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🇵🇪Things to Do in Peru
From Machu Picchu to the Sacred Valley of the Incas - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Peru's trip almost always builds around one destination - Machu Picchu - and the question is how much of the surrounding Sacred Valley and Andean culture to add around it. Cusco is the practical base for all of it, with Lima as the arrival city and the Amazon or the desert coast as further options for a longer trip. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Machu Picchu
The 15th-century Inca citadel and Peru's most famous site, reached by train to Aguas Calientes and then a bus (or a multi-day trek) up to the ruins. Entry tickets are timed and capped daily - book weeks ahead in high season.
📍 Cusco Region
🚉 There is no road: trains from Cusco's Poroy station or Ollantaytambo run to Aguas Calientes, then shuttle buses climb the switchbacks to the gate - both the train and the entry ticket sell out weeks ahead.
Inca Trail & Sacred Valley
The classic 4-day trek to Machu Picchu follows original Inca stonework through the Andes, passing ruins at Ollantaytambo and Pisac along the way. Permits sell out months in advance for the classic route.
📍 Sacred Valley, Cusco Region
🚉 Colectivos and buses from Cusco's Pavitos street serve Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo all day; the classic trail starts at Km82, reached by the same road and a permit booked months in advance.
Cusco
The historic capital of the Inca Empire, with Spanish colonial churches built directly on top of Inca foundations - Qorikancha temple is the clearest example of this layering.
📍 Cusco
🚉 Cusco's airport is 10 minutes from the centre and the long-distance bus terminal serves Lima and Puno; the Plaza de Armas and San Blas are walkable, though the altitude makes the hills harder than they look.
Nazca Lines
Massive geoglyphs etched into the desert floor, depicting animals and shapes only fully visible from the air. Small-plane flights over the lines are the standard (if occasionally turbulent) way to see them.
📍 Nazca
🚉 Nazca is on the Panamericana Sur, four hours by Cruz del Sur coach from Ica or eight from Lima; the lines themselves are seen from the Maria Reiche viewing tower on the highway or on a light aircraft from Nazca aerodrome.
Lake Titicaca
The highest navigable lake in the world, shared with Bolivia, home to the Uros people's handmade floating reed islands, visitable on boat tours from Puno.
📍 Puno
🚉 Nearest station: Puno, the end of the scenic Andean Explorer line from Cusco, with the Uros floating islands and Taquile reached by boat from the port a few blocks away.
Rainbow Mountain (Vinicunca)
A mineral-striped peak at over 5,000 meters altitude, reached by a strenuous day hike from Cusco. Altitude acclimatization in Cusco for a few days beforehand makes a real difference here.
📍 Cusco Region
🚉 No public transport reaches the trailhead - tour vans leave Cusco around 3am for the three-hour drive to Pitumarca and the start of the walk at 4,300m.
Peruvian Amazon
Accessed via Puerto Maldonado or Iquitos, both offering multi-day jungle lodge stays with wildlife spotting, night walks and visits to indigenous communities.
📍 Puerto Maldonado & Iquitos
🚉 Iquitos is reachable only by air or river - no road connects it to the rest of Peru - while Puerto Maldonado has flights from Cusco and boats down the Madre de Dios to the lodges.
Lima Food Scene
Peru's capital has become one of South America's leading food cities, with ceviche as the signature dish - a fresh seafood-and-citrus preparation worth trying at a proper cevicheria rather than a hotel restaurant.
📍 Lima
🚉 The restaurant districts are Miraflores and Barranco, linked to central Lima by the Metropolitano busway - Ricardo Palma and Bulevar are the useful stops, and Barranco is a 20-minute walk further along the cliffs.
Mark Peru, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Peru?
10 days covers Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu well. Two weeks lets you add Lake Titicaca or the Amazon without a rushed pace, and gives more buffer for altitude acclimatization.
What's the best time to visit Peru?
May-September is the dry season in the Andes and the most popular (and most booked-up) time for Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail. The wet season (December-March) closes the classic Inca Trail entirely for maintenance each February.
Is Peru good for a first-time visit?
Yes, with some planning around altitude - Cusco sits at 3,400m, and most visitors feel some effect for a day or two, so building in acclimatization time before strenuous hikes is worth it.
Do I need a visa to visit Peru?
Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays (typically up to 90 or 183 days depending on passport); other nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: gob.pe/migraciones.
What are some things to do in Peru on a tight budget?
Cusco's colonial plazas and churches (exteriors) cost nothing to wander, local menu del dia lunch sets are inexpensive and filling, and hiking an alternative trek to Machu Picchu (like Salkantay) is generally cheaper and easier to book last-minute than the classic Inca Trail.
Can I rent a car in Peru, and what licence do I need?
You can, but few visitors do: the Cusco-to-Machu Picchu route has no road at all, mountain driving is demanding, and long-distance coaches like Cruz del Sur are comfortable and cheap. If you drive, a foreign licence is accepted for up to six months when carried with an International Driving Permit, and the minimum age is 25 at most companies. A 4x4 is worth having for the Sacred Valley and the altiplano, and altitude affects both cars and drivers above 4,000m. The Ministry of Transport and Communications publishes the rules at gob.pe/mtc; cars come from Hertz and Avis.