A Guide to Lima, Peru
In March, my friends and I set out on our annual girls’ trip. This year, we dipped our toes into South America with a nine-day trip to Peru. The trip began with four days spent in Cusco before heading to Peru’s capital city, Lima, for the second half of the trip. This is a guide to Lima, Peru, outlining where we stayed, what we ate, and how we spent our time in this vibrant city.
Table of Contents
- Where to Stay in Lima
- What to Do in Lima
- Where to Eat in Lima
- Know Before You Go: Travel Tips
- More Travel Guides
Where to Stay in Lima
When we started researching where to stay in Lima, there were two neighbourhoods that came up over and over again: Miraflores and Barranco. Both neighbourhoods are extremely popular with tourists because they’re safe, have great restaurants, and are close to attractions. There’s even an airport shuttle route from the airport with multiple stops in Miraflores. We rented an Airbnb in Miraflores. The apartment was centrally located, clean, and very spacious.
What to Do in Lima
Lima, Peru’s coastal capital city, is full of culture and history. A must-visit destination in Peru, Lima has a bustling culinary and arts scene, vibrant neighbourhoods that feel like little cities in and of themselves, and is a stone’s throw from other popular destinations like Paracas and Huacachina. Here is everything we did during our time in Lima.
Visit Huaca Pucllana
Huaca Pucllana is a vast clay pyramid centrally located in the Miraflores neighbourhood. The structure is believed to have been built around 500 CE, which is crazy to wrap your head around! Entry to the site is 15 soles ($5.93 CAD). Included in the entrance fee is a guided tour and access to the site museum. Entry tickets are purchased at the gate.
Shop for Souvenirs at the Inka Market
We stumbled on the Inka Market in Miraflores by chance and ended up buying most of our souvenirs there. There were many vendors selling the usual mass-produced Peruvian souvenirs, but there were also a lot of vendors selling unique artisan products. I bought some beautiful hand-carved wooden kitchen utensils and a gorgeous alpaca wool throw blanket. Set aside a bit of time so you can do a proper comb-through of this large market. And make sure your negotiation skills are up to par! You’ll notice most stores have no prices on their items and will require a bit of bargaining on your part to get the best deal.
Stroll Through a Mercado
Lima has no shortage of markets. And if there is one thing I love to do when I’m on vacation, it’s to visit the local markets and grocery stores. I just love seeing all the different products and produce they have. We strolled over to Mercado 1 de Surquillo, which is only a few blocks from the Inka Market.
The indoor market was closed, but there was an outdoor market with two rows of market stalls on the street adjacent to the market building. I put my Spanish to the test to purchase some dried mango and pineapple slices.
Take a Day Trip to Paracas and Huacachina
Paracas and Huacachina are two very popular and vastly different destinations. Paracas is a coastal town on Peru’s west coast known for its beaches and the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, home to sea lions, pelicans, and Humboldt penguins, located offshore. Huacachina, on the other hand, is a natural desert oasis surrounded by sweeping sand dunes. To see both destinations, we signed up for an 18-hour (yes, you read that right) guided tour of Paracas and Huacachina, leaving from Lima.
Looking for More Peru? Read: A Guide to Cusco, Peru
Booking a Tour
The Paracas/Huacachina day trip from Lima is a popular one, so there are lots of options to choose from. We booked with a company called Escape from Lima through Viator. The company and guides were fantastic. The tour cost $79.61 CAD per person, which was such a deal considering everything that was included. Included with the purchase of our tickets:
- Bilingual professional tour guide
- Roundtrip with Air Conditioning, clean restroom, USB Ports, and a large storage room
- 2-hour Guided Ballestas Islands Boat Trip in Paracas
- Visit to a local pisco vineyard with pisco tasting
- Dune Buggy and Sandboarding Tour
- Free time to explore Huacachina Oasis
- Pick up and drop off in Lima
Not included in the ticket price were our lunches, dinner, and the local tourist tax for visiting Paracas and Huacachina. The tax was 24 soles ($9.48 CAD) per person, and our guide shared the link to pay the fee while we were on the bus travelling to Paracas.
A Funny Story for You
I unfortunately got food poisoning while we were in Lima, and do you know when it decided to rear its ugly head? You guessed it: when I was on an 18-hour bus tour in the desert of Peru. Unfortunately, this did taint my experience in Paracas and Huacachina a bit (I was really ill), but even with violent food poisoning, they were still two of the coolest places I’ve ever been.
After throwing up five times on the coach bus (thank god for the coach bus bathroom!), I rallied and went on the two-hour dune buggy tour in the desert, which was a blast! I even managed to pull it together enough to partake in the sand dune sledding. I did throw up three more times after getting off the dune buggy, but we don’t need to talk about that.
Explore the Vibrant Neighbourhood of Barranco
I unfortunately missed a lot of our planned day in Barranco because I was recovering from the previous day’s food poisoning. I was bummed about this because I had been so excited to explore Barranco. Barranco is a vibrant, artistic neighbourhood brimming with artisan markets, galleries, cafes, and boutique clothing stores. I managed to pull myself together and join my friends at the end of the day, so I at least got to see Barranco and visit some shops and galleries.
In addition to unique shops and an eclectic vibe, Barranco also has exceptional street art! I really enjoyed walking the streets, bopping in and out of shops, and admiring all the beautiful and colourful murals. Next time I’m in Lima, I’ll have to dedicate a solid block of time to this charming neighbourhood because there is just so much to see!
Visit the Paddington Bear Statue
In Miraflores, overlooking the ocean, you’ll find a large statue of the beloved British children’s character, Paddington Bear, carrying a suitcase. The statue was a gift from the British Embassy in 2015 to celebrate ties between Britain and Peru.
Where to Eat in Lima
Peru is known to have the best food in South America and is recognized globally as a top culinary destination. While we did have some excellent food in Lima, I preferred the food in Cusco. To be fair, we didn’t explore the culinary scene in Lima as extensively. I also got food poisoning on our second day in Lima, which hindered my ability to eat much more than bread or fruit for the rest of the trip. That being said, some restaurants and cafes we visited and loved were:
Know Before You Go: Travel Tips
- Peru’s currency is the Peruvian Sole. While you should have no issues using your credit card in most places, I suggest taking out some soles to bring with you. Many markets and smaller restaurants either prefer or only take cash. It is also useful to have cash on hand for tipping guides if you are planning to do any guided tours. Call your bank well in advance, as soles aren’t a currency usually kept in reserve.
- Get an eSIM to avoid roaming costs and stay connected while you’re away. The two options I like are Airalo and Holafly.
- Learn some common Spanish phrases. We were surprised to find that fewer people spoke English in Lima than in Cusco.
- Don’t drink the tap water and avoid ice cubes. This is true in all parts of Peru, not just Lima. In most restaurants and cafes, you shouldn’t have a problem with the ice cubes being made from tap water, but use your judgment. I got food poisoning in Lima, and I am almost certain I got sick from the ice in my drink at a smaller, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Bottled water is sold everywhere, and it’s very cheap, so don’t take the risk!
More Travel Guides
If you loved this guide to Lima, Peru, be sure to check out these other travel guides:
How to Spend a Day in Bruges, Belgium
How to Spend Three Days in Amsterdam
Nine Days in Italy, an Itinerary
If you found this guide helpful, feel free to drop me a line in the comments; I love to hear from you! Save this post on Pinterest to come back to it later.
Happy travelling!
