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.
135 places match
Category
Typical visit duration
Interests
Tampu Mach'ay
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
Santa Ana Square is a historic public plaza in the upper part of Cusco’s colonial centre. It sits beyond the busiest circuit around Plaza de Armas and offers a quieter view of the city’s traditional neighbourhood fabric.
Centro Histórico de Lima
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.
Palacio de Gobierno
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 near Cusco in Peru’s Sacred Valley. Its defining feature is a group of circular agricultural terraces cut into a natural depression.
Iglesia de Santa Ana
Santa Ana Church is a colonial parish church in Cusco’s Santa Ana neighbourhood, within the Historic Centre of Cusco, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Plaza Limacpampa is a public square in upper-central Cusco. It works mainly as a connecting space between San Blas, Qorikancha, Avenida El Sol, and nearby modern commercial streets.
Puente de Piedra
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.
Museo de Arte Italiano
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.
Valle Sagrado de los Incas
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.
Museo del Palacio Arzobispal de Lima
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 an archaeological complex inside Miraflores, where successive Lima, Wari and Ychsma communities left evidence of construction and use.
Pisaq
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.
Museo Larco
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.
Fortaleza del Real Felipe
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.
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.
Biblioteca Nacional del Perú
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 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.
Palacio Torre Tagle
Palacio de Torre Tagle is a historic palace in Lima, Peru, recognised as a canonical example of Lima Baroque domestic architecture.
Q'enqo Grande
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.
Zona Histórica Intangible del Morro Solar
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.
Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú
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.
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.
