Lima in 5 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, Iconic sights

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, Local neighbourhoods

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)

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Centro Histórico, Colonial plazas, baroque churches, the original Lima.

Morning: Mercado Surquillo No. 1 for a real Lima market with no tourist markup.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Centro Histórico, Colonial plazas, baroque churches, the original Lima.

Evening: Clifftop walk along the Miraflores Malecón. Paved paths atop the cliffs above the Pacific, with parks, paragliders and sunset over the ocean. Walk from Parque Kennedy down to the Puente de los Suspiros in Barranco.

Eat: Pisco sour at Ayahuasca bar in Barranco

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Pueblo Libre, Local life, the Larco Museum, less touristy lunches.

Morning: Monasterio de San Francisco catacombs.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Pueblo Libre, Local life, the Larco Museum, less touristy lunches.

Evening: Sunday in Pueblo Libre - locals only, pollería lunches.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Ceviche at La Mar or El Mercado

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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