Pope Leo XIV in Lima and Cusco, 11 to 16 November 2026

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The first US-born pope returns to the country where he served for decades, and his youth meeting has a new venue.

Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Prevost in Chicago, visits Peru from Wednesday 11 to Monday 16 November 2026. His meeting with young people on Thursday 12 November has moved from the Estadio Monumental to the Estadio Nacional in central Lima.

Lima’s archbishop, Cardinal Carlos Castillo, confirmed the change on Thursday 8 October in an interview with the state broadcaster TV Perú. For a US traveller, the Pope Leo XIV Lima programme means free but limited passes, heavy security and crowds.

What the Visit Is and Why It Matters

Leo XIV worked in Peru as a missionary from the mid-1980s and was bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. He also holds Peruvian nationality, so many Peruvians describe the trip as a homecoming rather than a state visit.

Peru’s government has declared the visit a matter of national interest by supreme resolution, according to the state news agency Andina. The Peru leg closes a journey that also takes him to Uruguay and Argentina from 6 November.

Organisers expect very large crowds at the open-air events. Father Juan Bytton, secretary general of the visit, told Canal N the closing Mass could draw up to 1.5 million people.

That compares with roughly one million at Pope Francis’s Mass at the same Lima air base in January 2018, Bytton said. About 30,000 volunteers had signed up by late September, including some 22,000 young people.

The Lima Programme, Day by Day

The times below come from the Holy See’s programme of Monday 21 September, as published by El Peruano, the state newspaper. Lima is five hours behind GMT, which in November matches US Eastern time exactly.

Wednesday 11 November: He lands at Callao air base at 17:30 and is welcomed at the Palacio de Gobierno at 18:15. He meets the president at 18:45 and addresses authorities and diplomats at the Gran Teatro Nacional at 19:45.

Thursday 12 November: He meets bishops at the Archbishop’s Palace at 09:30, then leads mid-morning prayer in Lima Cathedral at 10:20. At 11:30 he speaks at a meeting on the challenges and hopes of Peruvians, in front of the cathedral.

Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November: The pope leaves Lima for Chiclayo, Santa Cruz in Cajamarca, Cusco and Pucallpa. He flies back to Callao at 20:20 on Sunday night.

Monday 16 November: He visits an elderly care home at 08:30, then celebrates Mass at Las Palmas Air Base at 10:30. A farewell ceremony at Callao follows at 13:15, and his plane leaves for Rome at 13:45.

The Youth Meeting Moves to Estadio Nacional

The Holy See’s September programme placed the prayer vigil with young people and students at the Estadio Monumental in Ate at 18:00. On Saturday 3 October, national coordinator Monsignor Guillermo Inca said that venue was off because of “insurmountable technical issues”.

El Comercio had reported that box owners at the Monumental were offering them for rent on the day, América TV said. Inca stressed that every public event of the visit is free.

On 8 October Cardinal Castillo told TV Perú the meeting will be at the Estadio Nacional, calling it pastorally more workable. RPP, El Peruano, Gestión and Canal N all reported his confirmation the same day.

Castillo said the pope will first hold a dialogue on the Plaza de Armas and have lunch before the stadium event. He promised choreography and questions from young people put directly to the pope.

The Estadio Nacional stands on Calle José Díaz in central Lima, beside the Paseo de la República expressway. It is much closer to Miraflores and the historic centre than the Monumental in Ate, on the eastern edge of the city.

Castillo and the outlets that reported his remarks gave no new start time, describing the meeting only as an afternoon event. The Rio Times covered the switch in Pope Leo’s Lima Youth Rally Moves to Estadio Nacional.

Las Palmas Air Base and the Closing Mass

Las Palmas is a Peruvian Air Force base in Santiago de Surco, a district in the south of Lima. Its large open ground hosted Pope Francis’s Mass in 2018 and will host the closing Mass on Monday 16 November.

El Peruano reported on 8 October that more than one million people are expected. The image of the Señor de los Milagros, Lima’s most venerated religious image, will be taken to the base for the Mass.

The Mass starts at 10:30, which is also 10:30 a.m. in New York and Miami. Expect to arrive many hours earlier and to stand in strong sun, so bring water, a hat and sunscreen.

The Cusco Stop on Sunday 15 November

Cusco gets a short morning visit on Sunday 15 November. The pope lands at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport at 10:00 and meets the faithful at the Saqsaywaman archaeological park at 10:30.

At 11:45 he prays the Angelus on the square in front of Cusco Cathedral, on the Plaza de Armas. He flies on to Pucallpa in the Amazon at 13:05, for a meeting with Amazonian peoples and a late-afternoon Mass.

Visitors in Cusco that weekend for Machu Picchu should expect tight security around Saqsaywaman, the Plaza de Armas and the airport road. Cusco sits at about 3,400 metres (about 11,200 feet), and the State Department calls altitude sickness a serious concern there.

Tickets and Passes

Every public event of the visit is free, Monsignor Inca said, and the youth meeting requires no payment. Local dioceses handle the distribution of passes for the events, according to América TV.

For a foreign visitor, the realistic route to a pass runs through a Catholic parish or diocese in Peru. Anyone selling passes online or on the street is not an official channel.

Organisers have not said how many passes each venue will issue or whether any are reserved for visitors from abroad. Without a pass, plan to follow the events on Peruvian television or from public spaces away from the security perimeters.

Getting There and Getting Around

US citizens need a passport valid for at least six months after entry and one blank page, according to the State Department. No visa is required for tourist stays of 90 days or less, and travellers should make sure their entry is stamped.

Jorge Chávez International Airport in Callao is the gateway for flights from the United States. Allow far more time to reach it on 11, 13, 15 and 16 November, when the pope uses a Callao air base.

The Metropolitano bus rapid transit line runs along the Paseo de la República, past the Estadio Nacional. Organisers have not yet announced shuttle buses or public transport plans for Las Palmas.

Flights from Lima to Cusco take about 80 minutes and may fill up around Sunday 15 November. Book early, and give yourself at least a day in the city to adjust to the altitude first.

Safety and Costs for Visitors

The State Department rates Peru at Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued on Friday 4 September 2026. It cites crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism, and warns that large public events can be targets.

Its Do Not Travel areas include the Colombia border area in Loreto and the VRAEM region, a remote valley zone. Lima, Cusco, Chiclayo and Pucallpa are not among them.

Crowds of this size attract pickpockets, so carry a copy of your passport and keep phones in a front pocket. Agree a meeting point with your group, because mobile networks often slow down under heavy crowd load.

The papal events cost nothing to attend, but hotels in Lima and Cusco tend to raise rates when demand peaks. The government has said it is evaluating non-working days, which could close offices and banks on some dates.

What It Means for You

For US Catholics, this is a rare chance to see the first US-born pope where he spent his ministry. The catch is access, because passes run through Peruvian dioceses and the largest events will draw enormous crowds.

If you are already in Peru, the venue change puts the Thursday youth meeting within easier reach of Miraflores and the centre. If you are flying in, book flights and hotels now and expect road closures on 11, 12, 15 and 16 November.

What Is Not Known

The start time of the youth meeting at the Estadio Nacional has not been restated since the venue change. Organisers have also not said how many young people the stadium will admit or how its passes are allocated.

No decree declaring holidays or non-working days for the visit had appeared in El Peruano by 11 October. Foreign Minister Carlos Espá said on 29 September that the government was evaluating non-working days between 11 and 16 November.

Opening hours for Las Palmas, transport plans and a full list of road closures in Lima and Cusco have not been published. Access rules for Saqsaywaman and the Cusco Angelus, including whether passes are needed, are also unclear.

The official programme can still change, as the stadium switch shows. Check the Archdiocese of Lima and the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference for the latest times before travelling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Pope Leo XIV’s youth meeting in Lima?

It will be at the Estadio Nacional in central Lima on Thursday 12 November 2026, Cardinal Carlos Castillo confirmed on 8 October. It replaces the Estadio Monumental in Ate, which organisers dropped on 3 October for technical reasons.

When and where is the pope’s closing Mass in Lima?

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass at Las Palmas Air Base, Santiago de Surco, on Monday 16 November 2026 at 10:30. That is also 10:30 a.m. US Eastern time.

Do US citizens need a visa to see the pope in Peru?

No visa is needed for tourist stays of 90 days or less. The State Department requires a passport valid for six months after entry, with one blank page.

Sources: Holy See Press Office programme, as published by El Peruano (21 September); RPP (8 October); El Peruano (8 October); Gestión (8 October); Canal N (8 October); América TV (4 October); América TV (29 September); Canal N (22 September); Andina; US Department of State, Peru travel information (all accessed 11 October 2026).