Must-see attractions in Peru

  • The stone ruins of the Fortaleza de Kuelap.

    Kuélap

    Kuélap

    Travelers have their heads literally in the clouds when visiting the walled jungle fortress Kuélap in the northern highlands of Peru – the gateway to the…

  • Wooden boats anchored on Paron lake in Cordillera Blanca.

    Laguna Parón

    Cordillera Blanca

    The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca — a snowcapped range of the Andes in west central Peru — and a gorgeous natural reservoir, Laguna Paron is a…

  • Stone mask on the ancient temple at Chavin de Huantar in Peru

    Chavín de Huántar

    Huaraz & the Cordilleras

    In most people's minds, Chavín is less a town and more a set of ruins – not any old ruins, but the erstwhile ceremonial center of one of Peru's most…

  • The Sacred City of Caral-Supe reflects the rise of civilisation in the Americas. As a fully developed socio-political state, it is remarkable for its complexity and its impact on developing settlements throughout the Supe Valley and beyond. Its early use of the quipu as a recording device is considered of great significance. The design of both the architectural and spatial components of the city is masterful, and the monumental platform mounds and recessed circular courts are powerful and influential expressions of a consolidated state.

    Caral

    North Coast

    Before metal or ceramic was invented and well before the Maya and Inca cultures ruled, there was Caral, the oldest civilization in the Americas. Having…

  • nScenery when walking around Amantaní­ Island on Lake Titicaca on the border between Peru and Bolivia in South America.

    Isla Amantaní

    Lake Titicaca

    Of the small remote islands dotted around Lake Titicaca, Isla Amantaní is the least visited. Its population is just 4000, is a few kilometers north of the…

  • Belén Mercado

    Iquitos

    At the southeast end of town is the floating shantytown of Belén, consisting of scores of huts, built on rafts, which rise and fall with the river. During…

  • Crosses in courtyard of Cloister of Orange Trees in Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Monastery), Arequipa, Peru

    Monasterio de Santa Catalina

    Arequipa

    This convent shouldn’t be missed, even if you’ve overdosed on colonial edifices. Occupying a whole block and guarded by imposing high walls, it is one of…

  • Intricate carved interior of Huaca de la Luna (Temple of the Moon) archaeological site.

    Huacas del Sol y de la Luna

    North Coast

    If there's one must-see archaeological site in the region, this is it. The Temples of the Sun and the Moon, attributed to the Moche period, are more than…

  • Catarata de Gocta

    Northern Highlands

    This 771m waterfall somehow escaped the notice of the Peruvian government, international explorers and prying satellite images until 2002, when German…

  • The Larco Museum in Lima, Peru

    Museo Larco

    Lima

    In an 18th-century viceroy’s mansion, this museum offers one of the largest, best-presented displays of ceramics in Lima. Founded by pre-Columbian…

  • Museo Tumbas Reales de Sipán

    North Coast

    Opened in November 2002, the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán is the pride of northern Peru – as well it should be. With its burgundy pyramid…

  • Lima, Peru: Santo Domingo Monastery; Shutterstock ID 134781179; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Iglesia de Santo Domingo

    Lima

    One of Lima’s most historic religious sites, the Iglesia de Santo Domingo and its expansive convent are built on land granted to the Dominican friar…

  • Fountain at night in Park of the Reserve, Lima

    El Circuito Mágico del Agua

    Lima

    This indulgent series of illuminated fountains is so over the top it can’t help but induce stupefaction among even the most hardened travel cynic. A dozen…

  • Cruz del Cóndor

    Cañón Del Colca

    This famed viewpoint is for many the highlight of their trip to the Cañón del Colca. A large family of Andean condors nests by the rocky outcrop and, with…

  • Fundación Museo Amano

    Lima

    The well-designed Fundación Museo Amano features a fine private collection of ceramics, with a strong representation of wares from the Chimú and Nazca…

  • Peru, Lima, Museo de Arte, facade

    Museo de Arte de Lima

    Lima

    Known locally as MALI, Lima’s principal fine-art museum is housed in a striking beaux-arts building that was renovated in 2015. Subjects range from pre…

  • Santuario de Mama Ashu

    Huaraz & the Cordilleras

    Chacas’ showpiece building, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, is not just a work of art but an admirable rehabilitation project, courtesy of a…

  • Cathedral

    Ayacucho

    This spectacular 17th-century cathedral on the Plaza de Armas has a religious-art museum inside. The moody facade doesn’t quite prepare you for the…

  • Museo Inkariy

    The Sacred Valley

    This wonderful new museum takes visitors into the world of the fascinating pre-Colombian civilizations that came before the Inca. It acknowledges the…

  • Museo de la Memoria

    Ayacucho

    Ayacucho’s most haunting museum, remembers the impact the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) had on Peru in the city that was most deeply affected by the…

  • Museo Leimebamba

    Northern Highlands

    The mummies found at Laguna de los Cóndores are housed in the Museo Leimebamba, 5km south of town. The museum is owned by the local community and located…

  • Museo de Arte Popular

    Ayacucho

    Displays popular art covering the ayacucheño (natives of Ayacucho) spectrum – silverwork, rug- and tapestry-weaving, stone and woodcarvings, ceramics …

  • Islas Uros

    Islas Uros

    These human-made islands constructed from reeds are a fascinating half-day trip from Puno. Each islet is home to between one and ten Uros families, who…

  • Museo Machu Picchu

    Cuzco

    This newish museum exhibits 360 pieces from Machu Picchu taken by Hiram Bingham's expeditions and recently returned by Yale University, including stone…

  • Parque Arqueológico Choquequirao

    Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

    Translating as 'Cradle of Gold,' this remote Incan site (3050m) in the Vilcabamba mountain range over the Apurimac canyon bears a strong resemblance to…

  • Cusco Planetarium

    Cuzco

    An excellent way to explore the fascinating Inca cosmovision. They defined constellations of darkness as well as light, used astronomy to predict weather…

  • Monumental Callao

    Lima

    Superstar graffiti artists are helping to revive the rough neighborhood surrounding Casa Ronald, a 1920 architectural masterpiece. Now a center for…

  • Isla Taquile

    Lake Titicaca

    Miniscule Taquile may be only 7-sq-km, with a population of merely 2000 people, but this island has a distinct culture famous for its colorful textiles…

  • Historical Ships Museum

    Iquitos

    Moored below Plaza Castilla is the diverting Historical Ships Museum, on a 1906 Amazon riverboat, the gorgeously restored three-deck Ayapua. The…

  • Museo Santuarios Andinos

    Arequipa

    There’s an escalating drama to this theatrically presented museum, dedicated to the preserved body of a frozen ‘mummy,’ and its compulsory guided tour …

  • Iglesia de Santiago Apostol

    Lake Titicaca

    Worth seeing and the pride of locals, this lime-mortar church includes fascinating features, such as a life-sized sculpture of The Last Supper; Santiago …

  • Museo de la Catedral

    Arequipa

    A must for visitors who want to see more of Arequipa's cathedral, the included 45-minute bilingual tour of this 'museum' is actually a peek at the inner…

  • Mirador de San Miguel

    Cañón Del Colca

    The spectacular views here are a highlight of Cabanaconde, taking in the mountain range, with the villages resembling specks of white dust clinging to its…

  • Yanahuara

    Arequipa

    This tranquil neighborhood makes for a pleasant, walkable excursion, with a mirador (lookout) as its centerpiece providing excellent views of Arequipa and…

  • amazonian lodge

    Parque Nacional Manu

    Amazon Basin

    This vast national park in the Amazon Basin covers almost 20,000 sq km and is one of the best places in South America to see a stunning variety of…

  • Tres Cruces

    Amazon Basin

    About two hours beyond Paucartambo is the extraordinary jungle view at Tres Cruces, a lookout off the Paucartambo–Shintuya road. The sight of the…

  • Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary

    Cuzco & the Sacred Valley

    For many travelers to Peru, a visit to the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu is the whole purpose of their trip. With its awe-inspiring location, it is the…

  • Wiñay Wayna

    The Inca Trail

    An exquisite little Inca site along the Inca Trail; it's name is variously translated as ‘Forever Young,’ ‘To Plant the Earth Young’ and ‘Growing Young’ …

  • Cocha Salvador

    Amazon Basin

    Probably Parque Nacional Manu's loveliest lake, at least amongst the part of the park visited by tourists, with camping and hiking possibilities.

  • Nazca spider

    Nazca Lines

    Nazca & Around

    Spread over 500 sq km (310 sq mi) of arid, rock-strewn plain in the Pampa Colorada (Red Plain), the Nazca Lines are one of the world's great…

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