Peru’s top places to visit are Machu Picchu and Cusco, Lima, Arequipa, the Nazca Lines, and Lake Titicaca. International tourist arrivals reached 3.26 million in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023 that still left arrivals at 74.5% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR).
- Machu Picchu & Cusco — Built around 1450 under the Inca emperor Pachacuti and never found by Spanish conquistadors, Machu Picchu was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and drew 1.5 million visitors in 2024, matching 2019 levels and a 58% jump over 2023.
- Lima — The Historic Centre of Lima, capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru from 1535 until independence in 1821, was UNESCO-listed in 1988 and expanded in 1991 and 2023.
- Arequipa — Built largely from white volcanic sillar stone, the city’s historic centre earned UNESCO status in 2000 for blending European and native colonial building techniques.
- Nazca Lines — UNESCO-listed in 1994, these geoglyphs etched into the desert are best viewed from small propeller planes departing Nazca or nearby Pisco.
- Lake Titicaca — The world’s highest navigable lake at 3,810 meters, Titicaca is home to the Uros people’s floating islands, built from woven totora reeds and rebuilt roughly every 25 years.
Planning note
Cusco sits at roughly 3,400 meters and Puno (the gateway to Lake Titicaca) even higher — plan around jet lag and altitude changes before the Inca Trail or Titicaca leg rather than flying straight in from sea-level Lima. For regional context and cost planning across South America, see the Americas trip cost breakdown.
Sources
- Gestión — Mincetur: llegada de turistas extranjeros al Perú creció 29% al cierre del 2024
- Wikipedia — Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
- Wikipedia — Machu Picchu
- RoadGenius — Machu Picchu Tourism Statistics
- Wikipedia — Historic Centre of Lima
- Wikipedia — Viceroyalty of Peru
- Wikipedia — Historic Centre of Arequipa
- Wikipedia — Nazca Lines
- Field Study of the World — Uros Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca
Read the Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2026 roundup for how Peru compares globally.
