Where to stay in Peru
Choose a destination and what matters most to you, and see which area of the city suits you.
Where are you going?
Your dates Optional: prices on the map and in the links
What matters most? Optional: choose as many as you like
Where to sleep in Cusco
Cusco sits at about 3,400 m, so where you sleep also decides how many hills you climb while you adjust to the altitude. The Plaza de Armas and San Blas hold most of the sights and restaurants, and the quieter hotels are a few streets further out. In high season, from June to August, the best rooms fill first, so book early.
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Plaza de Armas and historic centre
Everything on foot, at the price of noise and crowds
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San Blas
Artisans' quarter with steep lanes and views, a short walk uphill
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All of Cusco
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Where to sleep in Lima
Lima is a huge city stretched along the coast, so the district you choose matters more than the hotel. Most visitors sleep in Miraflores or Barranco, on the cliffs above the Pacific and a short taxi ride apart. The Historic Centre holds the colonial sights but works better as a day visit. Allow at least an hour between the airport and the coast, and more at rush hour.
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Miraflores
Easy first base: restaurants, parks and the cliff-top walk
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Barranco
Art, nightlife and a seaside feel, quieter by day
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San Isidro
Calm business district with parks, close to Miraflores
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Historic Centre
Colonial sights on the doorstep, busy by day and quiet at night
Where to sleep in Sacred Valley
The Sacred Valley is a string of towns between Pisac and Ollantaytambo, at roughly 2,800 to 3,000 m, lower than Cusco. Many travellers sleep here first to adjust to the altitude. Choose by what you want to do: Pisac for the market and the shortest road from Cusco, Urubamba for choice and central position, Ollantaytambo for the early train to Machu Picchu, Yucay for quiet.
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Urubamba
Central, with the most choice and the easiest road links
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Ollantaytambo
Inca town with the trains to Machu Picchu
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Pisac
Market town with a citadel above it, closest to Cusco
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Yucay
Quiet and green between Urubamba and Ollantaytambo
Where to sleep in Aguas Calientes
Aguas Calientes, also called Machu Picchu Pueblo, is the only town below the ruins. There is no road from Cusco: you arrive by train or on foot. Sleeping here means a short bus ride up to the site and an early entry, but you can also visit in one long day from Ollantaytambo or Cusco.
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Aguas Calientes
Sleep at the foot of Machu Picchu for an early entry
Where to sleep in Arequipa
Arequipa is a white-stone colonial city at about 2,300 m, below the Misti volcano. The sights are grouped around the Plaza de Armas and the Santa Catalina monastery, so a central hotel saves taxis. The altitude is gentler than Cusco, which makes it a good first stop before the Colca Canyon.
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Plaza de Armas and historic centre
Colonial core within walking distance of the main sights
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San Lázaro
Old narrow lanes close to the main square, with character and lower prices
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Yanahuara
Residential quarter with views of the volcano and good restaurants
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All of Arequipa
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Where to sleep in Cajamarca
Cajamarca is a highland colonial city at about 2,750 m, with thermal baths at the Baños del Inca and the Cumbemayo aqueduct nearby. A central hotel puts the plaza and the main churches within a short walk.
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Cajamarca
Colonial highland town with thermal baths nearby
Where to sleep in Chachapoyas
Chachapoyas is a small colonial town at about 2,300 m, and the base for Kuélap, the Gocta waterfall and the sarcophagi of Karajía. The sights are one to three hours away by road, so most tours leave early in the morning.
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Chachapoyas
Base for Kuélap and Gocta
Where to sleep in Chiclayo
Chiclayo is the base for the Sipán tombs, the Túcume pyramids and the Lambayeque museum, and is known for the best food of the north. The sights are in other towns, each about an hour or less away by road.
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Chiclayo
Base for the Sipán tombs, pyramids and the north's food
Where to sleep in Chivay
Chivay is the main town of the Colca Valley, at about 3,650 m, and the usual base for the Cruz del Cóndor viewpoint. The canyon rim village of Cabanaconde is closer to the viewpoint and to the trails down into the canyon. Nights are cold in both, so choose a room with heating.
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Chivay
Main town of the Colca Valley, hot springs nearby
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Cabanaconde
Village at the canyon rim, near the trails down
Where to sleep in Huaraz
Huaraz, at about 3,050 m, is the base for the Cordillera Blanca: day trips to Laguna 69, Llanganuco and Pastoruri leave early from the town. Plan at least a couple of nights to adjust before the high trips. Sleep in town for convenience, in Monterrey for quiet, or in Caraz for the northern lakes.
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Huaraz centre
Services, tour offices and restaurants for the Cordillera Blanca
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Monterrey
Quieter spot north of town with thermal baths
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Caraz
Small town closer to the northern lakes and trails
Where to sleep in Ica
Ica and the oasis of Huacachina are two different stays a short ride apart. Huacachina is a small lagoon ringed by dunes, built for buggy rides and sandboarding. Ica is the regional city, with more space, restaurants and the pisco wineries nearby. Both are hot in the day.
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Huacachina
Lagoon among dunes, built for dune buggies and sandboarding
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Ica
The city for more space and local life, a short ride from the oasis
Where to sleep in Iquitos
Iquitos can only be reached by air or by river. Most travellers split the stay between a night or two in the city and a jungle lodge on the Amazon and its tributaries. The city is hot and humid all year round.
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Iquitos centre
Plaza and riverfront for lodges, tours and restaurants
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Amazon lodges
Jungle stays with meals, guides and excursions, reached by boat
Where to sleep in Máncora
Máncora is the main beach town of the north coast, warm and sunny from December to April. The town itself runs along the Panamericana, with surf hostels, bars and restaurants. For a quieter beach and bungalow resorts, go a little south.
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Máncora
Beach town on the north coast, from surf hostels to resorts
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Vichayito
Quieter beach and bungalow resorts a short ride south of town
Where to sleep in Nazca
Nazca is a small desert town, and most people come for one night to fly over the Nazca Lines. Flights usually run in the morning, when the air is calmer, so a hotel close to the bus station or the airfield saves effort. A pool is welcome after a dusty drive.
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Nazca
Base for the lines and the flights over them
Where to sleep in Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is the usual starting point for trains to Machu Picchu and one of the best preserved Inca towns. Sleeping here makes the early train easy and gives you the fortress without the crowds of later in the day.
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Ollantaytambo
Early trains to Machu Picchu and a walkable old town
Where to sleep in Paracas
Paracas is a small bay town roughly four hours by road from Lima, and the departure point for the boats to the Ballestas Islands and for the national reserve. Most travellers sleep one night, which is enough for the boat in the morning and the reserve in the afternoon.
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Paracas
Bay town with the boats to the Ballestas Islands
Where to sleep in Pisac
Pisac is the Sacred Valley town closest to Cusco, famous for its market and for the Inca terraces and citadel above it. It works well as a first night after the city, at a lower altitude.
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Pisac
Market days, ruins and an easy half-day from Cusco
Where to sleep in Puerto Maldonado
Puerto Maldonado is the gateway to the southern Amazon. Most visitors fly in from Cusco or Lima and go straight to a lodge on the Tambopata or Madre de Dios rivers, so a night in town is mainly for connections. It is hot and humid all year.
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Puerto Maldonado
Gateway town for the southern Amazon lodges
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Tambopata
Jungle stays in or near the reserve
Where to sleep in Puno
Puno, at about 3,830 m on Lake Titicaca, is where the boats to the Uros and Taquile islands leave from. The centre is compact: the main square, the pedestrian street Calle Lima and the lake port are all close together. Most hotels in this area are within a few streets of each other.
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Puno centre
Walkable to the main square and the lake port
Where to sleep in Trujillo
Trujillo is the base for Chan Chan, the Huacas de Moche and the surf village of Huanchaco. Stay in the colonial centre for the city and its restaurants, or by the sea in Huanchaco for a relaxed beach stay. The two are a short ride apart.
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Trujillo centre
Colonial centre, base for Chan Chan and the Moche temples
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Huanchaco
Surf village by the sea, a short ride from the city