There’s a feeling you get after a vacation, where you’ve left somewhere behind but every time you see pictures of it you’re like “awww, I was there!” and a fuzzy nostalgia hug envelops your stomach and you call over your husband/sister/best friend/dog to have them look at the picture so they too can go “aww! We were there!”
That’s basically what this entire post is like for Jeremy & I. Well, mostly. Turns out there are actually some really beautiful places in Peru that we didn’t even get a chance to see!
Don’t miss out like we did. Grab your camera (or your phone), hop on a bus (or plane … or whatever, look, I’m not giving literal instructions here), and go capture the 5 most Instagrammable Places in Peru like our Guest Post writer, Rohit!
Psst: Looking for more tips for traveling in Peru? Check out some of our other posts!
- 13 Things to Know Before You Go to Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru
- 40 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Peru
- Hiking Laguna 69 in Huaraz, Peru: Everything You Need to Know
- The Kennedy Park Cats: Cat Lover’s Paradise in Lima, Peru
- The Best Third Wave Coffee Shops in Lima, Peru
Let us help prepare you for your trip! We’ll send you a handy printable checklist with our recommendations for what to pack for South America (and a few important things to do before you leave). We’ll also send you some of our favorite tips for traveling in South America. Sign up below.
Table of Contents
The 5 Most Instagrammable Places in Peru
Desert, mountains, canyon, a splendid wonder of the world, a dense tropical forest…Peru can be described in terms of all those big words that you’ve read in your school years. You can’t click enough pictures while in this Inca empire birthplace that’s probably going to take enough of your breath away. You’ve seen all those immensely popular tourist destinations of Peru but they’re not the only ones that have been Instagrammed through the years. So, here’s a few more destinations from Peru that should make it on your Instagram the next time you visit.
Machu Picchu
You can’t talk about Peru and not mention Machu Picchu, since it would be a wild injustice to do so. Machu Picchu, the citadel of the Inca empire gathered its popularity through the years for photography lovers based on the amazing architecture and natural surroundings. Most images of Machu Picchu on Instagram include that of the sunset over the citadel, which is one of the most adored sights in the books of avid travellers. The mountainous background of Machu Picchu makes it a very photography friendly location in Peru.
Travel Tip: When heading to Machu Picchu you should also detour to Ollantaytambo, we have a handy guide of what to do inn Ollantaytambo, Peru.
on what to do when you get there!
The Monastery of San Francisco in Lima, Peru is the second most visited site in Peru! Photo by Colin W, CC BY-SA 3.0
Monastery of San Francisco
Along with being the second most visited site in Peru, the Monastery of San Francisco in Lima is a brilliant opportunity for Instagrammers. The unusual design of the monastery alongside Lima’s first mausoleum and cemetery have brought some great results for photography lovers and travellers. The monastery is also a fantastic display of intricately patterned walls with skulls and bones arranged in a geometric fashion. Tourists have been attracted to the Monastery of San Francisco just as much as photographers and avid travellers.
The enormous dunes of Huacachina surround a lush desert Oasis. It’s the best place to sandboard in Peru! Photo by Alex Proimos, CC BY 2.0
Huacachina Dunes
The Huacachina Oasis, one of the most popular sights of Peru, is surrounded by the mesmerizing Huacachina dunes. Instagram is filled with some of the most exquisite pictures of the Huacachina sand dunes. Enthusiastic travellers visiting Huacachina for its primary adventure sport, sandboarding, will find an amazing opportunity to record great adventures in Peru along with getting really good photographs.
El Misti, an enormous volcano in Peru, is also home to Incan mummies and other historical artifacts. Photo by David Stanley, CC BY 2.0
El Misti
Peru’s very own picturesque stratovolcano offers a mesmerizing view during different times of the year. El Misti has a snowy peak good enough to get you busy with your camera. Then there’s the added bonus of the Inca mummies that were discovered years ago in its depths along with rare artifacts of the Inca empire, making it an intriguing a sight to behold. With two different yet equally wondrous climbing routes going up the volcano, one can get pictures of distinct attractiveness at El Misti. You’ll be busy wondering how many more you can click as the gorgeous environment of this stratovolcano will never disappoint.
The red sand beach in Paracas, Peru, near the the Islas Ballestas, said to be the “Poor Man’s Galapagos Islands.” Photo by Vicente González Camacho, CC BY-SA 2.0
Paracas Peninsula
The red-sand beach where the desert of Peru meets the Paracas Peninsula makes for an absolutely magical location to photograph. The Paracas Peninsula has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, proving it to be a popular tourist attraction. The beaches are shared on Instagram in stunning pictures that you just can’t get enough of. The marine reserve of this Peninsula, the Islas Ballestas, offers brilliant opportunities to get photographs of wildlife that would make anyone envious. Most travellers and photographers have found the Paracas Peninsula to be one of the most camera-friendly locations in Peru to capture astonishing images of. Plus, the Peninsula offers a variety of spots from where you can get distinct photos. The twilight hour is especially good to capture pictures here!
Peru’s beauty can’t possibly be contained in the eyes of a single traveller with a camera. The exotic destination needs to be taken seriously to find all those beautiful parts of it that are guaranteed to leave you absolutely mesmerized.
Psst: Looking for more tips for traveling in Peru? Check out some of our other posts!
- 13 Things to Know Before You Go to Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru
- 40 Things Nobody Tells You About Backpacking in Peru
- Hiking Laguna 69 in Huaraz, Peru: Everything You Need to Know
- The Kennedy Park Cats: Cat Lover’s Paradise in Lima, Peru
- The Best Third Wave Coffee Shops in Lima, Peru
Let us help prepare you for your trip! We’ll send you a handy printable checklist with our recommendations for what to pack for South America (and a few important things to do before you leave). We’ll also send you some of our favorite tips for traveling in South America. Sign up below.
And if you are looking for even more tour tips during your visit to Peru the amazing guys over at ViaHero will connect you with a local person who will share all their juicy knowledge and help you plan your perfect itinerary. Check it out here.
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Author Bio: Rohit is a passionate traveller and explorer who likes to check out all the popular locations in the world. He shares his adventurous experiences on TransIndiaTravels.com.
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Our Top Travel Tips & Resources
- Booking Flights: To score flight deals, search on Google Flights, Skyscanner or Airfare Watchdog. Money-saving tips: fly mid-week or on the weekend; fly carry-on only on a budget airline; and take red-eyes or early morning flights.
- Accommodations: We usually stay in mid-range boutique hotels or private rooms in hostels. We use Booking.com to book hotels (we love their flexible cancellation policy) and Hostelworld to book hostels (low deposit, easy change/cancellation, and excellent reviews). Depending on the destination, we also love staying in AirBnBs. We've also used TrustedHousesitters as both hosts and travelers.
- Travel Insurance: We always, always, ALWAYS buy travel insurance for international trips, and we STRONGLY suggest it - visit our Travel Insurance Guide to find out why. We recommend either World Nomads or SafetyWing for international travel insurance.
- Vaccines & Meds: We use the travel guides on the CDC website to research recommended medications and vaccines for international trips. We always recommend getting every vaccine recommended by the CDC! You can get them at your primary care doctor's office or a walk-in pharmacy.
- Tours: We love booking guided tours, especially food tours and walking tours, to get a local's perspective and a history lesson while sight-seeing! We book our tours using Viator and GetYourGuide.
- Transportation: We use Rome2Rio to figure out how to get from place to place using public transit. When we book a rental car, we use Priceline to find the best deal.
- Luggage Storage: Checking out early or taking advantage of a long layover? Use Stasher to safely store your luggage while you're running around. Be sure to use the code PW10 for 10% off your booking!
- What to Pack: Here are the travel essentials that we bring on every trip. We also have packing lists for hot weather, cold weather, and many more. Take a look at all of our packing guides!
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Peru is so photogenic, I could look at all those pictures for hours and hours.
I agree! Thanks Neni!
I really like your blog (and I understand this is a guest post) but I gotta disagree with this. How can the Rainbow Mountain not be one of the top 5? I see it everyday on my Instagram feed!
Have you been to the Amazon in Peru? Trying to decide between Iquitos & Puerto Maldonado.
Your site is awesome and so much fun to read!
Sadly we haven’t 🙁 Wish I could be more helpful!
Your site has been a huge help! It’s all good.