One Day in Lima, Peru: Where to Go, What to See

If you’d like to make the most of a free day in Lima, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the ancient, colonial, and modern monuments of the city, hopefully taking in as much beauty, history and culture as possible. You can do this easily through a half-day tour which takes place twice a day, each morning and afternoon, or you can go the independent route.

Most pre-Columbian archaeological sites are located out of the city, but there’s a few which are located amidst Lima’s modern skyscrapers. The city simply built up around them. The easiest one to access is Huaca Pucllana, which is located in the most popular district for travelers to stay in, Miraflores. This site dates back to the IV century BC, and is still being completely unearthed. It’s an adobe pyramid which boasts nice views of the city.

If you visit Huaca Pucllana during its hours of operation, from 9am to 5pm, you can arrange a tour of the ruins and its site museum, which displays items unearthed at the site. You’ll even see archaeologists at work. If you can’t make it before 5pm, but are staying at a hostel in Miraflores, you can still walk by and enjoy seeing the pyramid artistically lit up with colored lights.

You’ll want to make time to explore the historic center of Lima, which is marked by colonial buildings with wooden, Moorish-style balconies. If you opt for a tour of the city, the guide will take you along the República, through Plaza San Martín, and to the main square, officially called the Plaza Mayor. The aim is to see the buildings considered the most beautiful and significant: Government Palace, the Archbishop’s Palace, the Basilica Cathedral, and the Municipal Palace. A special stop is made the Central Reserve Bank Museum, because it houses some of Peru’s greatest treasures, exhibiting a selection of per-Columbian relics made of gold, ceramic and textiles.

Another stop that one makes on a city tour of Lima, but that you should consider indispensable even if you are simply exploring independently, is San Francisco Monastery. This beautiful Spanish-baroque building houses the biggest collection of American religious art, has an amazing library of ancient texts, and a beautiful tiled and arched patio called the Claustro Principa. What you are most likely to remember from a visit to San Francisco Monastery, however, are the catacombs underneath it, which you’ll be able to enter. For centuries, it served as Lima’s only cemetery. Many of the skulls and bones have been arranged in decorative patterns.

Finally, make time to see the cosmopolitan side of the city by stopping in modern Miraflores. The Malecón Verde, a walkway along the green seaside cliffs, provides wonderful views overlooking the ocean. The walkway is punctuated with parks, the most popular of which is Love Park, whose sinuously curved low walls and benches were obviously inspired by Gaudi. You can see its giant statue of two lovers kissing from quite far away! Close by, Larco Mar, one of Lima’s modern, luxury shopping malls is built into the cliffs themselves and is a popular stop for visitors.

Another of the modern districts of Lima is San Isidro, which is mostly a business center with plenty of glass high-rises. This may not sound like an interesting sight, but there is one unexpected attraction here: an olive grove and park which dates back to the colonial period, El Olivar. It’s an oasis of greenery and calm that’s so beautiful that it’s common to see brides posing among the more than 1,500 olive trees. These trees are centuries-old, so thank goodness they were spared by the surrounding urban development. The park also has a fountain and a small lake. If you go on a Lima city tour, the guide will explain the history of the park to you, while if you go independently, we recommend a nice picnic!