Where to stay and How to get around in Lima
Our experience
We stayed in Lima 3 days. We had our son fly there to meet us in the airport. The temple was closed for cleaning, so we spent the first day on a taxi tour of the Central District, seeing a couple of museums, and a cathedral. The second day we walked around the Miraflores district, did some shopping, visited some parks, the cliffs over the beach, and the chocolate museum. The 3rd day we got on a plane and headed to Cusco.
Transportation
I used Taxidatum to prebook my taxi. Leonardo emailed back and for with me as the dates and times of my flights changed. He spoke English and was very helpful. It was nice to know that someone would be waiting when we arrived. We paid $20 from the airport to the hotel, $15 per hour to take us around to different museums. You could also use Taxi Green once you arrive for about the same price. They have a counter in the airport. If I were to do it again, I might prebook the airport taxi, but have my son hail taxis for the rest of our stay in Lima.
taxidatum Taxi GreenHotel
I would suggest staying in the Miraflores district. It’s the nicest part of Lima, and is the safest area to walk around to shopping, parks and restaurants.
Hotel RecommendationsWeather
Lima is overcast much of the year because of it's location on the coast. Lima doesn't receive much rain, but it is gray and cooler during the winter, May to December. High temperatures fall between 65 and 75 degrees F during the winter, with lows in the 50s. During the summer months, January to April, you can expect morning fog, but sunny afternoons. Highs are in the 80s F, and lows are in the 60s F. We went in August, and it was overcast, but we didn't need a jacket at all. Short sleeves were perfect.
Things to see in Lima by District
Lima is the largest city in Peru. It consists of 43 districts, though you will likely only visit a few. I am grouping my comments by district because it will save you time and cab fares to visit the attractions that are close together on the same day.
La Molina District
LDS Temple
A trip to the Lima Temple is a great way to spend time in Lima. The temple is a 30-60 minute taxi ride from Miraflores, depending on traffic, and will cost about S/.30 (soles) There are some shops across the street that have cool scripture covers that you can purchase.
LDS Lima Temple
Lima (central) District
Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas is the oldest public place in Lima. It is an open plaza ringed with beautiful historical buildings including the Presidential Palace, where you can see the changing of the guard at noon (get there early), and the Cathedral of Lima. There are many buildings with beautiful colonial architecture, including churches, shops and restaurants.
Cathedral of Lima
The Cathedral of Lima is a gorgeous Catholic church with beautiful ceiling, stained glass windows, ornate woodwork, and cool catacombs. It’s located at the Plaza de Armas. There is a charge at the entrance, and you can choose to take a tour or wander around yourself. You can get a discounted rate if you pay for both the Cathedral (on the right) and the Bishop's Mansion next door (on the left). Both are beautiful, but Cathedral is the one to see.
Museo Larco
Museo Larco is set in a beautiful garden. The exhibits are cool, and cover the history of the Peruvian people across the ages. Avoid the section with erotic pottery. It’s in a separate section down in the lower part of the garden, so it’s easy to avoid. Don’t miss the section where they keep all the items that aren’t on display. There are floor to ceiling cabinets stuffed with cool pottery.
Museo LarcoParque de la Reservas
The Parque de la Reservas is a must see in the evening. It’s a beautiful park full of trees, pools and fountains. There are 13 lighted fountains that display light shows nightly called the Magic Water Circuit.
Parque de le Reservas
Miraflores District
Miraflores district is a tourist district with many restaurants, hotels and shops. We didn't use a taxi to visit any of the places in Miraflores. We simply walked to them from our hotel.
Huaca Pucllana
Huaca Pucllana is an ancient ruin from before the Incas. It is a huge structure built in layers of millions of clay bricks right in the middle of a modern section of the city . You are required to take the guided tour, which was a little boring, but the ruin was cool to see. There is a nice restaurant there on the grounds. We didn’t eat there, but it gets good reviews. This was about a 20 minute walk from our hotel. We printed out instructions from google maps before our vacation. This archaeological site is closed on Tuesdays and has an early closing time. Check for prices and schedule before going.
Huaca PucllanaLarcomar
Larcomar is a shopping mall built on a cliff overlooking the ocean. We walked around and browsed, and ate lunch in the food court. Then we walked along the boardwalk at the top of the cliff. It has beautiful views of the beach below.
LarcomarKennedy Park
Kennedy Park is a small park filled with dozens of cats. The cats are strays, but the city feeds them. The night we were there, they had street vendors selling souvenirs. There are nearby restaurants and shops as well. There is no entrance fee for this park.
City Bus Tour
At Larcomar you can book a city bus tour that will take you on a tour around the different parts of the city. This is a good way to get a feel for all of Lima, and is enjoyable.
Choco Museo
At Choco Museo You can take a small tour of how chocolate is made for free, or pay about $30 to make your own chocolate from beans to bar. You can sample an “herbal” tea made from cocoa shells. I think I liked this tour better than my son and husband.
Choco MuseoShopping
Miraflores is full of fun tourist shops. Wander the streets and see what treasures you can find.