Pope Leo XIV in Cusco and Pucallpa makes November 15, 2026, one of the most extraordinary days of his Peru visit. Within a few hours, the Pope travels from Chiclayo to Cusco, then on to Pucallpa, and in the evening to Lima. For visitors, however, this means: One should choose either Cusco or Pucallpa. Following the Pope's travel schedule on this day is practically impossible for regular travelers to plan.
In Cusco, the morning program includes a large encounter in Saqsaywaman and the Angelus prayer in front of the cathedral. In Pucallpa, the afternoon follows with an encounter with missionaries and representatives of the Amazonian peoples, as well as a large Holy Mass.
Schedule on November 15, 2026
| Time | Location | Program Point | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07:50 AM | Chiclayo | Departure to Cusco | Air base, not public |
| 10:00 AM | Cusco | Arrival at Alejandro Velasco Astete Airport | Airport area, no regular event |
| 10:30 AM | Saqsaywaman | Encounter with the faithful and representatives of popular piety | Large public encounter |
| 11:45 AM | Forecourt of the Cathedral of Cusco | Angelus prayer | Public focal point |
| 01:05 PM | Cusco | Departure to Pucallpa | Airport |
| 02:30 PM | Pucallpa | Arrival at Capitán FAP David Abensur Rengifo Airport | Airport area |
| 03:00 PM | Malecón Puerto Callao | Encounter with missionaries and representatives of the Amazonian peoples | Large encounter |
| 04:45 PM | Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali | Holy Mass | Large public event |
| 07:05 PM | Pucallpa | Departure to Lima | Airport |
| 08:20 PM | Callao | Arrival at the air base | Military area, not public |
In the morning, travel from Chiclayo to Cusco
At 07:50 AM, Pope Leo XIV leaves the Chiclayo air base. His flight heads directly to Cusco, where arrival at the Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport is scheduled for 10:00 AM. For visitors, arrival at the airport is not the deciding appointment. Just half an hour later, the first major encounter of the day begins in Saqsaywaman.
Those who wish to see the Pope in Cusco should therefore not try to track his arrival at the airport first and then switch to Saqsaywaman. For visitor planning, it is much more sensible to concentrate directly on one of the public events in Cusco.
10:30 AM: Pope Leo XIV in Saqsaywaman
At 10:30 AM, Pope Leo XIV will meet the faithful and representatives of popular piety at the Parque Arqueológico Nacional de Saqsaywaman. The Pope will give an address there. The historic Inca complex above Cusco offers space for a large encounter, but at the same time presents the organizers with special challenges. Access, security checks, traffic management, and the protection of the archaeological site must be coordinated.
Those who wish to participate in this encounter should therefore be on-site well before 10:30 AM. The final access points, checkpoints, and potential access passes have yet to be announced by the responsible authorities.
Saqsaywaman is not a standard event venue
Visitors should keep in mind that Sacsayhuamán lies at an altitude of around 3,700 meters. Those who have only just arrived in Cusco and are not used to the altitude should avoid additional physical exertion. Furthermore, during a papal visit, it cannot be assumed that taxis, tour buses, or private vehicles will be allowed to drive directly to the usual entrances.
Security zones and road closures can cause significantly longer walking distances. Anyone wishing to see Pope Leo XIV in Saqsaywaman should therefore take into account not only the time of the meeting but also the traffic and access regulations that will be published later.
11:45 AM: Angelus in front of the Cathedral of Cusco
After Saqsaywaman, the next major event follows at 11:45 AM. Pope Leo XIV will pray the Angelus in the square in front of the Basílica Catedral de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María in the historic center of Cusco. For visitors already in the city center, this appointment is particularly interesting. The square in front of the cathedral generally offers the possibility of a large public encounter.
The crucial factor, however, will be how the security areas around the cathedral and the Plaza de Armas are set up. Those who wish to attend the Angelus prayer exclusively should therefore not wait until around 11:45 AM to make their way to the historic center. With the expected high volume of visitors, access points may be controlled or temporarily closed much earlier.
Saqsaywaman and Cathedral: Can you manage both events?
There are only 75 minutes between the start of the encounter in Saqsaywaman at 10:30 AM and the Angelus prayer at 11:45 AM. The Pope can cover the distance within his secured convoy. Different conditions apply to regular visitors. After the end of the event, thousands of people may need to leave Saqsaywaman, while at the same time roads may be closed for the Pope's transit.
Therefore, no one should assume they can easily attend both events in their entirety. Anyone who absolutely wants a good spot should choose one of the two events as their primary focus. Only once the final visitor and traffic regulations are published will it be possible to assess whether switching between both venues is sensibly feasible.
01:05 PM: The Pope leaves Cusco
At 01:05 PM, Pope Leo XIV departs from Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport for Pucallpa. This concludes his very brief stay in Cusco just about three hours after his arrival. For visitors in Cusco, this also marks the end of the public part of the papal day.
Traveling further to Pucallpa to attend the afternoon events there should not be considered a normal itinerary. Pope Leo XIV lands in Pucallpa at 02:30 PM and is scheduled for the next program point at 03:00 PM.
Cusco and Pucallpa on the same day is not sensible visitor planning
The Pope's schedule only functions because of his specially organized flight and prepared transfers. Regular travelers would have to account for a suitable commercial flight, check-in, security checks, and then the transfer from the airport in Pucallpa. Even a minor flight delay would ruin the plan.
For visitors, a clear decision is therefore sensible: Morning with the Pope in Cusco or afternoon with the Pope in Pucallpa. Further information about the Amazon region around Pucallpa is provided on the PeruMagazin page for the Departamento Ucayali.
03:00 PM: Encounter at the Malecón Puerto Callao
The first major event in Pucallpa begins at 03:00 PM at the Malecón Puerto Callao. There, Pope Leo XIV will meet missionaries and representatives of the peoples of the Amazon region. This encounter is one of the content-wise special stops of his Peru visit. The Pope will meet directly with representatives of the Amazon region and deliver an address.
For visitors, the decisive factor will be which areas of the Malecón remain publicly accessible and where security zones will be established. Here, too, final access points and traffic measures remain to be seen.
04:45 PM: Large Papal Mass in Pucallpa
At 04:45 PM, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Holy Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali. It is the largest public event of the afternoon and, for many visitors in Pucallpa, the most important opportunity to see the Pope. Anyone wishing to attend only one event in Pucallpa should align their planning with this Mass.
For a large open-air Mass, extensive security checks and accordingly early admission should be expected. Final details regarding entrances, potential access passes, parking options, bus connections, and items permitted on the grounds are still required for precise visitor planning.
Malecón and Papal Mass: Are both events possible?
There is one hour and 45 minutes between the encounter at the Malecón at 03:00 PM and the start of the Mass at 04:45 PM. Here, too, the Pope has a secured transfer, while visitors must expect road closures and heavy traffic.
Those wishing to attend both events should therefore carefully note the traffic regulations published later. Switching between events is theoretically conceivable, but should only be firmly planned once official visitor routes and exclusion zones are known. Those who prefer a good spot at the Mass should concentrate early on the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali.
07:05 PM: Pope Leo XIV flies back to Lima
After the Mass, the stay in Pucallpa ends. At 07:05 PM, Pope Leo XIV departs from Capitán FAP David Abensur Rengifo International Airport for Lima. Arrival at the Base Aérea del Callao is scheduled for 08:20 PM according to the official Vatican program.
The air base is not a public event venue. For visitors, the fifth day effectively ends with the Mass in Pucallpa.
What does attendance cost?
Church events during the papal visit are generally intended to be free of charge. For large events, however, registrations, access passes, or different security zones may still be implemented. This applies in particular to Saqsaywaman and the large Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali.
Visitors should therefore wait for official announcements and not purchase any purported tickets from unknown third-party providers.
What is still open for November 15?
For Cusco, important practical details are still missing regarding access to Saqsaywaman, security zones around the Plaza de Armas, road closures, public transportation, and potential access passes.
In Pucallpa, visitor areas at the Malecón Puerto Callao as well as entrances and security checks at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali must still be definitively determined. Information on special transport, parking lots, and potential shuttle connections is also important for visitors. PeruMagazin will update this information as soon as the responsible authorities and church organizers publish the final visitor details.
Where can visitors see Pope Leo XIV on November 15?
In Cusco, there are two central options: the encounter at 10:30 AM in Saqsaywaman and the Angelus prayer at 11:45 AM in front of the cathedral. In Pucallpa, the encounter at the Malecón Puerto Callao begins at 03:00 PM. The largest public event of the afternoon is then the Holy Mass at 04:45 PM at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali.
The most important decision for visitors is thus not how to reach all four events. Rather, they should decide whether they wish to spend this papal day in Cusco or in Pucallpa and choose the corresponding public event there.
An overview of all days and stops is provided by the PeruMagazin article Pope Leo XIV is coming to Peru: Vatican releases official travel plan.
Vatican – Official Program of the Apostolic Journey of Pope Leo XIV to Peru
León XIV en el Perú – Official agenda of the papal visit
Conferencia Episcopal Peruana – Program of the journey of Pope Leo XIV to Peru
Hero image: Wikimedia Commons – “Pope Leo XIV 2.png”, Edgar Beltrán, own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
