Cusco Information

The official currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol and its symbol is S /. Currently we have the following bills in circulation:

10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 nuevos soles.

Coins of 1, 2 and 5 nuevo soles and of 10, 20 and 50 cents of nuevo soles.

The US dollar is the easiest foreign currency to exchange, despite being accepted in many places, you should generally exchange them in soles, especially for small places. The exchange rate varies between S / .3.1 and S / .3.4 nuevos soles.

It is advisable to carry small denomination bills or pocket money, sellers, stores and taxis do not usually have change. Be careful when receiving broken or badly damaged bills.

All bank branches located in provinces exchange US dollars and traveler's checks. You can change your US dollars in the parallel market in Cusco, the street money changers located on Av. El Sol generally offer a favorable exchange rate.

Exchanging money in the streets is legal, but can be dangerous, you can suffer a theft or receive fake bills, we recommend changing your money in a money exchange office, there are many in Av. El Sol. You can also change your dollars in hotels, restaurants and shopping centers but the price will be low. The banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays until noon, there are several ATMs in the Main Square in Cusco and Av. El Sol.

The standard for traveler's checks is 1% in the case of new soles and 3% in dollars. Although this rate is not so common in the city, in some banks the change means a loss of 2% and 5% of the total to be exchanged, it can be done in banks and exchange offices.

Banks discount the 5% commission for exchanging traveler's checks. Some travel agencies can exchange dollars and traveler's checks, but they can charge 4 and 5% commission.

Transfers can be made through commercial banks or other entities such as Western Union, MoneyGram, etc.

It is the most common way to pay, the most accepted are American Express, Visa, Diners, Master Card and Cirrus. The most accepted credit card in Peru is Visa.

The disadvantage of using a credit card is that some stores, hotels and restaurants charge commissions, if you want to save some dollars, it is advisable to withdraw money from ATMs and pay cash.

Some recommendations:

• In case of loss or theft of your Visa credit card, you can cancel it by calling 0-800-1-3333.
• If you have any questions about MasterCard, you can call 0-800-49510 or 24-4946. If your credit card has been issued abroad, contact the Global Master Service at 0-800-505-87.

The fastest way to get your money is through ATMs, all banks have ATMs, most of them are in the fencing of Cusco and the vast majority of commercial establishments in Cusco accept credit cards.