South America · LIMA TOURS
Lima is where the trip starts and where the eating is best. These 15 cover the Miraflores cliffs, the colonial centre, the ceviche counters and the long day south to Paracas and Huacachina, priced and paced.
Explore Barranco with an English-speaking guide such as Marcos, Valeria, David, or Aura. Taste ceviche, lomo saltado, pisco sour, fruit, chocolate, coffee, ice cream, and more at small local businesses, with cooking demonstrations and stories about Peruvian food and culture.
“David was great and super kind and generous throughout. Would recommend to others.”
Explore Lima with an English-speaking guide, visiting Love Park, Huaca Pucllana, the Main Square, Lima Cathedral, and Santo Domingo Convent. The 3.5-hour tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, entrance fees, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Guides such as Janet, Gabriel, Rosa, and Ursula have been praised for clear explanations and patient service.
“Tour operator never showed up. When called on phone, I was told that the tour operator picked up a wrong person from the hotel. The tour operator should have examined the Viator ticket.”
Arrange a private ride between New Jorge Chávez International Airport and your Lima hotel. Your driver meets you with a sign bearing your name, or arrives five minutes early for an airport departure. Expect an air-conditioned car, free Wi-Fi, and a roughly one-hour trip. Clear pickup instructions matter, since meeting points have caused confusion for some passengers.
“Did not find him easily upon arrival. He did not speak any English. Not sure he knew our destination”
Spend three hours cycling or riding a Segway E-Scooter through Miraflores and Barranco with an English-speaking guide such as Diego or Kral. Visit Huaca Pucllana, Kennedy Park, the Park of Love, the Bridge of Sighs, and the Pacific coast. Your price includes water, a cafe stop, and tour photos and video.
“The bike tour was an amazing experience, and our guide Diego was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole journey unforgettable. I definitely recommend it.”
See Barranco’s Central Park, colonial homes, boulevard, and Bridge of Sighs before touring Pachacamac with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese guide. The 4-hour trip includes hotel pickup, site admission, the archaeological museum, and the Temple of the Sun’s ocean views. Expect some walking, uneven ground, and limited time at each stop.
“Interesting site and great guide. Be prepared for very bumpy ride but otherwise nice tour.”
Travel 30 km south of Lima in an air-conditioned minivan to Pachacamac, an ancient adobe pilgrimage center. A bilingual guide leads you through the site museum, Temple of the Sun, Acllahuasi, palace ruins, plazas, and coastal viewpoints. The 12-person limit keeps the visit personal, though the three-hour schedule can feel tight.
“Great tour. Very interesting history. Our guide Victor was friendly, informative and has excellent English skills.”
Visit Lima’s Magic Water Circuit with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, hotel pickup, and a small group of up to 12. Walk among illuminated fountains, learn their links to Peruvian culture, and watch the Fantasy Fountain show, where water becomes a screen for scenes of Peru and local music.
“Every thing was fantastic, Pamela our guide was very informative. Luckily we went on a weeknight and avoided the large crowds! Definitely worth doing if you have time”
Meet Condor Xtreme at the Costa Verde esplanade for a tandem flight over Magdalena del Mar, San Isidro, Miraflores, and San Miguel. Your pilot handles the flying while you take in Lima from above. The 15-minute flight includes safety equipment and an HD video, though weather and waiting times can affect the schedule.
“The flight was perfect. I would have rated it 4.5 for the following reasons: 1) It was a little misleading where they are located, much further than I thought. They do provide transportation from a KFC in Miraflores which we didn't use. 2) I didn't notice this was paramotoring. Not that I was disappointed, but none of us noticed this in the listing. 3) They break the video up in 2 and the break was right where we were going side to side and almost upside down (it felt) so I was disappointed to miss that). I would request they not do that. But overall it was a great time…”
Spend four hours walking Lima’s Historic Center with guides such as Marcos, Aura, Valeria, or Sheyla. Sample anticuchos, churros, picarones, tamales, chifa flavors, fruit, chilcanos, and more while visiting Mercado Central, Chinatown, Plaza Mayor, and colonial landmarks. Expect a generous food-focused outing, with plenty of history and some sweets.
“YUM! This tour was informative and really tasty. Shainy (sorry if I spelt it wrong) was fantastic and gave us interesting information about the culture and the history of the foods. Went away very full.”
Travel from Miraflores, Barranco, or San Isidro to Pachacamac with a private guide such as Jordan, Edwin, Diana, or Maria. Visit the site museum, walk among ancient pyramids, and reach the Temple of the Sun for Pacific views. The four-hour trip includes transport, entry, and alfajores.
“Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and showed us the sites in an efficient manner. I would highly recommend.”
QuickLlama takes you from Jorge Chávez International Airport to a hotel or home in central Miraflores in a shared, air-conditioned vehicle. The ride averages one hour and costs $5.95 per person. You get WiFi, GPS tracking, passenger insurance, and flight monitoring, but pickup instructions and vehicle quality can vary.
“The instructions to meet the van was poor, it was based on the old Airport, they forgot to update me that Lima opened up a new airport 3 weeks before my travel date. I showed the instructions to several people at the airport and nobody could help. I ended up taking a taxi to my hotel. The shuttle people offered me a ride back to the airport in exchange, but I was not flying out of the same city. This is not an airport shuttle, they do not operate from the airport, you would be stranded!”
Start at 5:00 pm for a three-hour Lima evening outing to Circuito Mágico del Agua. A bilingual English and Spanish guide leads you through colorful fountains, music, and light shows. Transport, park admission, and taxes are included. Groups are capped at 15, and the tour returns to its meeting point.
“Rubi was a wonderful guide so knowledgeable and great English. The water park is great fun and beautiful with lots to do for every age. Rubi bought a light dessert of local donut and honey. We enjoyed the night and Rubi's company”
Spend four hours exploring Lima with a private English or Spanish-speaking guide. Visit San Francisco Convent and its catacombs, stroll the illuminated Main Square, sample picarones or chicha morada, then watch the Magic Water Circuit’s fountains, lights, music, and images. Hotel pickup, transport, admissions, and bottled water are included.
“This tour was wonderful! We did not have a lot of time in Lima but we wanted to get in as much as we could. Luca, the tour guide, was wonderful. Kind, sincere, caring, extremely knowledgeable, and willing to entertain all our questions, take pictures for us, asked us our opinion, and made us feel welcome to his beautiful country and city. I would recommend this tour to anyone who has some time but not a lot. The driver was nice as well and they provided us with a clean van, water, and snacks.”
See Lima’s central squares, Jirón de la Unión, La Merced Church, Plaza de Armas, and San Francisco’s colonial catacombs in about 3 to 4 hours. Private transport and pickup are included, while the catacombs cost PEN40 extra. Guides such as Rodrigo, Vale, Mafer, Rubi, and Susana are praised for clear history and helpful local tips.
“My teenager and I very much enjoyed our tour with Rubi and Susana. Both guides were very engaging, super knowledgeable and very mindful of our safety and well-being. (It was a hot day, we always stopped in the shade for our history info.) Small group, well worth it as transportation in an air conditioned van was included with a savvy driver. And - we even got to try local treats!”
Start near Avenida Abancay at 1:20 pm and eat your way through central Lima with a certified guide. Try ceviche, anticuchos, picarones, chicharrón sandwiches, Chinese-Peruvian snacks, exotic fruit, and more, then visit San Francisco’s catacombs, Plaza de Armas, and Plaza San Martín. Guides such as Arturo, Yoced, and Joseph have led this experience.
“What an amazing trip orchestrated by our host, Yoced! He did such an incredible job highlighting all the best snacks, and I MEAN THE BEST SNACKS!!! Just when you didn’t think the next snack could top the last…IT DID!!! He gave such interesting history on the food, culture, and way of life, it was insane how much we actually learned! I would 1000% ask for Yoced to be your guide if you would like the BEST TOUR in all Lima! He went over and above, gave 110% and if the tour company he works for and Viator knew the wealth of knowledge he had they’d realize what an asset he…”
Pick a coastline, an altitude or a kitchen.
