Things to do in Peru

30 things to do in Peru

Listed in full below. The running order is set by votes and loads with the page.

• Reach Machu Picchu as the mist lifts

  Arrive early and watch the citadel come into view through the mountains.

  Cusco Region

• Eat ceviche in Lima

  Taste the citrus, chili, and seafood that make the coast impossible to skip.

  Lima

• Spend a morning in the Sacred Valley

  Move between markets, terraces, villages, and mountain roads at an easy pace.

  Sacred Valley

• Fly over the Nazca Lines

  Take the small-plane view over desert figures that only make sense from above.

  Nazca

• Boat into the Amazon from Iquitos

  Trade roads for river travel, forest sounds, and villages along the water.

  Iquitos

• Watch condors in Colca Canyon

  Arrive early at the canyon rim and wait for huge birds to rise on warm air.

  Arequipa Region

• Try pisco sours in Barranco

  Spend an evening in Lima's arts district between bars, bridges, murals, and music.

  Lima

• See the floating islands of Lake Titicaca

  Visit the high-altitude lake and learn how reed islands are built and lived on.

  Puno

• Hike to Rainbow Mountain

  Climb slowly at altitude for striped slopes and wide Andean views.

  Cusco Region

• Taste potatoes at a highland market

  Use a market stop to understand how many colors and textures one staple can have.

  Pisac

• Watch sunrise over Machu Picchu

  Explore the 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu as the first rays of light illuminate the stone temples and terraced slopes.

  Aguas Calientes, Cusco Region

• Hike the classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

  Trek the legendary 4-day Inca Trail through cloud forests, passing remote Inca ruins before entering the Sun Gate at dawn.

  Piscacucho (km 82), Cusco Region

• Cruise deep into the Amazon from Pacaya Samiria National Reserve

  Navigate black-water rivers and flooded forests near Iquitos, spotting pink river dolphins, howler monkeys, and giant lilies in the vast Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

  Loreto Region

• Soak in the atmosphere of Plaza de Armas in Cusco

  Linger on the main square beneath colonial arcades and twin-towered cathedral, where Inca foundations meet Spanish balconies and daily Andean life unfolds.

  Cusco

• Marvel at the megalithic walls of Sacsayhuamán

  Walk among the colossal limestone blocks of this Inca fortress, fitted together with such precision that a sheet of paper cannot slip between them.

  Cusco

• Explore the circular Inca terraces of Moray

  Descend into a series of amphitheater-like agricultural terraces, an Inca laboratory that used microclimates to domesticate crops at different temperatures.

  Sacred Valley, Cusco Region

• Walk through the Maras salt evaporation ponds

  Witness thousands of startlingly white terraced salt ponds that have been harvested using pre-Inca methods, cascading down a hillside in the Sacred Valley.

  Maras, Cusco Region

• Sandboard down the dunes of Huacachina oasis

  Ride a board down towering desert dunes that encircle a palm-fringed lagoon oasis, then watch the sunset paint the sand gold from the ridge.

  Ica Region

• Take a boat tour around the Ballestas Islands

  Spot colonies of Humboldt penguins, sea lions, and thousands of guano birds on these rocky islands, passing the enigmatic Paracas Candelabra geoglyph.

  Paracas, Ica Region

• Get lost in the Santa Catalina Monastery in Arequipa

  Wander through a 16th-century citadel of vividly painted cloisters, narrow streets, and hidden plazas that was closed to the outside world for centuries.

  Arequipa

• Hike to Laguna 69 in Huascarán National Park

  Trek through high Andean grasslands to a brilliant turquoise glacial lake, backed by the icy peaks of the Cordillera Blanca at 4,600 meters.

  Ancash Region

• Discover the pre-Inca fortress of Kuelap

  Enter the massive walled city of the Chachapoyas culture, perched on a limestone ridge in the cloud forest and accessed via a dramatic cable-car ride.

  Amazonas Region

• Trek to the thundering Gocta Waterfall

  Follow a lush trail through the Chachapoyas cloud forest to the base of the 771-meter Gocta waterfall, framed by orchids and bromeliads.

  Amazonas Region

• Sip a pisco sour at the Gran Hotel Bolívar in Lima

  Enjoy the iconic Peruvian cocktail at the historic Gran Hotel Bolívar's bar, where pisco sour lore runs deep amid colonial grandeur.

  Lima

• Walk through the adobe city of Chan Chan

  Explore the vast, walled remains of the Chimú Kingdom's capital, the largest adobe city in the ancient world, with its intricate marine-themed friezes.

  Trujillo, La Libertad Region

• Dine with a view of the illuminated Huaca Pucllana

  Enjoy contemporary Peruvian cuisine at the restaurant nestled beside the pre-Inca adobe pyramid of Huaca Pucllana, spectacularly lit at night in Miraflores.

  Miraflores, Lima

• Bar hop in Lima's bohemian Barranco district

  Experience Barranco's lively nightlife starting at Juanito's, a legendary bar with vintage charm, then follow live music from street to colonial cantina.

  Barranco, Lima

• View Inca mummies at the Museo Inka in Cusco

  Examine a collection of Inca artifacts, textiles, and well-preserved mummies inside a colonial mansion once home to an Inca noble.

  Cusco

• Learn natural weaving techniques in Chinchero

  Visit a traditional textile workshop in the high-altitude town of Chinchero, where artisans demonstrate natural dyes and techniques passed down since Inca times.

  Chinchero, Cusco Region

• Paddle the oxbow Lake Sandoval in Tambopata

  Canoe across a mirror-like lake in the rainforest, watching giant river otters play while howler monkeys call from the surrounding canopy.

  Tambopata National Reserve, Madre de Dios