The perfect one day in Lima Peru itinerary, With a population of almost 11 million people Lima, the capital of Peru, is the second-largest city in the Americas. There are endless things while you spend your day in Lima. Explore the bright, vibrant city of Lima for one day during your visit to Peru.
The city is also home to the largest airport in Peru, serving as a stopover for those traveling to Machu Picchu or inland other towns throughout the country. I recommend including at least one day or two in Lima during your visit to this incredible country.
The Perfect One Day Lima Peru Itinerary
This one day guide to Lima will provide you all you need to know, including where to eat, where to stay, and the best attractions for your adventure!
How to Get to Lima
Lima has one major airport, Jorge Chavez International Airport. It was bustling at 9:30 p.m. like you would expect to see at 7:00 a.m. back in the states, so expect to spend some time after that landing. When we arrived in Peru- it was late, it was dark, and we’d been traveling for over 14 hours. Fortunately for me, I had slept the entire flight like I do most flights, so I was awake and ready to take on this new city!
When we landed in Lima, the airport was PACKED despite the late arrival. We navigated our way through the mass (it was more like a sea of sweaty humans) to find a cab. Cab drivers approached us as several men screaming TAXI saw us leave baggage claim. My travel partner spoke about three words of Spanish– but he resembles someone of Latin American descent. so when I responded in broken but decent Spanish, they answered me in Spanish, but it was directed at Logan as they completely ignored me, despite his attempt at “no hablo Espanol.”
The whole interaction was frustrating and humorous at the same time. Eventually, we “bargained a deal” (we got hosed), and we were loading our backpacks into the cab to check-in at our Airbnb in Miraflores (along with a Swedish backpacker hitching a taxi with us).
Ground Transportation
You can either take a taxi or rent a car from the airport. If you are planning on road-tripping, I would recommend renting a car. We had one day in Lima, so we decided to take a taxi to and from the airport for our Cusco flight. To get around the city, we mostly walked but used the occasional Uber or Lyft for longer distances.
Take it from a couple of travelers that learned the hard way- DO NOT pay more than 50 soles for a cab from the airport; I’m not even going to tell you how much we paid because it will just upset me. Thank goodness we had an incredible Airbnb waiting for us to do some cheering up 🙂
Where to Stay in Lima
There are several neighborhood options for you to stay. We chose to stay in the popular Miraflores neighborhood, located along the ocean shoreline. The area is about a 45-minute drive from the airport and offers beautiful parks and vistas to walk around. There are also plenty of cafes, museums, restaurants, and shopping areas.
Where to Eat in Lima
Pan de la Chola
Starting my morning with coffee is a must, so the first stop of the day is almost always somewhere with coffee. This adorable shop was a perfect first stop to fuel up for the day. From tasty treats to savory sandwiches, Miraflore’s best panaderia did not disappoint.
Get anything with avocado- you can’t go wrong. I’m pretty sure the avocados in Peru are all magical. The sandwich slices of bread are baked from locally grown grains like kiwicha and my personal favorite- quinoa! I had this sugary, soft croissant pastry and a Peruvian latte (I also sampled off my friend’s plates). Everything I had was delicious.
Amoramar
Barranco was my favorite district for many reasons, and the food was just one of them. Amoramar has an outdoor bar and dining area with a mix of Peruvian and Mediterranean dishes (yes, they have Ceviche and pisco sours).
Dine like royalty, for an affordable price. It’s a little on the fancier side, so I wouldn’t recommend showing up in your yoga pants (even though you’ll eat so much you’ll wish you had). We went family style- and just ordered a ton of random dishes to pass around the table so everyone could try a little bit of everything. In the order in which we ate them, check out all the deliciousness we ate.
Things to do in Lima Peru
El Malecon
This six-mile stretch of parks winds you along the coastline with breathtaking views the entire way. The parks are so pretty, and the fitness vibes of the city are abundant along here, including paved running and biking paths surrounded by beautiful flower gardens and built-in workout equipment.
As we passed through the Parque del Amor, I’m unsure what I liked more, the colorful mosaic walls or the romantic love quotes they were covered in. Locals were in the park working out, walking their dogs, or just enjoying the day. There was even a local soccer game we stopped to watch as we made our way to the lighthouse.
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
The Lima Contemporary Art Museum is worth a visit if you have some extra time. The museum has a handful of exhibits by local artists, and we were able to see them all within less than 2 hours. The art gallery is located in the Palacio de la Exposición and includes ceramics, textiles, and immersive exhibits above. The museum is operated by a private organization, supported by admission fees, contributions from members, and private donations.
Above Angle 1
Same Art Piece – Different Angles
Below Angle 2
Catch a Coastline Sunset
After you wrap up your day in Lima, you can walk down to the water to watch the sunset. There’s no wrong spot along the coast to manage the day to come to an end.
Day Trips From Lima
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