Things to do in Peru

Explore Lima

Peru’s coastal capital is one of South America’s biggest cities, with as much to tempt those discovering the country’s history as those looking to experience Peru’s contemporary side. The old town is one of the highlights, a beautifully preserved slice of colonial heritage, founded by the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century and known then as the ‘City of Kings’. Home to a string of UNESCO-listed sights, you can also see the oldest university in the Americas, as well as the city’s 16th century cathedral and San Francisco Convent with its ancient catacombs.

Save time for Lima’s unmissable museums, especially the Larco Herrera Museum with its collections of pre-Columbian art and exhibits on the history of Peru’s ancient civilisations. Covering more than 3,000 years of pre-Columbian history, highlights include gold and silver jewellery, plus as a chance to see the tools used by the skilled artisans who created them.

Plaza de Armas and the Lima Cathedral

Then head back to the present, with another taste of the many things to see and do in Lima, Peru, including a visit to Callao, the city’s historic port area. Once run down, it’s a haven for street artists now with vibrant murals and galleries having transformed it into a thriving cultural quarter. It’s also one of the areas where you can enjoy Lima’s creative food scene, mixing indigenous influences with Spanish, Asian and African cooking styles.

Discover Cuzco

Once the capital of the Inca Empire, Cuzco (also spelled Cusco) has now become known as the archaeological capital of South America. A great base to explore the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, it’s also the perfect place to learn more about ancient Andean culture. On the way, you’ll see sacred sites such as the semi-circular Temple of the sun and the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, the massive Inca fortress overlooking the city.

There’s Spanish colonial architecture here too. The convent of Santo Domingo was built on the site of Koricancha, an old Incan temple devoted to the Sun God, and considered the holiest site in Incan mythology, while on the Plaza de Armas, Cuzco Cathedral is known for its impressive star-shaped ceilings and collection of art, as well as its blend of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance styles.

Finish your list of things to do in Cusco, Peru, with one of the city’s viewpoints – it’s said that Cuzco was built in the shape of a puma, and while you’re unlikely to be able to see that today, the San Cristóbal viewpoint is one of the best places to take a look for yourself.

See the Inti Raymi celebrations

If you’re visiting Peru during June, there’s a chance to see one of the oldest and most fascinating Incan traditions come to life at the Inti Raymi festival, the annual festival of the sun. Taking place over nine days, the high point comes on June 24 with ancient rituals and offerings to Inti, the Incan sun deity.

Inti Raymi, Peru

Asking for prosperity in the year ahead, the rites date back more than 500 years, followed by music, dancing and feasting – this is no mere party but a celebratory extravaganza. Watch or join in the skirt swirling, hat-tossing festivities for an unforgettable memory during your tour of Peru.

Marvel at Machu Picchu

No list of things to do in Peru is complete without mentioning the Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu, a site which never fails to capture the imagination. Often the highlight of Peru holidays, a visit to this bucket list spot doesn’t disappoint; gaze out at the iconic view of the citadel and valley where it was hidden for centuries until being rediscovered in 1911 and it’s easy to feel like you’re still remote from civilisation.

Machu Picchu

Built at the height of the Inca Empire’s power, between the 15th and 16th centuries, Machu Picchu is made up of around 200 structures, with the remains of temples, palaces, towers and fountains, an archaeological masterpiece set almost 8,000 feet above sea level. Untouched by Spanish conquistadors thanks to its mountain location, it’s a chance to see an Inca city as it was when it was abandoned.

Named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, scholars are still trying to uncover all of its secrets, but two of the highlights to look out for include the Intihuatana stone, which indicates the position of the sun, and the Royal Tomb, where ritual or sacrificial burials are thought to have been performed.

Travel through the Sacred Valley

The Sacred Valley of the Incas is home to more than Machu Picchu alone, where ancient towns, terraces and citadels dot the landscape, and where people have farmed for centuries in the shadows of the Andes.

Stretching around 60 miles from Machu Picchu to Pisac, one of the unmissable stops is Ollantaytambo. Home to several Inca emperors, including Manco Inca Yupanqui who led the resistance against the Spanish, you can still see the remains of the terraces, steps and storehouses left behind, plus the Incan fortifications designed to protect the valley. As well as the sights, save some time to stroll the narrow cobbled streets which date back to the 13th century, a chance to feel as if you’ve stepped back in time yourself.

Sacred Valley

And along with Quechua villages, you can visit the Mantanay Private Conservation Area, including a sanctuary for hummingbirds at Ensifera camp, with around 10 species to spot.

Browse Peruvian crafts at Pisac Village

Another of the highlights of the Sacred Valley, the lively and colourful market in Pisac is the ideal place to pick up a few Peruvian crafts, with everything from ceramics and clothing to jewellery on sale, alongside Andean instruments.

Traditional Peruvian crafts for sale

If you’re hoping to do more than buy a few souvenirs of Peru at Pisac market, you can also visit textile centres nearby to watch traditional weaving and dyeing techniques – as well as meeting some of the llamas and alpacas whose hair is used in ponchos and other clothing.

There are more Inca ruins here too, thought to have been constructed by one of the greatest Inca emperors, Pachacuti, in the mid-15th century.

Hike the Inca Trail

The famous 26-mile Inca Trail hike takes walkers from the Sacred Valley near Cuzco to Machu Picchu, constructed in the 15th century as a route for pilgrims and nobles heading to the royal citadel. It usually takes four to five days to walk the entire route, with breathtaking views of mist-shrouded mountains, cloud forests, Inca ruins and terraced slopes – often at equally breathtaking altitudes.

The reward at the end; reaching the Sun Gate, or Inti Punku, as the first rays of the sun hit Machu Picchu, and looking down from the viewpoint as the sun rises slowly illuminating the ancient citadel.

You needn’t walk the entire route if you’d simply like to get a taste of the spectacular trail but don’t have days to spare (or are wary of tackling the whole thing). Our Wild Peru tour includes a chance to trek the final 11km of the trail, a walk of around six to seven hours, stopping at the archaeological site of Wiñaywayna half-way to explore its terraces, towers and museum, before continuing to the Sun Gate.

TRAVEL TIP: There is an alternative to walking the Inca Trail if you’d prefer not to approach on foot, with a train following the route of the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley before it climbs into the Andes and reaches Machu Picchu.

Inca trail

Visit Arequipa

While Arequipa is sometimes overshadowed by Peru’s other better-known cities, this UNESCO-listed spot has its own attractions including spectacular views to the three snow-capped volcanoes which tower of the city - Chachani, Misti and Pichu Pichu.

The old quarter here is home to some impressive historic buildings, but one of the most unusual aspects to San Lazaro is the fact they are created from local white volcanic rock. Stop to explore the Monastery of Santa Catalina, the most important religious building in Peru, which also houses an impressive art gallery packed with paintings and sculptures. And look out for the 17th-century Basilica Cathedral as you stroll around the elegant Plaza de Armas.

For a rather more unusual stop, the Museo Santuarios Andinos houses the mummified body of a teenage girl, thought to have been sacrificed during the Incan Empire, and whose burial was hidden in the icy mountain until a melting glacier revealed her untouched grave, complete with Incan artefacts.

See Lake Titicaca

The birthplace of the sun, according to Incan myth and legend, a visit to Lake Titicaca is simply magical. The largest lake in South America, the tranquil deep blue waters are set high in the Andes, and as you look out across the expanse of water, it’s not hard to believe the stories that the god of creation emerged from these waters to create light, the universe and mankind – this truly feels like a special place.

Lake Titicaca

But there’s more than just the beauty of the lake to appreciate. It’s also home to hundreds of different species including birds and the rare Titicaca water frog, along with a chance to learn more about traditional culture among some of the Quechua, including those living on the islands such as

Taquile and Amantani, as well as on floating islands on the lake.

Meet the Uros

While there’s a chance to learn more about many of the Andean natives living around Lake Titicaca during a visit to the area, one of the unmissable things to do in Peru is to explore the Uros villages. The Uros, or Uro, are indigenous to Peru and Bolivia and weave totora reeds to make islands floating on the lake.

The reeds are also used to create their homes, their boats, their furniture – and these days, souvenirs, to let visitors to home a small slice of their traditional skills. As you step onto the springy surface of the island, locals will greet you and explain how they the simple reeds can be transformed into these islands.

Although this is a way of life they’ve practised for centuries, you’ll spot a few modern touches too – look out for solar panels on the islands.

Venture into the Amazon

Although the Inca sites draw most tourists to Peru, the country is also home to the second biggest expanse of Amazon rainforest after Brazil, covering a huge 60% of the entire country. And a stay at one of the private rainforest reserves, such as Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica is a wonderful way to discover some of the wildlife, as well as the astonishing ecosystem of the river and forest.

Follow some of the trails through the rainforest, including elevated walkways like the Anaconda Trail, which link together a string of observation platforms to give you the chance to see sloths, monkeys and a string of birds.

Sandoval Lake, Amazon Basin, Peru

Or take to the water where you can canoe past giant river otters, brightly coloured macaws, anacondas, turtles and red howler monkeys in the trees, then venture out in a boat after night to see how the rainforest transforms when the sun sets. A visit to the Peruvian Amazon is also a wonderful chance to learn more about the people who live there, from sustainable farms supporting communities and protecting the Amazon basin, to the medicinal plants which grow within the forest.

See condors at the Colca Canyon

At 10,725ft deep, the Colca Canyon is more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon, so a view of the majestic scenery alone is unforgettable, with the Ampato volcano stretching more than 5km above the canyon’s lowest point.

But the biggest draw at the Colca Canyon isn’t the landscape alone, it’s the Andean Condors which soar gracefully on the thermals above the canyon. One of the world’s largest birds, their wingspan can reach up to 3.5 metres, while they weigh up to 13kg.

Colca Canyon

For the Incas, the condor was a sacred bird which connected the realm of the gods with the earthly world, and it’s spectacular to see them glide high above – up to 40 of the birds are thought to live in the canyon and they’re most active in the mornings between around 8am and 10am.

Spot penguins at the Ballestas Islands

If condors are the most famous bird to spot in Peru, they certainly aren’t the only ones to see. Head to the coast and the Paracas National Reserve, where the Ballestas Islands are home to penguins, pelicans and buzzards, as well as sea lions.

Boat trips run from the coastal town of Paracas, around a four-hour drive south of Lima, with a chance to see some of the colonies of Humboldt penguins which live here. No-one is allowed to disembark as the islands are protected, so bring binoculars for a closer glimpse of these endearing birds.

There’s more to discover within the reserve back on land too, including the orangey sands of Roja beach and the jutting rock formation of La Catedral emerging from the waves.

Birdwatch in the Andean wetlands

Birdwatchers should ensure the Andean wetlands are on their list of things to do in Peru, with a series of species to be found living in this corner of the country. The lagoons, swamps and rivers of

Huacarpay Lake rise up to an altitude of more than 9,000 feet, with the opportunity to see peregrine falcons, as well as endemic species such as rusty-fronted canasteros and other native Andean birds.

Nearby Rumichaca Lake has its own collection of water birds to look out for, including grebes, teals and the plumbeous rail, while the area is also home to a sanctuary for hummingbirds.

Learn the mystery of the Nazca Lines

Thought to have been created thousands of years ago by the Nazca people, these geoglyphs range from patterns and shapes to simple lines, some of which stretch for as long as 30 miles. The largest figures can span nearly 370m, with the entire area stretching for almost 170 square miles, while archaeologists are still discovering more thanks to drone technology.

Made by scraping away a small amount of topsoil and stones to reveal the different colour below, they are best seen from above – in particular by flying above them in a helicopter to gaze down on these giant shapes, which include animals and birds.

As to why the lines were created, scholars are still trying to solve this mystery, one of so many in Peru. Thought to be anything from astronomical observations to irrigation channels, and even to have religious significance, it’s something to ponder as you gaze down during your flight.

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