Peru · best-of list
17 Top Things to Do in Peru
All 17 things to do our route editors picked in Peru, across 3 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
17 things to do in Peru, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Machu Picchu 7 picks
Aguas Calientes Hot Springs
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Public thermal pools at the top of town, popular after a day of hiking.
Tip: Go in the evening; bring a swimsuit and towel.
Photo: Baños Termales (Machu Picchu) · Google
Huayna Picchu
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Steep stone-step climb to the peak behind the classic view, with ruins at the top.
Tip: Limited permits; not for those afraid of heights.
Photo: Allard Schmidt (The Netherlands) · Public domain
Inca Bridge
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Short cliffside trail to a log bridge built into a sheer rock face.
Photo: Thane Tempest · Google
Inti Punku (Sun Gate)
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Gateway on the Inca Trail with the first view down onto the citadel.
Photo: Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites · Google
Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
The Inca citadel on its ridge, visited on fixed circuit routes with timed entry.
Tip: Buy tickets and circuit far in advance; a guide is required.
Photo: bobistraveling · CC BY 2.0
Machu Picchu Mountain
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Longer, less exposed climb than Huayna Picchu with wide views of the citadel and valley.
Photo: sepang malezja · Google
Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum
Machu Picchu · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Museum near Puente Ruinas explaining Inca construction, with a botanical garden.
Photo: Viajes Y más · Google
Cusco 5 picks
Cusco Cathedral
Cusco · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
16th-century cathedral with Cusco School paintings, including a Last Supper with guinea pig.
Photo: PoolPs · CC BY-SA 4.0
Plaza de Armas
Cusco · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Main square framed by the Cathedral and La Compañía church, built over the Inca plaza.
Photo: Renzo Gabriel · Google
Qorikancha
Cusco · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Inca Sun Temple with precise stonework inside the Santo Domingo convent.
Photo: A T · Google
Sacsayhuamán
Cusco · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Inca fortress of massive fitted stones above the city; covered by the tourist ticket.
Tip: Walk up from San Cristóbal church; go slow at altitude.
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0
San Blas
Cusco · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Steep artisan quarter of whitewashed lanes, workshops and a small colonial church.
Photo: GERARDO RODRIGUEZ · Google
Sacred Valley 5 picks
Chinchero
Sacred Valley · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Village with Inca terraces, a colonial church and weaving cooperatives.
Photo: Angel Bilbao alberdi · Google
Moray
Sacred Valley · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Concentric circular Inca terraces believed to have been an agricultural test site.
Photo: BRant Broome · Google
Ollantaytambo Archaeological Park
Sacred Valley · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Steep Inca terraces and Temple Hill above a town still laid out on its Inca grid.
Tip: Go at opening or late afternoon to avoid tour groups.
Photo: Pablo Broncano · Google
Pisac Archaeological Park
Sacred Valley · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Terraced Inca citadel high above the town with temples and cliff tombs.
Tip: Take a taxi up and walk down to town (about 2 hours).
Photo: Paolo Aiello · Google
Salineras de Maras
Sacred Valley · On our Cusco & Machu Picchu route
Thousands of terraced salt pans fed by a salty spring, worked since pre-Inca times.
Photo: Frankie Perezcano · Google
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Peru?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 17 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Peru has the most things to do on this list?
Machu Picchu has the most (7 of 17), followed by Cusco (5) and Sacred Valley (5).
Are any of these free?
4 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Inca Bridge, Inti Punku (Sun Gate), Plaza de Armas and San Blas. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Peru
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Machu Picchu 7 on this list
- Cusco 5 on this list
- Sacred Valley 5 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.