peru tourist attractions beautiful lake

10 Must-Visit Attractions in Peru

Cusco Peru Travel welcomes you to the “Land of the Incas”, dubbed like this because it was once home to the Inca Empire. Certainly, Peru is a place with a dramatic coastal desert, breathtaking Andean mountains, and an exotic jungle. Its rich history, culture and marvelous natural beauty are packed with colonial architecture, archaeological remains, captivating wildlife and epic landscapes. Thus, wherever you go, our vibrant country will offer you a vast list of unique, magical and fascinating Peru tourist attractions.

Without a doubt, Peru is an outstanding travel destination. Here is an overview of the must-visit places in Peru. They are a great starting point to discover the magic of Peru in all its splendor.

1. Machu Picchu

peru tourist attractions machu picchu

This wonder of the world is an unmissable highlight during an adventure travel in Peru. It’s the best-known archaeological site in the world.

Located at 2100 meters above sea level, it is surrounded by jungle-covered mountains (often cloud-shrouded mountains). Its spectacular location -hidden deep in the mountains- makes Machu Picchu one of the best Peru tourist attractions. This dazzling Inca citadel, with its plazas, royal buildings, irrigation systems, green terraces, and narrow paths seduces many travelers across the globe. Machu Picchu has an unparalleled beauty full of mystery, mysticism, and grandeur.

This magnificent archaeological Inca site never ceases to dazzle visitors. The Andes are considered the gateway to trekking. To illustrate, Peru’s landscapes are perfect for making great hikes!

2. Inca Trail

peru tourist attractions inca trail puyupatamarca

The most famous and rewarding hike to get to Machu Picchu is the Inca Trail. This four-day hike follows an original network of transportation trails used by the Incas since immemorial times. You will be really fortunate since you will pass through more than 30 Inca ruins along with the spectacular Andean scenery.

The Inca Trail is a year-round hike -except during February when it’s closed for maintenance- but, of course, there are some months that are less crowded and also have better weather conditions than others. Thus, we recommend you looking for the season that best suits your preferences and needs. For example, in the busiest months (from June to August), Machu Picchu swarms with visitors.

*Consider the altitude sickness. If you take the correct precautions, everything will be fine during your trip.

3. Lake Titicaca

peru tourist attractions lake titicaca

Another place that heads the list of the most interesting Peru destinations is the birthplace of the Sun, the Lake Titicaca. It’s the world’s highest navigable lake and the largest lake in South America.

Lake Titicaca is one of the famous Peru tourist attractions since its waters house unique and mysterious floating islands. Their uniqueness is due to their construction: they have been built with totora, a reed that grows in abundance along the lake.

The lake is dotted with lots of floating islands -the number keeps increasing- which contains a fascinating and traditional cultural richness, as well as mystery and legends. The most popular and remarkable islands are Uros and Taquile.

4. Nazca Lines

peru tourist attractions nazca lines

In the dry desert of southern Peru, the enigmatic Nazca Lines take place. You may wonder what the Nazca Lines are. They are large designs or drawings -generally longer than 4 meters- produced on the surface of the earth. There are lots of different designs such as the spider, hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican, trees, flowers and geometric shapes such as wavy lines, triangles, spirals, and rectangles…There is a lot to see! The best way to distinctly see the Nazca lines is by plane.

To date, the lines remain a mystery to scientists, nobody seems to know why they were made. As can be seen, the Nazca Lines are a must-visit attraction in Peru.

Furthermore, the most important advice Cusco Travel Peru can offer is to get a good Peru travel guide. It will provide you with first-hand and profound knowledge.

5. Amazonian Adventure

peru tourist attractions jungle

Doubtless, one of the wildest Peru tourist attractions. A jungle adventure sounds like a tale with a happy ending.

The vivacious Peruvian Amazon boasts spectacular landscapes, captivating nature and unique wildlife. There are two main places that we consider a good base to explore the Amazon rainforest. The city of Puerto Maldonado, also known as “The Capital of Biodiversity”; and the magnificent city of Iquitos that is considered the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. 

In addition, the river banks provide an ideal habitat for many different wildlife species. Thus, an Amazon River Cruise would be perfect.

For Cusco Peru Travel, the amazon’s beauty is as unmatched as the outstanding experiences we offer with our travel packages.

*Peru is among the countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Protecting and respecting the Amazonia is everybody’s mission.

6. Colca Canyon

peru tourist attractions colca canyon

The city of Arequipa houses one of the most visited natural attractions of the country, the Colca Canyon. This impressive canyon is one of the world’s deepest ones and reaches a depth of 3400 meters. At its base, there is a winding river which is perfect for rafting. The Colca area also counts with ancient pre-Inca and Inca ruins, hot springs, churches, and villages.

So, if you are planning to do mind-blowing treks during your trip, Cusco Peru Travel highly recommends you to take a Colca Canyon tour. Its sublime scenery is noteworthy for being the place where the condors soar past the cliff walls.

7. Huacachina

peru tourist attractions huacachina

Just around four hours south of Lima lies the desert town of Huacachina that was built around the only natural desert oasis of South America. It is surrounded by epic, high and wind-sculpted sand dunes that make Huacachina one of the most naturally dramatic places to visit in Peru.

As home to the largest sand dunes in South America, Huacachina is the perfect hotspot for sandboarding and buggy. This last one is a great way to get out and enjoy the desertic beauty of Peru. In addition, Huacachina is blessed with warm and sunny days all-year-long.

8. Peru’s beaches

peru tourist attractions beaches

For most, ocean breeze, sunsets, watersports, heavenly seafood, and relaxation are a perfect way to enjoy life.

Peru boasts several miles of Pacific coastline, where you can find the most fascinating and finest beaches in South America. Most of them are great hotspots for surfing, kitesurfing and many cool watersports. For example, Chicama is famous for boasting the world’s longest left breaking wave, or Mancora, which is a sunny year-round destination.

9. Laguna 69

peru tourist attractions laguna 69

This lagoon is one of the most beautiful ones in the whole world and a place for one of the most impressive hikes you can do in the city of Huaraz.

Laguna 69 is located among the majestic snow-capped Andean mountains of the Huascaran National Park. This park contains the world’s highest tropical mountain range; the Cordillera Blanca. In other words, nature and hiking lovers will witness stunning landscapes, panoramic mountain views, several glacial lakes, creeks, waterfalls and many more.

This magical turquoise-colored lagoon will take your breath away, figuratively and literally. Definitely, it’s one of the most hypnotic Peru tourist attractions.

*The lagoon’s altitude is at 4500 meters above sea level. The weather is kind of unpredictable, the temperatures can go up to 20° C and suddenly drop to 5°C. So, take the precautions of the case.

10. Paracas National Reserve

peru tourist attractions paracas national reserve

The government-protected Paracas National Reserve boasts one of the richest and most biologically productive marine ecosystems in the whole world.

Within this reserve, you can also visit the Islas Ballestas (Ballestas Islands). These huge rocky formations offer you glimpses of the amazing marine life of the Pacific Ocean. They are home to an abundance of bird species, the largest number of sea lion colonies and Humboldt penguins. And if you are very lucky, you might even catch sight of majestic humpback whales (from August to October) and playful dolphins.

Finally, we are happy to mention that Cusco Peru Travel creates only unforgettable experiences. Your luxury tours in Peru will be entirely personalized and carefully selected with the aim of providing you with optimal services according to your interests, needs, and preferences. In addition, our tour operators interested in satisfying visitors’ preferences will make a dynamic and interesting travel itinerary. It will be a hassle-free journey for you!

Peru has many wonders waiting for you to be discovered. Here in Cusco Peru Travel, our speciality is to make your trip an outstanding experience, fill-in this form and let your tailor-made luxury Peru vacation begin.


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