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
Montaña Huayna Picchu
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.
Lago Chinchaycocha
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.
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.
Winikunka
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.
Nevado Salkantay
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.
Parque Reducto
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.
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.
Laguna Lauricocha
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.
Volcán Auquihuato (Ver Cerro Auquihuato)
Awkiwatu is the Quechua name associated with Cerro Auquihuato, a 4,980-metre volcanic cone in Páucar del Sara Sara province, Ayacucho. It is not a viewpoint in central Cusco, despite its current placement in the Cusco content pool.
Solimana is a volcanic mountain in the Andes of southern Peru, situated in the Arequipa Region rather than immediately adjacent to Cusco city proper. It forms part of the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes.
Cataratas las Tres Hermanas
Tres Hermanas Falls, known locally as Cataratas las Tres Hermanas, is a waterfall attraction near Cusco, Peru. The name translates to Three Sisters Falls, referencing its three distinct cascades.
Chicón
Chicón is a mountain peak situated in the Cusco region of Peru. Located in the Andes, it forms part of the dramatic mountainous landscape surrounding the historic city of Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire.
Pumasillo is a mountain in the Cusco Region of Peru, situated within the Vilcabamba mountain range.
Laguna Sibinacocha
Lake Sibinacocha is a large high-Andean lake in the Urubamba basin of southern Peru. Peru's National Water Authority inventory records a surface area of about 28.11 square kilometres, making it one of the major glacial lakes identified in that basin.
Meseta de Marcahuasi
Marcahuasi is a high-altitude Andean plateau known in Spanish as Meseta de Marcahuasi. Situated east of Lima in the Peruvian mountains, this geological formation rises above the Rímac River valley.
Nevado Ampay
Nevado Ampay is a mountain peak located near the city of Cusco in Peru. The local name emphasizes its status as a snow-capped summit.
Qullpa Ananta
Callangate, known locally as Qullpa Ananta, is a mountain in the Cusco region of Peru. It stands within the Vilcanota mountain range, part of the larger Andes.
Ccarhuarazo is a locality in the Cusco region of Peru, situated within the broader Sacred Valley and Andean highland area. The settlement reflects the dispersed rural pattern common to many Peruvian altiplano communities, where agriculture and traditional livelihoods persist.
Cunurana is a locality in the Cusco region of Peru, situated in the Peruvian Andes. The area forms part of the broader Sacred Valley landscape, a historically significant zone of Inca civilization.
Paryaqaqa
Pariacaca, locally known as Paryaqaqa, is a mountain in the Lima Region of Peru. It holds significance in Andean cosmology as a sacred peak.
Chankuwaña is a place located in Cusco, Peru. Its local name is Chankuwaña, reflecting indigenous Quechua linguistic heritage common to the Cusco region.
Nevado Chimbolla
Nevado Chimbolla, also known as Chimboya, is a mountain peak situated near Cusco in the Peruvian Andes. The summit forms part of the dramatic high-altitude landscape that characterises the region surrounding the historic Inca capital.
Volcán Quimsachata
Volcán Quimsachata is a volcanic mountain near Cusco, Peru. Its local name, Quimsachata, reflects indigenous linguistic heritage in the region. The volcano forms part of the broader Andean volcanic landscape that characterizes southern Peru.
Allqamarinayuq
Alcamarinayoc, known locally as Allqamarinayuq, is a place of interest in the Cusco region of Peru. The name derives from Quechua elements suggesting associations with falcons or hawks, reflecting indigenous Andean naming traditions.
Allin Qhapaq
Chumpi
Halanquma
Hatun Ñañu Punta
Parque Reducto N°5
Aququcha
Acospalca
Ch'ichi Qhapaq
Qullqip'ukru
Nevado Condoriquiña
Aullin Japac
Nevado Huila Aje
Incahuasi
Hatun Uma
Condorsenja
Millo
Kiswar
Pumawanka
Nevado Puscantrurpa
Nevado Ticlla
Willka Wiqi
Wanakawri
Nevado Yayamari
Parque John F. Kennedy
Allqa Walusa
Alcay
Nevado Aquichua
Qarwachuku
Challwa Q'asa
Chila
Chunta
Chunta
Chuñuna
Choquesafra
Kunturt'uqu
Nevado Cule
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.
