Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease that may affect multiple vascular territories including the coronary, cerebral and peripheral circulation. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common manifestation of atherosclerosis and has an important impact on quality of life as well as morbidity in affected individuals. The diagnosis of PAD can be challenging and the clinician must know the different methods available and the limitations of each of them. In this article we review noninvasive methods used in the diagnosis of PAD in detail as well as the indications for conventional invasive angiography.