Language · 11 published
Country guide
Peru is 1,285,216 square kilometres arranged in three long bands: an arid Pacific coast, the Andes behind it, and Amazon rainforest east of the mountains. Which band a city sits in decides nearly everything about visiting it — Lima, the capital, is a coastal city under grey winter cloud, Cusco sits high enough in the Andes to cost a first day doing nothing, and Iquitos in the rainforest has no road connecting it to the rest of the country. It is the third largest country in South America. The distances between those three worlds are why itineraries here are counted in flights rather than in bus rides.
Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.
Photograph · Corminos · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photograph · gertrudis2010 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
100 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
The Historic Centre of Cusco is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed core of Peru's former Inca capital. It encompasses the original Inca street grid, surviving stone walls, colonial-era churches, and public plazas built atop and around Inca foundations.
Plaza Mayor de Lima is the historic square at the core of Lima's World Heritage-listed centre. UNESCO identifies the surrounding historic centre as the colonial core whose monuments and urban fabric express Lima's role as a major Spanish American capital.
San Blas Quarter, known locally as Barrio de San Blas, is a historic neighbourhood in Cusco, Peru. It occupies a steep hillside above the city centre and retains narrow lanes from the Inca era.
The Malecón de Miraflores is a clifftop park sequence forming Lima's defining Pacific walk. This linear green corridor stretches along the coastal edge of the Miraflores district, comprising interconnected parks, gardens, and paved promenades overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The Puente de los Suspiros is a wooden footbridge in Lima's Barranco District, a coastal neighborhood known for its bohemian character. The bridge spans a narrow ravine and has become an emblematic landmark of the area.
The Lima Art Museum, known locally as Museo de Arte de Lima or MALI, occupies the historic Palace of the Exhibition in Lima, Peru. The building itself constitutes a significant landmark, constructed for the 1872 Lima International Exhibition.
The Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo is a significant colonial religious complex in Lima's historic centre.
Iglesia de San Blas is a small parish church in the historic San Blas quarter of Cusco, Peru. It sits within the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Cusco.
Costa Verde is Lima's coastal corridor, a strip of land along the Pacific Ocean connecting multiple districts including Miraflores, Barranco, and Chorrillos. The area is defined by its dramatic high-cliff landscape that drops to beaches below.
Calle Loreto is a narrow pedestrian passage in central Cusco, Peru, notable for preserving a substantial section of original Inca stone wall along its eastern flank.
The Palomino Islands are a small archipelago off the coast of Callao, Lima's principal port city.
Plaza Regocijo is a secondary colonial square in the historic centre of Cusco, Peru. It sits adjacent to the municipal buildings and several museums, forming part of the city's compact old-city circuit.
La Punta is a compact peninsula district within the constitutional province of Callao, adjacent to Lima.
Plaza San Blas is a compact public square in Cusco's historic San Blas neighbourhood, perched on the steep hillside above the main plaza. It serves as the informal heart of the city's artisan quarter, where narrow cobbled streets converge.
Plaza Nazarenas is a quiet historic square in Cusco's upper old city. It connects several significant cultural sites including the Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP) and Casa Concha.
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge approximately 80 kilometres northwest of Cusco. The archaeological complex stands at an elevation that creates dramatic cloud-forest surroundings.
The Cusco Municipal Theatre, known locally as Teatro Municipal del Cusco, is a municipal performance venue operated by the city government. It serves as a cultural institution within Cusco's official visitor infrastructure.
Cusco is a city in southeastern Peru, historically the capital of the Inca Empire. Located in the Andes Mountains at high elevation, it serves as a gateway to the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
The Bodega y Quadra Site Museum is a house museum in Lima's historic centre built over excavated colonial remains. It preserves and displays archaeological evidence of early Lima's everyday material culture beneath a historic residential structure.
Casa de Aliaga stands as one of Lima's oldest continuously inhabited colonial houses, located near the historic Plaza Mayor in Peru's capital.
Wayna Tawqaray, also known locally as Huayna Tauqaray, is a lesser-known Inca archaeological site situated near the south-eastern edge of Cusco's urban area.
The Municipal Palace of Lima, known locally as Palacio Municipal de Lima, serves as the city hall of Peru's capital. It stands on the historic Plaza Mayor, the foundational heart of Lima's colonial grid.
Caral is an archaeological site in the Supe Valley of Peru, recognized as one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Americas. The complex belongs to the Norte Chico civilization, which developed complex societies contemporaneous with ancient Egypt.
Jirón de la Unión is a historic pedestrian street in central Lima, Peru. It serves as the traditional commercial spine connecting two of the city's most significant public squares: Plaza Mayor and Plaza San Martín.
The Central Market of Lima, known locally as Mercado Central de Lima, stands in the historic centre of Peru's capital. It functions as a major municipal food market serving everyday commerce.
Calle del Medio is a central pedestrian street in Cusco's historic core, providing a direct historic connection from Plaza de Armas into the old-city commercial fabric.
Vilcabamba, known locally as Willkapampa, is an archaeological site in the Cusco region of Peru. It served as the final refuge and capital of the Inca state after the Spanish conquest of Cusco in 1533.
The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Cusqueñan weaving traditions. Founded to support indigenous textile arts, the center operates as a cultural institution and social enterprise.
Pachacámac is a vast pre-Columbian archaeological site southeast of Lima, Peru. The Zona Arqueológica Monumental Pachacámac served as a major religious center for multiple Andean cultures over approximately 1,500 years before Spanish contact.
The Archbishop's Palace of Cusco, known locally as Palacio Arzobispal del Cusco, stands on Hatunrumiyoc street in the historic centre. The site represents significant architectural layering, incorporating the former Inca Roca palace beneath colonial structures.
Paseo de Aguas is an eighteenth-century water promenade in Lima, Peru. It forms part of the extended Rímac heritage circuit situated north of the river.
Sacsayhuaman, known locally as Saqsaywaman, is an immense Inca ceremonial and defensive complex situated on a hill above Cusco.
Choquequirao is a remote Inca archaeological site situated in the Vilcabamba mountain range of the Cusco region. Often called the sister city of Machu Picchu, it remains far less visited due to its isolated location.
The Plaza de Toros de Acho is the historic bullring of Lima, situated in the Rímac district. Constructed in 1766, it stands as one of the oldest surviving bullrings in the Americas.
Wanchaq District is one of the eight districts composing the city of Cusco, Peru. It lies south of the historic colonial core, serving as a modern commercial and transportation zone rather than a tourist monument.
Tambomachay is an Inca archaeological site on the northern outskirts of Cusco, Peru. It functions as a ceremonial water shrine, featuring finely engineered stone channels, aqueducts, and waterfalls that demonstrate sophisticated hydraulic engineering.
Plaza Santa Ana is a historic public square in the upper reaches of Cusco's colonial centre, situated beyond the main tourist circuit that concentrates around the Plaza de Armas.
The Historic Centre of Lima, locally Centro Histórico de Lima, is the UNESCO World Heritage-listed colonial core of Peru's capital. Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, it preserves a substantial ensemble of Spanish colonial architecture, religious buildings, and civic structures.
Puka Pukara is a small Inca archaeological site situated on the northern outskirts of Cusco, Peru. Its Quechua name translates to Red Fortress, referencing the distinctive reddish hue of its stonework.
The Government Palace of Peru, known locally as Palacio de Gobierno del Perú, serves as the official residence and principal workplace of the President of Peru.
Moray is an archaeological complex in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, Peru. It consists of circular agricultural terraces built into a natural depression. The site is managed under Peruvian state heritage oversight with reference to regional authorities.
Santa Ana Church is a colonial parish church located in the Santa Ana neighbourhood of Cusco, Peru. It forms part of the Historic Centre of Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Plaza Limacpampa is a public square in upper-central Cusco, Peru. It functions as a connecting space between the historic San Blas neighbourhood, the Qorikancha temple complex, and the modern commercial areas of the city.
The Puente de Piedra, or Stone Bridge of Lima, is a colonial-era bridge spanning the Rímac River in Peru's capital. It serves as a historic connection between Lima's historic centre and the Rímac district.
Tipón is an archaeological site in the Cusco region of Peru, recognized as a significant example of Inca hydraulic engineering. The complex features agricultural terraces with integrated irrigation channels that remain functional.
Wiñay Wayna is an Inca archaeological site situated along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in the Cusco Region of Peru. The name translates from Quechua as 'Forever Young.' The ruins occupy a steep hillside overlooking the Urubamba River valley.
The Museum of Italian Art, known locally as Museo de Arte Italiano, is a compact state museum in Lima, Peru. It holds the distinction of being unique in the country for its focused collection of twentieth-century Italian art.
Plaza San Martín is a monumental republican square in Lima's historic centre. It forms the southern anchor of the historic-centre walking route, connecting visitors to the broader colonial and republican urban fabric.
Complejo arqueológico El Paraíso is a pre-Columbian archaeological complex in Lima, Peru. Dating to the Preceramic period, it represents one of the earliest known large-scale monumental constructions in the Americas.
Puruchuco is an archaeological site in Lima, Peru, associated with the Ichma culture that later became part of the Inca Empire. The site features a palace complex with distinctive trapezoidal architecture typical of the region.
Sayhuite is an Inca archaeological complex in Curahuasi district, Apurímac, rather than a monument inside Cusco city. Peru's Ministry of Culture identifies it as a nationally protected pre-Hispanic archaeological monument and one of Apurímac's representative heritage sites.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas, locally Valle Sagrado de los Incas, is the Urubamba River corridor northwest of Cusco. This broad valley between Pisac and Ollantaytambo served as a vital agricultural, spiritual, and administrative zone for the Inca Empire.
Piquillacta is a pre-Inca archaeological site located southeast of Cusco in the Lucre Basin of Peru.
The Archbishop's Palace of Lima stands on the eastern side of Plaza Mayor, the historic heart of Peru's capital. Its ornate façade and carved balconies form one of Plaza Mayor's defining architectural edges.
Huaca Pucllana is a pre-Inca adobe pyramid and ceremonial complex situated in the Miraflores district of Lima, Peru. Constructed by the Lima culture between 200 and 700 CE, it served as an administrative and religious center.
Waqrapukara is an archaeological site situated southeast of Cusco, Peru. The name translates from Quechua as "horn fortress," referencing the distinctive horn-shaped rock formations that dominate the landscape.
Huayna Picchu, locally called Montaña Huayna Picchu, is a steep mountain rising above the Machu Picchu archaeological site in the Cusco region of Peru. It forms a dramatic backdrop to the famous Inca citadel.
Písac is a town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, approximately one hour northeast of Cusco. The settlement sits at a lower elevation than the city, making it a common destination for visitors adjusting to altitude.
Cajamarquilla is an archaeological site located in the Lima metropolitan area of Peru. The settlement represents a significant pre-Columbian urban center, originally developed during the early Intermediate Period and later expanded during the Wari civilization's regional influence.
Lake Junín, locally known as Lago Chinchaycocha, is a high-altitude lake in the Junín Region of Peru's central Andes. It sits within the Peruvian Andes ecosystem and forms part of the Lake Junín National Reserve.
The Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera is Lima's leading museum for pre-Columbian art and archaeology. Founded by Rafael Larco Hoyle in 1926, it occupies an eighteenth-century vice-royal mansion in the Pueblo Libre district.
Coricancha, known locally as Qurikancha, was the most important temple in the Inca Empire. Located in Cusco, Peru, it was dedicated primarily to Inti, the sun god.
Bandurria is an archaeological site in Peru, located near Lima. It represents a significant pre-Columbian settlement associated with early Andean civilizations. The site contributes to understanding of ancient Peruvian coastal cultures and their development.
Garagay is an archaeological site in Lima, Peru, known locally as Huaca Garagay. It represents a pre-Columbian ceremonial complex attributed to the Lima culture. The site features adobe construction typical of early Andean civilizations.
Paramonga is an archaeological site located near the city of Lima, Peru. The structure represents remains from the Chimú culture, which flourished along the northern coast of Peru before the rise of the Inca Empire.
The Real Felipe Fortress, locally named Fortaleza del Real Felipe, stands as Callao's monumental colonial fortress and ranks as the strongest military-history site in the Lima metropolitan area.
The Ausangate Circuit is a multi-day trekking route encircling Nevado Ausangate, the highest peak in the Cusco region at approximately 6,384 metres.
Inka Wasi, locally known as Incawasi, is a historical site in Lima, Peru. Its Wikidata entry Q1528509 and OpenStreetMap way/156496715 confirm its documented presence in heritage databases.
Plaza de Armas del Cusco stands as the historic main square of Cusco, Peru, occupying the ceremonial heart of the former Inca capital. Spanish colonial architecture now dominates the space, with arcades, churches, and portals surrounding the open plaza.
Siula Grande is a mountain in the Huayhuash range of the Peruvian Andes, located near Lima's broader region. It gained international recognition through Joe Simpson's mountaineering memoir Touching the Void.
Vinicunca, locally called Winikunka, is a mountain in the Cusco region of Peru. The area is known for distinctive striped mineral colouring on slopes, commonly called Rainbow Mountain in tourism materials.
The Biblioteca Nacional del Perú is Peru's national library and principal documentary institution. Headquartered in the San Borja district of Lima, it serves as the country's central repository for published works, manuscripts, and historical records.
The Museo del Banco Central de Reserva del Perú, commonly known as Museo Central, is a museum institution located in Lima, Peru. It operates under the auspices of the Central Reserve Bank of Peru, the country's monetary authority.
The Pedro de Osma Museum is a cultural institution located in the Barranco district of Lima, Peru. It occupies a refined historic mansion that serves as both architectural heritage site and exhibition space.
The Battle of Junín site commemorates the pivotal 1824 military engagement during Peru's war of independence. Located in the Junín region's highlands, this historic battlefield marks where Simón Bolívar's revolutionary forces clashed with Spanish royalist troops.
Palacio de Torre Tagle is a historic palace in Lima, Peru, recognised as a canonical example of Lima Baroque domestic architecture.
Q'enqo Grande is the principal and larger section of the Q'enqo archaeological complex near Cusco, Peru. This Inca site features ceremonial passages and altar-like rockwork carved from living stone.
Morro Solar is a headland located in the Chorrillos district of Lima, Peru. It rises above the Pacific coastline and serves as a prominent geographical landmark for the southern part of the city.
The Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú is Peru's oldest and largest state museum. It houses extensive collections spanning the nation's archaeological and historical heritage.
Salcantay, known locally as Nevado Salkantay, is a mountain in the Vilcabamba range of the Peruvian Andes near Cusco.
Sara Sara is a place of interest located in Cusco, Peru. The site is recorded in OpenStreetMap data as node 4275668643 and linked to Wikidata entity Q2652409.
Casa Aliaga is a historic colonial mansion in Lima, Peru, situated in the city centre near the Plaza de Armas.
Parque Reducto No. 2 is a public park in Lima, Peru, locally known as Parque Reducto. The site preserves historical military significance as one of the defensive positions used during the War of the Pacific.
Urubamba is a valley town in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, situated between Cusco and Machu Picchu. It serves as a practical base for travellers exploring the region and functions as a local market centre.
The Convent of Santo Domingo stands on the Qorikancha complex in central Cusco.
Huaca Huallamarca is a restored adobe pyramid located in the San Isidro district of Lima, Peru. The site functions as both an archaeological monument and a site museum.
Tunanmarka is an archaeological site located in the Lima region of Peru. The site represents pre-Columbian cultural heritage and forms part of the broader landscape of ancient settlements in the central coastal and highland zones of the country.
Huayllay National Sanctuary is a protected natural area in Peru, located in the Pasco Region. The sanctuary is recognized for its distinctive geological formations, particularly its extensive rock forest created by volcanic and erosive processes over geological time.
The Lima Cathedral Basilica, known locally as Basílica Catedral de Lima, stands as the principal cathedral of Lima and anchors the historic Plaza Mayor. This colonial-era basilica serves as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima.
Laguna Lauricocha, known in English as Lauricocha Lake, is a high-altitude body of water in the Peruvian Andes. It lies within the Lauricocha Province of Huánuco Region, not Lima itself, though often referenced in broader Peruvian travel contexts.
Rasac is a place in Lima, Peru, identified in OpenStreetMap data under node 1503674397. The Wikidata entry Q7294700 associates this identifier with the name Rasac.
Vitcos is an archaeological site in the Cusco region of Peru, identified in OpenStreetMap data as way/37114982. The location appears in Wikidata as Q2045814. Situated in the broader Vilcabamba area, it represents Inca-period remains.
Acaray, known locally as Akaray, is a place of interest located in Lima, Peru. The site is identified in OpenStreetMap under the way identifier 770631178 and holds a Wikidata entry Q2822644.
Campo de Marte is a large central civic park in Lima, Peru. It functions as a significant public green space within the urban environment, serving both ceremonial and recreational purposes for the city.
Parque de la Exposición, known in English as Exhibition Park, is a central public park in Lima, Peru. Established on land used for the 1872 International Exposition, it serves as a cultural and recreational hub connecting several important institutions.
Castillo Rospigliosi is a historic castle located in Lima, Peru. The structure represents an architectural landmark within the city, bearing the name of the Rospigliosi family.
The equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar stands as a monumental tribute to the Venezuelan military leader who played a decisive role in liberating multiple South American nations from Spanish colonial rule.
Suntur, locally known as Sóndor, is an archaeological site near Cusco, Peru. The location appears in Wikidata and OpenStreetMap records as a place of historical significance in the region.
Casa O'Higgins is a historic house museum in Lima, Peru, associated with Bernardo O'Higgins, the Chilean independence leader. The building preserves connections to his residence in the city during the independence era.
The José Carlos Mariátegui House Museum is the preserved final residence of Peru's most influential twentieth-century political thinker and writer.
Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·
Ten to fourteen days can combine Lima, Cusco and the Sacred Valley with one additional region. Altitude adjustment and rail or road transfers need their own time, so compressing the Andes and Amazon into the same short visit is unwise.
Peru’s Migraciones authority publishes admission information. Passport, nationality and permitted-stay rules must be checked for the actual traveller, and any border or immigration form should come from the government service.
Lima is the principal air hub, with domestic services to Cusco, Arequipa and other gateways. Intercity buses cover many routes, and selected tourist trains serve the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu area.
May to September is the broad dry-season window for many Andean routes. Lima’s coastal conditions and Amazon rainfall follow different patterns, so an itinerary spanning regions needs separate forecasts and access checks.
Peru uses the sol (PEN). Current acceptance and withdrawal charges are Not recorded here; confirm whether an operator expects soles, cards or advance payment before leaving a major city.
Peru records 105 for police and 116 for fire services. Type A and C sockets use 220 V; national tap-water guidance is Not recorded, so obtain local advice.
