Peru - Los Angeles to Peru package tour recommendation...

Wife and I are planning on a Peru vacation this year and had some questions..

1) Which time of the year is good for vacation? We are not talking our 6 yr old daughter as she would be with her grand parents during her summer vacation Jun - Aug 15.. so we are thinking of going during these months..

2) Any travel agent ( LA local or online) recommendation would be helpful..

Thanks

Wife and I are planning on a Peru vacation this year and had some questions..

1) Which time of the year is good for vacation? We are not talking our 6 yr old daughter as she would be with her grand parents during her summer vacation Jun - Aug 15.. so we are thinking of going during these months..

2) Any travel agent ( LA local or online) recommendation would be helpful..

Thanks

I can only help with 1). It depends what you plan to do there. Peru is a very large, diverse country. Your plan is to go right in the middle of winter. Lima will not be cold, but the cities at altitude (Cusco, Arequipa, Puno and others) will be. If you are planning on hiking (eg Inka Trail), be aware that it will be cold. That is not something that should necessarily put you off, but if I was going hiking probably the ideal times are around April or October. The summer has a lot of rain in the Cusco region. Having said all that, there is no real bad time to visit Peru. If you post a bit more about your specific plans/destinations, I'm sure many in this forum could help you further :)

July/August is definitively not the best time to visit Lima or the surrounding coastal region, however it is the best time to go to the Andes. As outlined by lazy_flyer it might be cold, but for Cuzco and Macchu Picchu, you should be fine. Be aware that end of July/early August is high season, so try to book in advance when you have time constraints. April/May or October might be better in terms of number of tourists, but I don't think weatherwise, it makes a difference. The rainy season is between November and March where roads may become unpassable. Don't forget that Peru is not just Cuzco and Arequipa, there are also very nice areas around Huaraz with stunning mountain scenery. But if this is your first trip, you should probably do Macchu Picchu.

In terms of agency, you can try LimaTours, I heard quite positive feedback about them, however I never tried them myself. I did a Cuzco trip in early August two years ago with my whole family by renting a car in Lima and driving up and back through Arequipa and up the coast. If you know Spanish, this is easy and gives you a lot of flexibility, but it needs time.

Folks thanks for your replies. Since this is our first trip to Peru we would stick to the Lima, Cusco , Machu Pichu routine. This should also keep costs low ;) We would rather see a larger part of Peru but that would be in the next trip.

I will check out Lima Tours and keep you posted.. We do not really mind the cold by the way. Thanks again