Lima, Peru Travel Guide: What to do, Where to eat and Where to stay
To start our Peru trip we flew into Lima from Los Cabos with a layover in Dallas, Texas. We took a red eye flight and got to Lima at around 6:00 AM. The airport is not actually in Lima but in a nearby city called Callao. When you leave the airport, you will be approach by many people asking if you want a taxi. We had decided to go with the Airport Express bus and had booked tickets the day before. The buses were clean, spacious and even had wifi. In addition, it was a affordable way to get to the city. The bus has many stops in the Miraflores area, before you get on the bus the attendants will mark where you will need to stop.
Where to Stay
Most travellers will stay in Miraflores or Barranco. Lima is a huge city with many districts, however most travellers will stay in the two areas that I had mentioned. Myself and my fiance had the opportunity to stay in both areas.
Miraflores
Miraflores is the most popular area to stay in Lima, it is definitely the most tourist oriented. Food and lodging is more pricey here as a result.
There are many high end hotels, hostels and airbnbs in the area which allows many options for all travellers with different budgets. We stayed in a apartment that we had booked through Airbnb that had great security and had modern amenities.
Barranco
Barranco is a bohemian, hipster and artsy area with colonial buildings in some areas. We personally felt that Barranco had a more local feel to it compared to Miraflores. This area also has many restaurants and has lodging for all budgets. In addition if you love to party and going out to different bars, you will love this area. We also stayed in a apartment that we had booked through Airbnb. Once again there was a 24 hour security guard which gave us a sense of security during our stay.
Regardless of where you end up staying, I highly recommend visiting both Miraflores and Barranco.
What to do
1) Do a walking tour of Lima: We had a booked a free walking tour of Lima that brought us to the historical district. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end of tour. During the tour we visited churches and the government building. We even had the opportunity to watch the guards change in the government building.
2) Visit Larcomar: Larcomar is a outdoor mall in Miraflores that over looks the ocean. There are many shops and restaurants that will keep you entertained. Even if you're not interest in shopping, it is still worth stopping by for the views.
3) Explore Miraflores: Walk around Miraflores and visit Kennedy park.
4) Explore Barranco: Explore Barranco and admire the graffiti on the walls.
5) Go to the Magic Water Show: This is located in Parque de la Reserva which is about a 20 min drive from Miralores. The entrance to this park is affordable ( I can't remember how much it was but it shouldn't cost more than a few dollars per person) and it appears there are a lot of locals that visit as well. There are many vendors that are selling food and drinks in the park and outside of the park. The water light show was a phenomenal and entertaining for the night. A visit to the park is a must if you're in Lima!
6) Visit the Pachacamac Pyramids: This is a archaeological site located just outside of Lima, we had booked a tour with Haku Tours for this visit. It was a interesting tour but we had just came back from Cusco before attending this tour so we had visited many ruins and archaeological sites during our time there. I would recommend visiting the pyramids before going to Cusco in order for the experience to be more exciting.
There are other things that you can do in the city but I don't feel like you need more than 3 days in Lima. We had stayed a total of 5 days which we felt was a bit long. I don't recommend skipping this city though, it is still worth visiting.
Where to Eat
One of the things to do in Lima is trying the restaurants. The food scene in Lima is phenomenal, there are restaurants for all budgets. There are even some Michelin star restaurants which we did not visit. If you visit Lima, you have to try the food. Here are some of the restaurants that we had visited during our stay.
1) La Lucha Sangucheria: This was the first place we had eaten at during our stay at Lima. This sandwich chain is located all over Lima. The portions are generous, it's affordable and the food is tasty.
2) Delfino Mar: This restaurant has excellent seafood dishes, it is located in the Miraflores District. This is where we tried ceviche and pisco sours for the first time. Ceviche is raw fish that is cured in lemon, it usually comes with onions, corn and sweet potato. Pisco sour is a alcoholic drink that is popular in Peru. You must try ceviche and pisco sours when visiting Peru.
3) Edo Sushi: Nikkei cuisine is Japanese and Peruvian fusion food which is very popular in Peru. We love Japanese food so we obviously have to try it when we are in Peru. The sushi here at Edo Sushi was really good, I've heard it gets busy during dinner. However we able to get a spot right away but a line did start forming when we left.
4) Papacho's: If you are craving a burger, this is the place to be! The burgers, fries and milkshakes are delicious. This restaurant is actually located at Larcomar, so if you get hungry after shopping this is one of the many restaurants you can visit.
5) Isolina Taberna Peruana: This restaurant is located in Barranco and the food is delicious! All the portions for the dishes are huge so we just ordered one dish. We ordered the crispy pork ribs and we were stuffed at the end of the meal.
6) Chifa Chun Yion Union: Peruvian - Chinese fusion food is called Chifa, and is huge in Peru. There are Chifa restaurants all across the country, with various price ranges. If you are in Barranco, this restaurant is a great choice. The prices were affordable, portions were generous and the food was delicious. There isn't a English menu here so we had some difficulties ordering. However the manager was really nice, who spoke a bit of English and was able to help us order. We ordered fried rice and a various meats dish.
7) IceCookies - This was our favourite dessert place in Lima, this store is located in Miraflores. This store is known for its cookies and ice cream sandwiches. If this is up your alley, this is worth a stop and a great dessert for a hot day.
We also visited a few more restaurants but the ones I had mentioned are the outstanding ones. Lima has so many restaurants, you will never run out of options. The food scene is amazing, so make sure you bring your appetite.
Overall Thoughts
Lima is a great city with a amazing food scene. Most travellers skip Lima or just stay for a night during their trip to Peru. However I believe this city is worth staying for 2-3 days. Don't miss the capital during your travels to Peru.
If anyone has any questions regarding visiting Lima, leave a comment below.
Vivian
Where to Stay
Most travellers will stay in Miraflores or Barranco. Lima is a huge city with many districts, however most travellers will stay in the two areas that I had mentioned. Myself and my fiance had the opportunity to stay in both areas.
Miraflores
Miraflores is the most popular area to stay in Lima, it is definitely the most tourist oriented. Food and lodging is more pricey here as a result.
There are many high end hotels, hostels and airbnbs in the area which allows many options for all travellers with different budgets. We stayed in a apartment that we had booked through Airbnb that had great security and had modern amenities.
Barranco
Barranco is a bohemian, hipster and artsy area with colonial buildings in some areas. We personally felt that Barranco had a more local feel to it compared to Miraflores. This area also has many restaurants and has lodging for all budgets. In addition if you love to party and going out to different bars, you will love this area. We also stayed in a apartment that we had booked through Airbnb. Once again there was a 24 hour security guard which gave us a sense of security during our stay.
Regardless of where you end up staying, I highly recommend visiting both Miraflores and Barranco.
What to do
1) Do a walking tour of Lima: We had a booked a free walking tour of Lima that brought us to the historical district. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end of tour. During the tour we visited churches and the government building. We even had the opportunity to watch the guards change in the government building.
2) Visit Larcomar: Larcomar is a outdoor mall in Miraflores that over looks the ocean. There are many shops and restaurants that will keep you entertained. Even if you're not interest in shopping, it is still worth stopping by for the views.
3) Explore Miraflores: Walk around Miraflores and visit Kennedy park.
4) Explore Barranco: Explore Barranco and admire the graffiti on the walls.
5) Go to the Magic Water Show: This is located in Parque de la Reserva which is about a 20 min drive from Miralores. The entrance to this park is affordable ( I can't remember how much it was but it shouldn't cost more than a few dollars per person) and it appears there are a lot of locals that visit as well. There are many vendors that are selling food and drinks in the park and outside of the park. The water light show was a phenomenal and entertaining for the night. A visit to the park is a must if you're in Lima!
6) Visit the Pachacamac Pyramids: This is a archaeological site located just outside of Lima, we had booked a tour with Haku Tours for this visit. It was a interesting tour but we had just came back from Cusco before attending this tour so we had visited many ruins and archaeological sites during our time there. I would recommend visiting the pyramids before going to Cusco in order for the experience to be more exciting.
There are other things that you can do in the city but I don't feel like you need more than 3 days in Lima. We had stayed a total of 5 days which we felt was a bit long. I don't recommend skipping this city though, it is still worth visiting.
Where to Eat
One of the things to do in Lima is trying the restaurants. The food scene in Lima is phenomenal, there are restaurants for all budgets. There are even some Michelin star restaurants which we did not visit. If you visit Lima, you have to try the food. Here are some of the restaurants that we had visited during our stay.
1) La Lucha Sangucheria: This was the first place we had eaten at during our stay at Lima. This sandwich chain is located all over Lima. The portions are generous, it's affordable and the food is tasty.
2) Delfino Mar: This restaurant has excellent seafood dishes, it is located in the Miraflores District. This is where we tried ceviche and pisco sours for the first time. Ceviche is raw fish that is cured in lemon, it usually comes with onions, corn and sweet potato. Pisco sour is a alcoholic drink that is popular in Peru. You must try ceviche and pisco sours when visiting Peru.
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| Pisco Sour |
 |
| Ceviche |
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| Baked Scallops |
4) Papacho's: If you are craving a burger, this is the place to be! The burgers, fries and milkshakes are delicious. This restaurant is actually located at Larcomar, so if you get hungry after shopping this is one of the many restaurants you can visit.
5) Isolina Taberna Peruana: This restaurant is located in Barranco and the food is delicious! All the portions for the dishes are huge so we just ordered one dish. We ordered the crispy pork ribs and we were stuffed at the end of the meal.
6) Chifa Chun Yion Union: Peruvian - Chinese fusion food is called Chifa, and is huge in Peru. There are Chifa restaurants all across the country, with various price ranges. If you are in Barranco, this restaurant is a great choice. The prices were affordable, portions were generous and the food was delicious. There isn't a English menu here so we had some difficulties ordering. However the manager was really nice, who spoke a bit of English and was able to help us order. We ordered fried rice and a various meats dish.
7) IceCookies - This was our favourite dessert place in Lima, this store is located in Miraflores. This store is known for its cookies and ice cream sandwiches. If this is up your alley, this is worth a stop and a great dessert for a hot day.
We also visited a few more restaurants but the ones I had mentioned are the outstanding ones. Lima has so many restaurants, you will never run out of options. The food scene is amazing, so make sure you bring your appetite.
Overall Thoughts
Lima is a great city with a amazing food scene. Most travellers skip Lima or just stay for a night during their trip to Peru. However I believe this city is worth staying for 2-3 days. Don't miss the capital during your travels to Peru.
If anyone has any questions regarding visiting Lima, leave a comment below.
Vivian
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