Location: Lima
Top Things to do in Lima
10 Things to do in Lima That You Shouldn't Miss
Lima, founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535, is a fascinating city and a treasure trove of history. Explore ancient Incan archeological sites, or stroll through the elegant cathedrals and opulent palaces dating from Spanish colonial times. Downtown Lima is crowded, but you'll enjoy exploring the city's neighborhoods—especially the beachfront areas, which have great shopping and dining and fabulous hotels.
Restaurants in Lima
1. Museo Larco
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12,417 reviews
MUSEO LARCO OPENS FROM 9AM TO 10PM, DAILY. The Museo Larco is housed in an exquisite 18th century vice-royal mansion, built over a 7th century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum’s galleries exhibit the finest and most magnificent gold and jewelry treasures from Ancient Peru and the renowned erotic collection, one of Peru’s most celebrated attractions. Founded in 1926 and located in Lima, the Museo Larco holds the largest and most important archaeological collection of Ancient Peru in the world. Peru is known worldwide thanks to the legendary Inca Empire on the Andes Mountains; however few are aware that this society existed only for the last 100 years before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores. The Museo Larco portrays to the visitor an engaging narrative, recounting 5000 years in the development of Peru’s pre-Columbian history; thus becoming the ideal means to understand and enjoy Ancient Peru. On the Museum’s terraces overlooking its vibrant and stunning gardens, find Museo Larco´s Café restaurant, where one can savour the best of Peruvian and International cuisine.All in all, it’s accurate to say that to become fascinated by Peruvian history, the journey begins at Museo Larco!
Reviewed By MHH-Berkshire - South Devon, United Kingdom
Brilliant museum, well laid out with an large collection of Inca pottery and grave goods, and a selection of “erotic” pottery in a separate wing. Some outstanding pieces
2. Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,120 reviews
Once considered the heart of old Lima, this grand plaza features many important architectural monuments and buildings including a magnificent bronze fountain dating from 1650, the Archbishop's Palace with its elegant balconies and the Government Palace dating from 1924.
Reviewed By LuizDutraNeto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Remember, everything started here ... On January 18, 1535, Spanish "Conquistador" Francisco Pizarro founded the City of Lima and, right at this very site, designated where the "Plaza de Armas" (or "Plaza Mayor") would be built! Just amazing! The other buildings came some time after, being built and rebuilt along the centuries up to their todays' features - the "Catedral de Lima", the "Parroquia del Sagrario and the central water fountain (all from the 17th century); the "Palacio Arzobispal", the "Palacio de Gobierno", the "Palacio Municipal de Lima" and the "Palacio de la Unión" (all dating the 20th century) constitute the city's focal point. You are just about to visit the very heart of Lima, its beautiful historic center, locally known as "Cercado de Lima". Take your time and stroll along, enjoy the views, the lovely manicured gardens and lawns, the "Changing of the Guard" at noon in front of the "Palacio de Gobierno" and visit the interior of all buildings that allow so! And as a curiosity, Peru's independence from Spain was proclaimed right here in 1821! Don't forget your camera! Enjoy!
3. Museo Convento San Francisco y Catacumbas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,337 reviews
This church and monastery of St. Francis (circa 1674) is known for its catacombs that contain the remains of more than 70,000 people and a magnificent library that houses thousands of antique texts.
Reviewed By eval682 - Boston, United States
I sold my sons on a visit to this church by telling them about the bones they'd be able to see in the catacombs. I don't think they were disappointed! Of equal interest to my husband and me, however, was the beautiful church, with woodwork and murals, the open courtyard/cloister, and its rich history through multiple earthquakes. Definitely worth a visit. Tours are conducted in English and Spanish. We arrived just as a Spanish group was getting started, so we waited 15 minutes for the next tour in English.
4. Miraflores
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 15,580 reviews
This beachfront residential district features many of Lima's excellent shops, restaurants, nightspots and first class hotels.
Reviewed By 2017aajaa
Miraflores is a wonderful part of Peru filled with wonderful restaurants and parks to see! Highly recommend visiting Love Park, the Mall on the Cliff, and Kennedy Park, all areas within walking distance. There’s also mutiple markets in the area that sell beautiful souvenirs as well.
5. Huaca Pucllana
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,333 reviews
Built by millions of adobe bricks, these ruins once served as an administrative center and a pre-Inca ceremonial site dedicated to the God Pachacamac.
Reviewed By alanlid - Oxford, United Kingdom
Smack in built-up Lima, within easy walking distance of the centre of Miraflores (where visitors often stay), this is a remarkable archaeological site: a vast brick pyramid - and outlying courtyards - built of adobe and, thanks to its ingenious 'bookshelf' design, still standing after some 1700 years, despite earthquakes. The tour involves a bit of modest (safe) climbing and takes about an hour; our guide, Jorge, was very good, and explained the sequence of cultures who inhabited the site, how they worked, what they grew and ate (by way of illustration, there is a small garden and some domestic animals - guinea pigs, vicuña, etc. - which will appeal to the kids). Very interesting, unless you're averse to old sites of this kind, The restaurant is meant to be very good, though not cheap; we resisted the temptation.
6. Pachacamac
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,591 reviews
Located only 31 kilometers from Lima, these ancient ruins are all that remain of an important religious center that was constructed more than 1,000 years before the Inca Empire.
Reviewed By skyejack - Malvern, Australia
The Pachacamac ruins cover a very large site 31 k south of Lima where a town for 20,000 people was built in 700 AD, pre Inca era. It is a sandy desert with several amazing excavations including a rebuilt house of the chosen women, a granary story of huge proportions, a burial site and a sun temple for adoration of the Sun God. Next door but not part of the site is a Private Hacienda with a 1st class Paso Horse stud.
7. Barranco
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,773 reviews
Reviewed By Susanorkide - Fredensborg, Denmark
I absolutely loved this bohemian district close to the ocean with a lot of street art, artists and artisans. Barranco has beautiful and old architecture. I was there, on my last day in Lima, January 1, so it was pretty crowded. Nevertheless, I enjoyed to walk around the neighbourhood, and it’s definitely worth a visit.
8. Circuito Magico Del Agua
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17,689 reviews
Reviewed By Go09917
This is just awesome and a great social event --- moms, dads, children, grandmas --- young lovers and newlyweds -- it's a beautiful water and light show and it's also a grand parade of happy people enjoying a nice night out.
9. Miraflores Boardwalk
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,414 reviews
Reviewed By violz - Lima, Peru
Ita a 2 hour nice walk from Miraflores all the way through the seashore up to Barranco. i always enjoy it, lots of green, lots of sporties, nice.
10. Centro Historico de Lima
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,021 reviews
Lima's downtown center, with its breathtaking architecture and rich history, makes it clear why it deserves to be a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Reviewed By RGSOUNDF - Mercerville, United States
Lima is a huge city. The greater Lima's population exceeds the one of New York City, by a couple million people. However, if you are an average typical visitor to the city, the chances are that you will be staying either in Miraflores or Barranco, and if you came to Lima for business you may be staying in the upscale San-Isidro district (the latter is the home of the famed haute-cuisine restaurant Astrid y Gaston). For a great architecture and interwoven layers of history, you got to head to the Historical Center of Lima. The "centro historico" of Lima is great for a sightseeing tour, anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. It is about 8 city blocks wide and 8 to 9 city blocks long. In the north it ends by Rimac river, next to the Palacio de Gobierno del Perú; in the south it is Plaza San-Martin, Monserrate neighborhood to the west and Barrios Altos in the east. Outside of the confines of the Historical Center, there is not that much to do nor see, these are definitely not "tourist areas" with many if not most of the buildings demonstrating neglect, urban decay or even abject poverty. Particularly exercise prudence and caution when venturing to the east of Plazuela San-Francisco; crossing Avenida Abancay will take you to Barrios Altos, not a neighborhood best-suited for solo walks, especially after sunset. We would recommend you start your tour with Plaza San-Martin (equestrian statue of General San-Martin, the Liberator of Peru and historic Hotel Bolivar) and take a pedestrian shopping street Jirón de la Unión. The shopping per se might not be alluring to a visitor from the US or European countries, for most of the stores look like dollar stores, but there are beautiful colonial-looking houses with their Moorish ornate wooden carved balconies, beautiful Republican buildings (built after Peru gained its independence in 1826) of Beaux-Arts or even Art-Nouveau styles (the latter represented by Casa E. Courret), centuries-old churches and historical monuments. While walking up Jirón de la Unión towards Plaza Mayor, don't miss the Iglesia de la Merced, with some of its parts dating back to the first half of the XVIth century, and the monument to Ramon Castilla, three-times president of Peru in the XIXth century, across from the Iglesia de la Merced, in front of the very interesting building now housing Oechsle electronic store. Next, Plaza Mayor (alternatively known by its previous name Plaza de Armas) offers a concentration of main landmarks of downtown Lima, some are several centuries old and some are stylized in the 1930s and 1940s to look like colonial buildings, such as Palacio de la Unión, Palacio Municipal de Lima, Archbishop's Palace of Lima, Cathedral Basilica of Lima, and Palacio de Gobierno del Perú. From the latter, take a look at Rimac river (or rather what is left of it; nowadays it resembles a half dried up creek with muddy waters). The sort of embankment along it, on the Historical Center side, Alameda Chabuca Granda features many a souvenir shop. Heading back south, don't miss a fantastic covered arcade, with respective entrances on either Jirón Camaná or Jirón de la Unión, surprisingly reminiscent of Parisian passages couverts. We believe it is called (or referred to) as Casa de Correos y Telegrafos Covered Arcade. The area surrounding Plaza Mayor, to the north, presents another pedestrian shopping street Jirón Ancash. We stopped by the wonderful tiny URQU Coffee Shop offering 100% famous Peruvian coffee. Generally speaking, most of the food outlets in the area are definitely not the fine dining establishments LIma is so famous for; they are either fast food or quite down-to-earth eateries. Jirón Ancash starts with Casa de la Literatura Peruana (Peru numbers many great writers, among them a Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa) and opens on the amazing Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís with its famous catacombs and picturesque Plazuela San Francisco. The area to the east of Plaza Mayor includes the shopping streets Jirón Camaná, Jirón Callao, and Jirón Conde de Superunda; the latter offers yet another beautiful cathedral, the pinkish-colored imposing Convento de Santo Domingo. Walking back south down Jirón Camaná don't miss the Convent of San Agustin de Lima with its fantastic facade. Now, of course, there is so much more to the Historical Center of Lima, museums, distinguished houses (XVIth century Casa de Aliaga, on the corner of Alameda Chabuca Granda and Jirón de la Unión, Casa Mendoza on Jirón Ancash, and magnificent Casa de Osambela on Jirón Conde de Superunda, among others) and other worthy points of sightseeing interest, however, to see it all will mandate a dedicated tour of downtown of 2 days or more. To sum it all up: the Historical Center of Lima should be on your top list of priorities when visiting this unparalleled City of Kings.
