Cusco, Peru

Cusco in May

Peru Updated 2026-07-01

Clear skies return in May and the nights turn properly cold, dropping to around 2°C in a city where heating is rare.

Is May a good time to visit Cusco?

May is a middling month in Cusco — crowds around 66/100. Not the worst, but February is noticeably calmer.

What’s on in May

  • Qoyllur Rit’i pilgrimage (movable, late May or June)
  • Dry season begins in earnest

Best days in May

Weekdays are almost always calmer than weekends.

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Tue is normally the calmest day of the week.

Best hours in May

The daily rhythm, hour by hour.

Calmest 9AM
12AM6AM12PM6PM11PM

The 9:00 AM window is usually the calmest of the day.

Weather in May

Typical highs, lows and wet days.

J 19°
F 19°
M 19°
A 20°
M 20°
J 20°
J 20° -1°
A 21°
S 21°
O 21°
N 21°
D 20°
Average high Average low Wet days

How May compares

Every month in Cusco, ranked by how calm it is.

Quieter alternatives

If your dates are flexible, these months are calmer in Cusco.

Book things to do

Tours and tickets in Cusco, from our booking partner.

Affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes a crowd score or the order of our recommendations.

Frequently asked questions

Is May a good month to visit Cusco?

May is a middling month in Cusco — crowds around 66/100. Not the worst, but February is noticeably calmer.

How crowded is Cusco in May?

Cusco sits at roughly 66/100 in May on our crowd scale, which is 5 points above the yearly average. The quietest month is February.

What is the weather like in Cusco in May?

Expect highs around 20°C and lows near 2°C in May, with about 4 wet days across the month.

Other months in Cusco