Larco Museum
A private museum in an 18th-century mansion showing thousands of pre-Columbian ceramics, gold and textiles. The garden setting and well-labelled displays give a clear overview of ancient Peruvian cultures.
Lima
The coastal capital is the main arrival point, famed for its food scene, a colonial centre and the clifftop Miraflores district.
Attractive locations
Cathedral of Lima
The main church on Lima's central square, rebuilt several times after earthquakes. It holds carved choir stalls, side chapels and the tomb said to be that of Francisco Pizarro.
Plaza Mayor
The historic main square where Lima was founded, surrounded by the cathedral, the government palace and the municipal palace. Its changing of the guard draws crowds in front of the palace.
Monastery of San Francisco
A colonial convent known for its library of antique volumes and its underground catacombs. The yellow baroque church and cloister tiles are also worth a look.
Lima Art Museum (MALI)
A large museum in a restored exhibition palace inside a city park, tracing Peruvian art from ancient textiles through colonial painting to modern work.
Pachacamac
A major pre-Inca and Inca religious centre on the coast south of Lima, with temples, pyramids and plazas. A site museum displays objects found there, and the Pacific lies in view.
Huaca Pucllana
A large pre-Inca pyramid of adobe bricks, set among modern buildings in the Miraflores district. Visitors walk around its stepped platforms and a small site museum.
Airports
Jorge Chávez International Airport LIM
It is about 9 km in a straight line from Lima.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan19.4 °C3 mm
- Feb20.0 °C5 mm
- Mar20.1 °C4 mm
- Apr19.3 °C1 mm
- May18.1 °C1 mm
- Jun17.2 °C1 mm
- Jul16.7 °C1 mm
- Aug16.9 °C1 mm
- Sep17.3 °C1 mm
- Oct17.5 °C1 mm
- Nov17.8 °C2 mm
- Dec18.5 °C3 mm
Driest months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct. Wettest months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 52% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Fiestas Patrias (28-29 July)
Travel within Peru is busy during these national holidays.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 105. Ambulance 106. Fire 116.
local government
PromPerú (Peru's tourism promotion agency)
Helps with: Peru's tourism promotion agency, which runs the iPerú visitor information service. Its website lists a head-office phone line and address in Lima for travel questions.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Peru or planning a trip there.
Phone: (511) 616 7300
Address: Calle 1 Oeste N° 050, San Isidro, Lima, Peru
ngo
Peruvian Red Cross (Cruz Roja Peruana)
Helps with: Peru's national Red Cross society. Its website describes disaster risk management, health and wellbeing work, emergency response, and first aid and CPR courses.
Who qualifies: People in Peru who need its health, emergency or disaster-related services.
Phone: +51 986 204 095
Email: [email protected]
Address: Av. Arequipa 1285, Urb. Santa Beatriz, Lima
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Peru
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Peru since 1966. It gives humanitarian support to migrants, displaced people, returnees and host communities.
Who qualifies: Migrants, displaced people and returnees in Peru. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +51 1 6330000
Email: [email protected]
Address: Calle Miguel Seminario 320, San Isidro 15047, Lima
local government
Police emergency number 105
Helps with: Reaches the police. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 105
local government
Ambulance emergency number 106
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 106
local government
Fire emergency number 116
Helps with: Reaches the fire service. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 116