If you have booked a Peru vacation package then your lodging will be covered. If you plan on taking different tours during your vacation here then you will need to find Peru lodging in between tours.

Decide where you will be going and what type of accommodation you would like. Do you want the luxury hotels or the inexpensive hostales? Perhaps you would like to experience the culture a bit more by staying with a host family, or give yourself a healthy mix of choices.

Whatever you choose there are certain factors that should be considered. What is your expense account for accommodation? If you are on a limited budget then you should be careful as to where you stay or you could end up spending your vacation money very quickly. On the other hand, if a large budget is a luxury you have on your vacation you might choose to stay at three and four star hotels.

Location is another important consideration. You probably won't want to be far away from the main attractions. The closer you are to them, the better. As Peru lodging is located just about everywhere, if you don't choose your location wisely you could end up in a fairly remote region with little resources. Stay around the main tourist areas, there are plenty of hotels that offer easy access to the sites you wish to see.

If the hotels around the tourist area are too expensive for your budget, then check for Peru lodging a few blocks away. Generally, the further away a hotel is from the tourist area, the cheaper it gets. Don't go too far though as you still want to be close to the action.

With location and budget in mind, here are the main types of Peru lodging available:

Free Peru Lodging

There are hospitality exchange programs available in several parts of Peru, especially in the bigger cities like Lima, Trujillo, Arequipa and Cuzco. Members of these programs let travelers stay at their homes for free. Sometimes the host will offer things like meals and city tours besides a room to stay. This can be somewhat limiting as members of hospitality exchange programs may be few in numbers, or located well away from tourist attractions, but it will save you money and offer you an inside look at the culture. Couchsurfing.com is one of these clubs you can join.

Cheap Peru Lodging

There are a few backpacker hostels in the bigger cities. At hostels you'll share a room with other travelers and therefore pay less for accommodation. Hostels are not too common as hospedajes or hostales usually cost about the same as hostels, sometimes they are cheaper. Hostales are available in virtually every city in Peru. In most cases there are several of them every few blocks. They are very basic and almost never include additional services, but only cost around $7 to $30 a night.

Inexpensive Peru Lodging

Affordable hotels are abundant in the principle cities, especially in the tourist areas. These range from the basics of a television, a telephone, a bathroom, a bed or two and a desk, to extra services like meals, internet, a swimming pool, laundry service, tour information and other useful amenities. Prices generally range from $30 to $100 per night. If you have extra time, an alternative to staying in a hotel is to stay with a host family. This is similar to the hospitality exchange programs except that there is a fee. However, you will also receive home cooked meals, you'll get help with your Spanish, make new friends, be invited to take part in activities and gather a lot of information and cultural experience. Most host families are located in Lima, Arequipa and Cuzco. Prices are about $60 to $150 a week. One Peruvian homestay organization is hostfamilyinperu.com

Expensive Peru Lodging

High class and luxury hotels are available in the major cities and around certain tourist attractions like the beach in Miraflores, Lima and Machu Picchu near Cuzco. These offer bigger, better furnished rooms. Many also include or offer restaurants, gyms, business centers, casinos, shows, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, room service, guided tour services, souvenir shops, beauty salons and other things of comfort and entertainment. When on a packaged tour with a travel agency your hotel accommodations are almost always included in the price. A nightly stay costs from $100 to over $1,000.

Choose the type that you are most comfortable with. Virtually every kind of accommodation is available in Peru. They are also easy to find. Check your guidebook, do an internet search, talk to a travel agent, or once you get here, just have a look around.