Lima - Tour Highlights and Travel Tips
Holidays to Lima will introduce you to a captivating melting pot of peoples and traditions from around the world. Lima is the place to experience much of what Peru has to offer in microcosm. For those searching for culture, history, culinary adventures or simply a place to go out and party, a trip to Lima will have something for everyone. It is an exciting, alluring, often chaotic destination and an essential first stop on many Peruvian itineraries.
Tour Highlights
- Lima is the best place to sample Peruvian cuisine and you can find everything from simple street food to gourmet dishes prepared by celebrity chefs. Look out for ceviche (raw fish with citrus juice), lomo saltado (Chinese-influenced stir-fried beef) and anticuchos (skewers of barbecued meat, traditionally beef heart).
- Visit the city’s excellent museums including the Museo Larco with its collection of pre-Colombian erotic pottery, the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Antropología e Historia del Perú and the Museo de Arte Lima.
- Hunt down the Bridge of Sighs, one of Lima’s most famous landmarks.
- Check out the many splendid examples of colonial architecture.
- Search for bargains at the Mercado Central.
- Visit the catacombs beneath the Museo de la Iglesia y Convento San Francisco. Lima’s former subterranean cemeteries hold the remains of up to 70,000 individuals.
Travel Tips
- Travel like a local in shared minibuses known as combis. Flag one down and pay the conductor when you get on or off.
- Tipping is only expected in expensive restaurants – but if you feel the service is outstanding, a small tip is always appreciated.
- Lima is not especially dangerous but use common sense. Tourist areas are mostly safe but areas to avoid include San Juan de Lurigancho, Los Olivos, Comas, Vitarte and El Agustino, especially at night. Avoid flaunting expensive jewelry and above all, beware of pickpockets.
- Important festivals include the Carnaval in February and Fiesta de Santa Rosa held on on 30 August every year.
- Peru uses two types of electric plug, round-pronged ones like in Europe and flat-pronged ones; both run at 220 volts. Best to take an adapter.
This list is not exhaustive and there are many more things to do in Lima! If you’re still hunting for more things to do and places to explore in Peru , do check out our Peru Travel Guide for more information.