Planning your trip to Peru and wondering how to stay connected when traveling to Peru. This is the ultimate guide for finding the best sim card for your trip to Peru in 2024.
Find out everything you need to know about buying a prepaid sim card in Peru, which provider has the best 4G/5G network, the best e-sim cards for Peru, where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per April 2024, my recommendation, a vlog about my experiences, information about international sim cards and more.
Staying connected while traveling makes life so much easier and therefore one of the first things I do when planning my next trip abroad is looking for the best sim card. In the past I always used to buy a prepaid sim card on arrival but nowadays I mostly order an e-sim card on the internet.
E-sim cards are simply so convenient that I happily pay a couple dollar extra to be online as soon as the plane lands and have internet on my phone like at home without paying high roaming charges.
As Traveltomtom is on a mission to travel to every country in the world I get to about 30 - 40 different countries every year and therefore I use about 30 different sim cards per year. As I am already traveling full time since 2012 you can imagine how Traveltomtom became a specialist in providing info about sim cards for tourists.
Since I like to document all my travel tips you can already find more than 200 sim card guides on Traveltomtom from all over the world: USA, New York, Panama, Colombia, Bogota, Argentina, Buenos Aires, Brazil, Chile, Europe, Madrid, Barcelona, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Australia and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and e-sim card advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me and let me help you save money!
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Claro prepaid sim card for traveling in Peru. However, if you arrive at Lima Airport do NOT buy a Claro prepaid sim card in the baggage claim area. More about this later.
If you do not use much data and only need some data for staying in touch through WhatsApp and use Google Maps for directions then an e-sim card for Peru is enough. They already start from just $8 USD.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Peru via SimOptions or Airalo.
We also recommend international sim cards with data and global coverage. These travel sim cards are valid in many different countries. Going on a big South America trip then definitely check out my comparison of the best travel sim cards with data in 2024 and choose the one that suits your trip the most.
Best e-sim cards for Peru
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Peru in 2024 is an e-sim card. You arrange everything online in just a couple clicks. No more visiting a phone store and swapping physical prepaid sim cards.
You order an e-sim card for Peru on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Peru e-sim card installed on your phone.
Upon arrival in Peru it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
Make sure your phone is e-sim compatible before ordering an e-sim card for Peru.
Airalo
Airalo has e-sim cards from pretty much every country in the world and Traveltomtom uses about 20 Airalo e-sim cards per year without ever facing a problem.
Here are the Airalo e-sim card plans for Peru for 2024:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $8 USD
- 2 GB data for 30 days = $15 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $32.5 USD
Click here for more info or to order an e-sim card for Peru via Airalo.
The above Peru e-sim cards from Habla Telefon operate on the 4G/LTE network of Movistar Peru. Find more info in the link.
SimOptions
SimOptions is another reliable e-sim provider that offers e-sim cards for almost every country in the world. SimOptions has so-called international e-sim cards that work in Peru and up to 141 countries around the world.
Check out the international e-sim cards from SimOptions for traveling to Peru in 2024:
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $34.90 USD
- 6 GB data for 15 days = $39.90 USD
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $39.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international e-sim card for traveling in Peru via SimOptions.
Make sure that your phone is e-sim compatible and unlocked before ordering an e-sim card for Peru.
There are a couple more e-sim providers. One of them is Holafly but they offer e-sim cards with unlimited data. Traveltomtom is not a fan as there are restriction that slow down your data speed, very inconvenient! Another e-sim provider is Nomad and they have sometimes amazing e-sim card deals for tourists.
However, Traveltomtom faced some performance issues with Nomad e-sim cards and they will have to work on their reliability before it becomes a Traveltomtom top recommendation for Peru e-sims.
Mobile internet providers in Peru
There are 4 main mobile internet providers in Peru: EnTel, BiTel, Movistar and Claro. All of the mobile internet operators have prepaid sim cards for tourists. Unfortunately as of April 2024 all the mobile operators only provide physical prepaid sim cards, there are no e-sim cards for tourists available.
Registration process Peru sim card
Buying a local prepaid sim card in Peru is very easy, but you will need to bring your passport. Your new Peru sim card will be registered on your name and your passport number. In the store they will take a copy of your passport, that is it. No fingerprint or photo needed.
You will receive a physical sim card which you put in your phone and it will instantly be activated. You now have a new phone number that starts with +51.
Make sure your phone is UNLOCKED other wise a Peru sim card won't work in your phone. If you don't know if your phone is unlocked ask your provider in your home country.
Where to buy a sim card for Peru
Lima International Airport
If you fly to Lima Airport this is of course the most convenient place to buy a prepaid sim card for Peru, but before you do please read my guide about buying a sim card for Peru at Lima Airport.
Do NOT fall for the tourist trap at the sim card shop in the Arrival Hall. At Lima Airport they sell prepaid sim cards that start from $59 USD, extremely overpriced. There is another sim card shop in the Departure Hall, check the link above for more information.
Official phone stores
This is your best bid when you decide to buy a local prepaid sim card in Peru. Traveltomtom advices to always go to an official retail store. Here you will get the best service and prepaid sim card offers. To locate the nearest phone store use Google Maps and walk into a nearby store for buying a Peru prepaid sim card.
There are phone stores from EnTel, BiTel, Claro and Movistar in every big city and tourist destination in Peru. In Lima you can also head to the bigger shopping malls to find official retail stores from the mobile internet providers.
Online
You can also order sim cards for traveling in Peru on the internet. In my section about the best e-sim cards for Peru I already showed you the best e-sim cards for Peru. E-sim cards are so convenient that I often rather pay the higher price than wait till I get to my destination.
Because as soon as the plane lands you are online and can enjoy a data connection on your phone. Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Peru via SimOptions or Airalo.
If your phone is not e-sim compatible than check out the physical prepaid sim cards for Peru from SimOptions.
Best 4G/5G network in Peru in 2024
Before we dive into the prepaid sim card prices for Peru sim cards let’s compare the mobile internet network coverage of all internet providers in Peru. You don’t want to sit on an 18 hour bus ride across Peru and have no signal, right?
In this comparison I will show you that the best 3G/4G/5G mobile network coverage is essential for determining the best prepaid sim card for traveling in Peru.
Is there 5G in Peru?
Yes, there is 5G in Peru. I experienced it myself while traveling in Peru in lately. However, it is limited to central areas in Lima and Cusco. Don’t expect too much from it yet. Having a stable and fast 4G/LTE connection in Peru is already worth a lot and luckily most of the popular tourist destinations you can experience a stable and fast mobile data connection.
BiTel 4G/5G coverage map
EnTel 4G/5G coverage map
Movistar 4G/5G coverage map
Claro 4G/5G coverage map
Although the above mobile data network coverage maps are updated for 2024 they are not 100% accurate. However, they are a great reference to compare the 4G/5G networks of the mobile internet providers in Peru in 2024.
From the above 4G/5G coverage maps of Peru we can clearly see that especially Bitel has the smallest/weakest network coverage in Peru, but also Entel is not really a recommend sim card for traveling in Peru. Movistar has a much better network than Bitel and Entel but Claro has the best 4G/5G network in Peru in 2024.
Therefore a Claro sim card is definitely one of the Traveltomtom recommendation when looking for the best sim card for Peru.
Prices prepaid sim cards in Peru in 2024
All info below is up to date as per April 2024. Prices are in Peruvian Soles: $1 USD = 3.7 Soles and 10 Soles = $2.7 USD.
As of April 2024 the mobile internet providers in Peru only provide physical prepaid sim cards, e-sim cards for tourists are not available.
BiTel Peru
They keep it very simple at BiTel Peru. A prepaid sim card costs 10 Soles ($2.6 USD) and comes with 1.5 GB data. Then you can add the following so called Plan Turista:
- 7 GB data + unlimited calls/text = 20 Soles - $5.3 USD
For more info see the BiTel Peru website.
EnTel Peru
At EnTel they also charge 5 Soles for registering a new prepaid sim card for Peru and then you can choose from one of the following prepaid plans for 30 days:
- 7 GB data + unlimited minutes and unlimited Facebook + Instagram = 20 Soles - $5.3 USD
- 12 GB data + unlimited minutes and unlimited Facebook + Instagram = 29 Soles - $7.7 USD
- 20 GB data + unlimited minutes and unlimited Facebook + Instagram = 39 Soles - $10.4 USD
* The advertised 10 GB extra data in the photo above is only for digital recharge and not for new prepaid sim cards for tourists.
Check out the EnTel Peru website for more info.
Movistar Peru
A Movistar prepaid sim card also costs 5 soles, but for some dumb reason you can not buy data packages at a Movistar store. Check my Youtube video about buying a sim card in Peru how I found out.
I went to the Movistar store but they redirected me to a nearby convenient store for top up and activating a data package, not kidding. So my recommendation when looking for a prepaid sim card for Peru is NOT going to be Movistar!
Anyway on their website I found the following info:
- 2.5 GB data + unlimited calls/sms + unlimited social media* for 15 days = 15 Soles - $4 USD
- 4 GB data + unlimited calls/sms + unlimited social media* for 20 days = 20 Soles - $5 USD
- 4.5 GB data + unlimited calls/sms + unlimited social media* for 25 days = 25 Soles - $6 USD
- 7 GB data + unlimited calls/sms + unlimited social media* for 30 days = 30 Soles - $7.5 USD
* Unlimited social media speed is a guaranteed speed of 40%! UH WHAT!? I would NOT want that! It would drive me nuts! I need full speed data, especially for social media!
Check out the Movistar Peru website for more info.
Claro prepaid sim card
A Claro prepaid sim card costs 5 soles which is a little more than $1 USD and then you can choose from 3 packages to add a data plan to your Peru sim card:
- 4 GB data + 500 minutes + unlimited sms + WhatsApp = 20 Soles - $5.3 USD
- 10.5 GB data + unlimited minutes/sms/WhatsApp = 30 Soles - $8 USD
- 13.5 GB data + unlimited minutes/sms/WhatsApp = 40 Soles - $10.7 USD
For more information check the Claro Peru website.
Best sim card for Peru in 2024
All in all I think you already sense what comes out of the Traveltomtom test for the best sim card in Peru, right? EnTel and BiTel have a much weaker mobile data network in Peru compared to the Claro 4G/5G network.
Movistar Peru makes it really complicated to buy a prepaid sim card for tourists, also see my YouTube video below about my experiences.
It is an easy conclusion that Claro is the best prepaid sim card for traveling in Peru in 2024.
For 45 Soles ($12 USD) you get a physical prepaid sim card from Claro with 13.5 GB data and calling minutes.
E-sim cards for Peru are a a good option for those who like to arrive prepared and be online as soon as the plane lands. We have seen that they already start from $8 USD and 10 GB data costs $39.90. Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Peru via SimOptions or Airalo.
A local prepaid sim card is much cheaper, but an e-sim card has the advantage that you can order it online before your trip and arrive in Peru prepared.
The best buy sim card for Peru on the internet are actually international prepaid sim cards for Peru that will be delivered to your home address. A physical sim card with 10 GB data only costs $24.90 USD. These are another great way of staying connected when traveling to Peru.
Order a prepaid sim card for Peru online
If your phone is not e-sim compatible but you would like to order a sim card for traveling to Peru online before your trip then check out the following.
Arrive prepared in Peru with an international prepaid sim card. You order them online and a physical prepaid sim card will be delivered to your home address. You put this sim card in your phone and it automatically connects to an available network upon arrival in Peru, basically when the plane lands you are instantly online.
SimOptions is the only sim card provider that sells physical prepaid sim cards for Peru:
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here for more info or to order an international sim card for Peru via SimOptions.
In fact, Traveltomtom recommends the Three Data Pack 10GB because it is one of the best value sim cards for Peru that you can order on the internet. This physical prepaid sim card is only $2.49 USD per Gigabyte. This is even cheaper than some e-sim cards for Peru.
However, e-sim cards are so easy to use that Traveltomtom often pays a little more for this convenience. If you feel the same way and your phone is e-sim compatible then here is a last reminder that you can arrange everything online by ordering an e-sim card for Peru.
Traveltomtom recommends ordering an e-sim card for Peru via SimOptions or Airalo.
I am sure some of the above tips for staying connected when traveling to Peru were helpful. I made you choose the right Peru sim card for your trip. Let me know if you have any questions and leave me a comment below.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of April 2024 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Peru!
Some links in this article about the best way to stay connected in Peru are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. Don’t worry this is at absolutely no extra cost to you.