Quick verdict: Peru is Inca Empire heart + Amazon basin + Pacific coast + Andean highlands + Cusco gateway. This guide ranks 15 essential Peruvian experiences for 2026.
The 15 best things to do in Peru
Visit Machu Picchu
Iconic Inca citadel at 2,430m. UNESCO + New 7 Wonders. Most-photographed Peru site. Book 3-6 months ahead.
Hike Inca Trail
Continue planning your Peru trip
Classic 4-day trek to Machu Picchu. Book 6 months ahead. Best Inca-history experience.
Hike Salkantay alternative
5-day trek to Machu Picchu via 4,650m Salkantay Pass. No permits needed. Less crowded than Inca Trail.
Sacred Valley exploration
Pisac + Ollantaytambo + Chinchero villages. Inca ruins + colorful markets + cooler altitude. Better acclimatization.
Climb Rainbow Mountain
Vinicunca peak at 5,200m. Striped rainbow geological formation. Acclimatize first – high altitude.
Float Lake Titicaca
World’s highest navigable lake (3,812m). Uros floating reed islands + Taquile + Amantani islands.
Wildlife in Amazon (Tambopata)
Tambopata National Reserve. Macaw clay licks + monkeys + caimans. Less crowded than Manu.
Fly over Nazca Lines
Geoglyphs created 500 BC-AD 500. Visible only from air. 30-minute light aircraft flight.
Surf in Mancora
Best surf in Peru. Warm Pacific water + consistent waves. Hostel + surf scene.
Visit Cusco old town
Inca walls + colonial Spanish architecture mix. Plaza de Armas + Inca Roca wall + Korikancha temple.
Eat Peruvian food
Lima is Top-10 food city globally. Ceviche + lomo saltado + ají de gallina. Central + Maido + Astrid y Gastón fine dining.
Pisco tasting
National grape spirit. Pisco sour cocktail tradition. Tour distilleries in Ica region.
Mountain biking Sacred Valley
Downhill + cross-country mountain biking through Inca terraces. Less crowded than hiking.
Visit Colca Canyon
One of world’s deepest canyons (3,400m). Condor viewing. Hike to floor or village stays.
Hot springs at Aguas Calientes
Soak in natural thermal pools after Machu Picchu visit. Town built around the springs.
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Helpful Packzup guides
The Honest Cut: What to Skip Near Cusco and Where to Spend Your Money
Vinicunca, the famous Rainbow Mountain, is the one I’d think twice about. Most tours roll out of Cusco around 5am and you reach the 5,200m ridge alongside a few hundred other people queuing for the same photo. If you go anyway, book a private departure leaving closer to 3am so you summit before the convoy arrives. The smarter swap is Palccoyo at roughly 4,900m, a short, gentle walk to several striped ridges plus a Stone Forest about twenty minutes on. For real seclusion, the newest pick is Pallay Punchu in the Layo district, a blade-like colored ridge above Langui Lagoon that sees a fraction of Vinicunca’s crowds.
The move that actually saves money is the Boleto Turistico Integral, the general tourist ticket. For foreign adults it runs around S/130 (about $35) and covers 16 sites over roughly 10 days, including Circuit III’s Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Moray and Chinchero, so you’re not paying separately at each gate.
- Eat at the Mercado Central de San Pedro (the 1925 market a few blocks from Plaza de Armas): free to walk in, and a hot lunch costs a fraction of the square’s restaurants.
- In Lima, skip the polished Miraflores strip for an hour and walk Barranco’s Puente de los Suspiros, which costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
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Updated 2026. Some links on Packzup are affiliate links.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.