Best time to visit Cusco
Peru · Americas · Temperate climate · Southern hemisphere
June
The canonical NASA POWER baseline is strict at altitude: only July reaches Favourable — cool, bright and dry (highs near 19°C, rain under 15 mm). The May to September dry season is the trekking window; November to March is the wet season. Nights are cold year-round.
1 month · Winter
Good · 68/100
Dry-season days are brilliant; altitude and cold nights demand planning.
- Recommended window
- 1 month
- Canonical best months
- Climate zone
- Temperate
- NASA POWER normals
- Dominant season
- Winter
- Derived
- Climate score
- Good · 68/100
- Real field
- Typical stay
- 4 days
- Real field
Climate year
● recommended window · fixed scales −15–40 °C · 0–800 mm · 0–31 rain days · use ← → to change month
June
Winter · In recommended window
Favourable month (R1–R7) inside the canonical best-time window
- High / Low
- 14.4° / 2.8°C
- Mean
- 7.5°C
- Rain
- 3.9 mm
- Rain days (≥1 mm)
- 0.0
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
When to go
Go in June
The canonical NASA POWER baseline is strict at altitude: only July reaches Favourable — cool, bright and dry (highs near 19°C, rain under 15 mm). The May to September dry season is the trekking window; November to March is the wet season. Nights are cold year-round.
Dry-season days are brilliant; altitude and cold nights demand planning.
Read the full Cusco destination guide- Best
- Jun1/12
- Good
- —0/12
- Mixed
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec11/12
- Avoid
- —0/12
Distribution across the twelve months
Why these months?
Cusco's canonical best-time window is June — 1 month of the year. That window is derived from the R1–R7 classification of NASA POWER climate normals, and it is the primary signal behind the verdicts above.
Inside the window, NASA POWER climate normals for a temperate climate in the southern hemisphere read Cool with Dry precipitation — 1991–2020 monthly averages, not a forecast. Outside it, month-by- month verdicts come from the R1–R7 climate classification over the same dataset.
The other 11 months sit outside the window. No month reads as least favourable on the pattern.
Signals — Best: R1–R7 favourable months · Good / Mixed: R1–R7 workable · Avoid: R1–R7 challenging · climate normals: NASA POWER 1991–2020
Read a single month
● marks a month inside the recommended window · use ← → to change month
June
Winter · In recommended window
- Temperature
- 14.4° / 2.8°C
- Precipitation
- 3.9 mm
- Rain days (≥1 mm)
- 0.0
- Daylight
- 11.3 h
Avg high 14.4°C / avg low 2.8°C · 3.9 mm precipitation over 0.0 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Temperature, precipitation and rain days are 1991–2020 NASA POWER climate normals; daylight hours are astronomical. The verdict comes from the R1–R7 climate classification.
All twelve months
Twelve months of NASA POWER climate normals for Cusco (1991–2020 average), side by side with the travel verdict: whether a month is Favourable, Workable or Challenging (R1–R7 classification), and whether it falls inside the canonical best-time window. Historical climate normals — not a forecast.
| Month | Season | Temperature | Precipitation | Month readout | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Summer | 14.2° / 4.2°C | 132.6 mm · 0.7 rain days | Avg high 14.2°C / avg low 4.2°C · 132.6 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| February | Summer | 14.1° / 4.2°C | 123.5 mm · 0.7 rain days | Avg high 14.1°C / avg low 4.2°C · 123.5 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| March | Autumn | 14.1° / 3.9°C | 94.9 mm · 0.6 rain days | Avg high 14.1°C / avg low 3.9°C · 94.9 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| April | Autumn | 13.9° / 4.1°C | 38.8 mm · 0.3 rain days | Avg high 13.9°C / avg low 4.1°C · 38.8 mm precipitation over 0.3 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| May | Autumn | 14.2° / 3.6°C | 8.0 mm · 0.1 rain days | Avg high 14.2°C / avg low 3.6°C · 8.0 mm precipitation over 0.1 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| Juneinside the recommended window; | Winter | 14.4° / 2.8°C | 3.9 mm · 0.0 rain days | Avg high 14.4°C / avg low 2.8°C · 3.9 mm precipitation over 0.0 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Best |
| July | Winter | 14.6° / 2.1°C | 7.6 mm · 0.0 rain days | Avg high 14.6°C / avg low 2.1°C · 7.6 mm precipitation over 0.0 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| August | Winter | 15.4° / 2.6°C | 8.7 mm · 0.1 rain days | Avg high 15.4°C / avg low 2.6°C · 8.7 mm precipitation over 0.1 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| September | Spring | 15.7° / 3.6°C | 18.0 mm · 0.2 rain days | Avg high 15.7°C / avg low 3.6°C · 18.0 mm precipitation over 0.2 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| October | Spring | 15.7° / 4.0°C | 58.4 mm · 0.4 rain days | Avg high 15.7°C / avg low 4.0°C · 58.4 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| November | Spring | 15.7° / 4.3°C | 71.9 mm · 0.4 rain days | Avg high 15.7°C / avg low 4.3°C · 71.9 mm precipitation over 0.4 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
| December | Summer | 14.8° / 4.3°C | 129.7 mm · 0.7 rain days | Avg high 14.8°C / avg low 4.3°C · 129.7 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain. | Mixed |
● marks a month inside the canonical best-time window
- Best
- Favourable month (R1–R7) inside the canonical best-time window
- Good
- Workable month (R1–R7) — a viable alternative outside the stated window
- Mixed
- Transitional month — workable with a flexible plan
- Avoid
- Challenging month (R1–R7) — least favourable climate pattern
Method: temperature and precipitation are 1991–2020 climate normals (monthly means); verdicts combine the R1–R7 climate classification with the canonical best-time window. No daily forecast, crowd level or price index is claimed.
Climate data source: NASA POWER (NASA Langley Research Center) · Climatology / Daily / Monthly point APIs · 1991–2020 · UTC+00:00 daily boundary.
Season by season
The recommended window (June) runs through Winter. Below, each season is read on two axes: the NASA POWER climate normals for Cusco's 1991–2020 record, and how much of it sits inside the canonical best-time window.
Spring
Sep · Oct · Nov
Cool · Dry / Low precipitation
Avg high 15.7°C / avg low 3.6°C · 18.0 mm precipitation over 0.2 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Summer
Jan · Feb · Dec
Cool · Moderate precipitation
Avg high 14.2°C / avg low 4.2°C · 132.6 mm precipitation over 0.7 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Autumn
Mar · Apr · May
Cool · Dry / Low precipitation
Avg high 14.1°C / avg low 3.9°C · 94.9 mm precipitation over 0.6 days with ≥1 mm rain.
Outside the recommended window
Winter
Jun · Jul · Aug
Cool · Dry precipitation
Avg high 14.4°C / avg low 2.8°C · 3.9 mm precipitation over 0.0 days with ≥1 mm rain.
1 of 3 months inside the recommended window
Temperature and precipitation are 1991–2020 NASA POWER climate normals (qualitative buckets are derived from the monthly values); the season names follow the destination's hemisphere, and daylight hours are astronomical.
Trip shape
- Typical stay
- 4 days
- Daily budget
- 65 USD
- Currency
- PEN S/.
- Time zone
- America/Lima
- Airport
- CUZ · Cusco
- Travel style
- History
- Region
- Americas
Frequently asked questions
What are the best months to visit Cusco?
The best months to visit Cusco are June, based on the R1–R7 classification of NASA POWER 1991–2020 climate normals. The canonical NASA POWER baseline is strict at altitude: only July reaches Favourable — cool, bright and dry (highs near 19°C, rain under 15 mm). The May to September dry season is the trekking window; November to March is the wet season. Nights are cold year-round.
What is the weather like in Cusco?
Cusco is rated Good for climate, with a score of 68/100. Dry-season days are brilliant; altitude and cold nights demand planning.
How many days do you need in Cusco?
We recommend 4 days in Cusco, ideally placed inside the recommended window of June.
Plan a June trip to Cusco
The recommended window is June. The planner opens with Cusco prefilled — set your dates inside that window and build the route around it.
Plan around this window
Guides for Cusco
Climate data source: NASA POWER (NASA Langley Research Center) · Climatology / Daily / Monthly point APIs · 1991–2020 · accessed 2026-09-13 · dataset nasa-power-canonical-production-v1.1-ext10