Most trips to Peru start in Lima. Give it a day or two: some of the best restaurants in the world, a UNESCO colonial center and cliffs over the Pacific.
Lima deserves more than a night between flights. Two of its restaurants have been ranked the best in the world, Central in 2023 and Maido in 2025, the colonial center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there is a pre-Inca pyramid in the middle of Miraflores.
One day for the center and Barranco, a second for Miraflores and the food.
Sunny summer. May to November is grey and mild, and it almost never rains.
About 30 minutes with no traffic. Book your transfer in advance.
Or Barranco, for a more bohemian feel. Both are safe and walkable.
Updated September 2026
Add any of these to your Peru trip. We plan them around your flight times and hotel.
The colonial center between flights, with a private driver to and from the airport.
The two sides of Lima with the same guide: the colonial center and bohemian Barranco.
Everything in 1 day, plus Miraflores and the Huaca Pucllana pyramid. Add a bike ride or a wine tasting if you like.
Stopover: per person based on 2 travelers, including airport transfers. Lima in 1 and 2 days: tour prices per person from your hotel in Lima, the same if you travel solo; airport transfers and hotels are quoted with your trip.
Two days are enough for Lima: one for the Historic Center and Barranco, one for Miraflores and the food.
The clifftop park over the Pacific in Miraflores, with Parque del Amor.
Plaza Mayor, the cathedral and colonial balconies. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Huaca Pucllana, an adobe pyramid in the middle of the city.
Murals, galleries and the Bridge of Sighs in Lima’s bohemian district.
Cevicherías close in the evening: ceviche is a daytime dish in Lima.
Pre-Columbian art, 35–50 minutes from the airport. Good for long layovers.
The great pre-Inca sanctuary south of the city.
Along the Malecón, with the ocean on one side.
The fountain show at Parque de la Reserva.
Both have been ranked the best restaurant in the world. Book weeks ahead.
With 10 hours or more between flights, our driver takes you from the airport to your guide in the Historic Center and back in time for your next flight. We plan the times around your flights.
Read our full Lima layover guide →
Layover soon? Message us on WhatsApp
Most travelers continue to Cusco and Machu Picchu. Others fly south to Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, about 1 h 30 from Lima. See our Cusco travel guide →
Two days in Lima, then Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. The classic first trip to Peru.
From $719 per person · See itinerary →Jaim, your planner, lives in Lima. These are the places and habits he shares with every traveler.
My favorite cevichería is La Picada (Flora Tristán 574, San Isidro): ceviche with ají amarillo, wok-fried octopus, jalea and arroz con mariscos.
For lomo saltado without a tasting menu, go to Panchita or Tanta.
For a beer somewhere very limeño, Antigua Taberna Queirolo. For a bohemian night, La Noche de Barranco.
Use Cabify. In my experience it has the best prices of the ride apps.
Go around 9:30–10 am, after the morning rush to work and school.
The Malecón in Miraflores. Nothing beats it.
Av. Mariscal La Mar, around number 750: bars and restaurants full of limeños, and Grimanesa Anticuchería, the best anticuchos in Lima.
Don’t take a random taxi at the airport: book your transfer. And don’t stick to the flashy tourist bars; in Barranco, go where limeños go, like Victoria or La Noche.
Hotels, restaurants and the clifftop Malecón over the Pacific. Safe, walkable and 45–60 minutes from the airport.
Lima’s bohemian district, next to Miraflores. Galleries, street murals and the Bridge of Sighs. Great for dinner and a night out.
The Plaza Mayor, the cathedral and colonial balconies. Best visited with a guide in the morning; we don’t recommend staying here.
Ceviche at lunch, lomo saltado, ají de gallina and anticuchos, with a pisco sour or a chicha morada. For the famous tasting menus at Central or Maido, book weeks ahead.
December to April is summer: sunny and warm. From May to November the sky is usually grey (the garúa), but it’s mild and it almost never rains. Lima works all year.
Jorge Chávez airport is 45 to 60 minutes from Miraflores, about 30 with no traffic. Book your transfer in advance, especially at night.
Miraflores and Barranco are safe to walk day and night. In the Historic Center, go with a guide and keep valuables out of sight.
One full day covers the essentials; two let you enjoy the food and Miraflores. Many travelers split them: one day on arrival, one before flying home.
“Perfectly tailored to us. From the first moment, we felt that we were truly listened to.”
“Jaim was lovely and available for every request we had, and helped with everything we asked. Warmly recommended!”
Two days are enough: one for the Historic Center and Barranco, one for Miraflores and the food. With one day, do the Historic Center and Barranco with the same guide.
Yes. It has some of the best restaurants in the world, a UNESCO colonial center and a pre-Inca pyramid in the middle of Miraflores. Most trips to Peru start there anyway.
Miraflores for most travelers: safe, walkable and close to the ocean. Barranco if you want a more bohemian feel. We don’t recommend staying in the Historic Center.
Yes. With 10 hours or more, our private layover tour takes you from the airport to the Historic Center and back. For luggage storage, timings and shorter layovers, see my Lima layover guide.
Miraflores and Barranco are safe to walk. In the Historic Center, go with a guide and keep valuables out of sight, and always book your airport transfer instead of taking a random taxi.
Yes, weeks ahead. For a relaxed lunch, cevicherías like La Picada in San Isidro don’t need a booking.
Yes. The Ballestas Islands and the Huacachina dunes are about 4 to 5 hours south by bus. You can go on a long day trip, but two days is more comfortable. See our Paracas and Huacachina guide.
A day-by-day plan with hotels and the full price, from a local, not a bot.
