What You Need To Know

Lima Travel Guide

Embark on a Lima adventure with my Travel Guide—a perfect companion to unravel the wonders of Peru’s dynamic capital. et the journey begin!

Lima Unveiled

Embark on an In-Depth Journey With Your Lima Travel Guide

Lima, Peru, the only South American capital built on the Pacific Coast and capital to one of the most beautiful countries I’ve been to. When visiting Peru, most people will arrive here. This was my starting point when I did my Peru backpacking trip.

I had heard a lot of people didn’t really like it, and mostly use it as a quick stop before venturing to other cities, but I personally loved the capital! This is why I never pay attention to what others say: I prefer to check a place out myself and form my own opinion.

My favorite thing about Lima is how beautiful the view is: it runs along the coast and you look out and see the Pacific Ocean for miles and miles. As the country’s largest city and a bustling metropolis, there’s tons to do here. Not to mention, Lima is known for its food!

Vanessa's Insider Tips

My Travel Tips for Lima

Here are some helpful Lima travel tips to know before you go:

When to Go: Rainy season in Lima is typically November – March, with April – October bringing sunny days and clear skies.
Where to Stay: Lima is massive! I stayed in the Miraflores area, which has tons of hotel/hostel options and restaurants and where I recommend for first-time visitors in Lima. I also recommend the Barranco area, which has a more boho vibe and is good for nightlife.
How to Get Around: If staying in Miraflores or Barranco you can walk to most places! Otherwise, you can take Uber (it’s very cheap) or take the bus. Since Uber is inexpensive though, I recommend just doing that when you have a far walk.
Lima Solo Female Travel: For solo female travelers in Lima, the city is safe and fun. I felt safe walking around alone at night because since it’s such a big city, there were always people around. I also saw several police patrolling when I was there.

Discover Lima

My Recommended Itinerary for Lima Travel

As I said in my Peru Travel Guide, you can see everything in 3-4 days. Here’s what I recommend for Lima:

Lima Free Walking Tour:

Walking tours are a great way to get to know a city. I highly recommend doing one – or a few – in Lima since it’s so massive. Since I stayed in Miraflores and explored Barranco on my own, I signed up for a free walking tour that took us to the historic center – as a bonus it included free picso sour tasting! Just look up “Lima Free Walking Tour” online.

Lima Historic Center:

You’ll have to take the bus or Uber here since it’s a bit further away. Take a walk through the beautiful Plaza de Armas, which has beautiful colonial buildings. There’s also a really popular street called Calle de Los Mercaderes which has tons of shops and restaurants.

Not too far from the Plaza de Armas was el barrio chino, or Chinatown. Something cool I learned on the Free Walking Tour (another reason why you should do it!) is that there’s a huge population of Chinese people in Peru because when slavery was abolished, Peru replaced African slaves with Chinese indentured servants. The Chinese brought a lot of their culinary traditions and thus, Chifa food was born, which is a blend of Peruvian and Chinese cuisine!

There are lots of churches, palaces, and architecture to check out but at the time I was there, I did hear this area wasn’t so safe at night, so just keep that in mind!

Larcomar:

A shopping center on a list of must-dos? It sounds crazy to include but trust me – you need to go! Since Lima is located on the coast, there’s beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean everywhere and one of them is from this mall. Spend an afternoon admiring the view, checking out some shops, or eating at one of their many restaurants.

One of the best views I had was just walking up a set of stairs outside!

El malécon:

By now I’ve hopefully set the scene to just how beautiful Lima is since it sits on the coast. Definitely check out el malécon, or boardwalk/walkway, which is a 6-mile path along the coast. There you’ll find the Parque del Amor (Love Park) and a huge sculpture called El Beso (The Kiss).

Miraflores:

Spend some time getting to know the Miraflores neighborhood in general. There’s just SO much to see and do!

Some top sights in the Miraflores neighborhood include: Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park), calle de las pizzas (Pizza Street), and checking out the Huaca Pucllana Ruins (archeological site).

Barranco:

Another neighborhood you need to spend some time getting to know. I know it might seem weird to have two neighborhoods as “must dos” but it’s because within these neighborhoods, the beauty is in just walking around.

Within Barranco you’ll see tons of murals and street art. Walk around and make sure you cross el Puente de los Suspiros (The Bridge of Sighs).

Day Trips:

While in Lima, I know many people who chose to visit other areas south as part of a day trip, like Huacachina and Paracas. While it is doable, it makes for a very, very long day. If you’re short on time, then go for it. But I personally think it’s a lot to visit either of those places in one day.

Flavors of the Island

My Recommended Food in Lima

If you’ve ever had lomo saltado back in the states, then you KNOW Peruvian food is freaking delicious. Lima specifically has award-winning gastronomy! Here are some places I recommend to eat in Lima:

Tanta Peru:

You can’t come to Peru and not have lomo saltado. As a Latina, I grew up very familiar with this dish and eating it back home. For those who don’t know, it’s stir-fried beef, fries, and rice in soy sauce. Tanta is well-known and famous for its lomo saltado!

Sandwiches Monstruos:

When I did my pre-trip research, this came up as a must. I figured it’s just a sandwich but boy, was I wrong. It was EVERYTHING. It’s a roll that comes with lettuce and onion, then you pick your meat and sauce. I picked chicken and did mayo and aji, and it was mouth-watering.

Restaurant Javier:

Located in Barranco, you absolutely must come here. First, there’s the stunning view where I caught an amazing sunset over the water. But also, and most importantly, please get the canelones! They are to die for and to this day, I still think of them.

Milenaria Café:

A cute coffee shop that offers great food and lots of vegan options.

Picarones:

Also not a restaurant, but when you’re in Parque Kennedy you’ll see a massive line for a food cart. It’s a lady selling picarones, which resemble a doughnut and are drenched in syrup. I wasn’t crazy about them but since they are unique to Peru, you gotta try it!

Havanna Alfajores:

Not a restaurant, and it’s not even Peruvian, BUT this are Argentinian alfajores (a type of caramel cookie). To this day, the best alfajores I’ve had are from this brand, but I can never find them in the U.S.! If you go to Larcomar, there’s a Havanna stand that sells them, so get a box and you won’t regret it!

Oakberry:

Ok, this is a chain I discovered in Lima! At the time, I had no idea it was a chain at all! But if you know me, you know I am absolutely crazy for acai bowls. So just throwing it on the list in case anyone wants something refreshing!