Things to Do in Peru

Plunging 13,650 feet (4,160 meters) down, Peru’s Colca Canyon is officially one of the world’s deepest canyons—with a breadth of activities to match. Visitors opt to visit this off-the-beaten-track attraction for its opportunities for adventure in a stunning natural environment, its large population of Andean condors, and its pre-Inca historical sites.

Most Colca Canyon tours start in Arequipa, which doubles as a basecamp for 3-day treks through the Andes Mountains (be sure to go with a guide for safety reasons) and for overnight horseback riding or bus tours to the canyon. Upon arrival at the Andean valley, a plethora of options for tours and outdoor activities await: Hike to overlooks such as La Cruz del Condor, bike through the Colca Valley, or kayak or raft down the Colca River.

No matter what sights and activities you choose, guided tours are generally the easiest and most convenient way to travel, as most provide round-trip transportation from Arequipa. But if you’re seeking an independent sightseeing experience, you can book a bus transfer from Arequipa with stops at scenic viewpoints and attractions along the way.

The closest city to Colca Canyon is Arequipa, roughly 100 miles (161 kilometers) southeast. From there you can book a bus or shuttle directly to the canyon, or take public transportation to Chivay or Cabanaconde on either end of the canyon. Chivay is the more popular choice, as it is home to relaxing hot springs. If you have the time and energy, you can make the 3-day hike. You can also reach the canyon via Cusco, though it is a longer journey.

May through September is the driest time of the year in Peru, and therefore it’s the best for hiking and other outdoor activities. December through February is the low season, which promises fewer crowds.

Historical attractions—such as pre-Hispanic settlements, the pre-Inca Chimpa fortress, and the caves of Mollepunko above Callalli, where 6,000-year-old rock art shows the domestication of the alpaca—are plentiful in the canyon. Andean Condors are another draw as some of the world’s largest flying birds, with bodies up to four feet (1.2 meters) tall and wingspans of up to 10.5 feet (3.2 meters). Because of their size, they live in windy areas that can help them get off the ground.

Sometimes referred to as “the other Machu Picchu”, Choquequirao is an Incan ruin in the mountains outside of Cuzco. Unlike Machu Picchu, however, Choquequirao sees only a handful of visitors due to the difficult two-day hike. 

That could potentially change, however, as plans are in the works to shorten the access to a 15-minute ride on a tram. Many believe that this will greatly-reduce the sense of tranquility which is found at the outpost, although others argue it will open the ruin for a greater amount of visitors. Like Machu Picchu, Choquequirao is an Incan city with ornately-carved terraces and structures, and historians believe that this city in the clouds was once the retreat of royalty.  Only about a third of the site has been completely excavated, however, and much of the city continues to remain hidden within the cloudy, sweaty jungle. 

Historically, there is much more to Choquequirao than simply another city of the Inca. It’s believed by historians that this was the final outpost of warriors who laid siege on the Spanish at Cuzco, who upon staging a revolt to take the capital retreated back into the mountains. For the next 400 years, the city remained largely forgotten and isolated in the cloud forest until excavations began in 1970.

While only the hardiest of trekkers can currently visit the city, enduring the trek to Choquequirao is more than worth the effort. It’s a quiet, mysterious, and forgotten escape where you stroll through a ruin located away from crowds. It’s fascinating window into an ancient culture, and for the time being, it’s a sliver of history and a corner of Peru which you can largely have all to yourself.

Stretching between the Plaza de Armas and Plaza San Martin, and bisected by the principal boulevard of Jirón de la Unión, the historic center of Lima is still the focal point of the modern-day city. Today, the UNESCO-listed area forms the basis of most tourist itineraries, with the majority of attractions within easy walking distance and a wealth of elegant buildings, churches  and monumental statues dating back to the colonial era. 

The Plaza de Armas makes a popular starting point for walking tours, home to a cluster of landmarks including the Presidential Palace, the Municipal Palace (City Hall) and the Palace of the Union, as well as a bronze fountain bearing the coats-of-arms of Lima. Famously the site of the foundation of the ‘City of the Kings’ in 1535, the Plaza de Armas became the city’s first public square and was later the site of the declaration of the Republic of Peru in 1821. 

Next, visit the grand Cathedral of Lima, home to Pizarro's tomb and a Museum of Colonial Art; stroll around the lively Central Market and neighboring Barrio Chino (Chinatown); then discover the remains of the colonial city walls in the nearby Parque Universitario. Additional highlights of the historic center include the Hotel Bolivar, Lima’s oldest Hotel, the 17th century Monasterio de San Francisco, the ornate Archbishop's Palace and the well preserved Church and Convent of Santo Domingo.

Once the shimmering capital of the entire Inca Empire, Cusco is the gateway to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and the ruins of Machu Picchu. Bearing its original Inca name, meaning “Navel of the Earth,” Cusco pulsates with a unique and magical energy rivaled by few other South American cities, most notably in its historic center.

Begin a visit to the historic center—a UNESCO World Heritage SIte since 1983—at the Plaza de Armas, also known as Plaza Mayor. Festooned with fountains, this magnetic square is lined with gorgeous charming colonial buildings and churches that live alongside—and at times atop—ancient Inca walls and foundations. 

There are many options for exploring Cusco’s historic center; private or group tours run day and night. Multi-day tours may incorporate visits to Lake Humantay, Machu Picchu, and other key attractions inside the breathtaking Sacred Valley of the Incas. Cyclists may opt to explore Cusco as part of a multi-day mountain bike trek.

 

 

The historic center of Cusco is walkable from most hotels. If you’re staying farther away, book a tour that includes round-trip transportation, as public transit is scant. 

 

As the center of life in Cusco, the historic center is popular with all travelers in the region, and it’s great any time of day. At night, the illuminated Plaza de Armas and its grand cathedral create one of the most enchanting sights in Peru. 

Pay a visit to Santo Domingo Church, just off the main plaza, a colonial church built atop an Inca temple. Dedicated to the worship of the sun, the sacred structure was at one point flush with statues and altars made of solid gold. Though Spanish conquistadors violently looted the temple, much of the original site, with its masterful masonry, remains, and stands in stark contrast to the baroque church above. 

There are few places more perfect for chocolate lovers than the ChocoMuseo in Miraflores. Travelers can tour the chocolate factory and watch expert artisans craft dark, milk and white chocolate delights by hand, or participate in one of the museum’s unique workshops that grant visitors an opportunity to create rich chocolate truffles or transform cocoa beans to bars under the direction of master chocolatiers. A world-class café offers up chocolate-themed pastries, desserts and beverages, and a well-stocked chocolate shop is lined with shelves of locally sourced treats. Interested travelers can even tour nearby cocoa plantations and learn how local farmers grow and harvest these prized beans to provide pastry chefs and cooks with one of the world’s most coveted ingredients. A visit to ChocoMuseo Miraflores is the perfect way for chocolate lovers to spend an afternoon experiencing the wonder of this rich and delicious delicacy with all of their senses.

The modern city of Lima is dotted with historic ruins and sacred sites, known as huacas, and the imposing archeological site of Huaca Pucllana is one of the city’s largest and most important ancient monuments, located in the coastal Miraflores district. Built around 500 A.D, the complex was once an administrative and ceremonial center of the indigenous Lima Culture civilization, constructed from hand-made adobe bricks and dominated by a 22-meter tall central pyramid.

The impressive pre-Incan ruins are now a popular tourist attraction, affording unique views from the top of the central mound and dramatically floodlit in the evening hours. There’s also an on-site museum displaying artifacts like tools, ceramics and textiles unearthed during excavations, a workshop area displaying ancient textile and ceramic making techniques, a small park growing key plants used by the Lima Culture people and a spectacularly sited restaurant that looks out over the ruins. 

For years, Miraflores has been Lima’s district for tourists, expats, and visitors, but lately the neighboring Chorillos district is starting to flex its charm. Heavily razed by Chilean soldiers in a 19th century war, and then completely leveled in 1940 by a devastating coastal earthquake, this coastal district has risen once again into one of the capital’s best zones. Located just south of Miraflores, Chorillos offers visitors everything from beaches to views looking over the city. Sprawl on the sands of La Herradura and watch surfers play in the waves, or stroll the nearby malecón boardwalk that lines the beach at Agua Dulce. The Chorillos beaches are popular in summer—and can be packed on sunny weekends—and there are even wetlands on the far end of the district that house hundreds of species of birds. Late in the day, make the drive (or steep hike) up the hill at Morro Solar, where not only will you find a planetarium and a statue of Christ the Redeemer, but also a panoramic view that offers the best sunsets in Lima. 

A gigantic adobe pyramid set amidst the office blocks and residential apartments of San Isidro financial district, the archeological site of Huallamarca stands in startling contrast to its surroundings. Also known as the Pan de Azucar (Sugar Loaf), after the farmlands that once covered the ruins, the existing structure has been extensively rebuilt and restored, but was originally constructed as a sacred burial temple, or ‘Huaca’, between 200 and 500 CE.

Although much of the site’s long history remains shrouded in mystery, the Huaca Huallamarca is believed to have served a number of roles over the years, from pre-Columbian  burial site to Inca settlement. Today, visitors can climb to the pyramid’s upper platform where the views expand over San Isidro or explore the on-site museum, which displays a number of items excavated from the site, including Ichma ceramics, funerary masks, musical instruments, weaving equipment and even a well-preserved mummy, as well as an exhibition dedicated to Peruvian archaeologist Arturo Jimenez Borja.

Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city, gets its nickname “La Ciudad Blana,” or “The White City,” from its central historic district built almost entirely from a porous, white volcanic stone known as sillar. The UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Arequipa, founded in 1540 by a group of Spanish conquistadores, is dotted with colonial churches, plazas and mansions that blend European and indigenous architectural styles.

At the heart of the district is Plaza de Armas, considered one of Peru’s most beautiful plazas and the site of the city’s most important buildings, including City Hall, the old Jesuit Iglesia de la Compañía and the neo-renaissance Cathedral. The Monasterio de Santa Catalina, a Dominican convent founded in 1579 and one of Arequipa’s most worthwhile sites, is also located in the historic centre.

Cusco’s ChocoMuseo allows travelers to immerse themselves in everything cacao. The interactive museum covers the history of cocoa beans in Peru as well as the chocolate-making process, from bean to the chocolate bar.

In partnership with local Peruvian farmers, the ChocoMuseo produces organic, high-quality chocolate with its guests, who get the opportunity to create their own handmade treats with custom ingredients in the workshop. From roasting the cocoa beans and removing the husk to grinding the cocoa nibs on a metate, chocolate lovers can eat their creations on the spot or save them to indulge in later. Specialized workshop tours also include hot chocolate tastings.

Every archaeologist dreams of finding a place like Huaca Rajada. Forgotten in the desert for over 1,700 years, Huaca Rajada was a sacred burial site for Moche nobility and royalty. When local looters in 1987 were found with lavish gold artifacts, it tipped off police that a large discovery might be buried in the nearby desert. An archaeologist, Walter Alva, was called to the site to examine the possibility that other tombs might exist, and when his team unearthed the “Lord of Sipan” and his tomb of jewels and gold, it was heralded as the greatest discovery of the last 50 years of archaeology.

Today, travelers can visit the archaeological site where excavations are still taking place. Though many of the larger artifacts and displays have been moved to Chiclayo museums (notably the Royal Tombs Museum of Sipan and the Brüning National Archaeological Museum), there is still a small museum on site that displays some of the findings. Of particular interest are the re-created tombs that show the position the Lord of Sipan was found in after having been buried over 1,700 years ago.

In addition to the extravagant headdresses and jewelry, the tomb contained the remains of a priest, a child, a llama, two dogs, three concubines and a guard who was buried without feet. This, archaeologists say, is meant to symbolize the guard’s inability to ever flee from his post, and it’s just one of the many tales of lore which lay buried in the sands of Sipan.  

For many travelers to Machu Picchu, hiking the Inca Trail through the Sacred Valley is as much a part of the bucket list experience as seeing the ruins themselves. It typically takes four days to cover the distance between Cusco and Aguas Calientes, with overnights at Huayllabamba, Pacamayo, and Huinay Huayna on the way. Shorter one- or two-day treks are also possible for more inexperienced walkers. To walk the trail, you need to join a group of fellow hikers led by a licensed guide. Trail permits are limited, with only 500 hikers permitted on the trail at any given time (including tour guides and porters), so you'll need to book ahead.

The city of Cusco serves as a base for trekkers heading out on the Inca Trail and is serviced by Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport. Most tours include pickup from Cusco hotels and the bus ride to Km82 along the railway between Cusco and Aguas Calientes, where the hike begins.

The dry season (June to October) brings the best weather and the biggest crowds to the Inca Trail; if you plan to hike during this time, be sure to book months in advance. The spring and fall shoulder seasons—May in particular—see fewer tourists and occasional rain. The winter months are prohibitively wet for most trekkers, and the trail closes for maintenance during February.

With the growing popularity of the Inca Trail (and the permit limits placed on it), visitors are considering alternative treks to Machu Picchu. These include the Lares trek, beginning in the town of Lares and finishing at the ruins of Ollantaytambo (a short train ride from Machu Picchu), and the Salkantay route, famous for its diverse scenery.

If it isn’t a vacation until you go shopping, Dedalo Market in the Barranco district will make the visit official. Here at this bohemian, coastal plaza, visitors can find everything from designer jewelry to contemporary Peruvian art. The items you’ll find at Dedalo Market are different than you might find in Cuzco, and there isn’t as much Incan or “traditional” heritage at this finer, higher-end market. Instead, shelves are filled with colorful blown glass and handmade ceramic bowls, or elegant wood and stone carvings you’d use to decorate a home. Prices are fixed at most of the stores and the setting is modern and comfortable, so there isn’t the haggling or pressure to buy that accompanies goods on the street. To take a break from the souvenir hunt, relax at the small coffee shop on the plaza’s inside patio, or cross the street for a view of the coast and the smell of salt on the breeze. While the market itself isn’t excessively large or even traditionally Peruvian, it’s a trendy spot for that unique purchase that no one will have back at home. 

Built on an authentic Inca foundation, this humble museum in the heart of Cusco houses an impressive collection of Incan artifacts. Hundreds of examples of handmade goldwork, pottery, textiles and queros line the halls of this truly memorable spot and offer travelers a rare look into the nation’s ancient past. 

Visitors will find plenty to explore inside the Inca Museum, but its outdoor courtyard, where Andean weavers showcase their skills, is also worth checking out. Travelers can purchase handmade items directly from the artists, who provide demonstrations of old-school techniques and answer questions while they work. It’s a chance to experience ancient artistry in real time and take home a piece of the tradition, too.

Huanano Falls, located in San Jeronimo de Surco about two hours outside of Lima, is one of the most popular destinations near the capital for trekking and repelling. The trek to the waterfall begins in Surco and takes around one to two hours. Along the way, the well-marked trail passes a few stone ruins left by early settlers to the area.

Upon arrival at Huanano Falls, some trekkers chose to go for a swim at the base or simply relax and enjoy the view. But adrenaline junkies come here for the chance to repel down the 100-foot (30-meter) face of the waterfall.