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When most people consider a visit to Peru, they think of Machu Picchu. But, aside from this mind-blowing world wonder, there’s so much more to love. Lima is laden with gastric delights. The cobblestoned streets of Cusco are devastatingly charming. And countless quirky species await your discovery, including Nancy Ma’s night monkeys in the Amazon Jungle. All in all, Peru offers a plethora of ways to stuff your empanada.
Many people frequently mistake the Inca national flag for a rainbow Pride flag…if only that were the case. Peru is predominantly Catholic, quite conservative, and hasn’t progressed far in terms of LGBT rights. That said, Lima does have a large LGBT community, some popular gay bars, and a friendly restaurant and art scene.
Gay Activity: Legal
Lesbian Activity: Legal
Gay Marriage: Unrecognized
Right to Change Gender: Illegal
Same-Sex Adoption: Single Only
LGBT Discrimination: No Protections
Lima is the heart, and largely only artery, of Peru’s gay scene. The gay scene is primarily located between Miraflores and Barranco neighbourhoods, although neither is a Gay Village per se. Aside from Lima, Cusco does have a very small gay population and a select few gay-welcoming bars.
Gay Villages
Lima: Miraflores is the heart of the gay scene, however it’s not a Gay Village in the traditional sense.
Pride Festivals
Lima Pride: Annually in June.
Best Gay Bars
Lima: Vale Todo (Club)
Lima: Legendaris (Club [gets busy after 3am])
Lima: Sagitario (Club)
Lima: La Jarrita (Bar)
Best Lesbian Bars
Lima: Lola Bar (Not exclusively Lesbian, but very popular with the community)
5. Cusco
Deep in the Andes sits Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu and the cultural crown jewel of Peru. This historic city was once the centre of the Incan Empire before Spanish colonization.
4. Vinicunca Mountain (Rainbow Mountain)
Rainbow Mountain was named after the candy-stripes that have made it Insta-famous. Be warned: visiting Rainbow Mountain requires a four hour hike, often beginning at 3am.
3. Lima
Beyond the city’s spectacular galleries, museums, exciting neighbourhoods and lively gay scene, Lima is internationally recognized as a true Foodie Destination. Eat your way through the city’s plethora of cevicherias before digging into its world class fine-dining.
2. The Peruvian Amazon
The Peruvian Amazon is a hotspot for biodiversity with an almost unimaginable array of flora and fauna. Take guided riverboat tours to spot giant river otter, black caimans and kingfishers. Walking tours will introduce you to capybaras, various reptiles and countless forest dwellers. Finally, a canopy tour will bring you up close with the forest’s tropical birds including toucans, macaws and parakeets.
1. Machu Picchu
This Ancient Incan citadel sits proudly in the heights of the Andes and has been inspiring archaeologists and tourists alike since it was first rediscovered by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. To get to this remote world wonder, travellers have the option of taking a train up the mountain or hiking the famous Inca Trail. Both options are spectacular and will reward you with fascinating insight into Peru.
Best Time to Visit: April to October is the best time to visit Peru. It’s the dry season, and you can look forward to fine weather across the country. Lima has consistent daytime highs around 18C/65F, and evening lows around 15C/58F. In the Amazon Jungle, it can get quite hot and sticky, but it can also cool down with the occasional cold front. Daytime highs can reach 32C/90F, with evening temperatures dropping to 18C/64F. In the Andes Mountains (Cusco, Sacred Valley, Inca Trail), you’ll have daily highs around 20C/68F, and evening lows around 4C/40F.
Electricity: A-, B- and C-type sockets.
Vaccinations: Based on the entry requirements for Peru, there are no vaccinations needed for entry. To determine if you should take preventative measures to reduce the risk of illness, you should consult your doctor or a travel medical clinic.
Visas: A visa is not typically required for American, Australian, British and Canadian citizens travelling to Peru for fewer than 90 days. There may be exceptions.
LGBT Rights in Peru
Many people frequently mistake the Inca national flag for a rainbow Pride flag…if only that were the case. Peru is predominantly Catholic, quite conservative, and hasn’t progressed far in terms of LGBT rights. That said, Lima does have a large LGBT community, some popular gay bars, and a friendly restaurant and art scene.
Gay Activity: Legal
Lesbian Activity: Legal
Gay Marriage: Unrecognized
Right to Change Gender: Illegal
Same-Sex Adoption: Single Only
LGBT Discrimination: No Protections
Gay Peru Travel
Lima is the heart, and largely only artery, of Peru’s gay scene. The gay scene is primarily located between Miraflores and Barranco neighbourhoods, although neither is a Gay Village per se. Aside from Lima, Cusco does have a very small gay population and a select few gay-welcoming bars.
Gay Villages
Lima: Miraflores is the heart of the gay scene, however it’s not a Gay Village in the traditional sense.
Pride Festivals
Lima Pride: Annually in June.
Best Gay Bars
Lima: Vale Todo (Club)
Lima: Legendaris (Club [gets busy after 3am])
Lima: Sagitario (Club)
Lima: La Jarrita (Bar)
Best Lesbian Bars
Lima: Lola Bar (Not exclusively Lesbian, but very popular with the community)
Best Places to Visit in Peru
5. Cusco
Deep in the Andes sits Cusco, the gateway to Machu Picchu and the cultural crown jewel of Peru. This historic city was once the centre of the Incan Empire before Spanish colonization.
4. Vinicunca Mountain (Rainbow Mountain)
Rainbow Mountain was named after the candy-stripes that have made it Insta-famous. Be warned: visiting Rainbow Mountain requires a four hour hike, often beginning at 3am.
3. Lima
Beyond the city’s spectacular galleries, museums, exciting neighbourhoods and lively gay scene, Lima is internationally recognized as a true Foodie Destination. Eat your way through the city’s plethora of cevicherias before digging into its world class fine-dining.
2. The Peruvian Amazon
The Peruvian Amazon is a hotspot for biodiversity with an almost unimaginable array of flora and fauna. Take guided riverboat tours to spot giant river otter, black caimans and kingfishers. Walking tours will introduce you to capybaras, various reptiles and countless forest dwellers. Finally, a canopy tour will bring you up close with the forest’s tropical birds including toucans, macaws and parakeets.
1. Machu Picchu
This Ancient Incan citadel sits proudly in the heights of the Andes and has been inspiring archaeologists and tourists alike since it was first rediscovered by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911. To get to this remote world wonder, travellers have the option of taking a train up the mountain or hiking the famous Inca Trail. Both options are spectacular and will reward you with fascinating insight into Peru.
More Info
Best Time to Visit: April to October is the best time to visit Peru. It’s the dry season, and you can look forward to fine weather across the country. Lima has consistent daytime highs around 18C/65F, and evening lows around 15C/58F. In the Amazon Jungle, it can get quite hot and sticky, but it can also cool down with the occasional cold front. Daytime highs can reach 32C/90F, with evening temperatures dropping to 18C/64F. In the Andes Mountains (Cusco, Sacred Valley, Inca Trail), you’ll have daily highs around 20C/68F, and evening lows around 4C/40F.
Electricity: A-, B- and C-type sockets.
Vaccinations: Based on the entry requirements for Peru, there are no vaccinations needed for entry. To determine if you should take preventative measures to reduce the risk of illness, you should consult your doctor or a travel medical clinic.
Visas: A visa is not typically required for American, Australian, British and Canadian citizens travelling to Peru for fewer than 90 days. There may be exceptions.
Today’s episode of The Gay Travel Podcast is a big Incan deal as we count down our top 10 experiences you can only have in Peru.
Read MoreAn award-winning ecolodge, five-star dining and an array of exclusive excursions await the gay traveller interested in visiting the Peruvian Amazon with Out Adventures.
Read MoreScroll through Jeb and Marks’ amazing photos below to better understand why Out Adventures has been hosting The Inca Trail & Machu Picchu tour for ten years.
Read MoreInsider tips to help you book your next gay Latin America vacation.
Read MoreIt exceeded my expectations. Not only was the gay Peru tour a fun vacation but it was also an ecologically- and culturally-responsible vacation.
Great advice during the planning phases resulted in an EXTREMELY well planned itinerary. And I can’t say enough good things about our guide!
Out Adventures’ gay Peru tour is much more than a vacation, it is an adventure. From sea level to 11K feet. Planes, long narrow river boats, private tour busses sized just for the small group, trains, all of which are arranged for you along with a guide who grew up around Cusco and giving you an intimate insight to the history, culture, and current times. The itinerary ranges from sophisticated cities with immaculate streets and beautiful plazas, fine food, four start hotels, and a deep dive into a central market that will shock and enlighten you; to an environmentally sensitive jungle lodge and the re-establishment of tribal benefits and preservation filled with howling monkeys and squawking macaws. Absolutely the most varied tour of a country I’ve taken to date and all of it managed for you by people that love Peru, have been there, and had selected the itinerary personally. Kudos Out Adventures, the very best.
This was my third trip with Out Adventures, and I am still not sure how they do it, but they always have the best guides, activities and itineraries. Peru was amazing, and this tour gives you a great overview of this beautiful and friendly country. This will certainly not be my last Out Adventures tour – highly recommend the tour company and this trip!
Out Adventures’ gay Peru trip should be on everyone’s bucket list! A fantastic combination of stunning scenery, welcoming cultures, and significant history. Don’t overpack, as you will be on planes, trains, and buses. Don’t under pack, as you will need rain gear, hiking shoes, shorts for the jungle and warm clothes for the Andes. Our guide, Maritza, was incredible. The accommodations were great and the food delicious! Highly recommended!!
Out Adventures gay Peru tour was great. We planned the trip because we wanted to go to Machu Picchu. But the itinerary planned for us included so much more of Peru, including the Amazon and Cusco, and it was a wonderful experience. We would highly recommend this trip to others.
While there we toured the sights of Lima, saw monkeys and macaws in the Amazon jungle, visited Machu Picchu, and spent a few days exploring Cusco. We had a great group and fantastic group leader. It was nice not needing to worry about everything and we had more time to enjoy being in Peru.
Don’t be scared off by the enormity of the trip, however, make sure you prepare yourself for the physical exertion and requirements. You will appreciate the trip better if you train your body to some extent. And the support during travel surpasses your expectations.
The Inca Trail Out Adventures trip was outstanding. The guides were excellent, the support staff were on top of things and the food was great. Met lots of great guys from around the world.
The all-gay hike was tough, but doable with some good cardio training before leaving. The views and sights during the hike are amazing! It’s the only way to see many Inca sites before arriving at Machu Picchu.
Out Adventures programmed an OUTstanding trip and made excellent choices on food, hotels, transport, and especially guides. In advance of the trip, staff (in our case, Kevin and Robert) were very attentive and responsive to all of our questions and concerns.
I had been thinking about this trip for over 20 years, and had been saving for about 5, so making the right choice for a tour operator was very important to me. I was very glad we went with Out Adventures. The tour was small enough with enough structure and free time to feel like we were traveling with friends. The guides were just amazing. They were so knowledgeable and took care of us every step of the way. Robert and his team do an amazing job. Being able to direct dial a travel agency and speak directly to the owner is just amazing. I would recommend this tour to anyone.
Let me tell you, I had the time of my life on the Peru trip and it was one of the best experiences of my life. The group was great, the porters and cooks , Darwin, Bruce, and Ali were awesome. I was a bit apprehensive traveling to the developing world, but as I quickly found out, we were in good hands and there was nothing to worry about. The people of Peru are so friendly, and the crew that was assembled to help us with the trip represented OUT and their people in an exemplary manner.
Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu lived up to all of my expectations. The trail was challenging, but the stunning vistas, incredible Inca ruins and diverse flora and fauna made it worthwhile. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history, culture and must-see places/activities. Not a minute of our time was wasted as we visited local sights in Lima, Cusco, Wilcamayo and Ollantaytambo getting acclimated to the altitude before starting our gay hike on the Inca Trail. We dined at some of the local restaurants, tasting some of the local fare (cuy anyone?). Once we started on the trail, the hospitality of the staff is outstanding as was our trail guide, Tomas. It’s amazing to think that we we had 3 hot meals a day + happy hour.
