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.
24 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge, known locally as Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa, is a protected wetland area situated within the metropolitan boundaries of Lima, Peru.
Lomas de Lúcumo is a seasonal fog-fed hill ecosystem located on the southern outskirts of Lima, within the district of Pachacamac. These lomas formations represent one of the rare green landscapes in Peru's otherwise arid coastal desert.
The Estadio Nacional del Perú is Peru's principal football stadium and a major civic landmark in Lima.
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.
