Lima in 3 days

The food capital of South America, served on cliffs above the Pacific. Best time to visit: December-April (sunny season). Average daily budget: $70 to $130 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Miraflores, Cliff-top parks, malls, where most travellers stay. Safe and walkable.

Morning: Lunch at Central or Maido. Two of the world's top restaurants. Book 3 months ahead, no exceptions.

Afternoon: Explore Miraflores, Cliff-top parks, malls, where most travellers stay. Safe and walkable.

Evening: Ceviche at La Mar (lunch only). Don't eat ceviche for dinner here - it's a lunch dish, fish is freshest by 2pm.

Eat: Ceviche at La Mar or El Mercado

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Barranco, Bohemian, street art, the city's best bars and the bridge of sighs.

Morning: Larco Museum + Pueblo Libre lunch. Pre-Columbian gold and the famous erotic ceramics. The on-site restaurant is excellent.

Afternoon: Explore Barranco, Bohemian, street art, the city's best bars and the bridge of sighs.

Evening: Walk Miraflores cliffs to Barranco at sunset. Two hours, Pacific the whole way, ends at a pisco sour.

Eat: Lomo saltado at Isolina (Barranco)

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: San Isidro, Upscale, leafy, business district with great restaurants.

Morning: Huaca Pucllana - 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid in the middle of Miraflores. Dinner restaurant on-site.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore San Isidro, Upscale, leafy, business district with great restaurants.

Evening: Eat your way through Barranco and Miraflores. Lima is South America's food capital. Book a ceviche lunch at a cevichería, hit a pisco bar in bohemian Barranco, and if budget allows, snag a table at a world-ranked tasting menu.

Eat: Anticuchos at Grimanesa Vargas (Miraflores street stand)

Hidden gems

Huaca Pucllana - 1,500-year-old adobe pyramid in the middle of Miraflores. Dinner restaurant on-site.
Mercado Surquillo No. 1 for a real Lima market with no tourist markup.
Monasterio de San Francisco catacombs.
Sunday in Pueblo Libre - locals only, pollería lunches.

Getting around

Use Uber and InDriver - cheap, safe, no haggling. Avoid street taxis. The Metropolitano bus is fine for Centro from Miraflores. Walk within Miraflores and Barranco - they're connected by a 30-minute cliff-side path.

Safety

Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro are very safe day and night. Centro is fine in daytime, less so after dark - take an Uber back. Avoid flashing phones and watches in any neighbourhood. Solo travellers are common; women solo are comfortable in the safer districts.

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