From Majestic Andes Mountains To The Wonder Of The Amazon Rainforest, Here Are 10 Destinations To Visit In Peru

From majestic Andes Mountains, to the wonder of the Amazon rainforest, and the energy of bustling metropolises like Lima and Cusco, Peru is a destination which has loads to offer to the travellers. While some of the destinations are globally renowned, there are still others which are less explored and are a favourite among backpackers.

Peru is more than just the Inca ruins and Machu Picchu. Here are the best places to visit when in Peru.

* Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley

Machu Picchu is one of the most important reasons for travellers to start their adventure in Peru.These ancient Inca ruins are hidden in the Peruvian Andes Mountains.With a stunning location in these mysterious mountain range, people also come to the area to hike the old trails that used to be walked by the Inca through the Sacred Valley.Before traveling to Machu Picchu, you should secure your tickets for anything you want to do, because there are visitor limits in place for most sights. There’s a limit for the amount of people that are allowed to enter Machu Picchu, but there’s also a limit for trekkers on the Inca trail and climbers of Huayna Picchu Mountain.

* Lima

Lima is known as the “City of Kings”, meaning this bustling capital is way more than just a stopover on your way to Machu Picchu. Commercial business, vibrant nightlife, and ancient history all intermingle in Lima—giving the city a vibe that appeals to history buffs and party animals alike. Miraflores is a popular neighbourhood known for great shopping, green spaces, and breath-taking views along its six-mile-long cliff top boardwalk. Further toward the city centre, the Plaza de Armas acts as Lima’s history hub.

* Colca Canyon

Colca Canyon is the world’s deepest river canyon and you can find it in the vicinity of the city of Arequipa in the Peruvian Andes Mountains. You can do some amazing hikes in this area, but it’s not too difficult to reach the canyon just to do some landscape gazing, if you’re not into hiking.

* Lake Titicaca

Titicaca Lake is the highest navigable lake in the entire world and it is a true tourist highlight. Lake Titicaca is fun to both say and visit, with islands of indigenous villages dotting its picturesque expanse of blue water. Peru shares this lake with Bolivia and the actual border between these countries lies somewhere through the centre of the lake.Travellers mostly visit this lake to take a day trip to the floating islands of Uros, which are located a few kilometers into the lake in front of the town of Puno.

* Cusco

Cusco is a must-visit when in Peru. It is the place where all Machu Picchu visits begin, but it’s also a good hub for visiting a variety of other places in the country.A long time ago, Cusco was the capital of the Inca Empire and a lot of this era can still be found in the city.

* Maras Village

Maras is a quintessential Andean village complete with adobe houses, a slow pace of life, and the occasional cow or donkey wandering the streets. Since few people stop in Maras, it’s the perfect place to get an authentic glimpse of rural Peruvian life.With nearly 3000 man-made pools used by the Incans (and still used today!) to harvest salt, the salt mines are totally unique to the region. You can hike up from the village to see the pools of salt carved into the mountainside—even though they’re manmade, they’re a geological anomaly that will leave you awestruck.

* Chan Chan Pre Columbian ruins

These ruins are not as popular as the Machu Picchu, but they are still mighty impressive nonetheless.Chan Chan used to be the largest Pre Colombian city in the Americas. It was conquered by the Incas, but you can still visit the ruins.In this massive ruin complex which spreads across a terrain of almost 20 square kilometers, you can find large plazas, temples, and artefacts.

* Huascaran National Park

Huascaran National Park and the Huascaran Mountain are located in the North of Lima.The National Park is part of the Cordellera Blanca and it covers over 340 thousand hectares.The National Park is home to Huascaran peak, which is the highest mountain in Peru with an altitude of over 6600 m above sea level. Climbing Huascaran Mountain is not an activity that is easily accessible, but you can enjoy the views of this snow-capped peak from many locations inside the National Park.

* Choquequirao Ruins

If Machu Picchu draws your attention, you should definitely consider visiting Choquequirao Inca ruins as well!They’re super impressive but, much less visited. These ruins are about 3 times the size of Machu Picchu and located in the same mysterious mountain range.The hiking trail leading up to the Inca ruins is known as the toughest hike in Peru. You can join a hiking group and hike your way up to thevisit Choquequirao.

* Iquitos and Amazon Basin

Iquitos is the largest city in the world where not even one road goes! You can only reach the city of Iquitos by riverboat (and by airplane!)Being such a large city, without road access, Iquitos is a great cultural treat and it’s interesting to learn about this lifestyle and how the city functions by only relying on the river.Iquitos is a great starting point to discover the Amazon jungle and river basin. When using Iquitos as a starting point, you can travel all the way to the Atlantic Ocean by river boat, passing through the entire country of Brazil.