While there are many things of interest in the colonial cities of Lima and Cusco, both the cities have numerous options of weekend trips, both for tourists as well as locals. Lima is a modern city in a valley and is surrounded by arid desert on all sides. This desert has some interesting tourist destinations. Add to this few islands on the coast and there are tonnes on offer. You could easily head out on long distance tours on buses and trains, or venture into nearby areas by car. Sometimes it’s even possible to go walking to reach one of these sites.

Cusco, the capital city of the ancient Incas, is actually magical and has a lot of tourist attractions. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1983. It was earlier considered the perfect base for visiting renowned sites like Machu Pichu and other Incan ruins. But now lots of other attractive destinations, both in and around Cusco are cropping up on tourists’ radars. A list of a few of our favourite day trips from both these cities are given below. We hope this will help you plan your itinerary well and make the most of your time in Peru.