How to Get to Peru from the US: Nonstop Flights and Cusco

The descent into Lima starts over the Pacific. If you land after dark, the city shows up as a long carpet of orange lights pressed between the black ocean and the black hills, and the air at the aircraft door feels damp and mild, close to the sea. You walk through the terminal of Jorge Chávez airport, hand over a US passport, and get a stamp of time to stay. Cusco, the Andes and Machu Picchu are still one more flight away.

Short answer: Fly nonstop to Lima (LIM), then take a domestic flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes to Cusco. Nonstops leave from Miami (about 5 h 40 min), Houston, Atlanta, New York JFK, Newark and Los Angeles (about 8 h), plus Salt Lake City in the northern winter. US citizens need no tourist visa, only a passport valid six months beyond arrival.

There are no nonstop flights from the United States to Cusco. Every trip from the US to Machu Picchu goes through Lima, or through a hub such as Bogotá, Panama City or Mexico City and then Lima. Here is how to pick the departure city, how to time the connection, and what to have ready at immigration.

Nonstop flights from the US to Lima

Seven US airports have nonstop flights to Lima as of October 2026: Miami, Houston, Atlanta, New York JFK, Newark, Los Angeles and, seasonally, Salt Lake City. Miami has the most service by far, with American Airlines, LATAM and Sky Airline, and about 49 nonstop flights a week according to Kayak's route data. Flight times run from about 5 h 40 min from Miami to almost 9 hours from Salt Lake City.

Routes change, so check them when you book. United plans to end the Newark route on March 27, 2027 and add a second daily Houston flight, according to InsideFlyer and The Points Guy. Delta's Salt Lake City flight has run only in the northern winter, from early December to late January in its first season. When we checked the route pages in October 2026, we found no nonstop from Fort Lauderdale or Dallas, so travelers from those cities connect in Miami, Houston, Atlanta or a Latin American hub.

Which US city should you fly from

Fly from Miami if you can get there easily. It has three airlines on the route and the most daily departures, which gives you more fares to compare and a backup if a flight is cancelled. From the West Coast, the Los Angeles nonstop saves you the detour through Miami or Houston. From the Northeast, JFK and Newark save about four hours against connecting in Atlanta or Miami.

Connecting from Lima to Cusco

Lima to Cusco is a flight of about 1 hour 20 minutes, flown nonstop by LATAM, Sky Airline and JetSMART with departures through the day. Cusco's airport sits at about 3,310 m (10,860 ft), so you step off the plane into thin, dry, cold air that feels nothing like Lima. The city itself stands at 3,399 m (11,152 ft).

How you book the two flights changes the risk. On one ticket, the airline must rebook you if the first flight is late. On two separate tickets, you carry the risk, so leave at least three hours between landing in Lima and the Cusco departure. You clear immigration and customs, collect your bags and check in again for the domestic flight. If your US flight lands late in the evening, sleep in Lima and take a morning flight to Cusco. Morning flights over the Andes are the ones we book for our own travelers, because afternoon weather causes more delays.

Some travelers prefer to land in Cusco and go straight down to the Sacred Valley, at about 2,870 m, for the first nights, which is gentler on the body. Our Lima to Cusco guide compares the flight and the 22-hour bus, and the Cusco altitude guide explains how to plan the first two days.

Passport and entry rules for US citizens

US citizens do not need a visa to visit Peru as tourists. Bring a passport valid for at least six months beyond the day you arrive, and be ready to show a return or onward ticket. The immigration officer decides how many days you get, up to 183, according to guidance from Migraciones, Peru's immigration authority, reported by Andina. No vaccine is required to enter Peru, per the CDC. Rules change, so read the US State Department's Peru page before you fly, and our full guide to Peru entry requirements for US citizens.

Use the same name as your passport on every booking. Machu Picchu tickets, Inca Trail permits and the trains are issued in the passport name and checked at the gate, and a missing middle name or a swapped surname causes real trouble.

Time difference between Peru and the United States

Peru runs on UTC minus 5 all year and does not use daylight saving time. From early November to mid-March, Lima has the same time as New York. From mid-March to early November, while the US is on daylight saving time, Lima has the same time as Chicago and is one hour behind New York. Jet lag from the US is minimal. What tires most travelers is the overnight flight and then the altitude in Cusco.

Peru tours from the USA: what is included

Tours sold as "Peru tours from the USA" sometimes include the international flight and sometimes do not. Read the inclusions line by line. Our tours start in Lima or Cusco and do not include the international flight or the flight between Lima and Cusco, which you book yourself so you can use your own miles and airline. We send you the arrival time that fits the first day of the itinerary and pick you up at the airport.

For a first trip, the 7-day Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu itinerary starts at US$900 per person, and the 10-day itinerary with Lake Titicaca at US$1,720. If you are still deciding on the length of the trip, read how many days you need in Peru and the best time to visit Peru before you buy the flight.