Best places to visit in Peru: top cities, regions and sights

Use this table to pick the shape of your trip before you book anything. Altitude is the constraint that decides the order, not distance: Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, Puno at about 3,800 m, while the Sacred Valley and Arequipa are lower and easier to start with.

Prices are 2026 estimates for one person, mid-range, excluding international flights.

Start with the Inca heartland. Machu Picchu is the one place most travellers will not skip, and it is reached by train from Ollantaytambo or Cusco to Aguas Calientes, then a bus up. Because the ticket is timed and capped, fix that date first and build the rest of the trip around it. Cusco is the base for the Sacred Valley, with Pisac and Ollantaytambo as the easy stops.

Then decide whether you have room for the south. Arequipa is a lower, white-stone colonial city under volcanoes and the gateway to Colca Canyon, where the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint is the classic condor stop. Puno and Lake Titicaca, with the Uros and Taquile islands, sit higher and are usually the last stop before flying out from Juliaca via Lima.

Add the north or the Amazon only if you have spare days. Huaraz is the trekking base for the Cordillera Blanca and its glacier lakes. Puerto Maldonado gives short Amazon lodge trips that pair with Cusco, while Iquitos is the largest city unreachable by road and suits longer river trips. The northern coast, from Trujillo and Huanchaco to Chiclayo and Piura, is a separate trip best in the southern-hemisphere summer.

Book the two fixed things early: the Machu Picchu entry slot and the train. Everything else can stay flexible, which matters because road blockades and weather can force changes.

Altitude is the main thing that ruins trips. Cusco and Puno are high enough to cause headaches and breathlessness in the first day or two, so arrive slowly, drink water, and take it easy on arrival day. The Sacred Valley is the usual lower base before Cusco.

Distances are long and roads can close. Flying the Lima–Cusco and Lima–Arequipa legs saves days. Keep a buffer day before any international departure, and check the safety page for current advisories and common scams.

Entry rules depend on your passport, and some nationalities need a visa or can use a visa-free stay. Check the visa page before booking. Travel insurance that covers trekking and high altitude is worth arranging before you leave.