Stories · Peru
A weekend in Lima
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
You don’t visit Lima; it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 2 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · Fresh air
In the morning, head to Lima Cathedral. The audio guides are worth it; otherwise, follow a group and steal three anecdotes on the way. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (5,969 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Late morning, it’s Archbishop's Palace of Lima. This is the breath of the trip. Even one hour changes the day. 4.6 out of 5 across 383 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
For lunch, Lima 15001 is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
Later, meet me at Casa del Oidor. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
To end the day, I make my way to Lima Main Square. Go late in the afternoon: the heat drops, the light softens and the photos take themselves. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.6 out of 5 across 80,185 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Lima does the rest.
Day 2 · Museums and culture
To start, I make my way to Larco Museum. Give it a good two hours, and leave before you are full: that is the secret to wanting to come back. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (18,042 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Then, it’s La Cruz del Viajero Park. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. To get organised: here is the route by public transport; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise also check Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Pueblo Libre 15084: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
After lunch, meet me at National Museum of the Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru, Lima. I always pick two or three rooms rather than seeing everything. You walk out light. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (4,067 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, I make my way to Plaza Bolivar. Bring water, shoes that hold, and no watch. Travellers give it 4.5 out of 5 (2,566 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. Lima is a city that tells itself better at night.
If you’re still hungry
Other places I wish I could have fitted in: Malecón de Miraflores, Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo, Lima, Museo del Convento de San Francisco y Catacumbas, Park of the Legends Zoo, Basílica and Convent of San Francisco | Lima and Magic Water Circuit of the Reserve Park. Slip them in wherever a day feels light.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
Safe travels. And get lost at least once; that is where Lima begins.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.