What to do in Lima Peru for a day
Lima is the capital of Peru and the city that most people first fly into when they visit Peru.
It is a huge bustling city with a population of 9.75 million people, nearly a third of the total population of Peru.
There are many places to visit in Peru and many Peru tourist attractions with many people choosing to spend a few days in Lima. There are many Lima attractions and lots of things to do in Lima.
The climate in Lima is very mild all year around with the summer months, January until April the hottest of the year. Outside of these months Lima is generally quite grey and cloudy due to the pollution.
Where is Lima Peru
Lima is located in the centre of Peru in South America. It is right on the coastline and has some great beaches and surfing.
Lima Peru airport is located in the north of Lima with it taking around 1 hour to drive from the popular tourist areas of Miraflores and Barranco.
History of Lima
Lima was founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro after the Spanish had conquered Peru. In 1988 the historic centre was declared a UNESCO world heritage site.
Top Things to do in Lima Peru
Many people ask what to do in Lima Peru, what to do in Miraflores, what to do in Barranco Lima. I decided to ask my fellow travel bloggers what they love to do in Peru, what are there favourite Peru attractions in Lima. Here is our Lima travel guide on things that you can do in one day in Lima.
The Best Lima Beaches
by Clare from Travels In Peru
If you are visiting Lima in summer (January till April) then you can also visit the beach. The Costa verde has great beaches in the districts of Miraflores, Barranco and Chorrillos. There are over 20 beaches that you can choose to visit on the Costa Verde.
The best beaches in Miraflores has to be Waikiki, it’s a favourite for surfers but also sunbathers and is one of the things to do in Miraflores in summer. Also popular has to be Playa Redondo which is popular due to the exclusive Rosa Nautica restaurant which is situated on a pier out at sea. Miraflores has 6km of beaches so there are plenty to choose from.
The sea in this part of Peru is also great for watersports with surfing and bodyboarding being the most popular.
The best beaches in Lima though are based south of Lima, around 1 hour away. The most famous of the Lima Peru beaches being Punta Hermosa, it’s the most popular beach in Lima Peru with the surfers, but also a beautiful beach, though the sea can be a little cold for swimming even in summer.
Walking City Tour Lima
by Clare from Ilive4travel
A walking tour Lima is a great way to see the city. There are walking tours of Miraflores, Barranco and the historic centre.
The Lima tours are a great way to get to know the city and the history of the capital of Peru if you have a full day. Lima is a great city to explore.
I personally have done walking tours in Barranco, where you walk through the district and see the old church, bridge of sighs, the artistic area. It really is a beautiful area to see, very colourful, a lot of art on the walls and a great place to hang out and have a meal or drink in the evening.
The walking tour of downtown Lima Peru, the historical centre you get to visit the Plaza de Armas, which is huge in Lima but very beautiful. You also get to see the many churches and old colonial buildings. You can’t help but notice the many balconies (over 1,600) in the historic centre.
There are many companies offering the a Lima city tour, though most cover the same places in each of the districts.
Visit the Miraflores market
by Julie from Why not Ju
Lima is known as one of the food capitals of the world. You can find some of the best chefs and restaurants there. However, you don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant to eat well in Lima. Don’t miss out on the local lunch spots in and around the market in Miraflores, Mercado Municipal Nro 1.
The market is just a 10 minutes walk from the central park, Park Kennedy. If you decide to go to Lima you have to try Ceviche, a local dish consisting of fish cooked in lime juice for a few hours, topped with red onion with a side of sweet potato, roasted dried corn, and some salad. Trust me it tasted way better then it sounds.
In one of the side street, right before the market, you will find Alto Mar Cevicheria. This is the best Cevicheria if you ask me, I went there various times during my 2 months in Lima. The Cevicherias makes the ceviche fresh every day with fish caught in the morning.
Try to be there before 2 pm, as they tend to run out after lunch. After finishing up your lunch, head into the Miraflores market to look around, eat more or shop for some fresh fruit, nuts, and souvenirs.
Explore the Barranco district
by Claire from Past the Potholes
During our time in Peru, we actually spent a whole two weeks just in Lima. One of our favourite things to do during our time in Lima was simply to wander around the Barranco District as there are many things to do in Barranco Lima. The streets are lined with beautiful colonial architecture with just the perfect amount of dilapidation. From old mansions of Lima’s wealthy turned into bars, to small brightly coloured wooden shacks, every corner holds a surprise.
The buildings are not the only interesting and colourful things in this district of Lima. Barranco has become Lima’s Bohemian district with street performers, hand-made crafts sold on the streets and many independent stores and galleries. The main square, Plaza de Armas, comes alive every night with street performers and craft stalls. Barranco is home to plenty of boutique stores, galleries and museums worth checking out.
We loved discovering the many large, colourful street art murals dotted around the district. The Bajada de los Baños, which runs under the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) to the beach, is a lovely place for walk. This old fishermen’s walkway is surrounded by colourful street art and is home to coffee shops and restaurants, colourful buildings and many street vendors. It gets crowded but it’s definitely the most interesting route between the city and beach!
Bike tours in Lima Peru
by Clare from Travels In Peru
A great way to spend a day in Lima is to do a bike tour. As Lima is a big city it is a great way to see a lot of it in a short period of time.
The tour I did started in Miraflores and we cycled down the coastline and stopped to learn the history of the area we were in. We also cycled through Barranco and saw the Plaza de Armas and Bridge of Sighs and finished in the district of Chorillos.
Once you get to Chorillos if you are lucky you will see the jumping monk, a guy dressed up as a monk and jumping off the cliff for tourists reenacting a 100 year old love story of a monk jumping into the sea to get to his love.
If you don’t have long in Lima then it’s a great way to see a large area and so much fun. Definitely one of my favourite Peru tours.
Surfing in Lima
by Hannah from Hannah’s Happy Adventures
When you visit Lima, most people spend their time exploring its cultural side and eating yummy ceviche. However, I fancied a change and headed down to the beach to catch some waves. Due to Lima’s location on the west coast of South America, next to the South Pacific Ocean, it’s the perfect spot for surfing. Big waves regularly roll up on the beach here.
So where can you surf in Lima? Makaha Beach in Miraflores is the prime location. Go to the north side of the restaurant; La Rosa Nautica, and you’ll be greeted by numerous surfing huts offering surf hire and lessons at a reasonable price.
I recommend Surf Peru. Check out their website here. My lesson cost $25 and, included all my equipment (wetsuit, surfboard and surf shoes). I had a 1:1 lesson with a qualified surf instructor, lasting 90 minutes. They even offer hotel pickup for an extra $5! If you’re looking to save money, they, also, offer group lessons.
Surfing in Lima is definitely beginner friendly. Prior to rocking up in Lima, I had only surfed twice. The waves when I visited were perfect – big enough to catch waves but not too challenging! It rained heavily all day… but hey you’re already wet right?? My instructor was very supportive and spoke excellent English.
It gave me that little bit of an adrenaline rush that I’d been missing in Peru. So if you fancy a break from sightseeing, be sure to head out surfing. And if you catch the surfing bug, the beaches up north, Huanchaco and Mancora can offer you even better waves and beautiful sandy beaches.
Drink a Pisco Sour Lima
by Sarah from A Social Nomad
Lima is the birthplace of one of the most famous things to come out of Peru. The Pisco Sour, so the story goes, was invented by an American expat, Victor Morris in the Morris Bar. Morris strove to recreate his beloved Whiskey Sour cocktail without the whiskey, but using the local liquor, Pisco instead.
Peruvian pisco mainly comes from Ica, which is where the main distilleries and Peruvian wine industry is. There’s no better place to taste the Pisco sour than where it was born!
The Morris bar is no longer here, but the success of the Pisco Sour cocktail as taken up by other bars in the area and further refinements were made. The Hotel Maury added egg white to the Pisco Sour and you can still taste this now accepted version of the sour at the Maury Bar in the historic centre of Lima.
The bar is like taking a step back into history. The old wooden bar is tended by white-jacketed barmen, who look like they’ve been here since the Pisco Sour was invented in the early 1900s.
You can buy your Pisco Sour in three sizes. We went for the medium and needed to steady ourselves afterwards, it’s a great taste, but it was seriously strong! We recommend eating before you start tasting Pisco sours, or taking it easy on the number that you consume at least!
Monastery of San Francisco
by Julianna from The Discoveries Of
The Monastery of San Francisco and the accompanying Iglesia (church) of the same name, together are two of the must-see spots in Lima. Tucked away in the historical Centro district, the Monastery is a striking example of colonial architecture that you simply must see.
The monastery was inhabited by Franciscan monks and completed in 1774 – pop onto a tour (given in English and Spanish depending on timings) and explore the history of this iconic structure. The tour starts with a visit to the Monastery’s vast library, which boasts a collection of over 25,000 books in Spanish, Quechuan and English ranging between the 16th to the 20th centuries. Lots of the books are so old and delicate that no one but the monks can touch them.
After that, you’re led around the monastery itself, decorated with gorgeous mosaics, woodwork and art collected by the monks during the centuries.
But there’s a darker secret buried underneath the monastery – the catacombs, where more than 25,000 bodies were thought to have been buried over the years up until the early 19th century. Creepily organised into weird patterns using different body parts, it’s certainly one of the most distinct things to see in Lima.
When you finally emerge into the church, the contrast couldn’t be more different – gorgeous decor with whitewashed walls and maroon patterns and touches of gold. The effect is every bit as magnificent as it was meant to be.
Paragliding in Lima
by Ariana from World of Travels with Kids
If you are looking for totally different perspective of Lima, then why not give paragliding a go? You launch off the cliffs just up from Larco Mar & Parque del Amor, and suddenly you are over the ocean, with views back to the cliffs and the city…
This truly is a birds eye view of Lima as you can see up and down the coast, or check out the surfers who are enjoying Lima’s beaches. My favourite aspect of these flights is doing loops over the shopping centre Larco Mar. This has to be one of the most unique malls in the world, as it is literally built into the cliffs of Miraflores.
The paragliders whoosh in and over the centre; below shoppers look up and wave!!! This is certainly a different experience than other places to paraglide, as you are really up above a city, and there are so many different things to see. Not just the natural beauty of the cliffs, but the architectural shapes of the buildings, and also the traffic on the road.
There are a number of different operators at the Paragliding park, but it is worth remembering they only fly during suitable conditions.
Coffee Shops
by Jenny from Tales from the Lens
The capital of Peru is world famous for its gastronomical scene featuring innovative Peruvian food and trendy chefs. But whilst touring the town tasting new aromas and visiting the different neighbourhoods, we can only suggest taking this opportunity to also discover the incredible flavours of Peruvian coffee.
Peru has several distinct coffee regions that export coffee around the globe. The most known are Junin, Cusco, Cajamarca and San Martin. However, for years Peruvian coffee’s quality was reserved only for the export market. Nowadays, with an increase in knowledge and higher incomes, new coffee shops are being created by local experienced baristas trained in coffee hubs like New York and London. With this awareness of good coffee and an improving economy, Peru and especially Lima is having a third wave coffee boom.
One of the best places in Lima to grab a cup is Tostadura Bisetti. Founded in the 1950s, this cafe lived through time and is now part of Lima’s history. These days the founder’s grandson runs the roastery and a couple of coffee shops across the capital. Since 2010 they have been sourcing, roasting and serving Peruvian-only speciality coffee, and it is delicious.
While visiting, you may get the chance to see them roasting coffee in-store or take a coffee class in their specialised tasting lab on the main square of Barranco. They have also recently opened a separate coffee shop in Miraflores called “Arabica Espresso Bar” focused on the art of espresso.
Museo Mario Testino
by Sarah from Moment Mum
One of the wonderful things about Lima is that the different districts each bring their own special atmosphere. The Barranco district is well known for its love of art, and the MATE – Museo Mario Testino fits right in!
Mario Testino is a world-famous fashion photographer, and the museum features a variety of his work while also reserving space for local artists. A beautifully restored 19th century home serves as the location, with different wings sharing a wide variety of art from different mediums. You’ll find areas dedicated to popular culture, including Mario’s portraits of many celebrities and super models.
Even though we were visiting from Nashville, TN, we felt right at home as we found a portrait of Taylor Swift decorating the walls. Along with fashion photography, Mario Testino also took the last official portraits of Princess Diana before her untimely death. MATE includes an entire wing dedicated to these amazing portraits. There is also dedicated space to Mario’s portraits of local Peruvian culture, which were my personal favorite.
Having visited many different areas of Peru on my trip, like Arequipa, it was wonderful to see the unique clothing captured so wonderfully in his photographs. If you find yourself searching for things to do in Lima, a visit to MATE or one of the other museums in Lima Peru is sure to connect you to both popular culture and the wonderful local culture of Peru’s many regions.
Cooking Classes in Lima
by Katie from Just Chasing Sunsets
Peru is known worldwide for its outstanding cuisine, so what better way to experience it than with a cooking class in Lima. There are numerous options for cooking classes in Lima, Peru, but I went with Skykitchen because they were incredibly responsive and fit me in last minute.
While I wanted to learn how to make Lomo Saltado, my favorite Peruvian dish, we learned to make my second favorite dish, Aji de Gallina. This is a chicken dish served with rice and a creamy sauce. We also learned how to make a great Pisco sour, ceviche, and picarones (similar to a donut, but better).
The chef not only taught us how to cook the dish, but also provided insight into the history of Peruvian cuisine and how it rose to its current popularity. Plus, Skykitchen is located on the top floor of a building in Miraflores, which provided us with gorgeous views of the city while we learned how to cook traditional Peruvian dishes.
Volunteer to help feed the children of Lima
by Bradley from Dream Big, Travel Far
Lima is filled with great things to do and see, but if you’re looking for an experience that allows you to give something back to the community, then why not help feed the children of Lima.
The Zig Zag hostel in Peru offers the chance to volunteer every Saturday to help take food to the “slums” of the city, where the extremely poor literally live behind a wall, hidden from the eyes of a tourist. If they wander from outside these “walls”, they are escorted back by the police, which is a crazy thought.
You’ll have the chance to cook food, package it up, hand it out to the children who gather in school halls to be fed. You’ll get to meet lots of amazing children, play games with them and meet and chat with their parents. It’s an eye opening experience, and it feels good to try and do something to help these families.
You just need to show up to the Zig Zag hostel on a Saturday morning to help with the cooking and you’ll be gone for a couple of hours. You can contact them via Facebook to find out more. It’s also a good way to meet other backpackers too as there is usually a group of around 6-8 who head out together.
Are there any other things you think should be added to the list? If so let me know below.
If you want to find out about the Best places to visit in Peru then read my article here.
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