Things to do · Lima · Peru
17 best things to do in Lima
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Velvet, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Lima are Plaza Mayor, Monastery of San Francisco and Larco Museum. Of the 17 picks below, 4 are free, 5 work on a rainy day and 3 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Plaza Mayor
- Free sights
- 4
- Good on a rainy day
- Cathedral of Lima
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaza Mayor | Historic Centre | 1 hour | Free |
| Monastery of San Francisco | Historic Centre | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Larco Museum | Pueblo Libre | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Cathedral of Lima | Historic Centre | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Huaca Pucllana | Miraflores | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Malecón de Miraflores | Miraflores | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros | Barranco | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) | Historic Centre | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Magic Water Circuit | Parque de la Reserva | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Convent of Santo Domingo | Historic Centre | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Barrio Chino | Historic Centre | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Mercado de Surquillo No. 1 | Surquillo | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Bosque El Olivar | San Isidro | 45 minutes | Free |
| Museo Pedro de Osma | Barranco | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Surfing at Costa Verde | Miraflores | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Paragliding over Miraflores | Miraflores | 1 hour | Expensive |
| Callao Monumental and La Punta | Callao | Half a day | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
.jpg){kind=link}
Landmark · Historic Centre
1.Plaza Mayor
Lima's main square, where Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1535, is lined by the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies, the Government Palace and the City Hall. The bronze fountain at its centre dates from 1650.
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
2.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.
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
3.Larco Museum
Set in an 18th-century mansion built over a pre-Columbian pyramid, the Larco Museum displays a superb collection of ancient Peruvian ceramics, gold and silver, textiles and its famous gallery of erotic pottery. Visitors can also walk through the storerooms, where tens of thousands of pieces are shelved.
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
4.Cathedral of Lima
Rebuilt several times after earthquakes, the cathedral on the Plaza Mayor holds the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, carved choir stalls and a religious art museum. The adjoining Archbishop's Palace can be visited on a combined ticket.
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
5.Huaca Pucllana
This large adobe pyramid, built by the Lima culture between about AD 200 and 700, rises in the middle of Miraflores. Guided tours explain its walls of handmade adobe bricks set like books on a shelf, and a restaurant on site looks over the ruins.
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
6.Malecón de Miraflores
A chain of parks, gardens and paths along the clifftops of Miraflores, about 80 metres above the Pacific. 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.
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
Neighbourhood · Barranco
7.Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros
Barranco's streets of colourful republican-era mansions, murals and galleries lead to the Puente de los Suspiros, a wooden footbridge over the Bajada de Baños, a tree-shaded path down to the sea. Local legend says you should hold your breath crossing it to make a wish come true.
Visit in the late afternoon, then stay for a pisco sour and dinner nearby.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Art
- After dark
- Photo spot
Museum · Historic Centre
8.Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI)
In the Palacio de la Exposición, built for an exhibition in 1872, the MALI traces Peruvian art from pre-Columbian textiles and ceramics through colonial painting to the 20th century. It is in the Parque de la Exposición, between the centre and Miraflores.
Combine it with the Magic Water Circuit in the evening, a short taxi ride away.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Park · Parque de la Reserva
1.Magic Water Circuit
Parque de la Reserva holds more than a dozen illuminated fountains, including a tunnel of water and a fountain you can run through. In the evenings, a laser and music show is projected onto a wall of water.
Go in the evening for the light show, and bring a change of clothes if children want to play in the fountains.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- After dark
- Couples
- Photo spot
Religious site · Historic Centre
2.Convent of Santo Domingo
Next to the Government Palace, this Dominican convent holds the tombs of Lima's two famous saints, Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres, cloisters decorated with Sevillian tiles and a bell tower over the centre.
It is a short walk from the Plaza Mayor; visit before the San Francisco catacombs.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
Neighbourhood · Historic Centre
3.Barrio Chino
Lima's Chinatown, around Calle Capón behind the Mercado Central, is the heart of the city's Chinese-Peruvian community, with chifa restaurants, bakeries and shops. Chinese immigrants arrived from the 19th century, and chifa became one of Peru's favourite cuisines.
Come for a chifa lunch after visiting the centre; arroz chaufa and wonton soup are the classics.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
Market · Surquillo
4.Mercado de Surquillo No. 1
A produce market a short walk from Miraflores, where stalls sell dozens of potato varieties, chillies, tropical fruit and fish. Simple counters serve ceviche and fresh juices, and chefs from Lima's top restaurants shop here.
Go in the morning and try fruits such as lúcuma, chirimoya and granadilla.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Photo spot
- Shopping
Park · San Isidro
5.Bosque El Olivar
A peaceful park of olive trees in San Isidro, some descended from trees planted in the 16th century. Paths, ponds and birdlife make it a calm escape from the city traffic.
Combine it with lunch at one of San Isidro's restaurants nearby.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Couples
- Outdoors
Museum · Barranco
6.Museo Pedro de Osma
A republican-era mansion in Barranco displays one of Peru's finest collections of colonial art: Cusco School paintings, silverwork and furniture, set in elegant rooms and gardens.
Visit in the afternoon, then walk to the Puente de los Suspiros for sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Experience · Miraflores
7.Surfing at Costa Verde
Below the cliffs, the Costa Verde coastline has consistent surf breaks such as Makaha and Waikiki in Miraflores, with surf schools offering lessons and wetsuits for beginners. The water is cold all year.
Book a lesson at a surf school on the beach and expect to need a wetsuit even in summer.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Active
- Outdoors
Experience · Miraflores
8.Paragliding over Miraflores
Tandem paragliding flights launch from the clifftop park near Parque Raimondi in Miraflores and glide along the cliffs over the beaches and the Malecón, giving a view of the coast and the city.
Flights depend on wind; go in the afternoon, when conditions are usually best.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Views
- Couples
Neighbourhood · Callao
9.Callao Monumental and La Punta
In Lima's port city, a few blocks of old Callao have been revived with murals, galleries and cafés, while the narrow La Punta peninsula has a seafront promenade and the Real Felipe Fortress nearby. It is best visited as a guided trip, often combined with the Palomino Islands boats.
Visit with a tour or by taxi and stay within the regenerated blocks; surrounding streets can be unsafe.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Photo spot
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Larco Museum, Cathedral of Lima, Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros and Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) |
| History | Plaza Mayor, Cathedral of Lima, Monastery of San Francisco and Larco Museum |
| Views | Malecón de Miraflores and Paragliding over Miraflores |
| Outdoors and nature | Malecón de Miraflores, Bosque El Olivar and Surfing at Costa Verde |
| Food and markets | Barrio Chino and Mercado de Surquillo No. 1 |
| After dark | Huaca Pucllana, Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros and Magic Water Circuit |
| With children | Huaca Pucllana, Malecón de Miraflores and Magic Water Circuit |
| On a rainy day | Cathedral of Lima, Monastery of San Francisco, Larco Museum and Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Lima?
Plaza Mayor. Lima's main square, where Francisco Pizarro founded the city in 1535, is lined by the Cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies, the Government Palace and the City Hall.
+What can you do for free in Lima?
Plaza Mayor, Malecón de Miraflores, Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros and Bosque El Olivar. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Lima when it rains?
Head indoors to Cathedral of Lima, Monastery of San Francisco, Larco Museum and Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI).
+What is there to do in Lima at night?
Huaca Pucllana, Barranco and Puente de los Suspiros and Magic Water Circuit are best after dark.