Explore the historic heart of Lima on this guided tour through the city center. Visit iconic landmarks and hidden gems, hear the stories behind Lima’s monuments, sip a refreshing Pisco Sour at the legendary Hotel Bolivar, and discover the mysterious catacombs of San Francisco.
Suitable for all ages.
We meet at 08:30 on Av. Oscar R. Benavides 140 in Miraflores, at the McDonald’s by Parque Kennedy. Round-trip transport to the historic centre is included, and the tour returns you to the same point at around 13:00. There is no hotel pickup, but the meeting point is walkable from most Miraflores hotels.
One entrance fee: S/ 20 in cash for the Church of San Francisco and its catacombs. Everything else on the itinerary, including the Pisco Sour at the Hotel Bolivar and the transport, is covered by the tour price. Bring small notes in soles, as the ticket office does not take cards.
They are the burial vaults beneath the San Francisco monastery, where thousands of Lima’s dead were interred during the colonial period. The passages are narrow, low and dimly lit, and the bones are on open display. Most people find it the highlight of the tour, but if you are strongly claustrophobic you can skip that section and wait in the cloisters, which are worth seeing on their own.
Yes, one Pisco Sour at the Hotel Bolivar on Plaza San Martin, a bar that has been serving them since the 1920s and is part of the city’s history rather than a tourist add-on. Alcohol is served from age 18 in Peru, so younger travellers on the tour are not served, though everyone stops at the hotel for the story behind it.
No. The tour runs from 08:30 to around 13:00, so have breakfast beforehand and plan lunch for your return to Miraflores. Bring water for the walking sections around the Plaza de Armas, and some cash for personal expenses.
