How Does SIM Card & Internet Work in Peru?
Last verified: 2025-06 · Americas
1The Quick Answer
Claro offers the best nationwide coverage; buy a SIM at the airport or any phone shop with your passport, or use an Airalo eSIM before you arrive.
2What You Need to Know
Claro has the strongest signal coverage across Peru including highland and some jungle areas, making it the recommended choice for travellers going beyond Lima. Movistar and Entel are solid alternatives in cities. SIMs are sold at airports, phone shops, and supermarkets; you need your passport to register. Airalo eSIM is a convenient option to activate before departure. Coverage in the remote Amazon and very high-altitude trekking areas remains patchy regardless of carrier — download offline maps before heading off-grid.
3Practical Tips
Practical Tips
- 1Buy a Claro SIM at Lima's Jorge Chávez Airport arrivals hall — the booths are in the terminal and set-up takes about 10 minutes with your passport.
- 2Download offline Google Maps or Maps.me for Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu before leaving a city — signal is unreliable in mountain areas.
- 3Data plans are very affordable in Peru (5–10 GB for around 30–50 PEN); top up at any Claro or Movistar shop or via the carrier's app.
How does this compare?
SIM Card & Internet rules in nearby and similar countries:
Telcel has the best nationwide coverage; buy a SIM at any OXXO store, or use an Airalo eSIM before you arrive.
Buy a prepaid SIM from Claro, TIM, or Vivo at the airport or a phone shop — bring your passport as it is legally required for SIM registration.
Canadian mobile plans are among the world's most expensive — consider an Airalo eSIM or budget carrier like Freedom Mobile for better value.
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More About Peru
Tip around 10% at tourist restaurants and tip guides generously (50–100 PEN per day), but always check whether service is already included on your bill.
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Lima has the Metropolitano BRT and Uber/InDriver for safer city travel, while intercity travel relies on reputable bus companies and pre-booked trains to Machu Picchu.
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Lima has good private clinics, but outside the capital medical facilities are limited and altitude sickness is a serious risk at Cusco (3,400 m) and Lake Titicaca (3,800 m).
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Drug laws are extremely strict — cocaine possession carries severe penalties — and Machu Picchu has rigorous rules including no drones and mandatory time-slot entry.
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Call 105 for police, 117 for ambulance, 116 for fire, and the free iPeru tourist helpline on 0800-11-0000 for tourist-specific assistance.
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Dress modestly at churches, pack warm layers for the highlands where temperatures swing dramatically, and bring rain gear for jungle and wet-season travel.
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