Private jet to Peru

A trip to Peru can cover a dry Pacific shoreline around Lima, the Inca heartland of Cusco high in the Andes, and the rainforest of the Amazon basin within a few days. From most European hubs it is 9,500-11,300 km to Lima, across the Atlantic and the north of South America. An ultra long range jet flies the route without landing; a heavy jet refuels once on the way.

Lima is the natural first landing, with customs round the clock and the widest choice of handlers in the country. Cusco lies 3,310 m above sea level, is open only from 06:00 to sunset and has rules that take extra preparation. Permits are issued on working days only, so a Peruvian trip is planned earlier than a European one. As a broker, we book the long-range jet and, for the mountains or the jungle, a smaller aircraft from Lima.

Send the route, the dates and the number of passengers; a consultant answers with aircraft, the permit timetable and a price.

Why a private jet makes sense for Peru

Flight times from Europe

Non-stop times from the tables below for a Gulfstream G650 or Global 7500, taxi, climb and descent included:

• Lima: Madrid 11:05 h, London 11:45 h, Paris 11:54 h, Geneva 12:07 h, Frankfurt 12:25 h
• Cusco: Madrid 10:46 h, London 11:31 h, Paris 11:39 h
• Lisbon - Lima: 10:31 h in a Gulfstream G650
• Vienna - Lima: 13:01 h in a Global 7500, the only non-stop option
• Miami - Lima: 5:29 h in a Falcon 900EX

The Falcon 900EX and Challenger 650 refuel once, at the Azores or Cape Verde depending on wind and type, and the trip takes about two hours more. From Larnaca every aircraft needs a stop. Flights of eleven to twelve hours reach the duty limits of a two-pilot crew, so the operator plans a third pilot or a rest stop, and an onward leg to Cusco on the same day is usually flown by a second aircraft. Arrival times are set around Cusco: the airport closes at sunset, and wind picks up after 15:00, so operators aim to land there in the morning.

Charter prices to Peru

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, and assume an aircraft available near the departure airport. Permits, handling, fuel stop charges, crew rest and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time column refers to the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs to Lima and Cusco

The Falcon 900EX with one stop is the lowest fare: EUR 135,000 from Madrid and EUR 145,000 from London, Paris or Geneva to Lima. The non-stop Gulfstream G650 costs EUR 145,000 from Madrid and EUR 155,000 from London; the Global 7500, with a larger cabin, costs EUR 155,000 and EUR 165,000 on the same two routes. Cusco is slightly closer to Europe than Lima, so the table price is the same or lower, but the landing takes more preparation. From Vienna the G650 has to stop and costs EUR 195,000, more than the non-stop Global 7500 at EUR 180,000.

From other European cities

Lisbon is the closest start at 9,013 km: a Challenger 650 with one stop costs EUR 115,000, the lowest price for a crossing to Peru. From Rome the Gulfstream G550 has to stop, so the non-stop G650 at EUR 165,000 costs less than the G550 at EUR 180,000.

From the United States

From Miami a super midsize Praetor 600 flies to Lima in 5:47 h for EUR 40,000.

From neighbouring capitals and inside Peru

Bogotá, Quito and Santiago are international legs. Lima - Cusco, Lima - Arequipa and Lima - Iquitos are domestic: Peru applies cabotage rules, so the operator checks whether the jet from Europe may carry the same passengers on, and otherwise a Peruvian operator flies the leg. Each row lists the arrival airport last, and the return leg costs the same:

Lima - Cusco takes 1:19 h and costs from EUR 9,500 in a Citation CJ3. Out of Cusco the operator may limit passengers, bags or fuel, because altitude and temperature cut take-off performance. On the European side, departure taxes depend on the country. France charges a per-passenger tax on business jets that rises with distance, about EUR 2,100 on a flight to Peru and about EUR 420 within Europe, and Italy EUR 200 per passenger on flights from or to the country beyond 1,500 km. Austria adds EUR 12 per passenger; Germany's departure tax is shown in the quote. The UK applies the higher Air Passenger Duty rate to aircraft of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats, which covers every jet in the first two tables. Peruvian charges are listed in the quote.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

Three trips priced out

Share per passenger

The price is for the aircraft, not the seat, so the more passengers, the lower each share; taxes are added per person:

Calculator

The calculator returns a first estimate by e-mail; mention Cusco, Arequipa or Iquitos in the comment and we add the local leg.

Airports: sea level, altitude and jungle

Lima is the only Peruvian airport with a broad choice of handlers and FBOs. The others each have limits of altitude, hours or customs, and fuel is ordered ahead: three working days at Cusco. The airports a private trip uses:

If weather or capacity rules Lima out, operators divert to Pisco, Trujillo, Arequipa or Arica in Chile.

Altitude: what changes in Cusco

Thin air at 3,310 m lengthens the take-off run and lowers the maximum weight, more so on warm afternoons. Operators propose for Cusco only aircraft approved for high-altitude airports and calculate the take-off weight from elevation and temperature, so the number of passengers and bags can be lower than from Lima. On the way back to Europe the jet often lands at Lima to refuel. Passengers feel the altitude too: after a flight from sea level many people get short of breath or a headache, the first day should be quiet, and anyone with a heart or lung condition should see a doctor before the trip. Juliaca, for Lake Titicaca, sits even higher at 3,826 m, but its 4,200 m runway helps on take-off.

Which aircraft to choose

For a twelve-hour night crossing, ultra long range jets give each passenger room to sleep. The three-engine Falcon 900EX seats up to 14 and costs less than the ultra long range jets, at the price of one stop. Trekking gear for the Inca Trail and fishing equipment for the Amazon lodges fit any long-range hold; the limit is the take-off weight at Cusco, not the hold.

Need the Lima and direct-to-Cusco plans compared for your dates? Leave a number and a consultant will call.

Seasons on the coast, in the Andes and in the jungle

Peru has no single high season: the dry months in the Andes, May to September, are the grey, cool months in Lima, and the coast's summer from December to March is the rainy season around Cusco. June to August is the busiest time for Cusco, with Inti Raymi on 24 June; May and September give almost the same weather with fewer visitors. Transatlantic Empty Legs to and from Lima are rare all year and most likely around the main holidays, when a jet that brought a party out flies home empty.

From the airport to the hotel

Empty Legs to and from Peru

Because the permit takes four working days, a leg has to be found early. Send the direction and a window of dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

Travelling with a dog or cat

Peru asks for no quarantine and no import permit for dogs and cats, but the papers must be right on arrival; the return to Europe is the harder half. On the jet the animal stays in the cabin beside you, also during the fuel stop, once the operator has agreed.

Entry rules and permits

Before you fly

• Passport valid for six months on arrival, without damage.
• Names, dates of birth and passport numbers early enough for the working-day permit.
• Machu Picchu entry tickets and train seats, booked before the aircraft.
• Yellow fever vaccination if the trip includes the jungle.
• For a pet: health certificate, chip, rabies vaccination and the antibody test done before leaving Europe.
• Company details for the invoice.

How the booking works

1. Tell us whether the trip starts in Lima or goes straight to the mountains, and how many people travel.
2. We price a heavy jet with one stop against a non-stop G650 or Global 7500, plus the local jet to Cusco, Arequipa or the Amazon.
3. After the contract and payment the operator files the permit, keeping to working days, and orders fuel; for Cusco it adds the letter of responsibility and the crew briefing.
4. We book parking at Lima, cars, the train to Machu Picchu and any domestic leg with a Peruvian operator.
5. On landing the handler takes you through immigration and customs, and the car or the next aircraft is waiting.

Peru combines well with Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile; each country issues its own permit, so we fix the order of the legs first.

Questions about private flights to Peru

• • How much does a private jet from Europe to Peru cost?

  • From EUR 115,000 one way for a Challenger 650 with one stop from Lisbon to Lima, and EUR 135,000 in a Falcon 900EX from Madrid. Non-stop starts at EUR 135,000, Lisbon - Lima in a Gulfstream G550.

• • Can we fly from Europe to Lima without stopping?

  • Yes, in a Gulfstream G650 or Global 7500 from most hubs; Madrid - Lima takes about 11:05 h. Heavy jets refuel once.

• • Should we land in Lima or go straight to Cusco?

  • Direct costs no more in the table, but needs extra papers and a morning arrival. Via Lima the big jet waits at sea level, and a local jet takes you to Cusco in 1:19 h.

• • Is Cusco airport open at night?

  • No. It opens at 06:00 and closes at sunset, and wind rises after 15:00, so operators plan landings and take-offs for the morning.

• • How long does the permit take?

  • Usually four working days, two for Lima. The authority does not work at weekends or on public holidays.

• • Do EU and UK citizens need a visa for Peru?

  • No, not for tourist stays of up to 90 days. The passport must be valid for at least six months on arrival.

• • What is the time difference?

  • Peru is 5 hours behind London in the British winter and 6 hours in summer; it does not change its clocks.

• • Can the same jet fly us from Lima to Cusco?

  • The operator checks it against Peru's cabotage rules; often a Peruvian jet flies the leg, from EUR 9,500 in a Citation CJ3.

• • Can we take our dog to Peru?

  • Yes, with a government health certificate, microchip and rabies vaccination; there is no quarantine. For the return, the antibody test should be done before leaving Europe.

• • When is the best time for Machu Picchu?

  • May to September is dry in the Andes; June to August is the busiest. May and September give similar weather with fewer visitors.

• • Are there Empty Legs to Peru?

  • Rarely across the Atlantic, more often from the United States. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with your direction and dates.