Where to go in Peru

The places worth building a trip around

Each of these has its own page with timing, budget and getting-around notes.

• Lima (City) — Coastal capital with landmark restaurants, clifftop districts and pre-Columbian museums.
• Cusco (City) — Inca capital at altitude, the base for the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
• Sacred Valley (Region) — Lower-altitude valley of Inca sites, markets and terraces between Cusco and Machu Picchu.
• Machu Picchu (Park) — The Inca citadel above the Urubamba — ticketed, capped entry with timed circuits.
• Arequipa & Colca Canyon (City) — White volcanic-stone city with volcano views and a deep canyon known for condors.
• Huaraz & Cordillera Blanca (Mountain) — High-altitude trekking base for glacial lakes and multi-day Andean circuits.
• Iquitos & the Amazon (Region) — River-lodge gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, reachable only by air or boat.
• Lake Titicaca & Puno (Lake) — High-altitude lake with island communities and Andean-Aymara culture on the Bolivian border.
• Máncora (Coast) — Northern-coast beach town with the country's sunniest weather and consistent surf.

Pairing them up

Peru classic: Lima food, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Route — Lima → Sacred Valley → Machu Picchu → Cusco.

What the country is strongest for

Peru rates highest for food, culture, adventure, backpacking, which is a good sanity check before committing.