Wondering what to do in Lima? This itinerary covers up most of the historical centre, Miraflores, Barranco and Chorillos. You can easily extend your visit with another museum, but to get the idea of the city, this route will do for sure. And don’t worry, there’s plenty of time in between to enjoy a coffee, ice cream, a leisurely stroll and of course a pisco sour!
Day 1:
10 am to 4 pm: Explore the historical centre –
As Lima was one of the richest cities centuries ago, you might grasp that its old centre even nowadays still is full of amazing, colonial buildings and interesting architecture. We walked around for a day in the centre, visiting all of the centre’s highlights and I selected the best ones below for you!
Just a note: during the day the area is pretty safe with lots of police presence, but I wouldn’t recommend you to go in the evening. So start in the morning and get ready for some colonial grandeur:
- Join a free walking tour in the morning; this will get you started your day in downtown Lima for sure!
- Get your sugar fix at ChocoMuseo and learn while sipping your hot chocolate all about how chocolate is being made
- Take a break at the Puento Trujillo as you gaze upon Lima’s main river
- Climb the stairs of the Convento Santa Domingo and enjoy superb views on the historic centre and its surroundings. Don’t miss their library either, one of the most beautiful ones in both the country and Latin America
- Deepen your knowledge about Latin American literature at the Casa de la Literatura Peruana
- Buy an ice cream and sit down at the park of the big plaza; the Alameda Chabuca Granda
- Enter a staring contest with the guards of the Governmental Palace of Peru, or observe the changing of the guards
- Walk around the super scary catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco during a tour. Again, this place has a library that one shouldn’t miss seeing.
- Hop in the colonial Palacio Torre Tagle to see the amazing maritime details of the courtyard
4 – 6 pm: Walk through Miraflores to the coast and enjoy the sunset from Miraflores boardwalk
From Parque John F. Kennedy – the heart of Miraflores – it’s an easy walk to the sea. Start at the mall of Larcomar, perhaps with a coffee, and walk all the way up north along the best of what the boardwalk has to offer: Parque del Amor, Faro la Marina and Parque Tres Picos. From there you can either walk back the same way, or all the way through Miraflores along Av. José Pardo or Calle Berlin (for restaurants).
6 pm – whatever time: Miraflores drinks and dinner
A fun way to start your evening is around Calle Berlin, especially the part near Parque John F. Kennedy. Over there you’ll find tons of bars where you can finally have that proper pisco sour.
To continue the evening with some fancier dining, go to this link with the best options in Lima. It really is a complete guide of the best restaurants in Lima. We ourselves went to Panchita and had a decent Peruvian meal with a Caribbean twist over there.
If you want to top it all off, book a table at Peru’s most famous restaurant: Central. But do it in time, as it might take months to get a table!
Day 2:
10 am to 3pm – Go for a free walking tour in Barranco and Chorillos
While digging up memories about the Free Walking Tour of Barranco that we did a couple of weeks ago in Lima, I feel nothing but good vibes. We decided pretty much last minute to join the tour with guide Alex, a Latvian guy who ended up in Lima after ten years of travelling – and that turned out to be a great decision. Although he hadn’t been his whole life in the city, Alex was the perfect guide; knowledgable, passionate about both Lima and Peru, full of great stories and most of all eager to wander off the beaten path with his crowd.
Apart from a walk through the bohemian district of Barranco – Lima’s most artsy district – Alex takes you to the non-touristy Chorrillos, where he lives himself. Chorillos is a really interesting barrio just south of Barranco and near the steep cliffs of the city, but unfortunately not a place you can really go yourself. Because of that I especially appreciated the opportunity to see it and Alex gave us a great inside view into both the history as well as the current situation of Chorrillos.
For me it was the best free walking tour I’ve ever done, so go for it!
3 to 5 pm – Museum time
- Be amazed by fashion photographer Mario Testino’s best pictures at MATE. It has a pretty museum shop too; always an important feature whenever visiting a museum 🙂
- If you have the time, also stroll through the lush garden of the next doors Pedro de Osma Museum. It holds the colonial art collection belonging to Don Pedro de Osma Gildemeister, but it’s mainly the buildings and the flowers that might draw your attention.
5 pm – whatever time – drinks and dinner in Barranco
- Gobble up an ice cream of Crème de la Crème while doing some people watching on the main square.
- Go for another pisco sour (because, why not?!) at the most gorgeous bars of Ayahuasca and Victoria Bar, both colonial mansions.
- Apart from that, just follow your nose, great food is all around the corner in Barranco!
Make it as fabulous as possible, enjoy your stay in Lima!
