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Voykit pocket guide · Peru
Lima
Lima is a lunch-and-cliff city: Miraflores and Barranco by day, the centre in one morning by car, and sun only from December to April.
Lima is a huge coastal city under a grey sky for half the year, with traffic that turns a 10 km ride into an hour. The trips that go wrong stack the historic centre, Barranco and Miraflores into one afternoon, or ride the airport road at rush hour. Four areas cover a first visit; base in Miraflores or Barranco and cross the city by app car, outside rush hours.
- Country
- Peru
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec
- Time zone
- America/Lima
- Stay
- 2 days: Miraflores and Barranco by day, the centre in one morning
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PEN
- Money
- Cards in hotels, malls and most restaurants; cash for markets, small cafés, taxis and small museums. Change for large notes is often short.
- Daily spend
- Budget S/ 80–150 excl. bed · Mid S/ 150–350 excl. bed · High S/ 350+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Install an eSIM before you fly, or buy a tourist SIM at the airport counters (passport needed).
- Emergency
- Police 105 · Fire 116 · Ambulance (SAMU) 106
- Plugs
- 220 V; type A, B and C sockets (many take both flat and round pins). Bring an adapter.
- Tipping
- About 10% in restaurants if service is not added; round up for drivers.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water. Ice in established restaurants is usually made from treated water.
- Toilets
- Cafés, malls, hotels and museums; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee (café in Miraflores) | S/ 8-15 |
| Set lunch (menú) at a local restaurant | S/ 15-30 |
| Ceviche lunch at a good cevichería | S/ 40-80 |
| Beer, bar / bottle from a shop | S/ 12-20 / S/ 6-10 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) ride-hail car3.1 mi (5 km) ride-hail car | S/ 10-25 |
| Metropolitano bus ride | about S/ 3 |
| Museum entry | S/ 20-60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM)
- LIM to Miraflores: one ride-hailing car or official taxi, 60–100 minutes in traffic — the risk is not the ride but rush hour and a guesthouse door that locks.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) (Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez) | International and domestic flights, including Cusco and Arequipa | App car 60-100 min in traffic, S/ 60-100 |
| Cruz del Sur main terminal (Terminal Cruz del Sur, La Victoria) | Comfortable long-distance buses to Arequipa, Ica, Paracas, Cusco, Trujillo | App car 25-40 min |
| Plaza Norte Terrapuerto (Terminal Plaza Norte, Independencia) | Several bus companies to the north coast and the Andes | Metropolitano or app car |
| Company terminals | Oltursa, Civa, Flores and others | App car |
Typical fares
- Airport to Miraflores, app car
- S/ 60-100, 60-100 min in traffic
- Miraflores to the centre, app car
- S/ 25-45, 40 min
- Miraflores to Barranco, app car
- S/ 12-20, 15-25 min
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside a district; ride-hail between districts. The Metropolitano bus is fast on its own lane but crowded and needs a card; taxis are cheap. Traffic decides everything: 07:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:30 add 30 minutes or more.Walk inside a district; ride-hail between districts. The Metropolitano bus is fast on its own lane but crowded and needs a card; taxis are cheap. Traffic decides everything: 7:00 AM-10:00 AM and 5:00 PM-8:30 PM add 30 minutes or more.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Inside Miraflores, Barranco, the plaza area of the centre |
| Ride-hail car | S/ 8-20 across a district; S/ 25-45 Miraflores to the centre | Between districts, night, bags |
| Metropolitano bus | about S/ 3 with a card (check) | Miraflores to the centre in rush hour |
| Street taxi | Agree before you get in | Daylight only when apps are slow |
| Combi and micro buses | Cheap | Locals; unclear routes |
| Cycling | Rental S/ 20-40 an hour | Malecón and Barranco cliff paths |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Cars are cheap; check the fare in the app and plan for slow traffic.
- Late at night
- No rail line serves the tourist districts at night; app cars run late but expect surge prices.
See and do
01A ceviche lunch
The dish Lima is known for, eaten at midday when the fish is fresh.
Hours: best 12:00-13:00, or after 14:30 · Price: S/ 60-100 · Time: 1-1.5 hHours: best 12:00 PM-1:00 PM, or after 2:30 PM · Price: S/ 60-100 · Time: 1-1.5 h
02Parque del Amor and the MalecónParque del Amor y Malecón
Flat cliff-top walk with the surf below; the best free hour in Miraflores.
Hours: best 08:00-10:00 or 16:30-sunset · Price: Free · Time: 1-1.5 hHours: best 8:00 AM-10:00 AM or 4:30 PM-sunset · Price: Free · Time: 1-1.5 h
03Museo Larco
The clearest introduction to 3,000 years of Peruvian cultures, in a garden house.
Hours: best Morning, before tour groups · Price: S/ 40-60 · Time: 1.5-2 h
04Huaca Pucllana
A 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid beside a restaurant terrace, in the middle of Miraflores.
Hours: best Morning guided tour · Price: S/ 15-30 · Time: 1 h · -12.1104, -77.0338
05The historic centre in one morningCatedral de Lima
Plaza Mayor, cathedral and the San Francisco convent, then leave by 14:00.Plaza Mayor, cathedral and the San Francisco convent, then leave by 2:00 PM.
Hours: best 09:00-13:00 · Price: S/ 40-70 for tickets · Time: 3-4 hHours: best 9:00 AM-1:00 PM · Price: S/ 40-70 for tickets · Time: 3-4 h
06Barranco on foot
The bridge, the galleries and the beach path; the best area for an evening out.
Hours: best 16:00-20:00 · Price: Free; drinks extra · Time: 2-3 hHours: best 4:00 PM-8:00 PM · Price: Free; drinks extra · Time: 2-3 h
07A Barranco tavern dinner
Large plates of Peruvian home cooking in a corner house.
Hours: best Early evening · Price: S/ 50-90 · Time: 1.5 h · -12.1400, -77.0210
08Sunset at Larcomar
The easy cliff-side spot with a view of the Pacific.
Hours: best Sunset (clear months) · Price: Free; drinks extra · Time: 1 h · -12.1315, -77.0295
09Surquillo market lunch
Fruit, ají and a working-lunch menú a few blocks from Miraflores.
Hours: best 11:00-13:30 · Price: S/ 12-25 · Time: 1 hHours: best 11:00 AM-1:30 PM · Price: S/ 12-25 · Time: 1 h · -12.1120, -77.0230
10Pachacámac half day
Pre-Inca sanctuary south of the city; good if you have a fourth day.
Hours: best Morning · Price: S/ 15-30 plus the ride · Time: 4-5 h with the ride
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pachacámac | Car about 1 h each way | Half day |
| Paracas and the Ballestas Islands | Bus or car about 4 h each way | Overnight is better |
| Callao and La Punta | Car about 30–45 min | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercado de Surquillo No. 1 | Market lunch (menú) · Surquillo | S/ 12-25 | Budget |
| La Lucha Sangucheria | Chicharrón or roast pork sandwich · Miraflores | S/ 18-28 | Budget |
| Pollería (rotisserie chicken) | Pollo a la brasa with fries · Everywhere | S/ 25-45 for a quarter (check) | Budget |
| Cebichería La Mar | Ceviche and tiradito · Miraflores | S/ 60-100 | Mid-range |
| Isolina Taberna Peruana | Peruvian tavern cooking · Barranco | S/ 50-90 | Mid-range |
| Restaurante Cordano | Pan con chicharrón, lomo saltado · Historic centre | S/ 30-60 | Mid-range |
| Tasting menus in Barranco and Miraflores | Multi-course Peruvian tasting menus · Barranco, Miraflores, San Isidro | S/ 400-900 (check) | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in soles. Addresses and hours change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | S/ 40-70 dorm bed; S/ 120-220 private room | Miraflores and Barranco | Hostels and guesthouses |
| mid | S/ 250-550 | Miraflores | Business-style hotels and boutique hotels |
| splurge | S/ 700-1,800+ | Miraflores cliff, San Isidro, Barranco villas | Grand hotels and design hotels |
| mid | S/ 200-450 | Apartments in Miraflores | Serviced apartments |
Per room per night in soles, 2026 estimate; Fiestas Patrias, Christmas and New Year add 20-60%.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buenos díasBWEH-nos DEE-as |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syas |
| How much is this? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-ta |
| Not spicy, please | Sin ají, por favorseen ah-HEE por fah-VOR |
| The bill, please | La cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta por fah-VOR |
| Please take me to this address | Lléveme a esta direcciónYEH-veh-meh ah ES-ta dee-rek-SYON |
| Stop here, please | Pare aquí, por favorPAH-reh ah-KEE por fah-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say buenos días or buenas tardes when you enter a shop or restaurant; a handshake or one kiss on the cheek among friends.
- Lunch: The main meal, 13:00-15:00; restaurants fill at 13:30. Dinner is later than in northern Europe.
- Tipping: About 10% in restaurants if a service charge is not added; round up for drivers and tour guides.
- Churches: Cover shoulders and knees, no flash, and do not photograph worshippers.
- Photos: Ask before you photograph people; in the centre some may ask for a small payment.
- Queues and lifts: Peruvians are polite in queues; greeting the driver and shop staff matters.
- Punctuality: Dinner invitations start late; tours and flights do not.
Red lines
- Do not walk between districts at night, and avoid La Victoria and the streets around Parque Universitario after dark.
- Ask before photographing people; many expect a small payment in the centre.
- Do not accept a taxi that already carries a passenger.
Scams and watch-outs
- Street taxis that name a high price or take a long route: use a ride-hailing app.
- 'Helpful' strangers who offer a taxi at the airport: use the official desk or your app.
- Distraction thefts and snatching near the historic centre and on busy Miraflores corners: keep phones and cameras out of sight.
- Change short-changed with large notes: count your notes.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover or a night before Cusco. Skip: The historic centre: it needs a morning and a car each way.
- 08:008:00 AMParque del Amor and the Malecón
- 10:0010:00 AMHuaca Pucllana guided visit
- 12:3012:30 PMCeviche lunch
- 15:303:30 PMCar to Barranco; the bridge and the beach path
- 19:007:00 PMDinner in Barranco
2 days
The usual Lima stay between flights. Skip: Pachacámac and evening walks between districts.
Day 1 - Miraflores and Barranco
- 08:008:00 AMCliff walk
- 12:3012:30 PMCeviche lunch
- 16:004:00 PMBarranco and the bridge
Day 2 - Centre and museum
- 08:308:30 AMCar to the centre; Plaza Mayor and cathedral
- 11:0011:00 AMSan Francisco convent
- 13:001:00 PMLunch at an old tavern
- 15:303:30 PMCar to Pueblo Libre for the museum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- PromPerú — Peru travel: www.peru.travel/
- Lima Airport Partners (Jorge Chávez): www.lima-airport.com/
- Wikivoyage — Lima: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lima
- Wikitravel: Lima: wikitravel.org/en/Lima
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Lima
Lléveme a esta dirección
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Parque del Amor y MalecónParque del Amor and the Malecón
- Catedral de LimaLima Cathedral
Most embassies are in San Isidro, Miraflores and Surco. Write your own embassy line below.
Show the street, number and district; apps and drivers use the district name.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lima). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.