Lima, Peru Travel Guide: Efficient Itineraries, Top Food Spots, Neighborhoods, and Packing Tips
I recently spent 2.5 weeks in Lima doing remote work while exploring and eating my way through the Peruvian capital. Since I had a limited number of free days, I planned efficient full-day itineraries across Miraflores, the Historic Center, Barranco, and the museums that interested me most. And because Lima is one of the world’s top food cities, I made eating a priority and tried a range of foods from hole-in-the-wall locals to renowned restaurants.
In this guide, you’ll find neighborhood snapshots, overviews of my complete itineraries, practical tips for navigating the city, what to pack for each season, and the standout spots where I tried my favorite Peruvian classics.
Neighborhood Guide
Here’s my quick guide to four of the most popular neighborhoods in Lima, and ones that I’d recommend checking out especially if it’s your first time in the city. During my trip, I spent time in each of these neighborhoods and got a sense of its level of safety (as a female traveler), walkability, food scene, noise, and also runner-friendliness since I like to keep up my running routine while traveling.
Map of Lima with the four districts marked.
🌊 Miraflores: Culture, food, and cliffside views
Miraflores is one of Lima’s most popular districts for tourists, and for good reason: it’s dense, lively, and walkable, with a concentration of some of the city’s best cultural sites, attractions, and food spots. Its southern border contains the Malecón de Miraflores – a giant cliffside park for epic ocean views, running and walking, people watching, and adventure sports. Miraflores is also home to archaeological sites like Huaca Pucllana, vibrant food markets, and modern shopping areas.
My subjective ratings as a female traveler
Safety: Excellent – Felt comfortable day and night; lots of people around.
Walkability: Excellent – Everything is compact and pedestrian-friendly.
Food scene: Excellent – A huge concentration of restaurants, cafes, and bars.
Noise: Moderate — Depends on the block. There are some areas with more restaurants and bars and music, and some areas that are quieter.
Runner-friendliness: Excellent – Access to the cliffside park.
🎨 Barranco: Murals and bohemian scene
Barranco is Lima’s bohemian, artsy district with a laid-back and characteristic vibe. Perhaps its most prominent features are its streets of vibrant buildings and colorful murals, lined with indie boutiques and galleries. Its Bajada de Baños – a narrow ravine that gently slopes down to the ocean – is full of street art and wooden houses that serve as cafes and galleries. And, as Barranco borders the ocean, its cliffside also has a peaceful park for meandering.
My subjective ratings as a female traveler
Safety: Good – Generally safe during the day; at night it’s still lively, but some quieter side streets can feel less secure.
Walkability: Excellent – Compact and flat.
Food scene: Excellent – Trendy cafés, restaurants, and bars cluster closely.
Noise: High – Barranco has a strong nightlife scene with music and crowd near central streets.
Runner-friendliness: Good – Easy access to the malecón, but fewer long continuous paths compared to Miraflores.
Murals along Bajada de Baños in Barranco.
🏛️ Historic Center: Architecture and colonial history
During the Spanish colonial era, Lima was effectively the capital of the Spanish empire in South America. It’s no surprise then, that Lima’s historic center has one of South America’s most extensive concentration of colonial and neoclassical architecture, plazas, churches, and cultural sites. The district is a bit farther from the other ones here, but it’s totally worth a visit.
My subjective ratings as a female traveler
Safety: Fair – Busy and perfectly fine during the day; evenings can feel less secure, especially on the edges of the historic core.
Walkability: Good – Flat and dense, but sidewalks can be crowded and traffic can be heavy around main streets.
Food scene: Moderate – Overall fewer trendy or modern options compared to Miraflores/Barranco.
Noise: High – Constant movement, honking, street vendors, and crowds around major squares.
Runner-friendliness: Low – Not ideal for running due to traffic, density, and limited park space.
Plaza de Armas, the main square in the Historic Center.
🌳 San Isidro: Peaceful and upscale residential
Bordering Miraflores, San Isidro is Lima’s polished, upscale district. It’s quiet, residential, safe, and less touristy than Miraflores or Barranco. Overall, the district is full of leafy streets, peaceful vibes, fine-dining restaurants, and beautiful green spaces like El Olivar. It also provides easy access to both the business district and the coastline.
My subjective ratings as a female traveler
Safety: Excellent – One of Lima’s safest and most polished districts; quiet residential streets feel very secure.
Walkability: Good – Beautiful, clean sidewalks and parks, though sites and restaurants are more spread out than in Miraflores/Barranco.
Food scene: Very Good – More focused on upscale restaurants and business-district cafés.
Noise: Low – Mostly residential and business-focused; evenings are calm.
Runner-friendliness: Excellent – Green spaces like El Olivar, wide streets, and easy access to the ocean cliff parks from some areas.
Where to Stay and Sample Itineraries
🛏️ Where to stay
Choosing the right base in Lima makes a huge difference in how efficiently you can explore the city:
For first time travelers or anyone visiting for a week or less, I’d recommend basing yourself in Miraflores. It’s central, safe, walkable, and packed with restaurants, cafés, markets, and access to the malecón.
If you have more than a week, or simply want a deeper feel for the city, consider splitting your stay between Miraflores and another district depending on your goals and tastes. Both Barranco and San Isidro are great alternatives: they’re safe, central, and offer completely different atmospheres. During my 2.5-week stay, I spent the first half in San Isidro and the second half in Miraflores, which gave me the chance to explore more local neighborhoods (like nearby Lince) and enjoy quieter residential streets.
Weekend art fair at Parque Kennedy, the central park and gathering spot in Miraflores.
🗺️ Sample itineraries
Once you know where you’ll base yourself, use the itineraries below as plug-and-play full-day plans. These are routes that I personally designed and followed, and that I’d recommend for a first visit to Lima. They’re efficient, walkable days that give you a highlight of the food, cultural sites, and the unique vibe of the districts. If you’ve already been to Lima, they’re still great foundations you can adapt to your interests.
My Miraflores itinerary: A walking tour to eat ceviche, play with cats at Parque Kennedy, drink Peruvian coffee, explore artisan markets, and take in the cliffside park.
My Barranco itinerary: A coastal and cultural walk that takes you from colorful streets and street art, down the cliffside to Barranco beach, and ends at a quiet park for sunset views.
My Historic Center itinerary: A full day exploring Lima’s colonial heart—Plaza San Martín, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral of Lima, the Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs, and other architectural highlights.
My San Isidro itinerary: I don’t have a full post on this since this day consisted of visiting two museums: Museo de Sitio Pucllana, an archaeological site on the ruins of a pre-Inca pyramid, and the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion (Lugar de la Memoria), dedicated to the Peruvian internal conflict of the 1980s and 1990s. I also took a long walk to get from Pucllana to Lugar de la Memoria, through the beautiful residential streets of San Isidro. Lugar de la Memoria is also situated right on the cliffside and opens up to the view of the ocean.
Museo de Sitio Pucllana, the ruins of a pre-Inca pyramid from the Lima culture.
Food
As I said in my intro, I tried a lot of food from various locals in my 2.5 weeks in Lima. I thought the best way to present my findings would be to pull out the places where I personally had the best version of each classic Peruvian dish. And I also include some general tips to Lima restaurants below, as well as some notes for Panchita and Punto Azul, two restaurants that I recommend.
🍽️ General tips for eating in Lima
Eat ceviche only for lunch, as early as possible: in Lima, the best places will only serve ceviche for lunch since fresh fish comes in the mornings. I basically realized that the reason I didn’t like fish ceviche in the past while I had it in other countries like in the US was because they did not consistently use fresh fish, and fresh fish is all they use for any reputable cevicheria in Lima. And boy all boy, it revolutionized the way I see ceviche.
You don’t really need cash to eat, as most restaurants and locals take credit cards. But street stands tend to take cash, so if you plan to stop by street stands to try anticuchos (Peruvian meat kebabs) or picarones (Peruvian donuts), plan to have some cash on hand.
⭐ Recommended restaurants for each dish / cuisine
Lomo saltado and a sampler platter (La Jarana Limeña), both absolutely amazing.
Fish ceviche at restaurant Barceloneta, in San Isidro.
Overall traditional Peruvian
Panchita ($$–$$$) — Miraflores
Overall seafood
Punto Azul ($$) — Miraflores
Ceviche
Punto Azul ($$) — Miraflores
Barceloneta ($) — San Isidro
Aji de gallina
Panchita ($$–$$$) — Miraflores
Lomo saltado
Panchita ($$–$$$) — Miraflores
Doomo Saltado ($$) — Multiple locations
Pollo a la brasa (rotisserie chicken)
Primos ($–$$) — Multiple locations
Sánguches (Peruvian sandwiches)
La Lucha Sanguchería ($) — Multiple locations
Pavos y Chicharro New Santa Monica ($) — Lince (near San Isidro)
Peruvian soups (e.g., sopa criolla, chicken soup)
Siete Sopas ($–$$) — Miraflores
Chicha morada (purple-corn drink)
Panchita ($$–$$$) — Miraflores
Some notes:
Panchita is known for its generous portions of traditional “criolla” (Creole) and comfort food. Make a reservation as early as possible – Panchita is extremely popular and reservations fill out. If you go without reservation, waits could be over an hour.
Punto Azul is a very popular spot for ceviche, and honestly no question the best ceviche I had in Lima (and I had a lot). They don’t take reservations, so try to get there as early as possible (it opens at 11AM) to beat the lunch rush. The restaurant has a few locations, but I would recommend the original one in Miraflores. For a longer review of this restaurant, find it in my Miraflores itinerary!
Doomo Saltado, Primos, and La Lucha Saguchería are all chain restaurants that focus on their specific dishes of lomo saltado, pollo a la brasa, and saguches. We also tried those dishes at various other places, and found that generally, those places do it well for the convenience. However, for sanguches, I also listed above this very local spot in Lince (neighborhood north of San Isidro) with a chincharrón sandwich (fried pork belly) that actually blew our minds. So if you happen to be around there, definitely do check it out.
Packing Guide
Lima’s climate is actually a coastal desert (it’s one of the largest desert cities in the world)! With less than 3 inches of rain a year, you really don’t have to prepare for rain. However, Lima does get pretty misty and foggy during the colder months.
🌞 Summer (December–February)
Typical temperatures: 75–81°F (24–27°C) highs / 65–68°F (18–20°C) lows
Weather: Warm, sunny, often clear skies; can be humid.
What to pack:
Lightweight dresses or tops
Shorts
Breathable fabrics (linen, cotton, athletic synthetics)
Sandals or sneakers
Sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen)
🍂 Fall (March–May)
Typical temperatures: 72–80°F (22–27°C) highs / 62–68°F (16–20°C) lows
Weather: Mild days with cooler, breezy evenings.
What to pack:
Light layers
Long airy pants
A medium-weight jacket for evenings
🌫️ Winter (June–August)
Typical temperatures: 66–68°F (19–20°C) highs / 59–61°F (15–16°C) lows
Weather: Cool, cloudy, foggy, and misty. Lima winter = garúa, the coastal fog.
What to pack:
Long sleeves or sweaters
Long pants
A light puffer or insulated jacket
Comfortable closed-toe shoes (it can feel damp)
🌤️ Spring (September–November)
Typical temperatures: 66–71°F (19–22°C) highs / 58–62°F (15–17°C) lows
Weather: Cool mornings, mild afternoons, coastal fog.
What to pack:
Short or long sleeves
A windbreaker or light jacket
A light scarf if you get cold easily
Besides clothing, also remember to bring
Travel adaptor for charging electronics: The most common outlet type in Peru is Type A (same as the US), though Type C outlets (same as Europe) are common too.
Toiletries like soap and shampoo: It’s not uncommon for Airbnbs to not provide toiletries in Latin America, including in Lima. So double check your listing for whether those things are listed as amenities so you can plan accordingly.
The garúa, the coastal fog, envelops the Malecón de Miraflores, the cliffside park.
General Tips
Housing: Watch out for Airbnbs with a bunch of house rules – apparently they’re commonplace in Lima, and they could hide a bunch of rules hidden in the booking, then charge you for breaking them (see some anecdotes here). My partner and I actually got scammed by an Airbnb in Lima and had to find last-minute lodging the day before we arrived (for more juicy details and for some tips to protect yourself, check out my post on tips I’ve learned through years of staying in Airbnbs).
Transportation: I would recommend walking within neighborhoods and Ubering between them (including to and from the airport). The popular neighborhoods like Miraflores, Barranco, and the Historic Center are all dense and extremely walkable. And Uber is easy to get, safe, and affordable: (in August 2025), my 50-minute ride from the airport to my hotel in San Isidro was 56 soles (~$16), and my 20-minute ride from Miraflores to the Historic Center was 20 soles (~$6).
Pharmacies: In Peru, you have to go to dedicated pharmacies to be able to buy medicine like painkillers, allergy meds, etc (grocery stores or convenience stores don’t sell them). Inkafarma and Mifarma are the two largest pharmacy chains and should have locations if you’re staying in popular areas like Miraflores.
Groceries and convenience: Oxxo is a convenience store chain that you’ll find everywhere, and it’s generally well-priced for quick stops for snacks and necessities. Some locations are open 24/7. For groceries, the big chains are Plaza Vea, Tottus, and Metro, though I did enjoy browsing Vivanda in Miraflores, a 24/7 grocery store that is a bit more luxury.
Walkway along Avenida Arequina in Miraflores. I appreciated these pedestrian islands in the middle of busy avenues in the district.
Next: Explore My Lima Itineraries
Miraflores itinerary: A walking tour to eat ceviche, play with cats at Parque Kennedy, drink Peruvian coffee, explore artisan markets, and take in the cliffside park.
Barranco itinerary: A coastal and cultural walk that takes you from colorful streets and street art, down the cliffside to Barranco beach, and ends at a quiet park for sunset views.
Historic Center itinerary: A full day exploring Lima’s colonial heart—Plaza San Martín, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral of Lima, the Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs, and other architectural highlights.
