Mobile data in Cusco and the Sacred Valley
Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres, and most of what you do there runs through the phone: the Machu Picchu entry with your passport number on it, the train booking, a ride back up the hill to your hotel. The Peru eSIM connects to Claro on 4G and is data only, so WhatsApp keeps your usual number.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Peru?
- Yes. It connects to Claro (4G).
- Price
- From 13,99 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 21,49 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: Peru is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Peru. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Velasco Astete airport, five kilometres from the plaza
Cusco's airport, Alejandro Velasco Astete, is about five kilometres from the Plaza de Armas, roughly 20 minutes by car. Inside the terminal there is an official taxi counter with fixed prices; on the way out, walk past the people offering rides and go straight to it. Uber also operates in Cusco, with UberX and UberXL for groups or big bags, so having data by the time you collect your luggage lets you compare the two.
Most flights come in from Lima, and the eSIM you switched on there keeps working in Cusco with nothing to change. Arriving by bus from Arequipa or Puno is the same: one pack covers the whole of Peru.
eSIM for Peru
Data on your phone the moment you land in Peru. No account, no app, no shop.
Black Friday −25 % Ends in 32d 00:59:53Choose your data
For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
Write the email where we should send the QR code.
We send the QR code and your receipt here. No spam.
QR in your inbox in minutes · If it does not connect, we fix it · Secure payment with Stripe
Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Steep lanes, the tourist ticket and the valley trains
The historic centre is walked, not driven: steep cobbled lanes lead up to San Blas and Sacsayhuamán, and a taxi or an Uber brings you back up the hill at night. The Boleto Turístico del Cusco covers sites such as Sacsayhuamán, Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and Moray, either as a full ticket or as partial circuits; the Maras salt pans charge separately.
Trains to Machu Picchu are run by PeruRail and Inca Rail, from Cusco's San Pedro and Poroy stations or from Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley; in the rainy season part of the journey can switch to bus plus train. Keep the train booking and the Machu Picchu ticket saved on the phone. Entry tickets are personal: they carry your name and passport number for a set date, time and circuit, and the original passport is checked at the gate.
Rainbow Mountain and the road to Lake Titicaca
The Vinicunca day trip leaves Cusco around 3 a.m. for a drive of about three hours, and the summit is around 5,200 metres. Do not count on signal on the trail: download the map, save the operator's number and charge a power bank the night before. Cold mornings drain a phone battery faster, so carry it in an inside pocket.
Going on to Puno and the lake, by bus or on PeruRail's train, keeps you in Peru. The border with Bolivia is not far beyond: buses to La Paz cross at Kasani, next to Copacabana, or at Desaguadero. This pack stops working on the Bolivian side, so download the maps and your La Paz booking before you reach the border post.
Which Peru pack for Cusco
Four or five days in Cusco and the Sacred Valley with a day at Machu Picchu, sleeping in hotels with wifi, fit the 3 GB pack, valid for 15 days. If you are combining Cusco with Lima and Arequipa over two weeks, or sharing data with a travel partner over the hotspot, take 5 GB, valid for 30 days; 10 GB suits a longer route with Puno and the Colca Canyon.
Buy it up to 180 days before the trip and install it at home on wifi; it starts when it first connects in Peru. If you need more, top up the same eSIM without reinstalling it. The packs are on the Peru page, and the data calculator gives a figure for your route.
Can I show my Machu Picchu ticket on the phone?
Keep it saved offline, not just in an email, and carry the passport whose number is on the ticket. Entry is tied to the holder, the date, the time and the circuit.
Is there Uber in Cusco?
Yes. Uber operates in Cusco, including UberXL, and the airport also has an official taxi counter with fixed prices.
Will I have signal at Rainbow Mountain?
Do not plan on it. Save the map, the tour details and the operator's phone number before you leave Cusco in the early hours.
Does the cold affect the phone?
It can. Apple says iPhones work best between 0 and 35 °C and that cold can shorten battery life for a while, so on early starts keep the phone close to your body and carry a power bank.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Peru