Solo travel · Lima · Peru
Solo travel in Lima
How to enjoy Lima at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Lima is easy for solo travellers who stay in Miraflores or Barranco, which have hostels, walking tours and plenty of cafés. Use app taxis between districts and keep valuables close. Many solo travellers base themselves in Historic Centre.
Key facts
- Base
- Historic Centre
- Getting around
- Bus
- Emergency number
- 105 (police), 116 (fire), 106 (ambulance)
- Language
- Spanish and Quechua
Solo travel tips
- Stay in Miraflores or Barranco for walkable, well-policed streets.
- Join a food tour or cooking class to meet people and learn about Peruvian cuisine.
- Use app taxis rather than hailing taxis on the street.
- Keep phones hidden on buses and in the centre.
- Visit the historic centre by day; it empties after dark.
Where to stay
$ · Best for culture and budget
Historic Centre
The Centro Histórico, around the Plaza Mayor and Jirón de la Unión, holds the Cathedral, the Government Palace, the Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies, and the Monastery of San Francisco. It is busy by day and has a handful of hotels, but most visitors come on day visits from Miraflores, about 30–45 minutes away by Metropolitano or taxi.
- Good
- Major colonial sights on foot; Low prices; Chifa in Barrio Chino
- Watch out
- Busy and noisy; Some streets feel unsafe after dark; Far from the coast
- Nearby
- Plaza Mayor, Monastery of San Francisco, Barrio Chino, Plaza San Martín
Great on your own
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Landmark · Historic Centre
Plaza Mayor
Arrive before noon to see the changing of the guard at the Government Palace, which usually takes place around midday.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Religious site · Historic Centre
Monastery of San Francisco
Visits are by guided tour; join one in English and allow time to wait for the next group at busy times.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Pueblo Libre
Larco Museum
Have lunch or dinner at the museum's garden café, among the bougainvillea.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Religious site · Historic Centre
Cathedral of Lima
Visit both the cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace to see the palace's balcony views over the square.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Miraflores
Huaca Pucllana
Return in the evening for dinner on the restaurant terrace when the pyramid is lit.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- After dark
Waterfront · Miraflores
Malecón de Miraflores
Walk or cycle south from Parque del Amor to Barranco for sunset, about 3 km along the cliffs.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Kids
Meeting people
- Cevichería lunch — Eat ceviche, tiradito and leche de tigre at a busy cevichería at lunchtime, the traditional time for raw fish.
- Market tour — Guided tours of Mercado de Surquillo explain native potatoes, chillies and Amazonian fruits, with tastings.
- Barranco — Bars, live music, peñas with Afro-Peruvian music and clubs around the Plaza de Armas de Barranco.
- Miraflores — Bars and pubs around Parque Kennedy and Calle de las Pizzas, plus hotel rooftop bars.
Sensible precautions
Pickpocketing and phone snatching occur in the historic centre, on buses and in busy areas; keep valuables out of sight. Use app taxis or hotel-arranged taxis rather than hailing cars on the street, and avoid quiet streets at night.
- Emergency number
- 105 (police), 116 (fire), 106 (ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Wi-Fi is widely available; local SIMs from Claro, Movistar and Entel are sold at the airport and in shops.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Lima good for solo travellers?
Lima is easy for solo travellers who stay in Miraflores or Barranco, which have hostels, walking tours and plenty of cafés. Use app taxis between districts and keep valuables close.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Lima?
Historic Centre: Colonial core of plazas, balconies, churches and government palaces.