Lima Holidays
Lima
Holidays
South America's food capital — world-class restaurants, colonial history and Pacific Ocean clifftops
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Flight Time
12–14h from London
Best Time
December to April (summer — warmest and sunniest)
Country
Peru
Suppliers
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Lima Holiday Guide
Lima is South America's food capital and one of the most underrated cities on the continent. The gateway to Peru for most visitors, Lima deserves at least 2-3 nights in its own right — the food scene alone could occupy a week.
Miraflores is the best base for tourists — safe, walkable, with excellent restaurants, the Larcomar shopping centre on the clifftops and easy access to Barranco and the historic centre. Barranco (15 minutes from Miraflores by taxi) is the most charming neighbourhood — bohemian, colourful and with the best nightlife in the city.
The Larco Museum is the finest pre-Columbian collection in the world and should not be missed. The Lima Historic Centre (Plaza Mayor, San Francisco Monastery catacombs) is best visited on a guided tour. Huaca Pucllana — a 1,500-year-old pyramid in the middle of Miraflores — is extraordinary.
Lima's weather is unusual — the city sits in a coastal desert and is covered by a low cloud (garúa) for much of the year. The summer (December to April) is the warmest and sunniest period. The winter (June to September) is cool and grey but the city is still very much worth visiting.
We search across Travelpack, Emirates Holidays and JTA Holidays for the best Peru holiday deals including Lima city breaks.
Popular Areas in Lima
Average Temperatures
Jan
23°C
Feb
24°C
Mar
23°C
Apr
21°C
May
18°C
Jun
16°C
Jul
15°C
Aug
15°C
Sep
16°C
Oct
17°C
Nov
19°C
Dec
21°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Lima
The world-class restaurants, colonial history, clifftop views and extraordinary pre-Columbian treasures that make Lima one of South America's most rewarding cities.
Lima — South America's Food Capital
Lima is the food capital of South America and one of the world's great culinary cities — home to Central (ranked No.1 in the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023), Maido (consistently in the top 10), Astrid y Gaston and dozens of other world-class restaurants. The Novo Andino cuisine movement combines traditional Andean and Amazonian ingredients with modern techniques. Ceviche (raw fish cured in lime juice with chilli and red onion) was invented in Lima and is the national dish of Peru.
Miraflores — Clifftops & Larcomar
Miraflores is Lima's most affluent and tourist-friendly neighbourhood — a clifftop district overlooking the Pacific Ocean with the Malecón promenade (a 4km clifftop walkway with extraordinary ocean views), the Larcomar shopping centre (built into the cliffs with restaurants, bars and a cinema), the Parque del Amor (with the famous mosaic sculpture 'El Beso') and the best concentration of restaurants and hotels in Lima.
Barranco — Lima's Bohemian Quarter
Barranco is Lima's most charming and bohemian neighbourhood — a hillside district of colourful Victorian mansions, street art, independent galleries, craft beer bars and the best nightlife in Lima. The Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs) is the most photographed spot in Barranco. The neighbourhood has excellent restaurants (La Picantería, Isolina, El Cacaotal) and is home to the MATE museum dedicated to photographer Mario Testino.
Lima Historic Centre — UNESCO World Heritage
Lima's historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the Plaza Mayor (with the Government Palace, the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace), the Monastery of San Francisco (with its extraordinary catacombs containing the bones of 25,000 people), the Convento de Santo Domingo and the Palacio Torre Tagle (the finest example of colonial architecture in Lima). The historic centre is best visited on a guided tour.
Larco Museum — Pre-Columbian Gold & Erotic Pottery
The Larco Museum in the Pueblo Libre neighbourhood is the finest collection of pre-Columbian art in the world — 45,000 artefacts spanning 5,000 years of Peruvian history, including extraordinary gold and silver jewellery, ceramics, textiles and the famous 'erotic gallery' of Moche ceramics. The museum is housed in an 18th-century colonial mansion with beautiful gardens. One of the best museums in South America.
Huaca Pucllana — Pyramid in the City
Huaca Pucllana is an extraordinary sight — a 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid rising 22m in the middle of the Miraflores neighbourhood, surrounded by modern apartment blocks. Built by the Lima culture between 200 and 700 AD, the pyramid was a ceremonial and administrative centre. Guided tours run daily (including evening tours by torchlight). The on-site restaurant is one of the best in Lima, with views of the illuminated pyramid.
Ceviche — Lima's National Dish
Ceviche is the national dish of Peru and Lima is the best place in the world to eat it — raw fish (usually sea bass or flounder) cured in lime juice with ají amarillo chilli, red onion, coriander and salt, served with choclo (giant corn), sweet potato and cancha (toasted corn). The best cevicherías in Lima are La Mar (Miraflores), El Mercado (Miraflores) and Chez Wong (La Victoria). Leche de tigre (tiger's milk — the curing liquid) is the best hangover cure in Peru.
Lima Nightlife & Pisco
Lima has the best nightlife in South America — the Barranco neighbourhood has the most concentrated bar scene, with craft beer bars, pisco sour bars and live music venues. The pisco sour (pisco brandy, lime juice, egg white, sugar syrup and Angostura bitters) is the national cocktail of Peru and was invented in Lima. The Peruvian craft beer scene has exploded in recent years — Barranco Beer Company and Nuevo Mundo are the best local breweries.
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Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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