attractions · Lima
Skip the filler. These are the sights that make Lima worth the flight, ranked by what millions of travelers actually rate highest.
Pueblo Libre · $
An 18th-century viceregal mansion draped in bougainvillea holding 5,000 years of pre-Columbian gold, textiles, and the famous Moche erotic pottery gallery. Its open storage rooms display tens of thousands of ceramics floor to ceiling.
Insider tip: Book a garden table at the on-site Café del Museo for lunch; the museum stays open into the evening, when tour buses are gone.
Centro Histórico · $
The UNESCO-listed heart of the 'City of Kings', ringed by the Government Palace, the lemon-yellow Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies, and the cathedral holding Francisco Pizarro's tomb. Changing of the guard happens at the palace most middays.
Insider tip: Go in the morning, catch the guard ceremony around noon, and pair with San Francisco's catacombs two blocks away.
Centro Histórico · $
A saffron-coloured 17th-century monastery with a Moorish-ceilinged library of 25,000 antique books and catacombs stacked with the bones of an estimated 25,000 colonial Limeños. The geometric arrangements of femurs and skulls are unforgettable.
Insider tip: Entry is by guided tour only and they run frequently in English; the catacomb passages are tight if you are claustrophobic.
Miraflores · $
Ten kilometres of manicured clifftop paths above the Pacific, threading the mosaic-walled Parque del Amor, the paragliding launch lawn, and the Larcomar mall built into the cliff face. Sunset turns the whole esplanade gold.
Insider tip: Rent a bike or walk south toward Barranco in late afternoon; tandem paragliding flights leave from the Raimondi park lawn, no booking needed on clear days.
Miraflores · $
A 1,600-year-old adobe pyramid of the Lima culture rising surreally from the middle of Miraflores' apartment blocks. Night tours illuminate the hand-laid 'bookshelf' brickwork, and the on-site restaurant overlooks the ruins.
Insider tip: Take the evening illuminated tour, then dinner at Huaca Pucllana Restaurant facing the floodlit pyramid — book the restaurant ahead.
Barranco · $
Lima's seaside bohemian quarter of pastel casonas, street murals, and the wooden 'Bridge of Sighs' immortalized in Chabuca Granda's waltz. Galleries like MATE (Mario Testino's museum) and the Pedro de Osma Museum anchor the art scene.
Insider tip: Local lore: cross the bridge for the first time holding your breath and your wish is granted; come at golden hour and stay for dinner.
December–April
Peruvian Sol (PEN)
Spanish (Quechua and Aymara co-official)
How this list is made: we only feature places rated 4.5 stars or higher with 1,000+ reviews from real travelers. Ratings and review counts are approximate and move over time — always check current numbers before booking. Photos are sourced from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses (credits in each gallery).
Same city, more lists
Good to know
Three days is ideal: one for the historic centre and Museo Larco, one for Miraflores' malecón and a great cebichería lunch, and one for Barranco's galleries and a tasting-menu dinner. Many travellers treat Lima as a stopover to Cusco — give it at least two nights, mainly for the food.