Trip highlights
- 1Plaza Mayor and Lima's historic centre
- 2Miraflores coastal boardwalk and paragliding
- 3Ceviche and a Peruvian tasting menu
- 4Barranco's bohemian streets and Bridge of Sighs
- 5Larco Museum's pre-Columbian artefacts
Daily spend
Where you're going
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In pictures
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival & Historic Centre
Saturday, June 5
Est. spend
$130
per person
🌅 Morning
Arrive at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
Jorge Chávez International Airport
Rideshare or official airport taxis take 30-50 minutes to Miraflores or the historic centre depending on traffic — Lima's traffic is notoriously heavy at most hours.
Use the official taxi counter inside the terminal or a rideshare app rather than unmetered taxis outside.
☀️ Afternoon
Plaza Mayor and the historic centre
Plaza Mayor, Lima
Lima's UNESCO World Heritage colonial centre, anchored by the Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral, and the Government Palace, with the changing of the guard ceremony at certain times.
The Catacombs beneath the Convento de San Francisco, holding the remains of an estimated 25,000 people, is a genuinely fascinating and slightly eerie side trip nearby.
🌙 Evening
Ceviche dinner in Miraflores
Miraflores, Lima
Peru's signature dish — raw fish cured in citrus, chili, and onion — is at its absolute best in Lima, widely considered the global capital of ceviche.
Eat ceviche at lunchtime by local custom when possible — the freshest fish is used earlier in the day, though Lima's top restaurants serve it expertly any time.
🍽️ Meals
Airport or hotel breakfast
Peruvian · $10
Historic centre lunch
Peruvian · $15
Miraflores ceviche dinner
Peruvian · $35
Miraflores Coastline
Sunday, June 6
Est. spend
$250
per person
🌅 Morning
Larco Museum
Av. Simón Bolívar 1515, Pueblo Libre
An exceptional museum of pre-Columbian art, housed in an 18th-century mansion built on a pre-Columbian pyramid, including a famously frank erotic art gallery and one of the finest ceramics collections from ancient Peru.
The museum's garden café is genuinely excellent and a pleasant lunch stop in its own right.
☀️ Afternoon
Miraflores boardwalk and Parque del Amor
Malecón de Miraflores, Lima
A coastal walking and cycling path along dramatic clifftops overlooking the Pacific, passing Parque del Amor (with its large kissing-couple statue) and various viewpoints.
Paragliding tandem flights launch from the clifftop park here — a genuinely thrilling way to see the coastline from above, weather permitting.
🌙 Evening
Tasting menu dinner
Miraflores/Barranco, Lima
Lima is home to several restaurants regularly ranked among the best in the world — a tasting menu at one of the city's top Peruvian fine-dining establishments is a worthwhile splurge.
Book well in advance — Lima's top restaurants are booked out weeks ahead, especially for weekend dinners.
🍽️ Meals
Larco Museum café breakfast
Peruvian · $10
Miraflores boardwalk lunch
Peruvian · $18
Tasting menu dinner
Peruvian (fine dining) · $100
Barranco Bohemian District
Monday, June 7
Est. spend
$145
per person
🌅 Morning
Barranco walking tour
Barranco, Lima
Lima's most charming, bohemian neighbourhood, with colourful colonial mansions, street art, and the famous Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), a wooden footbridge associated with local romantic legend.
Cross the Bridge of Sighs holding your breath, by local tradition, to make a wish.
☀️ Afternoon
Pisco tasting and Peruvian cooking class
Barranco/Miraflores, Lima
Pisco, Peru's national grape brandy, is the base for the pisco sour, the country's signature cocktail — a tasting session or hands-on cooking class is a fun, hands-on way to engage with Peruvian food culture.
Many cooking classes include a market visit beforehand to select ingredients — a worthwhile add-on for context on Peru's extraordinary produce diversity.
🌙 Evening
Barranco nightlife
Barranco, Lima
Lima's main nightlife district, with art galleries, live music venues, and bars in converted colonial houses — a lively final evening out.
🍽️ Meals
Barranco café breakfast
Peruvian · $10
Cooking class lunch
Peruvian · $0 · Included as part of the cooking class experience.
Barranco dinner
Peruvian/International · $35
Final Markets & Departure
Tuesday, June 8
Est. spend
$110
per person
🌅 Morning
Mercado de Surquillo
Mercado de Surquillo, Lima
A genuine working local market beloved by Lima's top chefs for produce — an excellent way to see the raw ingredients behind the city's famous food scene, and a popular stop on many cooking tours.
Try a fresh juice from one of the market's juice stalls — Peru's tropical fruit variety is extraordinary.
☀️ Afternoon
Final shopping and lunch in Miraflores
Larcomar, Miraflores
Larcomar, a shopping centre built directly into the clifftop overlooking the ocean, makes for a striking final lunch and souvenir stop before departure.
🌙 Evening
Transfer to Jorge Chávez Airport
Jorge Chávez International Airport
Allow at least 3 hours before an international flight given Lima's traffic unpredictability.
🍽️ Meals
Hotel breakfast
Peruvian · $10
Larcomar lunch
Peruvian/International · $25
Airport food
Peruvian/International · $16
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
May–October is Lima's drier season, though temperatures stay mild year-round (15-25°C) thanks to the coastal climate. The city is famous for persistent grey cloud cover (garúa) much of the year, even without rain.
🛂 Visas
Most Western nationalities (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia) do not need a visa for short tourist stays in Peru, typically up to 90 or 183 days depending on nationality. Check current requirements before travel.
💱 Currency
Peruvian Sol (PEN). Cards are widely accepted in Miraflores and Barranco's restaurants; carry cash for markets, street food, and smaller establishments.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 105
ambulance: 106
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- Lima is genuinely considered one of the best food cities in the world — book top restaurants weeks in advance, especially for weekend dinners.
- Ceviche is traditionally a lunchtime dish using the freshest fish of the day, though Lima's top restaurants serve it expertly at any hour.
- Lima's overcast skies (garúa) are a near-constant feature much of the year, even without rain — don't be put off by grey weather, as it rarely means a washed-out day.
- Lima is also the main gateway for trips to Machu Picchu and Cusco — many visitors use it as a bookend rather than the trip's sole destination.
- Use rideshare apps or registered taxis rather than hailing cabs on the street, particularly at night, as a standard safety precaution.
One thing worth not skipping
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