Peru's capital and its largest city, Lima dates back to 1535 when it was founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. Owing to its prominent colonial history, it is home to a good selection of old churches, cloisters and monasteries for visitors' enjoyment. Lima is one of the world's most populous cities, home to almost 8 million inhabitants.
As you'd expect from a city on the edge of a desert, rain is rare, strangely however it is usually grey and cloudy thanks to the Humboldt current. Expect it to be warm and dry, between 20 °C in winter (June to September) and 28 °C in summer (January to April). Nights are between 14 °C in winter and 20 °C in summer.
Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) is located about 11 kilometres from downtown Lima, in Callao. It's about 17 kilometres to Miraflores and it's the busiest airport in Peru and one of the busiest in South America.
Some of the main destinations with connections from Lima include Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Madrid, Toronto, Miami, Bogota, Houston, New York, Panama City, Atlanta, Amsterdam, San José, Los Angeles, Santiago, Caracas, Cuzco, Guayaquil, La Paz, Quito, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Sao Paulo, Havana, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, San Salvador and Santo Domingo.
Remember for departing international flights there is a departure tax of US$30 that has to be paid in cash, dollars or sols. Most international carriers prepay this fee but you won't find this out till you check in. For domestic flights there is a much smaller departure tax. If on an international flight make sure to arrive to the airport at least 2 hours before you flight because the exit procedure can take an extremely long time, especially if you are on one of the countless flights that leave around midnight everyday. For domestic flights 1.5 hours should be fine and the procedure is very quick.
Transport to and from the airport is available by bus, van or taxi, it takes about 20 minutes from Miraflores to reach the airport by taxi. Lima is also the hub for domestic air travel in Peru and flights from here will take you to every major city in Peru.
The roads around Lima are good, but the traffic in Lima is frequently busy with traffic jams at rush hours.
All the major bus companies have terminals in Lima, these are frequently in the suburbs and you'll likely need to get a taxi or local bus into the centre. Buses travel from Lima to the major cities in Peru such as Cusco, Arequipa and Trujillo.
Lima is sprawling but easily navigable, but beware of the traffic it will slow you down and the drivers can be erratic at times.
Smaller buses run across the city and you can easily hail taxis throughout the city.
Walking around a single suburb such as Centro or Miraflores is feasible, however Lima is a large place and you may find it easier to use public transport to move between areas of the city.
It's possible to cycle around the city, but given the traffic it probably wouldn't be ideal.
There's a profusion of restaurants in all suburbs, usually along or just off of the major roads and Plazas. You will be able to find local food to most types of world cuisine across a range of budgets.
As you would expect in a major city there is a wide range of accommodation.
Loki Hostel (also known as Incahaus) - Avenida Larco 189, Miraflores. Tel: 01-2424350. Located on the edge of Parque Kennedy, opposite McDonalds, lies this popular hostel. It's a good place to meet up with other travellers and they offer work for food and board. Some private rooms are available but it is largely dorm room accommodation. Rates are from US$8per night:
More budget options in Lima, including travellers ratings, are:
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albergue Miraflores House | Av. Comandante Espinar 611 Miraflores | Hostel | 93 |
| Albergue Verde | Grimaldo del Solar 459, Miraflores | Guesthouse | 84 |
| Alojamiento Residencial Machu Picchu | Jr Machu Picchu # 128 San Miguel | Apartment | 86 |
| B&B Hostal Tradiciones | 955 Ave. Ricardo Palma, San Antonio, Miraflores | Hostel | 92 |
| Backpackers Family House | Juan Moore 304 (Reference block Nº 11 Av. Pardo) Miraflores | Hostel | 90 |
| Barranco's Backpackers Inn | Malecon Castilla 260 Barranco | Hostel | 93 |
| Bayview Hotel Lima | Calle Las Dalias 276, Miraflores | Hotel | 81 |
| Carmel Hotel | Calle Atahualpa 152,Miraflores Miraflores | Hotel | 83 |
| Casa Bella Boutique Hotel | Las Flores 459 San Isidro | Hotel | 90 |
| Casa de Baraybar | Toribio Pacheco, 216 | Guesthouse | 84 |
| Che Lagarto Lima | Pasaje Schell 121, 3er Floor Miraflores | Hostel | 84 |
| Condor's House | Calle Martin Napanga 137, Miraflores, Lima | Hostel | 91 |
| De Ville Inn Hotel | Av. Chiclayo 533, Miraflores | Hotel | 89 |
| D'osma Bed & Breakfast | Av. Pedro de Osma 240 Barranco | Guesthouse | 100 |
| El Balcon Dorado | Jiron Ucayali Nº 170 - 180 and 194 Cercado | Hotel | 71 |
| El Runcu Inn | Av. de la Aviación 139 Miraflores - Lima | Hotel | 93 |
| El Zaguan | Diez Canse co 736,S.Antonio, Miraflores, pc 18 | Guesthouse | 83 |
| Eurobackpackers Hostel | Jr. Manco Capac 471 - Miraflores | Hostel | 80 |
| Flying Dog Hostel Lima | Diez Canseco 117 Miraflores | Hostel | 84 |
| Gran Hotel Bolivar Lima | Jr. De La Union 958, Lima | Hotel | 74 |
| Habitat Hotel | Calle Piura 105, Miraflores | Hotel | 83 |
| Hitchhikers B&B Backpackers hostel | Calle Bolognesi 400 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 65 |
| Home Peru | 4501 Arequipa Ave. , Miraflores | Hostel | 72 |
| Hospedaje Dimar Inn | Gonzales Prada 158 - Miraflores | Guesthouse | 79 |
| Hospedaje Madre Selva | calle Porta 593, dpto 502. Miraflores. Lima 18 | Guesthouse | 87 |
| Hospedaje San Antonio | Ramon Ribeyro st. n805 | Guesthouse | 77 |
| Hostal Collacocha | Coronel Andrés Reyes 100 San Isidro | Guesthouse | 81 |
| Hostal Iquique | 758 Jr. Iquique Breña | Guesthouse | 81 |
| Hostal Pukara | Gonzales Larrañaga 130, San Antonio Miraflores | Hostel | 85 |
| Residencial El Faro Inn Hotel | Calle Francia 857 | Hotel | 91 |
| Hostal Victor - Airport Hostel | Manuel Mattos 325 San Amadeo de Garagay,31 | Hostel | 81 |
| Hostal San Francisco | Jr. Azángaro 127 Lima 1 | Hostel | 79 |
| Hostal Schell | Calle Schell 325 Miraflores | Hostel | 88 |
| Hotel L'baron | Calle las Campanillas 130 urb. Los parques de Mont | Guesthouse | - |
| Hostel Wayruros | Enrique Palacios 900 Miraflores | Hostel | 80 |
| Hostelling International | Casimiro Ulloa 328 San Antonio - Miraflores | Hostel | 71 |
| Hotel Casa San Martin | Calle San Martin 339, Miraflores | Hotel | 77 |
| Hotel Esperanza | Esperanza # 350 Miraflores | Hotel | 77 |
| Hotel Leon De Oro Inn & Suites | Avenue La Paz 930 Miraflores | Hotel | 20 |
| Hotel Miramar Lima | Jr. Bolognesi 181, Miraflores | Hotel | 83 |
| Hotel Monte Real | Calle 27 de Noviembre 169/189 Miraflores | Hotel | 83 |
| Hotel Nido Inn | Calle San Martin 211, Miraflores | Hotel | 37 |
| Hotel San Agustin Colonial Inn | Av. Comandante Espinar 310, Miraflores | Hotel | 73 |
| Hotel San Agustin Riviera | Av. Garcilazo de La Vega 981, downtown Lima | Hotel | - |
| Hotel Sipan | Paseo de La República 6171, Miraflores | Hotel | 42 |
| Hotel Soul Mate Inn | Calle Toribio Pacheco 350 Miraflores, Lima Peru | Hotel | 87 |
| Pucllana Lodge | Calle General Borgoño 546 | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Huaychulo Hotel | Av 2 de Mayo 494 | Hotel | - |
| Inka Hostel | Av. Larco 1178 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 90 |
| Inka Lodge | Elias Aguirre 278 Miraflores | Hostel | 82 |
| Inkawasi | Avenida de la Aviacion 210 Miraflores Miraflores | Guesthouse | 85 |
| Kamana Hotel | Camana 547 | Hotel | 90 |
| Kaminu | Bajada de Baños 342 - Barranco | Guesthouse | 87 |
| Kusillus Backpacker's Hostel | 655 Larco Avenue 3 - Miraflores | Hostel | 89 |
| La Casa Barranco Hostel | Av. Grau 982 Barranco | Hostel | 79 |
| La Casa Nostra | Av Grimaldo del Solar, 265 | Guesthouse | 88 |
| La Hacienda Peruvian Hostel B&B | Avenue 616 Haya de la Torre | Guesthouse | - |
| Las Camelias Hostal | Montero Rosas 976 Santa Beatriz | Guesthouse | 85 |
| Limarooms | Barcelona 566 Pueblo Libre | Guesthouse | 74 |
| Magdalen House | Jr Ayacucho No 778-Magdalena del Mar | Guesthouse | 40 |
| Manhattan Inn Airport Hotel | Jr. Luna Pizarro 168, Urb. La Colonial Callao | Hotel | 72 |
| Miraflores Colon Hotel | Jr. Colon 600 Miraflores | Hotel | 86 |
| Nomade Backpackers Hostel | Marquez de Torre Tagle 107 Miraflores | Hostel | 88 |
| One Hostel | Av.Grau 717 Barranco | Guesthouse | 86 |
| Pay Purix Hostel - Lima Airport | Av. Japón 806 (ex-Bertello) . Mz. F, Lote 5. Urb. 1er Etapa, Callao | Hostel | 87 |
| Peñascal Surf Hotel | Av. Las Palmeras 258, Peñascal, San Bartolo, Lima, | Hotel | 86 |
| Pirwa Hostal Backpackers Lima | Coronel Inclan Street nº 494 Miraflores | Hostel | 88 |
| Red Psycho Llama | Calle Colina 183 Miraflores | Hostel | 92 |
| San Antonio Abad Hotel | Ramón Ribeyro Nº 301, San Antonio, Miraflores | Hotel | 65 |
| Santa Cruz | Av. Santa Cruz 1347 Miraflores | Hotel | 73 |
| Santa Fe Hostel | Calle Santa Fe 328 Pueblo Libre | Hostel | 80 |
| Soul Mate-Inn | Calle Toribio Pacheco 350, Miraflores | Hotel | 58 |
| The Angels Inn Backpackers Peru | Calle Porta N° 540 Miraflores | Hostel | 87 |
| The Inka Lounge Hostel | Ramon Zavala 341 altura de la cdra. 9 de Jose P | Hostel | 85 |
| The Place of Miraflores | Av La Paz 1090 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 83 |
| The Point Hostels Lima | Malecon Junin 300 Barranco | Hostel | 88 |
| Youth Hostel Malka | Los Lirios 165 San Isidro | Hostel | 82 |
| Pretty House Hostel | Av. Mariategui Nº 1711 | Guesthouse | - |
| Hostel Kokopelli | Calle Berlin 259 | Hostel | 90 |
| Pariwana Backpacker Hostels | Av. Larco 189 Miraflores | Hostel | 91 |
| Pirwa Miraflores Hostels | Jr. Gonzales Prada 179 - Miraflores | Hostel | 86 |
| The Shark Hostel | Coronel Inclan 399 | Hostel | 86 |
| Hotel Vila Santa | Av. Benavides 2957 Miraflores | Hotel | 87 |
| Loki Backpackers Hostel | Jose Galves 576 Miraflores | Hostel | 89 |
| Kkinacoperu Lodge | Calle Manco Capac 517 | Guesthouse | - |
| HQ Villa | Av Independencia 1286 Miraflores | Hostel | 88 |
| Wasihpy Hostal | Calle Maria Parado de Bellido 181, Miraflores | Hostel | 86 |
| 3B Barranco | Jr Centenario 130 Barranco | Hotel | 97 |
| Hotel Britania Miraflores | Jr. Independencia 211, Miraflores | Hotel | 63 |
| Hotel Ferre Miraflores | Calle Diego Ferre 235,Miraflores | Hotel | - |
| Hotel Lima Wasi | Av. Armendáriz 375, Miraflores | Hotel | - |
| Casa Wayra B&B Miraflores | Manco Capac St. #838 | Guesthouse | 85 |
| Second Home Peru | Domeyer 366 Zip 4 | Guesthouse | 98 |
| Establecimiento de Hospedaje José Luis S.A.C. | Francisco de Paula Ugarriza 727 San Antonio - Miraflores | Hostel | 78 |
| Hostal Islas de San Bartolo | Av. General de San Martin 593 S. Bartolo | Guesthouse | - |
| Peru Backpackers | Calle Jose Gonzalez 526 - Miraflores | Hostel | 82 |
| My Surf Camp - Peru | Mz. R Lote 24 La Planicie | Campsite | - |
| Lex Luthor's House | Jr. Porta Nº 550 | Hostel | 84 |
| 151 Backpacker B&B | Calle Colon 151 - D Miraflores | Guesthouse | 96 |
| The Lighthouse Guesthouse | Cesareo Chacaltana 162, Miraflores | Guesthouse | 92 |
| Runa Wasi Student House | Juan Fanning N° 436 Miraflores Lima 18 | Guesthouse | 80 |
| Malecon Apartments | Avenida 28 de julio 895 | Apartment | - |
| Hostal Las Fresas | Calle Las Fresas 221 Urbanización El Olivar | Guesthouse | 84 |
| Casa de Campo | Nueva Toledo 218 A Cieneguilla | Hotel | - |
| Los Girasoles | Av. Ernesto Diez Canseco 696 | Hotel | - |
| Enjoy Hostels | Manco Capac Nº 515 - Miraflores | Hostel | 89 |
| Blue House Backpacker Hostel | Jose Gonzales 475 miraflores | Hostel | 86 |
| Dragonfly Hostels | 28 de Julio, 190 | Hostel | 86 |
| Miraflores Wasi Bed and Breakfast | Jiron Tarapacá 261 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 76 |
| Bareo Surf Camp | Urb. La Planicie Mz. B Lt. 3 Puerta Hermosa | Hostel | 91 |
| Jankanoo Inn | Av. Garcilazo de la Vega 144. Urb. La Colonial Callao | Guesthouse | - |
| Happy Up Here Guesthouse | Calle Boccioni 245 San Borja | Guesthouse | 93 |
| Miraflores Apartments | Malecon Balta 1020 | Apartment | - |
| Angels Guest House | Jr. Salaverry 367 Magdalena del mar | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Casona Roja Backpackers | Avenida Grau 720 Barranco District | Hostel | 93 |
| Mochilero´s Inn by Haus Hostels | Jr. Cesareo Chacaltana 136 Miraflores | Hostel | 86 |
| Bravo Surf Camp | Manzana A lote 10, Santa Cruz Punta Hermosa | Hostel | - |
| Meeting Point Backpackers | Prolongación Ricardo Palma 240 Miraflores | Hostel | - |
| InkaHub | Ramon Zavala 123 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Bait Sababa | Av. San Martin 743 Pueblo Libre | Guesthouse | 80 |
| Link Hostels | General Suarez 332. Miraflores | Hostel | 94 |
| Jawa Runa | Enrique Meiggs 189 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Domeyer Hostal | Jr. domeyer 296 Barranco | Guesthouse | - |
| The Gallery House Peru | Avenida General Mendiburu 151 | Guesthouse | 84 |
| Miraflores Suites Centro | Av Benavides 1959 Miraflores | Hotel | - |
| San Mart Inn | Av San Martin 135 | Guesthouse | - |
| Suites Eucaliptus | San Martin St. 511 Miraflores | Guesthouse | - |
| Meetingpoint-miraflores | AV Prolongacion Ricardo palma 240 | Hostel | - |
| Cirque Hostel | General Cordova 681 Miraflores | Hostel | 81 |
| Lodging Family Home | Calle Francisco Masias 2619 - San Isidro | Guesthouse | 96 |
| Open Guest House Lima | Calle Dos de Mayo 1046 Miraflores, Lima | Hotel | 94 |
| Atelier Hostel | Calle Comandante Arístides Aljovín # 335 | Hostel | 79 |
| Casa Ana | Jirón Pichincha 415 Breña | Guesthouse | 95 |
| Hostal Porta | Porta 686, Miraflores | Guesthouse | - |
| Inka Frog Exclusive B&B | General Iglesias 271 Miraflores | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Casa Nuestra Peru B&B | Jiron Tumbes 270 | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Casa Bella Miraflores | Av. De La Aviacion 565 Miraflores | Hotel | - |
| Posada Peregrinus | Av La Alborada N- 1378 Urb. Las Brisas-Lima | Guesthouse | - |
| B&B Aloja Inn | Av. Aviacion 4586 Higuereta Surco - Lima | Guesthouse | - |
| 1900 Backpackers Hostel | Av. Garcilazo de la Vega 1588 | Hostel | 94 |
| Ekotambo Guesthouse | Avenida Alfredo Leon | Guesthouse | 93 |
| Boulevard Backpackers | Calle Porta 461 | Hostel | - |
| Taitalindo Peru Tours | Calle Cochas Mz J3 lote 25 y 26 urbanizacion los | Guesthouse | - |
| Hostels Rivendell Lima | Tarapaca 166-168 with Ariquipa 46 Miraflores, Lima | Hostel | 58 |
| Machu Picchu Suites | Pichu 128 San Miguel | Apartment | - |
| Basadre Suites Boutique Hotel | Av. Jorge Basadre 1310 | Hotel | - |
| The View BnB | Av. Brasil 3068. Magdalena del Mar | Guesthouse | - |
| Quincha House | Juan Fanning 644 | Guesthouse | 100 |
| House Inn Backpacker | Calle Piura 520 Miraflores - Lima | Hostel | 94 |
| Ekeko Hostel | Garcia Calderon 274 Miraflores | Hostel | 96 |
| Hospedaje Las Nazarenas -Surco | Calle Loma Azul -223 Santiago de Surco | Guesthouse | - |
| Puriwasi | Av. La Paz 174 | Hostel | 92 |
| Pucusana House Beach | Malecon San Martin 164 Mz 7 Lt 14 Casa Numero 1 | Guesthouse | 100 |
| Pradera Verde Hostel | Ca atahualpa 395 miraflores | Guesthouse | - |
| el paso surfcamp | Campsite | - |
There are three hotels/hostels that are within reasonable distance of the aiport: The Las Terrazas Hotel, Hostel el Caribe and the Ramada Hotel. Check the Lima Airport Hotels website for more details about prices.
The Ramada Hotel (4-star) is located right in the airport, but is very pricy. Mid-ranged is the Las Terrazas Hotel (3 star) - about 10 minutes by car and is clean and comfortable. The cheapest is by fate the Hostel el Caribe (approximately 5 minutes by car), but many budget travellers have given this hostel poor reviews.
Internet cafés abound in the more affluent areas such as Miraflores and Lima Centro.
See also International Telephone Calls.
Pay phones are located around the city, most commonly on major roads.
Check the Serpost website, the national postal service (a private company), for more information about prices and options regarding the sending of postcards, letters and parcels. The post service is relatively efficient and post offices can be found in most cities and (larger) towns. Post offices generally are open from 8:00am to 8:00pm Monday to Saturday and some are open on Sundays from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Postcards are available from street vendors and shops at any touristy area, and stamps are generally available as well, though sometimes only at the post office itself. It takes at least 10 days to send a postcard to North America and prices start at S/5.5. To Europe it is S/7.8 and it takes even a bit longer, around 2 weeks. For little extra money, you can choose 'expresso' services. For large parcels and quantities, you can use both Serpost or a company like DHL which is faster and offers the same prices, though it is still relatively expensive. UPS for some reason is much more expensive in Peru!
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Ask luisjesus a question about LimaHello, If you need some information about Lima: Hotels, Restaurants, Churches and Ruins, Beaches, short travels, etc, please let me know. I speak english fluently and I have useful infromation. Beside we could take a ride in my truck around the city.

Ask Incawalks a question about LimaYou can ask me about accomodation, restaurants, hostellings, and tours.
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