Things to Do in Lima
On this tour , we visit the most attractive and historic sites in Lima's historic center. Discover the city of kings with a passionate local guide who can provide a wealth of information on your visit to the city of ceviche and pisco sour.
- Points we will visit on the tour:
📍 Gran Hotel Bolívar (we will enter)
📍 San Martín Square (explanation)
📍 Jirón de la Unión (connects to the Plaza de Armas)
📍 O'Higgins House (optional)
📍 Church of La Merced (explanation and entrance)
📍We will visit the Plaza de Armas where we will observe and explain about: The cathedral, Archbishopric, Municipal Palace, Government Palace, etc.
📍 Post and Telegraph Office (explanation)
📍We will observe the changing of the guard (optional)
📍 House of Peruvian Literature (explanation)
📍 Church of Santo Domingo (We will observe the skull of Saint Rose of Lima, the skull of Saint Martin de Porres and the crypt of Saint John Macias).
📍 St. Francis of Assisi Church (explanation)
Finally, we'll have free tastings , where you can try different varieties of Peruvian Pisco and its many presentations. Pisco Sour classes are optional, so visitors will be asked if they'd like to try a tasting.
During the tour, you'll learn about Peruvian life. Your tour guide will explain typical dishes such as grilled chicken and its preparation, as well as Spanish churros. You'll also visit stalls (optional) where you can eat good, tasty, and cheap food, and you'll be encouraged to observe more—NO!—so you don't buy anything.
*** SUGGESTIONS ***
- If you're staying in Miraflores, we recommend leaving early, as traffic in Lima is very congested.
- Remember to bring water for your walk through the historic center.
- Bring water, a camera, and a desire to experience the city of Lima!
*** IMPORTANT ***
- The suggested payment at the end of the tour is between $10-20 per person depending on your satisfaction.
- We do NOT accept coins as payment, please appreciate the guide's work.
- WE DO NOT ACCEPT GROUP TIPS ; ALL TIPS ARE PER PERSON.
- Look for the RED LIMA AMERICA TOURS polo
- Please be at the meeting point 5 minutes before the tour begins. If you are not attending, please cancel in advance to avoid any misunderstandings.
This pleasant city tour begins at one of Lima's oldest churches. We'll visit La Merced Church , which stands out for its 17th-century Baroque façade.
Afterwards, we will walk along the traditional Jr. de la Unión.
We will visit the Plaza de Armas of Lima , an environment of tradition and history, the government palace, the cathedral, the ornamental fountain among others, then, we will be by the Santo Domingo church, later, we will be by the Chabuca Granda avenue , it is a place of artistic and cultural events, we will also be able to see some places on the side of the Rímac River,
Then we will be on our way to the train station ( today the House of Literature ), then we will visit the park of the wall to have a nice view of the San Cristobal hill and other places.
Finally, we will visit the San Francisco Museum and catacombs, inaugurated in the 17th century.
What places will we see?
-La Merced Church.
-The Tagle Tower Mansion.
-The Plaza de Armas of Lima.
-The Santo Domingo church.
-The Chabuca Granda avenue.
-The park "The wall"
-San Francisco Convent Museum and Catacombs.
Museum entrance fee: S/20 soles (optional)
Suggestions:
Wear comfortable clothing and shoes for walking.
Bring a hat or cap.
A bottle of water (optional)
Important:
Sometimes it takes an hour by taxi from Miraflores to the meeting point.
In case of not attending, please CANCEL the tour reservation.
Welcome to Lima!
Walking tour of the historic center of the city, get to know the best of Lima accompanied by a local guide. Be part of the best tour and spend a great day.
- ITINERARY
On our tour we will observe:
- San Martin Square
- Union Street
- La Merced Church
- Parade ground
- Government Palace
- Lima Cathedral
- Desamparados Station
2. MEETING POINTS
MIRAFLORES: June 7 Park
- Historic Center: Plaza San Martin
3. SCHEDULES
10:30 am MIRAFLORES
- 11:15 am Plaza San Martin
- 1:30 pm Plaza San Martin
- 3:00pm Martin Square
🏳️🌈🍉 Just when you thought you'd seen it all... until you walked with us.
If you've already done another food tour in Peru, give Lima, Cusco -and yourself- one more chance. Come with us and taste the difference.
Let's inmerse into the commercial, crowdy, chaotic, noisy and over-whelming and crazy streets around Central Market and China Town.
Try amazing peruvian street food that have been carefully selected. You will support local vendors, have lots of fun, and get to know the real Peru with our professionals tour guides, storytellers and real insiders.
We don’t take you to tourist traps - this is a genuine, authentic experience.
We will ask you for 40 soles aprox. per person for your snacks. Sometimes you will have your own dish, and sometimes you will have to share between all the group.
✨ ABOUT TIPS ✨
We recommend a minimum tip of 12 euros (50 soles) per person.
Why? Because we truly believe in offering the best experience possible, filled with passion, knowledge, and fun.
If you consider that your guide was super informative, out of the ordinary and fun, feel free to tip him/her according to your level of personal satisfaction.
1. Lima is a huge city, and our guides don't live at the touristic áreas (yet). They often travel from far away to do the tours.
2. Our guides don't have any salary. They work on tips.
3. 50% of the tip goes to the guide, and the other 50% is for the Company. We pay a comission per person to this platform (GuruWalk), and logistics expenses.
4. It takes 3 to 5 years of study to get a tour guide’s license in Peru (MINCETUR).
6. Unlike other companies, we don’t cancel tours or leave you behind if you're the only passenger. We’re committed to delivering a fantastic experience no matter the group size.
Too good to be true?
Take a look at our long and passionate reviews on GuruWalk!
Want to help your guide even more?
Write an honest review for them – it means a lot!
* If you are not coming to the tour, please cancel the reservation asap.
Thank you!
🏳️🌈🍉 You thought you'd seen it all... until you walked with us.
If you've already done another city tour, give Lima -and yourself- one more chance. Come with us and feel the difference.
Join us through Lima’s Historic Center and rediscover this complex city. This is not a simple city tour: it’s an invitation to deconstruct the official history, to look beyond monuments and colonial narratives, and to recognize how indigenous identity has resisted, evolved, and engaged with modernity. Through historical, literary, and geopolitical insights and uncomfortable questions, our professional licensed guides know that history is not only told — it’s also felt, questioned, and transformed. Because Lima doesn’t explain itself. It’s walked with questions, listened to with openness, and laughed at with good humor.
✨ ABOUT TIPS ✨ (PayPal friendly)
We recommend a minimum tip of 12 euros (50 soles) per person.
Why? Because we truly believe in offering the best experience possible, filled with passion, knowledge, and fun.
If you consider that your guide was super informative, out of the ordinary and fun, feel free to tip him/her according to your level of personal satisfaction.
1. Our tour guides work on tips, meaning they do not receive a fixed salary.
2. Lima is a large city, and we often travel from far away to reach the touristic areas.
3. 50% of the tip goes to the guide, and the other 50% supports the company for logistics and operations.
4. It takes 3 to 5 years of study to get a tour guide’s license in Peru (MINCETUR).
5. The company covers the GuruWalk platform commission and the logistics costs, which includes managing the tour operations.
6. Unlike other companies, we don’t cancel tours or leave you behind if you're the only passenger. We’re committed to delivering a fantastic experience no matter the group size.
We don’t work with massive groups.
We don’t include or promote commission-based shops.
This tour is not about current politics. For that, we offer a separate, more underground experience.
Too good to be true?
Take a look at our long and passionate reviews on GuruWalk!
Want to help your guide even more?
Write an honest review for them – it means a lot!
* We welcome all kinds of travelers. If you're a social media content creator or influencer, feel free to let us know in advance. We'd love to connect and maybe cook up something cool together.
* If you are not coming to the tour, please cancel the reservation asap.
Thank you!
On this tour of historic Lima, you'll travel to the capital's past before visiting the spectacular Magic Water Tour, a light, music, and fountains show.
Join us from Monday to Saturday to visit together the bohemian district of BARRANCO, the most artistic area of Lima.
Our tour guides are the people in charge to show you the history of this iconic neighborhood, its colorful streets and beautiful graffiti murals.
Book it right now!
- Place and dates
Our walking tour goes through the bohemian district of BARRANCO.
The tour takes place from Monday to Saturday at 4:00 p.m. and last 2 hours aprox.
- Meeting point:
MAIN MEETING POINTin Barranco.
The tour starts at Parque Municipal de Barranco (In front of the Library) at 4:00 p.m.
- Itinerary:
We will visit the next highlights:
- Parque Municipal de Barranco
- Oroya alley and murals
- Bajada de Baños street
- Puente de los Suspiros (Bridge of Sighs)
- Ermita de Barranco (First church in Barranco)
- San Martín bridge and murals
- Paul Harris boardwalk
- Includes:
- Qualified and official tour guides
- How to recognize your tour guide?
You will always recognize us wearing a LIGHT BLUE VEST with the map of Peru at the back and our brand LIMA BY WALKING.
- Extra recommendations
Wear hats, sunglasses and sunscreen
Carry money with you for any eventual situation
Follow your tour guide's advice
The best way to get to know Lima is by walking. You will love delving into its stories, legends, hidden passages , influential people, secrets and great mysteries . That is exactly what you will learn.
In Lima Centro you will find us in Plaza San Martin.
The tour begins by explaining the Plaza San Martin, then we will go along Jirón de la Unión where we will see important buildings such as La Iglesia la Merced, to finally arrive at the Plaza de Armas and see its main buildings. We will go to Boulevard Chabuca Granda, here we will find the most typical Peruvian desserts . We will continue through Parque de la Murralla, we will find a mini zoo , we will visit the Iglesia San Francisco (where the catacombs are located), we will cross one of the streets with the most beautiful architecture in Lima and finally we will end our tour at the Casa de la Literatura Peruana and the emblematic Bar Cordano.
If you do not agree with this, please do not book this tour.
The tour must have a minimum of 5 people.
Groups of more than 6 are NOT accepted.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CONDUCT THE TOUR IN CASE OF
DO NOT AGREE WITH THE INITIAL CONDITIONS.
#IMPORTANT
This is a free tour, like all walking tours around the world, the guides work independently, covering our own transportation and logistics (payment to the GurúWalk platform, among others). We will try to provide good company, so we hope to be well rewarded at the end of the tour. It is normal for guides to expect to receive between 60 and 100 soles per person, considering that these tours usually cost up to 70 USD per person.
We are waiting for you, we are sure you will enjoy it.
🏳️🌈🍉 When you thought you'd seen it all... until you walked with us.
If you've already done another art tour in Peru, give Peru -and yourself- one more chance. Come with us and experience the difference.
Explore the most iconic bohemian, romantic, and hipster neighborhood of Lima with the best professional tour guides, storytellers, and true insiders.
We believe this experience should be led by a chill or insane and free-spirited insider. Barranco is already an amazing and beautiful place, so your tour guide’s personality and performance must be as vibrant as Barranco itself.
What you’ll experience:
You will learn about the history and culture of Barranco, as well as the stories behind each mural we've carefully selected for you. Along the way, you'll also get to know some of the local muralists, musicians, writers, poets, and legends that make this neighborhood so unique.
We don’t take you to tourist traps - this is a genuine, authentic experience.
Too good to be true?
Take a look at our long and passionate reviews on GuruWalk!
✨ ABOUT TIPS ✨
Feel free to leave a fair contribution starting from 12 euros (50 soles) per person, according to your level of personal satisfaction.
We truly believe in offering the best experience possible, filled with passion, knowledge, innovation and fun.
1. Our tour guides work on tips, meaning they do not receive a fixed salary.
2. Lima is a large city, and we often travel from far away to reach the touristic areas.
3. 50% of the tip goes to the guide, and the other 50% supports the company for logistics and operations.
4. It takes 3 to 5 years of study to get a tour guide’s license in Peru (MINCETUR).
5. The company covers the GuruWalk platform commission and the logistics costs, which includes managing the tour operations.
6. Unlike other companies, we don’t cancel tours or leave you behind if you're the only passenger. We’re committed to delivering a fantastic experience no matter the group size.
Want to help your guide?
Write an honest review for them – it means a lot!
* If you are not coming to the tour, please cancel the reservation asap.
Why do we use "HQ"?
At Lima Insider, we use "HQ" as a seal of unique experiences crafted with passion, local knowledge, and quality. It’s not just a title: it’s our promise.
Thank you!
Free Tour Historic Center of Lima: History and Culture
At the agreed time, we will meet at the meeting point of your choice:
- Miraflores (Meeting Point – No Tour): 9:00 AM | 10:15 AM | 3:30 PM
- Lima Center (Start of Tour): 10:00 AM | 11:20 AM | 4:20 PM
If you are in Miraflores , our team will help you get around like a local using the Metropolitano, a fast and inexpensive bus (S/3.20 or $1) . However, this transport is often very crowded and may take longer than expected to board. If you prefer more comfort, you can go directly to the second meeting point in downtown Lima, where the tour will begin.
If you decide to take a taxi or private transportation, the approximate cost from Miraflores to the center is S/40 – S/50 ($12 – $15).
What will you discover on this tour?
We will start at Plaza San Martín, one of the most emblematic spaces in Lima, surrounded by majestic neoclassical buildings and presided over by the statue of the Liberator José de San Martín. From here, we will walk along Jirón de la Unión, a historic pedestrian street that connects Plaza San Martín with Plaza de Armas, full of shops, cafes and period architecture.
We will stop at the Church of La Merced, a beautiful baroque temple with an impressive main altar and a rich religious history. Upon reaching the Plaza de Armas in Lima, the heart of the historic center, we will be able to admire the imposing Cathedral of Lima, the Government Palace and the Municipal Palace, three of the most important buildings in the city.
In front of the Government Palace, the official residence of the President of Peru, you will have the opportunity to witness the traditional changing of the guard. We will visit the Cathedral of Lima, which houses the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, the founder of the city, and appreciate the elegant architecture of the Municipal Palace, the seat of the local government.
We will continue to the Church of Santo Domingo, where the remains of Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres, two of the most venerated saints in the country, rest. Then, we will cross the Puente de Piedra, a viewpoint overlooking the historic Rímac River, which was key in the planning of the city from its beginnings.
We will make a brief visit to the Casa de la Literatura Peruana, a cultural center located in an old train station, where exhibitions on Peruvian literature and identity are displayed. Finally, we will arrive at the Church of San Francisco and its Catacombs, one of the most impressive points of the tour, famous for its underground passages that house thousands of bone remains. Its colonial architecture and its historic library make it an essential stop.
Important: One day before the tour we will send you the name and contact of the guide via WhatsApp.
If you are unable to attend, please let us know in advance to avoid loss of time and money.
Immerse yourself in the history and culture of Lima as we walk through its streets full of tradition. We look forward to seeing you!
On this free night tour of Lima, we'll discover the wonders of the Peruvian capital by night. You'll enjoy lit monuments and the famous Magic Water Circuit!