. You will need your passport to get a SIM.
Another, far easier option is to use an eSIM. We personally use Holafly eSIMs. This way, you can get mobile data on your phone ready for when you cross into South America and you can get packages that cover the entire region. It’s the easiest and quickest way to have unlimited data on your phone.
Speak to the locals as much as possible – Make an effort in learning language basics and practice as much as possible. Locals always appreciate it when you try. Relax and enjoy your ride in Peru, it’s an incredible place and made all the more better by the wonderful people you’ll meet.
Read more on motorcycle travel in Peru
Thanks for checking out the Motorcycle Travel Guide: Peru. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle travel in Peru and South America that we recommend you read next.
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Are you planning a motorcycle trip in Peru? Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
Hi guys,
Awesome website full of really useful info. Huge thanks. Just a fyi, I tried to contact Airport Hotel Peru (Lima) re storing my bike and putting my TIP on hold, and it looks like they’re currently not operating. They are no longer on Booking.com and a websearch didn’t reveal alternative contact details easily.
Cheers,
James
Hi James,
Thanks for reading and for your kind words on the site.
I’ve just had a look and you’re right, they appear to have taken themselves off Booking.com.
But, they are still operating, a friend recently just stored with them.
Here’s their direct website, you can find their WhatsApp on there and contact details: https://www.eltipviajero.com
Tell them Andy from Mad or Nomad sent you and i’m sure they’ll look after you.
Hope this helps, if you need anything else just shout anytime.
All the best,
Andy