Lima Highlights for a First Visit
Lima rewards a short list done well. Pick one pre-Inca site, one museum, one coastal walk and one good meal, and group them by district so you spend less time in traffic. All prices are in soles (S/).
Five things worth the time
- Museo Larco, Pueblo Libre. Tickets are S/ 45 if bought on the museum’s Spanish-only online shop and S/ 50 at the door, with lower rates for seniors, students and children (ages 3 to 8 pay S/ 1). Doors are open from 9:00 to 19:00 every day of the year, holidays included. Its open-storage rooms are the draw, and a separate room of erotic pottery is easy to skip.
- Huaca Pucllana, Miraflores. A pyramid of adobe bricks built in the Lima culture’s time, around the 5th to 7th centuries. A guide is part of the visit. Press reports from 2024 list daytime entry at S/ 15 and an evening visit at S/ 17, and the site is closed on Tuesdays.
- MALI, Parque de la Exposicion. The city’s main art museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, with an earlier 17:00 close on Saturdays. You can enter up to 15 minutes before closing.
- A fountain show. The Circuito Magico del Agua has 13 fountains, shows at 19:15, 20:15 and 21:10, and an S/ 7 ticket.
- A tasting-menu dinner. Maido, Central and Astrid y Gaston all sit on the list of places to book early.
How to group them
| Day plan | District | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Pueblo Libre | Larco opens at 9:00, so arrive early |
| Afternoon | Miraflores | Huaca Pucllana, then the clifftop |
| Evening | Santa Beatriz | Fountain park, 15:00 to 22:00 |
Active options on the coast
A beginner surf lesson at Makaha or Waikiki runs about 1.5 to 2 hours. A guide published in 2026 puts the price at roughly US$ 20 to 45 including board and wetsuit. The beach is pebbles, the water is cold in every month, and the UK government warns that unlicensed board rental exists on these beaches and lifeguards may be missing, so go through a licensed school. Tandem paragliding from the cliff takes off for 10 to 15 minutes at a time when the wind allows.
Safety in short
- Phones get snatched by motorbike riders, so use them away from the kerb.
- Pay for rides through an app or use a licensed taxi.
- Lima and Callao have been under a crime-related state of emergency, so check the position close to your dates.
- Expect protests in the old centre on some days.
The UK government page lists the current wording, and the museum’s own visit page has the opening hours. If you want to reserve a place, see Lima activity listings .
Read more: attraction tours in Lima and the Lima guide .