The PERFECT Lima, Peru Itinerary (1-3 days!)

Last updated on December 21st, 2024

Planning a trip to Lima, Peru? We have the perfect Lima itinerary for you, whether with you have 1 day in Lima, 2 days in Lima, or 3 days in Lima.

Located right in the middle of Peru’s west coast, Lima is where most travelers will kick off their Peru itinerary. And while most travelers might overlook Lima to get to the more popular destinations, like Cusco and Machu Picchu, we highly recommend spending time in the city!

With its location on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, an impressive food scene (it is the culinary capital of South America!), and colorful neighborhoods, there are tons of interesting things to do in Lima. But if you’re unsure how to structure your time in the city, we’re here to help!

We’re sharing the ultimate Lima itinerary, with options for 1-3 days in Lima. These are all based on our time in the city and will give you the chance to experience everything we loved about it. Including seeing impressive architecture, eating delicious Peruvian food, exploring murals, and so much more!

The Ultimate Lima Itinerary (1-3 days)

Our ultimate Lima itinerary includes all of the best things to do in Lima, with options for 1 day in Lima, 2 days in Lima, or 3 days in Lima. Each day will offer a mix of activities, plus our must-try local eats!

We’ve structured these itineraries so that you can maximize your time in the city, with each day sticking to a general area, so you aren’t spending too much time traveling around the city.

Here’s a quick breakdown of our three Lima itinerary options, which is also color coded on the map above. But to learn more, keep on reading!

1 day in Lima itinerary

With only 1 day in Lima, we suggest sticking to the Miraflores and Barranco neighborhoods. 

Have coffee and breakfast

If you’re like us, every day starts with coffee! We loved RAIZ Coffee, which has a cool (although small) interior, plus delicious flat whites. They offer fresh pastries as well, but if you’d like a full meal check out Grano Dorado.

Visit Kennedy Park

After coffee and breakfast, head over to the nearby Kennedy Park. This is most famous for its dozens of cats that live here and roam around. You may even get lucky and have some come say hi to you!

Although these are stray cats, they are very well taken care of. You’ll notice that they have wooden “houses” to sleep in, food and water, and they even get taken to the vet if needed.

We liked going to Kennedy Park early, as it was less busy. But if you come later in the day or at night, you’ll find food stands selling treats like picarones and mazamorra morada, which are some of the best foods to try in Peru!

Walk the Malecón 

Our favorite spot in Lima was the Miraflores Malecón! This is a 10 km (6.2 miles) pathway located on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, with several parks dotted along the way. Our favorite stops were Chinese Park, Lighthouse of Miraflores, and Love’s Park!

Try ceviche for lunch

No day in Peru is complete without some ceviche! In fact, it’s Peru’s national dish!

And one of the most popular spots for ceviche in Lima is Al Toke Pez. It’s a tiny spot with only a handful of seats that has become very popular due to Netflix. We loved ceviche de pescado and combinado, which comes with ceviche mixto (mixed ceviche), arroz con mariscos (rice with seafood), and chicharron de pota (fried squid). If you go here, keep in mind that it’s only open from 12 PM-4 PM. Since it’s small, you will likely wait in line to get in. But it moves quickly!

A few other highly rated ceviche spots in town are Ceviche House, Cevichería Barra Maretazo, and Punto Azul. 

Head to Barranco

After spending the morning in and around Miraflores, head over to Barranco for the afternoon! Known as the bohemian area of town, this neighborhood is filled with colorful buildings, lots of street art, and of course delicious food. 

Visit the Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs is a wooden bridge over the Bajada de Baños (more on this next!) and is famous for the legend surrounding it. 

Legend says that if you make a wish and cross the bridge without taking a breath, your wish will come true. Or if you cross with someone you love, you’ll have eternal love. We aren’t sure what the “real” legend is, but both were too good of a deal to pass up!

Walk down Bajada de baños 

After you’ve made your wishes on the Bridge of Sighs, head down the Bajada de baños below the bridge. The name of the pathway translates to “descent to the baths.” It descends from the main area of Barranco to an overlook of the Pacific Ocean. The walk is lined with shops, artisans, street merchants, and restaurants and is one of the most picturesque spots in Lima!

And before you leave the area, don’t miss Barranco’s main square, the Parque Municipal de Barranco.

Have dinner at Isolina

For dinner in Barranco and head over to Isolina. They have a large menu with many of the Peruvian classics, like lomo saltado, papa rellena, causa, and ají de gallina. 

It’s a nicer place, so you’ll pay a little more than you would at a hole in the wall or local spot, but you can taste the higher quality and care put into these dishes! We loved it so much we ate here twice.

A+K Tip: Isolina is considered one of the best restaurants in Barranco and can get very busy, so be sure to make a reservation in advance!

Enjoy Gelato at Blu Gelateria

You may not think of gelato when you think of Lima. But after dinner, head to Blu Gelateria for some of the best gelato we’ve ever had! They offer several classic flavors, like pistachio (which is delicious!), as well as Peruvian flavors, like lucuma, cherimoya, and more!

2 days in Lima itinerary

With 2 days in Lima you’ll not only be able to explore the colorful and modern areas of Miraflores and Barranco, but you can also add on Centro Histórico, which is full of history and gorgeous architecture. In fact, it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site!

For the first day of this 2 days in Lima itinerary, follow the 1 day in Lima itinerary above! Below is how we’d structure your second day!

Head to Centro Histórico

Centro Histórico is located quite a bit north of Miraflores or Barranco, but getting there is pretty easy. While you could take public transportation, we suggest hopping into an Uber. Our 30 minute ride was only about $6 USD. Traffic can be pretty busy in Lima, so make sure you allot enough time to get there.

Grab a quick coffee and brunch

Once in Centro Histórico, grab a coffee at Cafetería San Oxapampino. This spot is tucked into a beautiful courtyard and our local guide said it’s the best coffee in the area!

We’d also suggest grabbing a late breakfast/early lunch before your free walking tour (the next activity). The tour goes through lunchtime and we were a bit hangry at the end, so it’s a good idea to eat something beforehand.

Our top pick in the area is El Chinito. Here you’ll find cheap Peruvian eats, including pan con chicharrón, which consists of pork, slices of sweet potato, and Salsa Criolla, which is a Peruvian red onion salsa. We loved this sandwich so much that we had it multiple times!

Go on a free walking tour

There is a lot to see in Centro Histórico and one of the best ways is through a free walking tour! We went on a free walking tour with Inkan Milky Way and it was entertaining (shoutout to our guide Jorge) and jam packed with information!

The tour is about 2.5 hours long and while it is free, tips are expected. They suggested around S/50 ($13 USD) per person, which felt like a great deal for all that we learned.

Grab churros from San Francisco

If you ask us, the perfect snack after a walking tour is churros from Churros San Francisco. These churros are different from any churros we have ever had. They resemble a breadstick and are much denser than typical churros. The dough itself isn’t sweet, but it is filled with one of three fillings (we liked Manjar Blanco and Crema Pastelera) and then rolled in sugar.

This spot is VERY popular and often has a line, but it moves quickly. So don’t panic if you see a line down the street! 

Tour the San Francisco Convent Museum and Catacombs 

One of our favorite stops in Centro Histórico was the San Francisco Convent Museum and Catacombs.

This church was built in the late 17th century and today it showcases the works of San Francisco de Asís, other artifacts, and has a variety of rooms to tour. Plus catacombs with the skulls and bones of thousands of people!

You will have to go with a guide to explore the inside. They offer English and Spanish tours, which leave pretty frequently. And one important thing to know is that you are not allowed to take pictures or videos on the tour (minus one spot that our guide let us take one at). So you’ll have to take our word for how beautiful this place is and see it for yourself!

Have dinner at Siete Sopas

For dinner head to Siete Sopas! It’s a short and cheap Uber ride from Centro Histórico and pretty close to your final stop on this 1 day in Lima itinerary.

Siete Sopas offer a variety of Peruvian dishes, but are most known for their soups. Their menu features a soup of the day, plus two everyday options, including sopa criolla which is a Peruvian beef soup. 

And trust us, you want to order this one! It has a broth made with aji panca, a popular Peruvian chile, plus beef and noodles. Sopa criolla is now one of Adam’s favorite soups of all time!

See Circuito Mágico del Agua

To finish off your 1 day in Lima at the Circuito Mágico del Agua in the Parque de la Reserva. This park has 13 fountains and has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest public water fountain park in the world!

Every night (7:15 PM, 8:15 PM, and 9:10 PM), they have a water and light show that shares some of the history of Peru, with lots of colors, a narrated story, and dancing fountains. It only costs S/5 ($1.30 USD) and is a magical experience!

3 days in Lima itinerary

We think 3 days in Lima gives you plenty of time to see all the major sights in the city, plus experience some exhilarating activities, off the beaten path spots, or dive more into the city’s history and culture.

For the first two days, follow the 1 day and 2 days in Lima itinerary above! And for your third day, we have multiple options to choose from, including historic sights and museums, fine dining, ocean-based activities, and some fun day trips. That way, you can spend your 3 days in Lima doing what interests you the most!

Option #1: Historic sites and exquisite eats

The first option for your third day in Lima is to check out some of the city’s historic sites, museums, and then end with one of Lima’s esteemed restaurants.

Explore some of Lima’s ruins

Start your morning with coffee and a quick bite to eat at Puku Puku, before heading to Huaca Puccllana or the Pachacamac Ruins. 

These are both sets of pre-Incan ruins near Lima, with Huaca Pucllana being right in town and Pachacamac Ruins requiring a short half day tour. 

We personally visited Huaca Pucllana, which is a pre-Incan archaeological site. For centuries it was covered with earth and even used as a motocross track. But it was rediscovered in 1981 and over the past few decades it has been excavated, preserved, and restored. Visiting the site was great because you get to learn about cultures other than Inca that left their mark on Peru. 

Huaca Pucllana requires a guide to visit and they offer tours in both English and Spanish. There doesn’t seem to be a set tour time, but we didn’t have to wait long.

Try Chifa for lunch

After exploring ruins, have Chifa for lunch! Chifa is Peruvian Chinese food and dates back to the 19th century, when Chinese immigrants arrived in Peru. 

Chifa spots can be found all over town, but we went to a restaurant called TITI. The ambience inside was very nice and classy and the food was delicious! If we’re being honest, we weren’t sure what was Peruvian about it, it mostly tasted like Chinese food to us, but it was very good nonetheless! Other top rated Chifa options are Chifa Hou Wha, Chifa Hot Wok, and Chifa Fu Jou. 

Option #2: Take a day trip to Paracas and Huacachina

Another option for your third day in Lima is to take a day trip to Paracas and Huacachina. This is the most popular day trip from Lima! 

Just a heads up, this will be a VERY long day trip. Paracas is about a 3.5 hour drive from Lima, while Huacachina is 4.5 hours away. But they are worth it!

Paracas is a small town that’s near the Ballestas Islands which are known as the “Poor Man’s Galapagos.” On a 2 hour boat tour to the nearby Ballestas Islands you can see seals and most famously, Humboldt penguins! We also loved exploring the Paracas National Reserve. You can read about our experience and see even more things to do in Paracas in this guide!

Huacachina is home to South America’s largest sand dunes, reaching heights of up to 500 meters (1,600 ft). And the only natural oasis on the continent! There are quite a few things to do in Huacachina, including riding a dune buggy in the dunes, sand board, and even glamp out on the dunes if you want to stay the night (use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off!).

To experience both destinations in a one day trip from Lima, check out this tour! The tour includes both the boat ride to the Ballestas Islands and dune buggies on the dunes in Huacachina, before heading back to Lima.

While a day trip to Paracas and Huacachina is a good way to see them if you’re short on time, we recommend spending a full day in each. Check out our guide to the best things to do in Paracas and how to spend 24 hours in Huacachina for more ideas of how to spend your time there!

Option #3: A day at sea

Our third option for your 3 days in Lima itinerary takes you out onto the water! With its location on the Pacific Ocean, Lima offers some fun ocean-related experiences.

Enjoy breakfast in Barranco

Start the day with breakfast at La Bodega Verde. This cafe tucked into a courtyard in Barranco is beautiful! And their lucuma smoothies are insanely delicious. They also have a wide variety of breakfast items too!

Swim with sea lions at Palomino Island

Spend the rest of the morning on a tour to Palomino Island where you can swim with sea lions (use our code APLUSK10 for 10% off!)! On the tour you’ll have the chance to see Humboldt penguins, pelicans, and of course the sea lions.

This tour is located in Callao, which is near the airport, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get there. Or you can use their optional hotel pickup!

Enjoy a seafood lunch

It’s not an ocean-themed day without a seafood lunch! After your tour, grab lunch at La Mar Cevicheria Peruana. They have a huge menu of all kinds of seafood dishes!

Go paragliding or surfing

For an exhilarating afternoon, head to the coast to go paragliding or learn how to surf. Since Lima is located on the edge of the ocean, it is a great place to paraglide! On your flight you’ll fly along the coast and over the beaches, with spectacular views of the ocean and city. Aeroxtreme offers 12 minute flights for about $80!

Not feeling this adventurous? You can watch people paraglide from the Malecón instead!

And if you’ve ever wanted to try surfing, Lima is considered one of the best surf spots in the world! This is due to the constant swell that makes it a reliable place to catch some waves. During our walk on the Malecón we saw dozens of surfers in the water. If you don’t know how to surf, we’d recommend booking a surf lesson with Pukana Surf. 

Enjoy one final dinner in Lima

And finally for dinner, enjoy one of Lima’s fine dining restaurants or Chifa. We shared multiple options for both types of restaurants above!

Planning your time in Lima

As you plan your Lima itinerary, here is some helpful logistical information, such as how to get there, how to get around, when to visit, and more!

How to get to Lima

If you’re flying to Lima, you will fly into Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM), which is located in Callao, just north of Lima. 

Because the airport isn’t in the safest part of town, you’ll want to head to one of the safer areas, like Miraflores or Barranco, after you land. These are typically a 40 minute ride (or longer) with traffic. To get there, you have a few options.

Airport Express Lima

The Airport Express Lima, the official bus service of the airport, is the cheapest way to get to Miraflores. Tickets are S/20 (about $6 USD) per person and can be purchased on the bus, at the airport, or online in advance. This is the best option for solo travelers, as it’s the most cost effective. If traveling with two or more people, an Uber or taxi might be a better option.

A+K tip: A perk of buying your Airport Express tickets online is that online tickets get priority if the bus is ever full. 

Green Taxi

Another popular way to get into town from the Lima airport is to take a taxi. However, not all taxis are created equal. After going through customs, there will be an area with taxi stands. These are official airport taxis and will be safer and more reliable than the random taxis just sitting outside of the airport.

We chose Green Taxi for our ride from the Lima airport. It cost S/65 ($17 USD), which we paid at the stand, eliminating any possible scams by the driver. We’d highly recommend it!

Uber

Lastly, you can also take an Uber from the airport. We had heard some mixed things on if Uber can pick you up from the airport. Some people say that you will have to walk slightly outside the airport to get picked up. 

Because of this confusion and arriving at night, we opted to take the Green Taxi instead. However, we would suggest taking an Uber TO the airport when leaving Lima. We scheduled our ride in advance on Uber and they had no issue dropping us off at the airport. 

Getting around Lima, Peru

Lima is a massive city with over 40 districts, but you’ll only stick to a handful. As a tourist, it’s best to stay in the Miraflores, Barranco, Lince, San Isidro, and Centro Historico districts. These are the safest districts and getting between them is very easy.

While Lima does have public transportation, we didn’t feel super comfortable using it with our camera gear. To get between neighborhoods or when something is too far, we suggest using Uber instead. Uber is reliable, easy to use, and very cheap in Lima. Just be prepared that drivers do cancel a lot in Lima, so if you have a time crunch, give yourself plenty of time.

Once in Lima’s neighborhoods, they are very walkable. So we suggest exploring on foot! The Malecón, parks, and other green areas around the city are wonderful to walk through.

When to visit Lima

Instead of having four seasons, Peru only has two seasons: dry season and rainy season. But Lima also has its own special season: gray season. 

Lima is known as “La Gris” or “the gray.” And during the majority of the year, Lima is engulfed in clouds and fog. It is a bit dreary, but the ocean, parks, colorful buildings, and street art help keep the city more vibrant, even in the gloom.

To see Lima when it is sunniest, you will want to visit in the summer, which is December through March. However, this is the rainier season in most of Peru, like at Machu Picchu. So we would personally suggest visiting Lima during the country’s drier months of April-October to have better weather around the rest of the country.

Is Lima safe to visit?

As a tourist, Lima is safe to visit. While there may be some unsafe areas of town, the main tourist areas, which we will cover below, are safe for foreigners. During our total of 5 days in the city, we had zero safety issues. However, there are a few things to be aware of before visiting Lima!

Be alert & keep your valuables secure. As for any travel destination, it is always good to be aware of your surroundings and keep your valuables secure. The largest risk to tourists in Lima is theft. We suggest keeping your wallet and phone in a front pocket (preferably zipped). During our visit, we were walking around with expensive camera gear and never felt unsafe.

There could be political unrest. Lima (and Peru) has had some political unrest in the past, which has caused protests and closures, and is something to be aware of if you visit. But for the most part, this would just cause an inconvenience or logistical challenge rather than a safety issue for tourists.

Take Ubers instead of taxis. This is one of our top tips for visiting Peru. A common scam that occurs is being overcharged by a taxi driver. So make sure to take Uber instead!

Safest areas to explore in Lima

Lima is a massive city that encompasses 43 districts, but there are only a handful that are recommended for tourists. These include Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, and Centro Histórico.

Miraflores

Miraflores lies south of downtown Lima, along the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the wealthiest districts of the city and is a more modernized and westernized area of town, with international shops and chain restaurants, plus many local options as well. If you only have 1 day in Lima, we suggest spending most of it here!

Barranco

Known for its art and bohemian charm, the Barranco neighborhood is one of our absolute favorite areas of Lima! We highly recommend prioritizing this neighborhood on your Lima itinerary.

San Isidro

This is considered to be the upscale part of Lima. And during our quick visits to the area you can definitely see a difference from some areas of the city. The buildings are even more modern, plus there are some nice restaurants and parks. There isn’t a ton to do here, but San Isidro is right by Huaca Pucllana, which we highly recommend visiting if you have 3 days in Lima.

Centro Histórico

The Centro Histórico neighborhood of Lima is where you’ll find the city’s many historical sites. We did feel safe here, but compared to other areas it feels more touristy. There are more people trying to sell you tours and items, so be prepared to say “no gracias” a lot and be more on alert for pickpocketing.

Centro Histórico is a bit of a drive from the other neighborhoods, but is a cheap Uber ride to get there. We only suggest making this journey if you have 2 days in Lima.

Where to stay in Lima, Peru

Lima is loaded with places to stay across its main tourist neighborhoods. For these Lima itinerary options, we personally recommend staying in either Miraflores, Barranco, or San Isidro. They’ll be the most convenient neighborhoods to the majority of activities on this Lima itinerary.

During our time in Lima we stayed at both the Fairfield Miraflores and Holiday Inn Miraflores. Both of these hotels were great! They had convenient locations to walk around Miraflores, clean rooms, nice views, and the Fairfield had free breakfast. We’d recommend both!

To see even more recommendations by neighborhood, check out our guide with the best places to stay in Lima!

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