Things to do in Lima
Clifftop walks, ancient pyramids, and the best food city in the Americas.
This is Lima for people who want to eat like a local, spend sensibly, and still land one or two meals they'll be talking about for years. The plan stays close to Miraflores and the Malecón, dipping into Barranco and San Isidro, so nothing feels like a slog. You don't need to be a foodie to love it, but it helps to arrive hungry.
Day 1: Coast, cliffs and the pier
A clifftop walk above the Pacific, a Piuran lunch, a surf lesson under the cliffs, and a long dinner on the water at La Rosa Náutica to close it out.
- 10:15 AM
The Malecón
Walk the clifftop Malecón, catch the Parque del Amor mosaic, watch paragliders launch and pelicans soar over the Pacific.
Map - 12:30 PM
Alegría Picantería Piurana
Casual Piuran picantería beloved by locals, classic northern Peruvian plates at honest prices.
Map - 2:00 PM
Surfing at Makaha and Punta Roquitas
Beginner-friendly surf lesson at Makaha and Punta Roquitas, rental gear and group lessons right under the cliffs.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurante La Rosa Náutica
La Rosa Náutica's iconic pier over the Pacific for the one memorable Peruvian dinner.
Map
Day 2: Pyramids, markets and the Malecón
A guided tour of a 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid in the middle of the city, a chefs' market cooking class, and the meal that justifies the whole trip.
- 10:30 AM
Huaca Pucllana
Guided tour of the 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid rising right out of the Miraflores streetscape, the heart of the whole day.
Map - 12:30 PM
Cosme Restaurante y Bar
Relaxed ingredient-led Peruvian comfort cooking, one of Latin America's best, the neighbourhood staple locals swear by.
Map - 2:30 PM
Surquillo Market + Cooking Class
Walk the chefs' market with Amazonian fruits and 100 potato varieties, then cook ceviche, a hands-on afternoon that doubles as cultural immersion.
Map - 4:30 PM
Cycle or Run the Malecón
Rent a bike and ride the clifftop path south to Barranco as the light drops over the Pacific.
Map - 7:30 PM
La Gloria Miraflores
Long-running Miraflores dining room for Peruvian classics done with care; book ahead and share a seafood rice.
Map
Day 3: Gold, criollo lunch, cliff flight
Gold and Moche ceramics at Museo Larco, a criollo lunch at El Bolivariano, a tandem flight from Parapuerto Miraflores, and dinner at José Antonio.
- 10:30 AM
Museo Larco
Pre-Columbian gold, Moche ceramics and Nazca textiles in an 18th-century mansion; save time for the gardens.
Map - 12:30 PM
El Bolivariano
Old Pueblo Libre house serving criollo classics a few blocks from Museo Larco; order the ají de gallina.
Map - 3:00 PM
Parapuerto Miraflores (Parque Raimondi)
Tandem paragliding off the Miraflores cliffs from the Parque Raimondi launch, when the breeze is up.
Map - 7:30 PM
José Antonio
Long-running San Isidro dining room for Peruvian classics; a good table for lomo saltado and a pisco sour.
Map
Where to stay
Nhow Lima
Solid mid-range value right in the Miraflores action, within walking distance of nearly every stop on the plan.
Pullman Lima Miraflores
A reliable Pullman at a fair price on the southern edge of Miraflores, close to the Malecón and easy for Barranco on day three.
Make Lima your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Mercado de Surquillo: a few days ahead
- Lady Bee: a few days ahead
- Paracas: a few days ahead
- Islas Palomino: a few days ahead
- Parapente Miraflores: a few days ahead
- Los Inkas Golf Club: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Treating Lima as just a layover. The food capital deserves three days minimum.
- Larcomar as a destination: it is a mall in a cliff, fine for coffee with a view, while the malecón either side is the attraction.
- Concierge priced tours: the same Palomino Islands trip sells online for about US$77 and through one luxury hotel for US$210.
- The Gold Museum has a long running authenticity debate. Larco and MALI are better uses of the same hours.
The full Lima travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around