Peru
Cusco is the gateway to Machu Picchu, so altitude adjustment can be a wildcard for the trip, while Lima, a coastal food city, has a completely different feel. Elevation varies greatly between cities, so it's worth paying attention to how travel affects your condition.
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Average temperature by month
Based on Lima · 5-year average
Choose a city
Map and place data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Lima
Lima is the capital of Peru, situated on the Pacific coast, with a historic center that's pleasant to wander through remnants of the colonial era. The city has a long history dating back to its founding by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.
45 sights 9 guides Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
Cusco
Cusco lies high in the Andes at an elevation of over 3,000 meters and is well known as the gateway to Machu Picchu. It's a great place to begin a trip while taking in the scenery unique to the high-altitude region.
34 sights 9 guides Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport (CUZ)
Arequipa
Arequipa is a city in southern Peru where historic buildings such as its cathedral and the Santa Catalina Monastery are well preserved. Touring its palaces and churches offers a slow, immersive look at the city's history.
7 sights 9 guides Rodríguez Ballón International Airport (AQP)
Trujillo
Trujillo is the capital of Peru's La Libertad region, home to the ancient ruins of Chan Chan and Huaca de la Luna nearby. It's also a great city to explore historic architecture, including its cathedral.
11 sights 9 guides Cap. FAP Carlos Martínez de Pinillos International Airport (TRU)
Callao
Callao is a port city west of Lima, Peru's capital, forming a single large metropolitan area with it. Visitors can experience its lively harbor scenery up close.
44 sights 9 guides Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
Top sights in Peru
Heritage & monuments
Chan Chan
This site, once the capital of the ancient Chimú kingdom, lies 5 km west of Trujillo. Here you can explore what's believed to have been the largest city in pre-Columbian South America.
Heritage & monuments
Saqsaywaman
Saksaywaman is an Inca-era fortress set on a hill above Cusco, where visitors can see intricate stone masonry up close. Standing over 3,700 meters above sea level, it also offers sweeping views.
Temples & religious sites
Coricancha
An Inca imperial temple in Cusco, known as a sanctuary dedicated to the sun god. As the most sacred site in Inca civilization, it's a place where you can truly sense its significance.
Temples & religious sites
Cathedral of Lima
Construction began in 1535, and the cathedral took its present form by the late 18th century; it remains the historic seat of the Archbishop of Lima. Its grand facade stands right in the heart of the city.
Heritage & monuments
Tambomachay
An Inca Empire archaeological site near Cusco, Peru. Its proximity to the city center makes it easy to visit for a quick look at Inca-era ruins.
Heritage & monuments
Puka Pukara
A military fortress ruin near Cusco, notable for its thick walls and terraced levels. It was once one of the defensive sites protecting Cusco during the Inca Empire.
Museums & galleries
Larco Museum
This private museum in Peru is housed in an 18th-century building. It presents artifacts from 5,000 years of ancient Peruvian civilizations in chronological order and is also known for its distinctive collection of erotic pottery.
Heritage & monuments
Huaca de la Luna
A large adobe brick site of the Moche civilization near Trujillo, Peru, inhabited from roughly the 1st to 9th centuries. Together with Huaca del Sol, it stands as a major site revealing traces of the ancient Moche capital.
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