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
Parque Alberto Andrade Carmona
Love Park, known locally as Parque del Amor, is a public park situated on the clifftops of Miraflores, a coastal district of Lima, Peru. It forms part of the Miraflores boardwalk, a pedestrian route tracing the Pacific coastline.
Museo Nacional del Perú
The Museo Nacional del Perú, commonly known as MUNA, is Peru's flagship national museum. It stands near the Pachacamac archaeological complex southeast of central Lima.
Museo Histórico Regional
The Regional Historical Museum of Cusco, known locally as Museo Histórico Regional del Cusco, occupies the Casa Garcilaso, a key historic residence in the city.
The Inka Museum, known locally as Museo Inka, occupies the colonial Admiral's House in Cusco. As a university museum, it provides what is considered the city's strongest broad introduction to Inca material culture.
The National Museum of Peruvian Culture is a Lima institution dedicated to Peru's popular arts and traditional culture. Established under government cultural auspices, it occupies a purpose-built site in the capital.
Lugar de la Memoria
The Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion, known locally as LUM, is a museum in Lima dedicated to documenting and reflecting upon Peru's internal armed conflict from 1980 to 2000.
Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Lima
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Lima, known locally as Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima or MAC Lima, is Lima's principal purpose-led contemporary-art museum.
InkillTanbo
Inkilltambo is a restored Inca ceremonial and agricultural complex situated on the urban edge of Cusco, Peru. The site represents a significant archaeological zone that combines religious and farming functions typical of Inca landscape engineering.
Museo de La Electricidad
The Museo de la Electricidad is a small science and technology museum located in Barranco, Lima. It documents the history of electrification in Peru and the development of historic urban transport systems.
Museo de Arte Religioso
The Museum of Religious Art occupies the former palace of Inca Roca, a significant noble residence in the Inca imperial capital. The building later passed to colonial religious authorities and was adapted for ecclesiastical use.
Museo de Sitio y Santuario Arqueológico de Pachacámac
Pachacamac Archaeological Sanctuary is a major pre-Columbian archaeological site located southeast of Lima, Peru. The complex was a significant religious and pilgrimage center for multiple Andean cultures over approximately 1,500 years, from around 200 CE through the Inca period.
Estadio Nacional del Perú
The Estadio Nacional del Perú is Peru's principal football stadium and a major civic landmark in Lima.
Iglesia La Ermita de Barranco
La Ermita Church of Barranco is a historic religious structure in the Barranco district of Lima, Peru. Its local name is Iglesia La Ermita de Barranco.
Teatro Nacional del Perú
The Gran Teatro Nacional del Perú stands as Peru's principal modern performing-arts venue, located in the San Borja district of Lima.
Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park is a monumental Inca fortress-temple complex and living town in the Sacred Valley of the Cusco region. The site preserves one of the most intact examples of Inca urban planning, with original street grids still inhabited.
San Sebastian
San Sebastian Church, Iglesia de San Sebastián, is a historic parish church in Cusco’s San Sebastián district. Its setting extends the city’s religious and architectural story beyond the compact tourist centre.
Iglesia de Santa Clara
Santa Clara Church, or Iglesia de Santa Clara, is a colonial-era church in Cusco’s historic centre, close to San Pedro Market.
Mercado de San Pedro
San Pedro Market, known locally as Mercado Central de San Pedro, is Cusco's principal covered public market. Located near the historic centre, this large iron-roofed building houses hundreds of vendors across multiple aisles.
Larcomar is a shopping and entertainment complex integrated into the cliffs of Miraflores, a district of Lima, Peru.
Parque de las Leyendas is a major metropolitan zoo in Lima, Peru. Its official website identifies it as a zoological park integrated with cultural and natural heritage elements.
The Amano Pre-Columbian Textile Museum is a specialized museum in Lima dedicated to preserving and exhibiting Andean textile traditions. Founded by Yoshitaro Amano, a Japanese collector who settled in Peru, the institution houses a significant private collection assembled over decades.
Templo de la Luna
The Temple of the Moon, or Templo de la Luna, is a rock-cut ceremonial site located on the hills near Sacsayhuaman above Cusco. Unlike the grand fortress of Sacsayhuaman, this location offers a more intimate archaeological experience.
The Arc of Santa Clara is a republican ceremonial arch on the western approach from San Pedro into Cusco’s historic centre.
Parque Municipal de Barranco
Barranco Municipal Park is a historic public space in the center of Barranco’s Monumental Zone, between Pedro de Osma and Miguel Grau avenues. Peru’s official tourism inventory dates its inauguration to 13 February 1898 under Mayor Pedro Solari.
The House of Peruvian Literature, known locally as Casa de la Literatura Peruana, occupies the restored Desamparados railway station in Lima. This cultural institution serves as Peru's principal public centre for literary exhibitions and reading.
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.
