1 day in Lima, Peru Itinerary

What a beautifully view of the sunrise as I made my way to Lima.

I’m super excited to share the highlights of how I spent my day in Lima, Peru. So I landed in Lima on June 19, 2019 around 6 AM and surprisingly clear immigration in less than 30 minutes. As I exit the Jorge Chavez International Airport, I was able to quickly grab a cab that would take me to Mira Flores in Lima, that’s where I was staying. 

The traffic in Lima was insane, just be mindful of that before taking a cab and also you may want to strategize with either taking a cab that has a fixed price as oppose to having the meter running. You can also take a uber if you are comfortable. 

It literally took me about 1.5 hours from the airport to arrive in Mira Flores. However, I will not complain because the city is just beyond beautiful and I appreciated the view. 

Where did I stay in Mira Flores?

I’d stayed at the beautiful Ibis Lima Reducto Mira Flores hotel, which was literally across from the pacific ocean. Ibis is in a good location and about a 15 minute drive from Costa Verde and the Larcomar Shopping Center.

The hotel have a dinning area, bar and hang out section with these really cute and comfy couches. My room was fairly small, but just perfect for a night. The bed was soft, but I was pretty amazed by the trendy design, layout and furniture in my room. 

After checking into my hotel and freshen up a little, I decided to venture out to the heart of the city. FYI, the cab ride from Mira Flores was about a 15 minute drive. 

How I spent my day in Lima?

  • My first stop was at the Main Square also know as the Plaza Mayor/Plaza de Armas of Lima, which is considered the birthplace of Lima. This square is considered to be the heart of Lima, where you can find lots of other historical buildings such as the Government Palace (you’ll notice there are lots of guards in this area). The archictecture will remind you a bit of Madrid. It’s a great place to walk around and enjoy the scenery and culture of Lima. 
 
  • I then walked over to the Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo and San Francisco de Lima, which are both Roman catholic churches with a fascinating library and the history here is beyond memorizing. It’s understood that researchers travel from all over the world to do their research in this library. I was definitely taken by the beauty and presence that both churches and the library left on me. It’s a great way to get lost in Lima’s history. 
 
  • About 4 hours later, I took a cab to the Love Park, which is a beautiful place to see. There is a gigantic statue in the park kissing and the scenery is breathtaking. The park is facing the Pacific Ocean and also is surrounded by mosaics walls, which will remind you of Park Guell in Barcelona. You can also sit there and have coffee, pastry or even attempt paragliding – the cost is about $15 USA.  As a side note, this has to be one of my favorite spots in Lima.
 
  • My next stop was at the Larcomar Mall, which is basically this happening shopping and dinning district in Mira Flores. Larcomar Mall was about a 5 minute walk from the Love Park and it’s absolutely safe to walk around there. Everyone was so nice. There were so many different restaurants to choose from. 
What to eat and drink in Lima?
  • Hands down to Mangos Restaurant located in the Larcomar Mall. Its a beautiful restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. If the weather is nice then take advantage of the outdoor seating where you will be able to breath in the ocean air and enjoy the view of the Pacific Ocean. There you can order from the menu or enjoy the buffet. I say go for the buffet..there were so many authentic Peruvian dishes to choose from…here goes a a couple of my favorite Peruvian dishes:Ceviche – made with raw fish marinated in lime juiceRocoto Relleno – type of pepper that dissimilar to red bell pepper, but spicyPollo A La Brasa – Peruvian style roast chicken Chifa – Chinese style Peruvian fried rice For drinks, make sure you try the pisco sour (made with pisco – an alcohol made from grapes, lime juice, syrup, bitters, ice ) and a raw egg to make it foamyCusquena Beer
 
Now that my hunger was satisfied, I had energy to continue with the rest of my plan for day…around 5 PM…I hoped in a cab and headed to the Larco Museum.
  • If you are a museum lover, then you must visit the Larco Museum…now this museum is highly recommended to visit since it provides an overview of 5000 years of Peruvian history. I instantly fell in the love with the garden filled with beautiful fresh roses and flowers.
 
I ended my evening watching the Magic Water Circuit show at the Park of Reserve. According to the Guinness Book of World Records…this show is recognized as the largest water foundation park in the world, just not in South America. There are 13 fountains that incorporated lights, music and other components that entertains the crowd/audience for 45 minutes. It costs about 5 soles to get into the park. It will blow your mind…just spectacular.
If you can, I would highly recommend visiting Lima and explore the city. It’s absolutely beautiful and  will leave you breathless. I hope my blog was helpful with giving you ideas when planning your trip to Lima. Please reach out to me if there any questions. 
Safe trip! Thank you!