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...
Photograph · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
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.
Checked 2026-08-25
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.
34 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Museo Machu Picchu
The Museo Machu Picchu - Casa Concha is a museum housed in a colonial-era building in Cusco, Peru. It was established to display the principal collection of archaeological artifacts returned from Yale University's excavations at Machu Picchu.
The Aeronautical Museum of Peru, known locally as Museo Aeronáutico del Perú, is a specialist aviation museum in Lima. It documents Peruvian military and civil aviation history through preserved aircraft, engines, uniforms, and archival materials.
The Presbítero Matías Maestro Cemetery Museum is a monumental cemetery in Lima, Peru, operating as a museum institution. Established during the republican period, it serves as both an active burial ground and a cultural heritage site.
The Coca Museum, known locally as Museo de la Coca, is a specialist museum in Cusco dedicated to the cultural, historical, and traditional significance of the coca leaf in Andean societies.
The Andrés del Castillo Mineral Museum, known locally as Museo de Minerales Andrés del Castillo, occupies the restored Casa Belén in Lima's historic centre. This cultural institution showcases Peru's remarkable mineral wealth within a significant architectural setting.
Santa Catalina Convent and Museum is a colonial religious complex in Cusco, Peru, operating as both an active monastery and a public museum. Established during the Spanish colonial period, it represents one of the city's significant historic religious institutions.
Museo de Arte Precolombino
The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, known locally as Museo de Arte Precolombino, occupies an Inca ceremonial building near Plaza Nazarenas in Cusco. The museum presents a carefully curated national pre-Columbian art collection within this historically significant structure.
Museo de Sitio Parque de La Muralla
The Park of the Wall is a riverside public space in central Lima that preserves visible remnants of the city's colonial-era defensive fortifications. The Spanish colonial administration constructed walls around Lima during the seventeenth century for protection.
Museo de Sitio Qorikancha
Qorikancha Site Museum, also called Museo de Sitio Qorikancha, is a small archaeological museum within Cusco’s Qorikancha and Santo Domingo complex.
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.
