The Ultimate Travel Guide to Peru: History & Attractions

The heart of the ancient Inca Empire — Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Amazon rainforest, Lake Titicaca and Lima's world-class cuisine await.

A Glimpse into History

Peru was home to one of humanity's greatest civilisations — the Inca Empire, which at its peak in the 15th century stretched 4,000 km along the Andes from modern Colombia to Chile, governing 12 million people through an extraordinary system of roads, relay runners, record-keeping with knotted strings (quipus), and agricultural terracing that transformed mountain landscapes. But Peru's history stretches back much further — the Caral civilisation in the coastal desert (3,000 BC) predates Egypt's pyramids, while the Nazca people etched their famous geoglyphs into the desert floor between 400–650 AD. The Moche, Chimu, and Tiwanaku cultures each built sophisticated societies before the Inca unified the Andes under Cusco's rule. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro defeated Inca emperor Atahualpa in 1532 with just 168 men through a combination of treachery, smallpox, and firearms, looting an estimated 13,420 pounds of gold. Three centuries of Spanish colonial rule established Lima as the capital of South America's wealthiest viceroyalty. Independence came in 1821 under José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. Modern Peru has worked to reconcile its Spanish colonial heritage with its indigenous Quechua and Aymara identity, and today Machu Picchu — rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911 — stands as the most recognisable symbol of pre-Columbian achievement.

Top Attractions in Peru

Machu Picchu

The 15th-century Inca citadel perched on a cloud-forest ridge above the Urubamba River is the most awe-inspiring archaeological site in the Americas — 150 granite buildings mortared without a single drop of cement, aligned with solar solstices, surrounded by plunging valleys and Andean peaks. The Sun Gate approach on the Inca Trail at dawn is one of the world's great arrival moments.

Cusco Historic Centre

The Inca capital — Qusqu in Quechua, meaning navel of the world — was rebuilt by Spanish colonisers on top of Inca foundations, creating a unique city where Spanish baroque churches and colonial mansions rest on perfectly fitted Inca stonework. The Plaza de Armas, the Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun), and the narrow stone lanes of San Blas are among South America's most compelling urban environments.

Lake Titicaca

The world's highest navigable lake at 3,812 metres sits on the Peru-Bolivia border, its deep blue waters ringed by snow-capped Andean peaks. The floating reed islands of the Uros people — who have lived on man-made totora reed islands for centuries — and the sacred island of Taquile with its Quechua-speaking weavers (UNESCO-listed) offer genuinely extraordinary cultural encounters.

Nazca Lines

Etched into the high desert plateau of southern Peru by the Nazca civilisation between 400–650 AD, these enormous geoglyphs — a hummingbird, condor, spider, monkey, and astronaut figure visible only from the air — span up to 370 metres and cover 450 sq km. Their purpose remains debated: astronomical calendar, ritual pathways, or offerings to mountain deities.

Amazon Rainforest — Manu / Tambopata

Peru contains the most biodiverse section of the Amazon basin — Manu Biosphere Reserve has more bird species (1,000+) than the entire USA and Canada combined. Tambopata National Reserve near Puerto Maldonado offers accessible jungle lodges where macaw clay licks, giant river otters, caimans, tapirs, and six species of monkey can be encountered within a short boat ride.