2 days in Lima

Day by day

1. Day 1: Plaza Mayor and Monastery of San Francisco

   Plaza Mayor, Monastery of San Francisco, Cathedral of Lima and Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI), then Huaca Pucllana in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Plaza Mayor

      The bronze fountain at its centre dates from 1650.

   2. Late morning

      Monastery of San Francisco

      The 17th-century Franciscan monastery has cloisters lined with Sevillian tiles, a library of antique books and catacombs holding the bones of thousands of people buried here in colonial times, arranged in geometric patterns.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ceviche

      Cevicherías across Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro and Surquillo; many close by late afternoon.

   4. Afternoon

      Cathedral of Lima

      The adjoining Archbishop's Palace can be visited on a combined ticket.

   5. Late afternoon

      Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI)

      It is in the Parque de la Exposición, between the centre and Miraflores.

   6. Evening

      Huaca Pucllana

      Return in the evening for dinner on the restaurant terrace when the pyramid is lit.

2. Day 2: Larco Museum and Malecón de Miraflores

   Larco Museum, Malecón de Miraflores, Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros and Magic Water Circuit, then Barranco in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Larco Museum

      Visitors can also walk through the storerooms, where tens of thousands of pieces are shelved.

   2. Late morning

      Malecón de Miraflores

      It is the city's favourite place to walk, jog, cycle and watch the sunset, with the Parque del Amor and its giant 'El Beso' kissing sculpture, and paragliders launching from the cliffs.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Leche de tigre

      Cevicherías, often as a starter.

   4. Afternoon

      Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros

      Local legend says you should hold your breath crossing it to make a wish come true.

   5. Late afternoon

      Magic Water Circuit

      In the evenings, a laser and music show is projected onto a wall of water.

   6. Evening

      Barranco

      Bars, live music, peñas with Afro-Peruvian music and clubs around the Plaza de Armas de Barranco.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Museo Pedro de Osma (Barranco): Visit in the afternoon, then walk to the Puente de los Suspiros for sunset.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–15 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.4 hours in June to 12.8 hours in January.

Getting between stops: Bus. The Metropolitano is a bus rapid transit line on a dedicated lane along the Vía Expresa, linking Barranco and Miraflores with the historic centre in about 30 minutes.

More or fewer days

• One day in Lima
• 3 days in Lima

Questions travellers ask