How to Spend 24 hours in Lima

Lima is the Capital city of Peru and it is the second biggest city in South America. Lima is the biggest airport in Peru and it has great connectivity to all the major European & North American destinations. Most people traveling to Peru will definitely visit Lima because it has great international and domestic flight connectivity to different regions of South America and Peru. I took my flight from Los Angeles and arrived in Lima in the morning. The duration of the flight was 9 hours. It was a direct flight provided by LATAM airlines. The flight was delayed by 1.5 hours and I reached Lima at 9 am. Miraflores is the major tourist area of Lima. You will find lot of hostels and hotels in this area. I was staying at Pariwana hostel in Lima. I will strongly recommend not to hire any random taxi at Lima airport because it is highly likely that they will overcharge you. I took Airport express service from Lima Airport to Miraflores. The ticket can be purchased inside the airport. The cost of the ticket was $8 for One way. The last bus leaves at midnight from the airport and the first bus from the airport leaves at around 7am. The bus leaves from airport to Miraflores every hour. The bus was parked just in front of the Airport. I got into the bus and had to wait for around 30 minutes for the bus to leave. The bus was not that crowded and it was very comfortable. The bus guide will also ask you about your hostels and they will drop you at the nearest stop from your accommodation.  Almost one third of Peruvian people live in Lima. Lima is a beautiful city located near pacific coast. Lima enjoys beautiful weather throughout the year. I will strongly recommend to visit Peru during winter months because in summer months the weather is unpredictable.

I will strongly recommend to spend at least 2 days during your trip to Lima. Airport express bus dropped me very close to the hostel. Pariwana hostel is a very well-known hostel in Lima. I will strongly recommend to not exchange any money at Lima airport because the exchange rate is very bad. USD can be changed easily to Peruvian sole at lot of official money exchange center in Miraflores at a better rate. I checked into my hostel at around noon time. The weather was cold and it was foggy. The hostel was situated at the center of the busy  Miraflores area and there was lot of option of food near the hostel.

I spent total 2 days during my trip to Lima. I spent one day exploring Barranco district and the Historic center of Lima. I visited the historical center of Lima during morning time. I joined the free guided walking tour to explore Barranco area in the afternoon. I used one extra day in Lima as a day tour to Huacachina and Ballestas island. Lima doesn’t have very good transport system. It is very confusing to visit the tourist centers located in Lima. Lima is a very big city and doing tour around the city with your own taxi can be quite expensive. After reaching the hostel I inquired at the hostel about the free guided walking tour to historic center of Lima. It was a half day tour and the tour starts from the hostel.  The bus stop was just 5 minutes walk from our hostel. We changed our bus after around 20 minutes ride. The total journey to the historic center of Lima took about 40 minutes. The location was completely different from Miraflores. It was crowded and very busy. We could see lot of colonial style building near the historic center of Lima.

Centro Historico de Lima

HIstoric center is the most visited tourist location in Lima. Centro Historico de Lima is famous for beautiful Spanish architecture and old buildings. Historic center of Lima is listed on the UNESCO world heritage site. Centro Historico de Lima is a great place to know the History of Peru. Lima was the capital of the Spanish colony in the 18^th century. The historic center was founded in the 16^th century.  The best period of Lima was during the 17^th and 18^th centuries. Lima was the center of the trade network during that period. The entire area from Plaza Mayor till Plaza San Martin is considered as the historic center of Lima.

Balconies of Lima

Lima is a well known city famous for its balconies. You will see lot of balconies on the old buildings of Lima. Presence of balcony in different architectures adds unique style to the city. Government of Lima is spending considerable amount of money in order to preserve ancient architecture. Osambela Palace and Torre Tagle Palace are the famous balconies in the area. Some of the buildings are converted into fine dine restaurants where you can enjoy some mouthwatering Peruvian cuisine

Plaza Mayor

Plaza mayor is located at the center of Lima city. The plaza is located at the historic center of Lima. The plaza is surrounded by Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima & Municipal Palace. The Plaza was guarded from all the sides and people are not allowed enter the Plaza.  There is a fountain located at the center of the Plaza. The water fountain was constructed in the 16^th century.  

Archbishop’s Palace

Archbishop palace is located at the right side of the Plaza Mayor. It was opened in the year early 20^th century. The palace represents the neo colonial architecture of Lima. The palace is constructed using rocks and granite. There are some sculptures at the entrance of the palace. I didn’t visit inside the palace. Our guide was very knowledgeable and he told us lot of things about the establishment of Lima city.

Basilica Cathedral

The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is situated adjacent to Archbishop’s palace. The cathedral is one of the oldest monument of the city. It was constructed in the 16^th century. The cathedral has gone through lot of transformation because it faced frequent earthquakes. The cathedral still retains beautiful Spanish architecture.

Government Palace

The Government palace is situated in front of the Plaza. The palace is the resident of the President of Peru. Every day at around 11.30 am there is a guard changing ceremony at the palace. The entire guard changing ceremony was exceptional. The palace was very crowded at that time and the ceremony lasts about 15-20 minutes. The band was playing some nice contemporary music and the guards were marching according to the tune. You can also take a guided tour inside the Government palace.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and Convent of Santo Domingo

Santo Domingo convent is a popular tourist location located near Plaza Mayor. The architecture of the church represents the Spanish colonial architecture of the 16^th century. The convent looks smaller from outside but actually it’s a huge convent. You can see beautiful paintings and big prayer hall inside the convent. The best part of the tour was we didn’t pay any entrance fee for visiting the colonial building.

Basilica and Convent of San Francisco

You will find San Francisco church all over south America. The San Francisco church at Lima was located little far from the Plaza Mayor. The church was constructed in the 17^th century. This was the last spot of our half day walking tour.

 Municipal Palace of Lima

You just can’t miss the beautiful yellow colored colonial building during your trip to Plaza de Armas. The Palace serves as a headquarters of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima. The palace is situated in front of the Lima Cathedral. The palace was reconstructed multiple times in history because of frequent earthquakes in this region.

Pisco Tasting

We ended our tour at a Pisco shop. Pisco is the most famous liquor in Peru. Pisco is a colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru. Pisco is available in different flavors. Pisco has about 40% alcohol content. We tried around 5 varieties of Pisco at the shop. Plaza de Armas is a great place to try some local Peruvian cuisine. You will find restaurants with different price range around the plaza. After our tour guide left us we decided to try some ceviche at the local restaurant. Ceviche is the most popular dish in Peru. Ceviche is a seafood dish made from fresh raw fish cured in lemon.

Huaca Pucllana

Huaca Pucllana is a pyramid located in the Miraflores area of Lima. The pyramid was center of Lima 1500 years back. The entrance fee for the compound is 100 sol and the fee includes a guided tour. It will take about 1 hour to explore entire compound. Huaca Pucllana was constructed before Machu Picchu. Huaca Pucclana is still not a popular site among tourists. Huaca Pucllana is a must visit site if you are interested to know about Peruvian culture. Peru Government must advertise in order to increase popularity of the site.

Barranco Free Walking Tour

I immediately joined Barranco free walking tour after returning from the Lima Historic Center tour. I joined the Barranco free walking tour at around 3 pm.Free walking tours are provided by local guides. The tour is not completely free because you have to pay tip to the guide at the end of the tour. Usually people pay USD 5 for the tip. I met my guide in front of the hostel at around 3 pm. There were around 15 people in our group. We took a small crowded mini bus near our hostel and reached Barranco in 20 minutes. The bus was very crowded and the transport infrastructure in Lima is not the great.

Barranco is a popular neighbourhood of Lima. The neighbourhood is located near the pacific coast. The district is birthplace for so many poets, writers and artists. The area is also famous for beautiful Grafitti, colorful houses and village like feel. Lots of traditional bars and restaurants are situated in this area. Our guide was fluent in both English and Spanish. There were lot of tourists from North America in our group.

Barranco Park

It was our first stop of the day. The park is used as a main plaza for Barranco. The park is surrounded by Iglesia Santisima church on one side and Municipal Library on the other side. The park is used as a center for cultural events. San Martin avenue is located near Santisima church and it is one of the most expensive place in Lima in terms of cost of real estate.

Boulevard Sanchez Carrion

Our next stop was Sanchez Carrion Boulevard. The Boulevard is located just near the Plaza and it is famous for bars and night clubs. We started walking towards the pacific coast and crossed Avenida El Sol. We finally saw the first glimpse of pacific coast. The visibility was not great because it was too foggy. The scenery was absolutely stunning. On one side it was beautiful blue Pacific Ocean and the other side there was colorful streets of Barranco. We walked down the lane and reached the center of Barranco. The long-route staircase is decorated with graffiti murals. Our guide told us that each murals represent different types of culture and lifestyle of people around the world. There is a strong message hidden inside each murals. Barranco is also a popular hangout place for young crowds.

Bajada de Banos

We followed Bajada de Banos which is a small pathway to the beaches of Barranco. Most beaches of Barranco have rocky shore. The entire path was shaded with willow and olive trees. There is a famous hostel located near this path. The entire path was filled with murals and we spend tons of time in taking beautiful pictures. Our guide was very friendly and he gave us enough time for photography.

Barranco Museum

Museo Pedro de Osma displays great collection of Peruvian sculptures, furniture, textiles and art pieces. Museo Mate displays beautiful artwork of Peruvian photographer Mario Testino. Galeria Lucia de la Puete is situated near the beautiful streets of Barranco. The gallery displays various work of Peruvian artists.

We passed through manicured gardens and reached a viewing point overlooking La Ermita church and Puetne de los Suspiros . I climb down the stairs and reached La Ermita church. The church was built in the 18^th Century. The church is a pilgrimage site for both fisherman and travelers. The church is painted in yellow color and I really loved the beautiful architecture of the church.

Bridge of Puente de los Suspiros

The bridge of Puente de los Suspiros  was located near the church. It was built in the year 1876. The bridge is considered as the heart of Barranco. The bridge was full of street performers. An old tradition is followed at the bridge. I followed the old tradition and crossed the bridge without stopping. According to old tradition anyone sees the bridge for the first time and crosses it without stopping will be granted one wish. The famous bridge also popular gathering place for young couples and aspiring artists.

We ended our walking tour at Saenz Pena. We passed through some expensive real estate on the way to Saenz Pena. The view of the Pacific sunset was incredible from the Mirador.  You can also do motored paragliding at Miraflores. We spotted some paragliders landing near Barranco area. Barranco is connected with Miraflores by a beautiful stretch of walking path. You can go for evening walk from Miraflores to Barranco or vice versa. Both of these areas in Lima are very safe. The local municipality is rich and they spend significant amount of tax revenue in the security and tourism development. Our guide helped us to find bus for our return journey to Miraflores.

 If you are staying near Miraflores I would suggest you to visit Larcomar. Larcomar is a major shopping center in Miraflores district of Lima. Larcomar is a popular place among tourists for watching beautiful sunset over Pacific Ocean. The entire mall is located near the Pacific cliff. Larcomar includes a cinema hall, food court, museum and tourist shopping centre. It was a very long day for me. I was feeling little jet lag because of the long flight from Los Angeles. I slept early because next day I had to wake up at around 5 am for my day trip to Huacachina and Ballestas Island. You can check out full post about the trip here

Huacachina & Ballestas island day tour from Lima

Magic Water Circuit

You just can’t miss the Magic Water circuit show if you are visiting Lima. The show was recommended to me by my hostel mate. There was a guided tour to the magic circuit show from the hostel. The magic circuit tour lasts about 3 hours. The cost of the trip was 30 soles and it includes all the entrance fee, transportation cost and guide fee. The water circuit in Parque de la Reserva holds the Guiness Book of World Records as the world’s largest fountain complex. Around USD 13 million was spent in the development of the park. The entire arena consists of around 13 water fountains which combines different type of theme like music, colored lights and laser show. We took public bus from our hostel and reached the park in about 30 minutes. The park is also located near the national stadium of Peru. Magic water circuit is a popular place for young people to spend their time.

We entered the park and saw some unique fountains like Tunnel of surprises and Walk in the Dome. Tunnel of surprises was my favorite activity at the park. A tunnel is formed using pressured water fountain and you can cross from one side of the tunnel to another without getting wet. The experience was very unique and I didn’t see anything like this before in my life.  The fountain was a perfect place to take some nice photographs. Walk in the Dome was another attraction inside the park. The Dome was made from water fountain and you can walk inside the circular dome. Inside the park you could see lot of structures made using pressurized fountain water. Out of all of the structures Pyramid was my favorite. The fountain of Harmony was constructed using maze of pressurized water spray from all the sides of the Pyramid. There are tons of attraction inside the park for kids. Dream maze mountain and children fountain are the popular kid’s attraction inside the park. The regular light shows are scheduled at 7.15 pm, 8.15 pm and 9.30 pm. The circuit is open from 4 pm till 11 pm.We attended the 7.15 pm show during our trip. The light shows are available every day except Monday.

The list of the fountains can be found below

• Fuente Magica (Magic Fountain)
• Fuente de la Fantasía (Fantasy Fountain)
• Fuente de la Ilusion (Fountain of Illusions)
• Fuente Túnel de las Sorpresas (Tunnel of Surprises)
• Fuente Laberinto de Ensueño (Labyrinth of Dreams)
• Fuente de la Vida (Fountain of Life)
• Fuente de las Tradiciones (Fountain of Traditions)
• Fuente Río de los deseos (River of Desires)
• Fuente de los Niños (Children’s Fountain)
• Fuente del Arco Iris (Rainbow Fountain)
• Fuente de la Armonía (Harmony Fountain)
• Fuente Tangüis (Tangüis Fountain)
• Fuente de la Cupula Visitable (Walk-In Dome)

Source www.circuitomagicodelagua.com.pe

Magic fountain is a prominent fountain located inside the park. The fountain was illuminated in white light and the sprout located at the center of the fountain shot up water till the height of 80 metres. We went to the fantasy fountain for the show. The entire park was surrounded by people and it was very crowded. The fountain was about 120 m long and the water dancing show lasted about 45 minutes. Laser and lights projected scenes from different Peruvian culture. The show was absolutely remarkable and couldn’t be put into words. Some people stayed back at the fountain to see the show again at 8.15 pm. It was a brilliant idea by the Peruvian Government to turn this park into a major tourist attraction of Lima.