Cusco climate
Cusco (Peru) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 718 mm28 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cusco climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1661 | 643 | 1152 | 1295.1 |
| Feb | 1661 | 643 | 1152 | 1275.0 |
| Mar | 1661 | 643 | 1152 | 963.8 |
| Apr | 1661 | 643 | 1152 | 441.7 |
| May | 1661 | 542 | 1151 | 90.3 |
| Jun | 1661 | 440 | 1050 | 40.2 |
| Jul | 1661 | 439 | 1050 | 100.4 |
| Aug | 1763 | 440 | 1151 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 1763 | 542 | 1152 | 180.7 |
| Oct | 1864 | 642 | 1253 | 632.5 |
| Nov | 1864 | 643 | 1253 | 722.8 |
| Dec | 1762 | 643 | 1253 | 1375.4 |
| Year | 1864 | 439 | 1152 | 71828 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83% | 83% | 4.8 | 12:50 |
| Feb | 84% | 85% | 4.7 | 12:33 |
| Mar | 85% | 81% | 4.7 | 12:12 |
| Apr | 84% | 66% | 4.8 | 11:49 |
| May | 81% | 47% | 4.8 | 11:30 |
| Jun | 78% | 39% | 4.7 | 11:20 |
| Jul | 75% | 38% | 4.8 | 11:24 |
| Aug | 72% | 41% | 5.1 | 11:40 |
| Sep | 72% | 53% | 5.0 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 74% | 68% | 5.2 | 12:26 |
| Nov | 76% | 74% | 5.4 | 12:46 |
| Dec | 80% | 81% | 4.9 | 12:55 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Cusco is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 18 °C64 °F and a low of 6 °C43 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.9 °C3.5 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 718 mm28 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 55% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (137 mm5.4 in), the driest is June (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in August to 85% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in April to 8 km/h (5 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Cusco
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–June and August–November: average highs of 16 °C61 °F to 18 °C64 °F with 4 mm0.2 in to 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Cusco
- Wetter months (October–March) — highs 1661 to 18 °C64 °F, lows around 6 °C42 °F, about 104 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (April–September) — highs 1661 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 439 to 6 °C43 °F, about 16 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Cusco compares
Compared with Arequipa, about 322 km to the south, Cusco is on average 6 °C10.9 °F cooler and receives 383% more precipitation (718 mm28 in vs 149 mm5.9 in). The difference is largest in March (6.6 °C11.8 °F cooler).
Of the 21 places in Peru covered by World Climates, Cusco is the 18th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Peru climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Debre Birhan (Ethiopia, Cwb), Sucre (Bolivia, Cwb) and La Paz (Bolivia, ET).
Nearby places
- Ayacucho 248 km · 14 °C58 °F · 585 mm23 in
- Juliaca 295 km · 10 °C49 °F · 482 mm19 in
- Arequipa 322 km · 17 °C63 °F · 149 mm5.9 in
- Puno 331 km · 10 °C50 °F · 421 mm17 in
- Huancayo 387 km · 10 °C50 °F · 391 mm15 in
- Ica 411 km · 25 °C76 °F · 78 mm3.1 in
- Chincha Alta 451 km · 22 °C71 °F · 31 mm1.2 in
- La Paz 526 km · 8 °C47 °F · 647 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cusco?
November is the warmest month in Cusco, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cusco?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cusco?
December is the wettest month with about 137 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Cusco?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–June and August–November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 3,740 m, while Cusco lies at about 3,312 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.8 °C5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.