Explore Peru's Best

Top Destinations

From the ancient heights of Cusco to the wild coasts of Paracas, explore Peru's most unforgettable destinations - each with its own culture, cuisine, and adventure.

UNESCO World Heritage City

Cusco

Cusco, perched at 3,400 meters in the high Peruvian Andes, was the glorious imperial capital of Tawantinsuyu, the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas. Today, it remains a living open-air museum where ancient Inca stone foundations seamlessly support elegant Spanish colonial churches and baroque palaces.

Walking through Cusco's historic streets reveals a vibrant fusion of living traditions, where native Quechua is spoken alongside Spanish in bustling open markets like San Pedro. Ancestral weaving, sacred mountain rituals, and vibrant Andean festivals continue to thrive in daily urban life amidst colonial plazas.

One of the New Seven Wonders of the World

Machu Picchu

Rising dramatically 2,430 meters above sea level in the cloud forests of the Peruvian Andes, Machu Picchu is one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements. Constructed around 1450 under the visionary reign of Inca Pachacuti, this granite citadel was deliberately built on a remote mountain ridge, invisible to the Spanish conquistadors who never discovered it during the colonial era.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007, the sanctuary has captured the imagination of millions. Since explorer Hiram Bingham first brought it to international attention in 1911, it has become South America's most visited and studied archaeological destination, welcoming up to 5,600 visitors daily during peak season.

Sacred Inca Heartland

Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley of the Incas (Valle Sagrado de los Incas) winds along the fertile Urubamba River between Cusco and Machu Picchu. Sitting at a gentler elevation of 2,870 meters, this spectacular high-Andean corridor offers lush green landscapes, kinder oxygen levels, and an ideal setting for acclimatization.

Flanked by dramatic snow-capped mountain ranges, the valley is dotted with monumental Inca citadels, colonial villages, and colorful indigenous artisan markets. Ancient agricultural centers like Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, and Moray reveal the architectural mastery and farming genius of the Incas.

World's Deepest Valley Sanctuary

Colca Canyon

The Colca Canyon (Cañón del Colca) is one of South America's most breathtaking geological wonders, located in the high Andes of southern Peru just three and a half hours from Arequipa. Reaching depths of over 3,400 meters, it stands as one of the deepest river canyons on Earth, more than double the depth of the Grand Canyon.

Carved over millions of geological epochs by the rushing Colca River, the valley features thousands of ancient pre-Inca agricultural terraces constructed by the Collagua and Cabana cultures. These sprawling terraced fields remain actively farmed today, cascading dramatically down canyon walls in a vibrant tapestry of green.

Gastronomic Capital of the Americas

Lima

Lima, Peru's vibrant capital metropolis of over ten million inhabitants, rests dynamically along the Pacific Ocean coastline. As the undisputed culinary capital of South America, it offers a compelling blend of pre-Columbian adobe pyramids, magnificent Spanish colonial architecture, and cutting-edge urban art.

The city's unique geography pairs dramatic coastal desert cliffs with year-round mild temperatures, creating an inspiring environment for world-renowned chefs, bohemian artists, and ocean enthusiasts. Ancient ceremonial huacas sit right beside high-rise modern districts like Miraflores and San Isidro.

UNESCO World Heritage City

Arequipa

Arequipa, Peru's second-largest city, is situated at 2,335 meters above sea level in a fertile valley framed by three majestic volcanic peaks: El Misti, Chachani, and Pichu Pichu. Celebrated as the 'White City' for its historical architecture built from white volcanic sillar stone, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

The city's vibrant historical core offers an exquisite blend of Spanish colonial elegance and native Andean artistry. Sun-drenched plazas, ancient arcades, and baroque monastical complexes reflect a unique architectural identity illuminated by over 300 days of annual sunshine, creating a warm and welcoming high-desert climate.

UNESCO Biosphere Sanctuary

Amazon Rainforest

The Peruvian Amazon covers nearly sixty percent of Peru's national territory, harboring the highest concentration of plant and animal biodiversity on Earth. From the cloud forest slopes of Manu National Park to the virgin lowland jungle of Tambopata Reserve, it offers an incomparable wildlife wilderness.

Traversed by mighty river systems including the Amazon, Madre de Dios, and Ucayali rivers, the jungle is home to world-renowned eco-lodges accessible only by boat. Travelers can walk along high canopy walkways, navigate peaceful oxbow lakes, and witness hundreds of colorful macaws gathered at clay licks.

Sacred High-Andean Lake

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca sits at an astonishing 3,812 meters above sea level on the vast Altiplano plateau along the border of Peru and Bolivia. Recognized as the world's highest commercially navigable body of water, its shimmering deep blue waters stretch across 8,372 square kilometers framed by snow-capped peaks.

According to ancient Andean mythology, Titicaca is the sacred birthplace of the Sun God Inti and Manco Cápac, the legendary founder of the Inca dynasty. For thousands of years, its sacred waters have sustained highland civilizations, from the pre-Inca Pukara and Tiwanaku cultures to living Aymara and Quechua communities.

National Marine Sanctuary

Paracas

Paracas is Peru's premier coastal marine sanctuary, situated along the Pacific Ocean coastline just three and a half hours south of Lima. Renowned for its rich marine biodiversity, dramatic coastal desert landscapes, and ancient pre-Inca history, it offers a captivating retreat along the Peruvian coast.

The region is world-famous for the Ballestas Islands, often dubbed Peru's mini-Galapagos, where boat tours encounter thousands of sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and nesting seabirds. Adjacent lies the Paracas National Reserve, protecting 335,000 hectares of desert cliffs, crimson beaches, and turquoise bays.

Natural Desert Oasis

Huacachina

Huacachina is a legendary natural desert oasis located just five kilometers outside the city of Ica in southern Peru. Renowned as the only natural oasis in South America, its emerald green lagoon is surrounded by towering golden sand dunes, lush palm trees, and charming colonial-style arcades.

The oasis gained international fame as a therapeutic health resort during the 1940s, when Peru's elite traveled to bathe in its mineral-rich waters. Today, it stands as Peru's top destination for high-adrenaline desert adventure sports, famous worldwide for high-speed dune buggy rides and sandboarding.

UNESCO World Heritage Geoglyphs

Nazca

Nazca is an ancient desert city located in southern Peru's hyper-arid coastal plain, world-renowned for the mysterious Nazca Lines. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, these ancient geoglyphs carved across the desert plateau remain one of archaeology's greatest unsolved mysteries.

Created by the pre-Inca Nazca culture between 100 BC and 800 AD, the site features over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures, and 70 massive biomorphic drawings of animals and plants. These gigantic figures, including a 96-meter Hummingbird, 110-meter Monkey, and 46-meter Spider, are best viewed from small aircraft overflights.