Peru

Things to do in Lima

The viceregal capital of Spanish South America, now a city of ten million facing the Pacific from a line of coastal cliffs. The colonial centre around the Plaza Mayor holds the cathedral, the catacombs and the balconied palaces; Miraflores and Barranco, where most visitors stay, sit eight kilometres south along the sea. It is also the continent's best eating city, and dinner deserves the same planning as any museum.

22 places on record

Things to do

22

  1. Museo de Arte

    Museum · 1.5 hr

    The national fine-arts museum occupying a 1908 Beaux-Arts building in Parque de la Exposición, with collections spanning pre-Columbian through modern Peruvian and international work.

  2. Catedral

    Cathedral · 30 min

    Built beginning in 1535, this baroque cathedral houses the remains of Francisco Pizarro and contains notable religious art and an active crypt museum. Located at the north edge of Plaza Mayor.

  3. Museo Aeronáutico del Perú

    Museum · 1.5 hr

    Peru's aviation museum displays over 30 restored historic aircraft including Douglas DC-3s and Cessnas used in Andean service, plus flight simulators and aeronautical instruments from 1900 onwards.

  4. Plaza Mayor

    Monument · 30 min

    The ceremonial heart of Lima's historic centre, founded in 1535 by Francisco Pizarro. Surrounded by the Cathedral, Government Palace, and Archbishop's Palace, it remains the symbolic nucleus of colonial Peru.

  5. Museo de la Nación

    Museum · 3 hr

    Peru's principal national museum, housing the most comprehensive collection of Peruvian art and archaeology from pre-Columbian through contemporary periods. Located in a purpose-built 1990 structure in San Isidro.

  6. Convento de Santo Domingo

    Cathedral · 30 min

    A 16th-century Dominican convent and basilica in the historic centre, built on the site where Saint Martin of Porres lived. Features baroque architecture, ornate cloisters, and notable interior decoration.

  7. Parque del Amor

    Park · 30 min

    Clifftop public park in Miraflores overlooking the Pacific, featuring a large mosaic sculpture by Victor Delfín titled 'The Kiss' and formal gardens with ocean views.

  8. Convento de San Francisco

    Cathedral · 1.5 hr

    17th-century Franciscan monastery featuring baroque architecture, religious art, and catacombs containing an estimated 25,000 burials, with a working library and monastery tour.

  9. Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú

    Museum · 2.5 hr

    Located in the Pueblo Libre district in a former vice-royal mansion, this state museum holds major Andean artifacts including the Raimondi Stone and extensive Nasca and Moche pottery collections. It is the authoritative reference for Peruvian pre-Columbian cultures.

  10. Parque de la Exposición

    Park · 30 min

    A 19th-century public park in central Lima hosting multiple museums, manicured gardens, and historic pavilions from the 1872 exposition. Contains the Museo de Arte de Lima and other cultural institutions.

  11. Barranco Neighborhood

    Neighborhood · 2 hr

    A bohemian district south of downtown with colonial mansions, bohemian cafes, art galleries, and the Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs), dating largely to the late 19th century.

  12. Barrio Chino

    Neighborhood · 30 min

    Lima's Chinese quarter in the historic centre, established in the 19th century and still a functioning commercial and residential neighborhood. Features narrow streets, shops, and restaurants serving Chifa cuisine.

  13. Catacumbas

    Monument · 30 min

    Underground burial chambers beneath the Convent of San Francisco, used from the 16th through 18th centuries to inter thousands of Lima residents. The passages are organized geometrically and lined with stacked human remains.

  14. Catedral Metropolitana

    Cathedral · 30 min

    Built starting in 1555 on the Plaza Mayor, this cathedral contains the remains of Francisco Pizarro and features a baroque facade and richly decorated interior with oil paintings and carved wooden altars.

  15. Convent of San Francisco

    Monument · 1.5 hr

    A 17th-century Franciscan monastery featuring an ornate wooden interior, a library with 20,000 volumes, and catacombs containing remains of over 70,000 people.

  16. Historic Centre

    Neighborhood · 2 hr

    UNESCO World Heritage zone anchored by the Plaza Mayor, featuring the Cathedral (begun 1555), Government Palace, and Archbishop's Palace, with narrow colonial streets and baroque architecture.

  17. Mercado Central

    Market · 1 hr

    Lima's largest public market, a working-class food and produce market in the historic centre offering fresh fruit, fish, textiles, and local crafts.

  18. Miraflores District

    Neighborhood · 2 hr

    An upscale coastal neighbourhood in southwestern Lima featuring parks, museums, galleries, and oceanfront promenades with views of the Pacific.

  19. Museo de Sitio Rafael Larco Herrera

    Museum · 1 hr

    This on-site museum at the Larco archaeological zone displays pottery, textiles, and architectural fragments excavated from the adjacent pre-Columbian settlement, dating 500 BCE to 500 CE.

  20. Museo Nacional de Antropología, Arqueología e Historia del Perú

    Museum · 2 hr

    State museum in Pueblo Libre displaying Chavín, Moche, Nazca, and Incan artefacts, including a major textile and ceramic collection with reconstructed pre-Columbian scenes.

  21. Museo Oro del Perú

    Museum · 1.5 hr

    Houses over 50,000 pieces of Peruvian gold, silver, and textiles from 1500 BCE onwards, including ceremonial masks, llama figurines, and metalwork from the Chimú and Incan periods.

  22. Palacio de Torre Tagle

    Palace

    Constructed in 1735, this Rococo palace exemplifies Lima's colonial aristocratic architecture with ornate wooden balconies and period furnishings. Now the Foreign Ministry headquarters.

Basemap Meridian · data © OpenStreetMap
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