For the Inca Trail or Salkantay, pick an eSIM that runs on Movistar, and expect no signal for most of the trek itself. Nomad (Movistar and Claro, $25 for 10 GB) was the cheapest two-week option on 31 October 2026; Holafly ($45.90 unlimited) and Airalo ($44 unlimited) also name Movistar. On the classic Inca Trail, signal fades after lunch on Day 1 and returns near the last camp and at Machu Picchu. On Salkantay, there's essentially nothing around Soraypampa and the pass, some signal from Santa Teresa, and reliable coverage in Aguas Calientes.
Lotso Travel, which appears in the price table, is run by the team behind this site. It's mid-table for Peru and doesn't name its network, so it isn't our pick here.
Why the network matters in Peru
Peru's main operators are Movistar, Claro, Entel and Bitel. Trek operator Follow Alice's June 2026 guide is direct: "At present, Movistar offers the best coverage for both the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu." That makes Movistar the network to look for, and the eSIM providers split cleanly on whether they tell you:
| Provider | Peru network (as listed) | Two weeks, 0.5 GB a day |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad | Movistar / Claro | $25 (10 GB, 30 days) |
| Maya Mobile | Not named | $27.99 (unlimited, 14 days) |
| Saily | Not named | $29.99 (10 GB, 30 days) |
| Lotso Travel (ours) | Not named | $30.99 (10 GB, 15 days) |
| Airalo | Movistar | $44 (unlimited, 15 days) |
| Holafly | Movistar / Claro | $45.90 (unlimited, 15 days) |
Prices and networks from each provider's Peru page, read 31 October 2026 (sources). Ubigi's Peru prices weren't readable.
eSIM prices · Peru
14 days at 0.5 GB a day (7 GB)
| Provider and cheapest fit | Price |
|---|---|
| Nomad10 GB · 30 daysNetwork: Movistar / Claro | $25 |
| Maya MobileUnlimited · 14 daysNetwork not named | $27.99 |
| Saily10 GB · 30 daysNetwork not named | $29.99 |
| Lotso TravelOurs10 GB · 15 daysNetwork not named | $30.99 |
| AiraloUnlimited · 15 days, 3 GB/day full speedNetwork: Movistar | $44 |
| HolaflyUnlimited · 15 daysNetwork: Movistar / Claro | $45.90 |
Public USD prices checked 31 Oct 2026. Lotso Travel is run by the team behind this site. Full data and method: price index; change the trip length in the calculator.
Signal on the classic Inca Trail
From Follow Alice (June 2026):
| Stage | Signal |
|---|---|
| Day 1, start to lunch | Usually yes |
| Day 1 afternoon to Day 3 | Don't expect any |
| Day 3, Third Pass area | Possible, "spotty as heck" |
| Final night's camp | Usually some, near camp |
| Machu Picchu | Returns |
Practically, that means a message home at lunch on Day 1, then nothing reliable until the last evening. Tell people at home before you set off, and download offline maps and your permit documents in Cusco.
Signal on the Salkantay trek
From Marvelous Peru's February 2026 guide:
| Area | Mobile signal | Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|
| Soraypampa and Salkantay Pass | Almost none; "mountains block signal completely" | None |
| Descent into the cloud forest | Intermittent; short messages sometimes | None on the trail |
| Santa Teresa | Moderate to good | Some lodges; slows at night |
| Aguas Calientes | Stable | Hotels and restaurants |
It also notes that standard camps have no Wi-Fi and premium camps' Wi-Fi is slow and fails when many people connect. Put the phone in airplane mode on the high section; searching for a signal drains a battery fast in the cold.
The same guide recommends buying a local SIM in Cusco because national operators have stronger rural coverage than virtual carriers. A travel eSIM that roams onto Movistar or Claro is using those same national networks; the difference that matters is which operator it uses, which is why we'd pick one that names Movistar.
Local SIM: the phone registration rule
If you'd rather buy a Movistar or Claro SIM in Lima or Cusco, know about Peru's phone registration rule. Under rules reported in February 2026, operators must register phones that people bring from abroad when they're used with a Peruvian SIM, according to Infobae (February 2026). Registration is free at an operator's store: staff check the IMEI, you sign a declaration that the phone is for personal use, and it's added to the approved list. An unregistered phone gets an SMS warning and up to two business days before it's blocked on Peruvian networks.
The reports we read cover phones used with Peruvian SIMs; they don't say anything about phones roaming on a foreign SIM or a travel eSIM. That's one reason many visitors find an eSIM simpler, but we can't point you to an official statement that roaming phones are exempt.
Satellite backup
Peru isn't on Apple's list of countries for iPhone Emergency SOS via satellite, so on the high passes your phone has no fallback. For a guided Inca Trail with porters and set camps, most people go without. For Salkantay without a guide, or anything more remote (Ausangate, the Cordillera Blanca), a satellite messenger is worth it; inReach vs ZOLEO vs SPOT compares the cost of owning one, and satellite vs eSIM covers what phones can and can't do.
Questions people ask
Is there phone signal on the Inca Trail?
In places. A June 2026 guide from trek operator Follow Alice says you should have signal on Day 1 until about lunchtime, then none until the Third Pass area on Day 3, where it's "spotty as heck", with signal usually near the final night's camp and again at Machu Picchu. It says Movistar has the best coverage on the trail.
Which eSIM uses Movistar in Peru?
On 31 Oct 2026, Airalo listed Movistar, while Nomad and Holafly listed Movistar and Claro. Saily, Maya Mobile and Lotso Travel didn't name a Peruvian network on their plan pages.
Do I need to register my phone in Peru?
If you put a Peruvian SIM in a phone bought abroad, Peruvian operators must register it with regulator OSIPTEL, and unregistered phones can be blocked after an SMS warning and two business days, according to Infobae (Feb 2026). Registration is free at an operator's store with your phone. The reports we read don't address phones roaming on a foreign SIM or travel eSIM.