Travel to Peru without any tourist traps: Here you will find the top 10 sights in Peru. Read which highlights and attractions you should not miss on your holiday in Peru!
Peru is the third largest country on the South American continent. Amidst the sublime mountain ranges of the mighty Andes, fantastic testimonies of past cultures and breathtaking landscapes are hidden.
Table of contents
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, Peru's most famous Inca ruined city, is located in the Andes on a spectacular mountain peak at an altitude of over 2,300 metres. The sophisticated city planning is perfectly adapted to the topographical conditions. Machu Picchu has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1983.
Article: Machu Picchu
Photo gallery: Machu Picchu
Royal City of Cusco
Next to the capital Lima, Cusco is the most visited city in Peru. On the one hand, numerous famous Inca sites such as Saysayhuamán, Ollantaytambo, Kenko, Pisac or the famous Machu Picchu are only a day's journey away.
On the other hand, Cusco itself is a veritable treasure trove of grandiose Inca and colonial architecture and impresses with its equally fascinating and turbulent past. Its entire old town has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Article: Royal city of Cusco
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Mud City Chan Chan
The mud city of Chan Chan was built around 1300 and served as the capital of the Chimú people. In its heyday, Chan Chan had around 60,000 inhabitants. Its area still covers almost 30 square kilometres. The enormous buildings made of clay were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Article: Mud City Chan Chan
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Nazca - Ground Drawings
The ground drawings at Nazca are one of the most enigmatic phenomena in South America. Over an area of around 450 square kilometres, geometric patterns and lines up to 20 kilometres long stretch out, as well as scars measuring up to 100 metres, some of which can only be seen from the air due to their size.
The fascinating geoglyphs were not discovered until 1924, when the first flight lines passed over the Nazca Plain. Their origin is still not clear today and is even attributed to extraterrestrials in some theories.
Article: Soil drawings at Nazca
Photo gallery: Soil drawings near Nazca
Trujillo
Trujillo on the northern coast of Peru is an ideal starting point to fascinating sites of past cultures. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean gives Trujillo a warm, spring-like climate. Because of this, and also because of the numerous pre-Columbian and colonial monuments, Trujillo is one of Peru's most worthwhile cities to visit.
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Huacachina Oasis
The Huacachina Oasis is located in the middle of the largest sand dunes in Peru. In the centre of the oasis, there is a small idyllic pond. Swimming, sandboarding and sand buggy riding are popular activities in the idyllic lagoon. The sand dunes are up to 100 metres high and contribute to Huacachina's breathtaking scenery.
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Maras Salt Terraces
The village of Maras is still one of the absolute insider tips in southern Peru. Maras is located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The most spectacular sights are the salt terraces a good kilometre northwest of Maras at an altitude of 3,300 metres. The salt terraces were already built by the Incas for salt production and are still an important source of livelihood for the regional population.
Article: Salt terraces of Maras
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Ollantaytambo
As a starting point for train rides to Machu Picchu and hikes on the Inca Trail, Ollantaytambo was one of the most popular sights in Peru. The buildings, terraces, squares and alleys of the Inca city are still preserved in their completely original state and take visitors back to the fascinating times of the Incas.
Article: Ollantaytambo
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Cañón de Colca (Colca Valley)
The spectacular Cañón de Colca in southern Peru is one of the deepest gorges in the world, (controversially) even eclipsing the US Grand Canyon. 120,000 visitors a year visit the spectacular gorge, above which the majestic Andean condors make their circles.
Article: Cañón de Colca (Colca Valley)
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Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas) in Lima
The Plaza Mayor or Plaza de Armas is the birthplace of the Peruvian capital Lima and still the centre of the historic old town. Surrounded by magnificent buildings of cultural and historical value, the 14,000 square metre Plaza de Armas is considered the most important sight in Lima. Together with the old town, the magnificent square was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
Article: Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas) in Lima
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