10 Best Towns + Cities in Peru for Travelers [2024 Guide]

Don’t be fooled: Peru has so much more to offer than just Machu Picchu. Tourism in Peru has exploded in the past years, but still, startlingly few visitors venture beyond Lima and Cusco and discover all the rest that the country has to offer.

From tiny cities tucked among snowcapped mountains to sprawling metropolises filled with great food and enough things to do to keep you busy for a lifetime, the towns and cities of Peru will wow you. Read on for our curated list of the best places to visit in Peru, handpicked by locals and travel experts to help you create your dream Peru travel experience.

Best Cities in Peru

It feels almost impossible to find a Peru itinerary that doesn’t include the capital city of Lima and the former capital of the Incan Empire, Cusco. As much as we encourage visitors to get a little bit further off the beaten path, Lima and Cusco are famous for a reason: they are some of the best cities in Peru, hands down. Here are a few of our favorite destinations in Peru for travelers ~

Read on for more of our handpicked list of the best places to visit in Peru, including the town and cities in Peru. We’ve added more destinations that you’re less likely to find in the guide books, but are bound to impress you even more than the Peru bucket list you might have in mind.

Cusco

Best City in Peru for History

The gateway to Machu Picchu and the unending ruins of the Sacred Valley, Cusco was once the capital of the Incan empire. Packed with unending pre- and post-colonial historical treasures, it’s undeniably the best city in Peru for history buffs.

Don’t arrive simply to rush off to Machu Picchu the next day. Cusco itself has so much to offer. Some of the best things to do in Cusco include simply exploring the city’s historic center with its Incan stone walls, whitewashed architecture, markets, plazas, and churches. The charming neighborhoods of San Cristobal and San Blas both boast incredible views over the city from their respective churches, but the view from the ruins of Sacsayhuaman is even better!

Despite its historic importance in Peru, Cusco has much more to offer. A trip to Cusco is never complete without taking at least one or two day trips to the endless naturally beautiful spots around the city, like Rainbow Mountain or Lake Humantay. Or embarking on a bucket list trek, like the famous Inca Trail, or “alternative” Inca trail expeditions like the Salkantay Trek.

Lima

Best City in Peru for Food

I’ll pay it straight: Lima isn’t bursting with the charm of some of its neighboring capital cities like Quito, Ecuador, or Bogotá, Colombia. But don’t be too quick to write off Lima. Tree-lined streets in neighborhoods like Barranco, gorgeous coastal promenades, a smattering of ornate historic churches, and the most important culinary scene in Latin America make it a destination not to be missed.

True foodies know that Lima is a pilgrimage and should book far in advance at restaurants like Maido, Kjolle, and Mayta – Lima’s three restaurants that earned a spot on this year’s list of the top 50 restaurants in the world. However, even cheap eats in Lima are memorable. Taste your way from street food to the coolest cafes in Barranco and you’ll find why Peruvian food is such a hit.

Explore the historic center, shop your way through Miraflores, and sip a Pisco Sour with an ocean view. Lima won’t charm you, but rest assured, you’ll have plenty to see and do here.

Huaraz

Best City in Peru for Hiking and Adventure Sports

Just a tiny city on the edge of Peru’s stunning Cordillera Blanca mountain range, Huaraz has quickly transformed into a must-visit destination for adventure travelers and trekkers looking to explore some of the most beautiful mountainous areas in all of Peru. While some of the treks are quite challenging, don’t worry – even a beginner can enjoy the snowcapped peaks of Huaraz.

There isn’t much to this tiny backpacker town, but you won’t mind. Just one glimpse of the towering snowcapped mountains that surround Huaraz, and you’ll quickly see why the UNESCO-protected Huascarán National Park is one of Peru’s most precious natural gems.

There are plenty of hikes to choose from in Huaraz, meaning that the most experienced hikers tend to stick around for a month or more as they cross a number of them off their bucket list. One-day treks like the famous are the Laguna 69 and Laguna Paron hikes lead hikers past some of the area’s high-altitude aquamarine lakes and are doable for moderately fit beginners. Multi-day treks along the world-famous Cordillera Huayhuash circuit require a bit more training, gear, and certainly a guide, but rank among the best hikes in the world.

Arequipa

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path City in Peru (tie)

Set among towering volcanoes in southern Peru, Arequipa exudes beauty and charm from its historic architecture to its stunning natural surroundings. Any traveler who has had the pleasure of visiting Arequipa, Peru will tell you, it’s astonishing that more people don’t add it to their Peru itinerary.

Arequipa is known as Peru’s “White City,” for its abundance of whitewashed architecture. Take it all in as you explore the city’s historic center, visiting Yanahuara for one of the best lookouts over the city and neighboring El Misti Volcano.

Ironic for the “White City,” one of Arequipa’s must-visit attractions is best known for its unique red and blue architecture. Opened to the public for the first time in the 1960s, the Monasterio de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Monastery) feels like a city within a city, complete with a labyrinth of beautiful courtyards, chapels, and more.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike El Misti, among the most beautiful volcanoes in South America, though the journey is challenging. Even more popular is the multi-day hike through Colca Canyon, one of Peru’s highlights.

Puno

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path City in Peru (tie)

Hidden at the southern extreme of Peru is the city of Puno, yet another one of the most impressive cities in Peru that somehow still doesn’t make it on enough Peru itineraries, in my opinion. Puno is located on the shores of the high-altitude Lake Titicaca that straddles the border with Bolivia, and is Peru’s springboard for exploring this stunning natural wonder.

Puno has a beautiful historic cathedral to explore, the lovely Deustua Arch, and a few charming buildings and plazas, but nothing as extensive as other Peruvian cities like Cusco. The draw here is the lake, so make sure to venture to Huajsapata Hill for the most beautiful vantage point in town.

One of the best things to do in Puno is visiting the islands on the lake, including the unique floating islands made from lake vegetation, first created by the Uros people centuries ago but still inhabited today. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even sleep on one of these floating islands. Or, visit Taquile Island, one of Lake Titicaca’s natural islands, for stunning views and genuine cultural immersion.

Ica

Located just four hours south of Lima, the small city of Ica is a popular destination for travelers in Peru for one reason: its tower sand dune! Ica’s towering dunes and the desert oasis of Huacachina feel like something out of a fairytale, making riding dune buggies, sandboarding, and glamping in the desert some of the most memorable things to do in Peru.

Many visitors also use the city of Ica as a base for viewing the world-famous Nazca lines, those mysterious images “drawn” onto the desert landscape by the Nasca people long before the arrival of the Incan empire. Take the two-and-a-half hour drive from Ica to Nazca to catch a flight to see the lines from the sky, or find flights that depart from Ica directly – the additional cost will save hours of travel!

Iquitos

Located deep in the heart of the jungle, Iquitos is the largest Peruvian city located within the Amazon Rainforest. Despite it’s size, it’s accessible only by river or air and instantly hits visitors with its wild, untamed remoteness. For most, it’s a destination unlike anything they’ve ever experienced before, making it the perfect city in Peru for a bucket list trip through the Amazon.

Despite its location, Iquitos can be an affordable destination even for backpackers, who find affordable hostels and can take straightforward day trips into the Amazon. Starting at around $100 per day, visitors can also enjoy comprehensive all-inclusive tours that go deep into the jungle for wildlife encounters, or to experience daily life with communities living in the forest. For just a bit more, you’ll find truly excellent excursions, and some of Peru’s nicest Amazon lodges as well.

Cajamarca

If you’re looking to get off the typical tourist path in Peru, add Cajamarca to your list. A thriving city in Peru’s northern highlands, Cajamarca manages to offer a great mix of fascinating attractions, and charming beauty while still staying off the radar of most visitors. Plan your visit before that changes!

Cajamarca has a small but important historic center with a mix of Spanish colonial architecture and Incan ruins. It’s most important site is the Cuarto de Rescate, where the Incan emperor Atahualpa was held for ransom by the Spanish conquistadores. It is also home to unique ruins and topographical features outside the city like the Cumbemayo “rock forest” and pre-Incan necropolises.

Ayacucho

Located between Ica and Cusco, the small city of Ayacucho is a beautiful and well-preserved historic city that far too few travelers ever visit. Ayacucho eminates what Arequipa and Cusco must have felt like decades ago, before tourism began to boom, with nearly empty ruins like Vilcashuamán or Quinua and the technicolor Aguas Turquesas de Millpu still mostly devoid of crowds.

If you’re traveling to Peru during Easter celebrations, Ayacucho is a must-visit. Ayacucho is known throughout Peru for having some of the country’s most important Easter celebrations, including processions throughout the city for an entire week leading up to the holiday itself. It’s a fascinating way to experience an important part of Peruvian culture firsthand.

Trujillo

So many travelers arrive in Lima only to head south towards Cusco, Arequipa, or Puna, leaving northern Peruvian cities almost overlooked. Buck the trend and add Trujillo to your itinerary. With its beautiful beaches, cool surf culture, unique ruins, and lovely historical center, Trujillo is teeming with things to see and do.

If there’s a superstar attraction that draws travelers to Trujillo it is certainly Chan Chan. The ruins of Chan Chan are the largest known pre-Incan city in the Americas, a stunning and unique site that is easily one of the best things to do in Peru. Built by the Chimú people, who were eventually conquered by the Incas, Chan Chan is totally different from the ruins you’ll see throughout the rest of the country.

Just a few miles outside of central Trujillo, is the beach in Huanchaco, a beloved destination for surfing and seafood. The surf in Huanchaco has nothing on that of Máncora, even further north and just a stone’s throw from the border of Ecuador, but its well worth a visit when in Trujillo.