Lima

Travel Guide

Exposition Park featuring a park and a fountain as well as a large group of people
Lima featuring religious elements, a church or cathedral and interior views
Lima which includes street scenes and a high rise building
Exposition Park featuring flowers, a garden and outdoor art
Lima which includes a sunset and a pond as well as a large group of people

Lima Travel Guide Video

Spanish colonial houses, exquisite food, musicians in traditional dress, oceanfront entertainment and fine museums make the Peruvian capital a feast for the senses.

Enjoy a culinary and cultural experience in bustling Lima, where the desert meets the coast, where ancient history mixes with 21st-century entertainment and where Peru’s poor hope to get rich.

The settlement along the Rímac River was once inhabited by Incas and earlier civilizations. After the Spanish founded Lima in 1535, they ruled for over 300 years. Today, nearly a third of Peru’s 30 million residents live in the capital. From the slums on the Cerros (hills) and the colorful colonial mansions, to the Catholic churches with Moorish roofs and Chinatown’s red gate, Lima’s urban sprawl is diverse.

Explore Lima’s colonial past in the central Plaza de Armas. A grand palace with marching guards, an ornate cathedral and a 17th-century fountain define this historic square. Sit on a bench and people-watch or browse nearby souvenir shops for brightly colored souvenirs. Tour the Convento y Museo de San Francisco and its 16th-century catacombs. Ride in a horse-drawn carriage or set out on foot and follow the shopping avenues to the monument-rich Plaza San Martin.

Take a metered taxi to the Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrera in the Pueblo Libre district to see pre-Columbian art, including Moche ceramics from over 2,200 years ago. For oceanfront entertainment, head south to Lima’s fashionable neighborhoods Miraflores and Barranco. Try Peru’s staple seafood dish ceviche or the alcoholic drink pisco sour.

In summer, ocean breezes provide a welcome reprieve from Lima’s desert air and smog. Winter days are mild, but often overcast. Because most Peruvians are poor and Lima attracts the wealthy, crime is an issue. Use the lockers and taxi service of your hotel and stick to the tourist areas.

Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport has connections to major global destinations. With daily planes and buses leaving from Lima for the surfing beaches of the Pacific Ocean, the lush Amazon jungle and the snow-capped Andes mountains, this fascinating city is just the start of your Peru adventure.

Where to stay in Lima

Miraflores featuring a sunset, general coastal views and landscape views

Miraflores

Miraflores is known for its popular shops, and you can see some sights in the area like Huaca Pucllana Ruins and Indian Market.

Miraflores
Barranco which includes street scenes as well as a large group of people

Barranco

Barranco is popular for its abundant dining options, and if you're looking for more to see and do, you might think about a trip to Bridge of Sighs or Barranco Viewpoint.

Barranco
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San Isidro

San Isidro is known for its ample dining options, and you can make a stop by Camino Real Mall and Lima Golf Club while in the area.

San Isidro
Plaza Mayor showing flowers and a garden

Lima Historic Center

Unique features of Lima Historic Center include the historic sites and shopping. Make a stop by Church and Convent of San Francisco or Plaza de Armas de Lima while you're exploring the area.

Lima Historic Center
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San Miguel

You'll enjoy the bars and live music in San Miguel. You might want to make time for a stop at Plaza San Miguel Mall or Leyendas Park.

San Miguel
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Leuro

While visiting Leuro, you might make a stop by sights like Larco Avenue and Balboa Strip Mall.

Leuro
Wyndham Costa Del Sol Lima Airport
Wyndham Costa Del Sol Lima Airport
4 out of 5
Av Elmer Faucett S N, Aeropuerto Jorge Chavez, Callao, Lima
The price is P8,266 per night from 17 Mar to 18 Mar
P8,266
P9,092 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 17 - Mar 18
Stay at this 4-star spa hotel in Callao. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the breakfast and the restaurant in our reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (2,914 reviews)
"For being on the airport property, I didn't hear and planes during the night. This is a good hotel for a 1 night stay arriving at night in Lima or leaving Lima in the early morning become Lima traffic is terrible."

Reviewed on Mar 8, 2025

Wyndham Costa Del Sol Lima Airport
Casa Andina Standard Benavides
Casa Andina Standard Benavides
3.5 out of 5
271 Av. Alfredo Benavides, Lima, Municipalidad Metropolitana de Lima
The price is P4,391 per night from 1 Apr to 2 Apr
P4,391
P4,830 total
includes taxes & fees
Apr 1 - Apr 2
Stay at this 3.5-star hotel in Lima. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in our ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (778 reviews)
"Excellent great stay highly recommended close to it all"

Reviewed on Mar 7, 2025

Casa Andina Standard Benavides
Sheraton Lima Historic Center
Sheraton Lima Historic Center
4 out of 5
Paseo De La Republica 170, Lima, Lima
The price is P4,345 per night from 26 Mar to 27 Mar
P4,345
P4,779 total
includes taxes & fees
Mar 26 - Mar 27
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in Lima. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (593 reviews)
"Excellent service and care for the elderly visitors. The entire staff was great and kind"

Reviewed on Mar 8, 2025

Sheraton Lima Historic Center
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Estelar Apartamentos Bellavista
Estelar Apartamentos Bellavista
3.5 out of 5
Bellavista 216, Miraflores, Lima, Lima
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly aparthotel in Lima. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (566 reviews)
"Nice hotel, excellent breakfast"

Reviewed on Jan 28, 2025

Estelar Apartamentos Bellavista
Petit Palace Apart Hotel Suites
Petit Palace Apart Hotel Suites
3.5 out of 5
Calle Independencia 279, Miraflores, Lima 18, Lima, Lima
Stay at this 3.5-star business-friendly aparthotel in Lima. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the property condition in our ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (428 reviews)
"I like the food options all around, very good neighborhood."

Reviewed on Nov 10, 2024

Petit Palace Apart Hotel Suites
Borgoño by Wynwood House
Borgoño by Wynwood House
3.5 out of 5
347 Ca. Gral. Borgoño, Lima, Provincia de Lima
Stay at this 3.5-star aparthotel in Lima. Enjoy free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk, and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Waikiki Beach and Larcomar Shopping ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (6 reviews)
"Really nice and big property. We enjoyed this place. Ir was situated at a good location."

Reviewed on Dec 24, 2024

Borgoño by Wynwood House
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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