Things to do in Peru, Peru: The Best Museums

MUSEO LARCO OPENS FROM 9AM TO 10PM, DAILY. The Museo Larco is housed in an exquisite 18th century vice-royal mansion, built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum’s galleries exhibit the finest and most magnificent gold and jewelry treasures from Ancient Peru and the renowned erotic collection, one of Peru’s most celebrated attractions. Founded in 1926 and located in Lima, the Museo Larco holds the largest and most important archaeological collection of Ancient Peru in the world. Peru is known worldwide thanks to the legendary Inca Empire on the Andes Mountains; however few are aware that this society existed only for the last 100 years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. The Museo Larco portrays to the visitor an engaging narrative, recounting 5000 years in the development of Peru’s pre-Columbian history; thus becoming the ideal means to understand and enjoy Ancient Peru. On the Museum’s terraces overlooking its vibrant and stunning gardens, find Museo Larco´s Café restaurant, where one can savour the best of Peruvian and International cuisine.All in all, it’s accurate to say that to become fascinated by Peruvian history, the journey begins at Museo Larco!

This church and monastery of St. Francis (circa 1674) is known for its catacombs that contain the remains of more than 70,000 people and a magnificent library that houses thousands of antique texts.

Considered a masterpiece of colonial architecture, this monastery is a large complex of rooms, picturesque plazas, ornate fountains and a maze of narrow, cobblestone streets.

The Museum of Pre-Columbian Art - MAP Cusco is an experience that allows you to discover the mystical art of ancient Peru. It houses and exhibits admirable objects for its history and aesthetics, created by women and men of the Andes, more than three thousand years ago until the sixteenth century, in the territory where Peru is located nowadays. The 400 pieces exhibited in the MAP Cusco, located in the historic Casona Cabrera, a few blocks from the Plaza de Armas, are part of the collection of the Larco Museum, considered one of the best 20 museums in the world. The MAP Cusco, managed by the BBVA Foundation, offers the possibility of exploring its ten rooms with audio guides in three languages: Spanish, English and French. The narratives will bring the visitor closer to the worldview that defined the beliefs of the ancient Peruvians. The visitor can also enjoy MAP Café tasting the incomparable flavor of Peruvian cuisine in a magical and peaceful setting.

We are an Cultural interpretation center about how the Andean people understand the skies. The explanation in two rooms give us a great perspective, in dome we learn about southern sky and finally, if weather allows, we enjoy some stargazing!

Are you a chocolate lover? Come and live a truly chocolate experience at ChocoMuseo! In our chocolate museum you will uncover all the cocoa secrets while you taste the best artisanal chocote made with the best organic Peruvian beans! Further more, get ready to make your own chocolate in our Chocolate Workshops or be ready to drink the best of our coffee or chocolate delights in our cafeteria! Please notice we have another 3 locations: - On the same square, opposite corner: the factory, - on plaza de armas on the left of the cathedral, -by the 12 corner stone

Museum of Contemporary Textile Art. Explore the private collection of tapestries by Award Winning Peruvian artist Maximo Laura, designated as Peru's "Living Human Treasure" by UNESCO.