How to Spend 48 Hours in Lima Peru - The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary
by Rebecca Hollman
updated May 19, 2019
The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary for Lima, Peru
Lima is the capital city of Peru and has the major international airport. Most people flying in on trips to Peru will fly into Lima and spend at least a day in the city before heading off to other destinations. Lima is a massive city and you could easily spend weeks in just Lima eating at different amazing restaurants every night and visiting countless museums. Although there is tons to do in Lima, most travelers only spend one or two days there. Below I’ve made the perfect 2 day itinerary for Lima so any traveler can enjoy their time in the capital city.
Table of Contents
Day 1: Half Day in the Historic Center, Half Day in Barranco
Catacombs of San Francisco
Lima Parliament Buildings and Lima Cathedral
Union Street
Lunch at La Bodega Verde
MATE
Avenida Saenz Peña
Sunset at the Bridge of Sighs, Bajada a los Banos, and the main square
Dinner at Hotel B
Night out on the town at Ayahuasca and El Piselli
Day 2: Full Day in Miraflores
Breakfast at Hecho en Casa or coffee at Puku Puku
Huaca Pucllana
Lunch at Cafe de Lima
Parque Kennedy
Sunset at El Malecón
Dinner at La Mar Cebecheria
Day 1
8 AM: Wake up call
8 AM - 9 AM: Breakfast at your hotel/hostel
9:30 AM - 11 AM: Tour the Catacombs of San Francisco and also marvel at the upper level of the San Francisco Cathedral. The first guided tour starts at 9:30 and tours last an hour. You get to explore the underground catacombs of this iconic church, where more than 25,000 bodies were buried. It was considered a privilege and blessing to be buried underneath the church, so many Lima elite were buried here. You can still see their skulls and femur bones lining the passages of the underground tunnels. The tour also shows you other aspects of the beautiful cathedral, including the library which contains the oldest Spanish dictionary in the new world. After your tour, take a couple of minutes to walk inside the cathedral itself and marvel at the intricate architecture and artwork of this Spanish colonial cathedral.
11 AM - 12 PM: Walk to the Plaza de Armas/Plaza Mayor from the San Francisco Cathedral and enjoy a little bit of time walking around the square and marveling at the beauty of the government buildings and the Lima Cathedral. If you stay until noon, you can watch the changing of the guards at the Government Palace, where the president of Peru lives.
12 PM - 1 PM: Head down Union Street, which connects to the Plaza de Armas. This street has tons of shops and restaurants and is usually packed to the brim with Limeños. This is a good place to people watch and just enjoy the chaos of Lima. Maybe pop in a store or two and grab yourself a souvenir.
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM: After working your way from the Historic District to Barranco, head straight to La Bodega Verde for lunch and amazing Peruvian coffee. Make sure to try the Lucuma milkshake, a Peruvian favorite.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM: From lunch, head to the Marino Testino Museum (MATE) to enjoy the amazing photography of the famous Peruvian fashion photographer. Definitely check out his fashion photos on the first floor, but make sure not to miss the amazing Peruvian dance and costume photos upstairs. I literally spent hours in here marveling at the details and texture of the traditional clothes and also really appreciating the ability to get a glimpse into true Peruvians lives, which is hard to do as a tourist.
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Take a stroll along Avenida Saenz Peña to marvel at the cotton candy colored mansions of rich Limeños from the 1920s. Most of the mansions are in a state of disrepair, but the extravagance is something to really marvel at. Barranco used to be the rich seaside resort in the 1920s and you can still see many of these homes spread throughout Barranco.
4:30 PM - 7 PM: Hang out in the town center of Barranco for sunset. Watch an impromptu performance in the square, stroll along the Bajada a los Banos to the ocean and back, and take an iconic photo of you on the Bridge of Sighs. Don’t forget to make a wish as you cross the bridge.
7:30 PM - 9 PM: After sunset, head to one of the most famous restaurants in Barranco - Hotel B. The restaurant is located inside the beautiful hotel and serves a contemporary take of Peruvian dishes. The hotel is located in a restored mansion built in 1914, and every drop of it oozes elegance. The food and drinks here are not cheap, but the quality and atmosphere make it worth it.
9 PM - whenever: Barranco is known for its collection of restaurants and bars. What’s a day in Barranco without trying the best of both of these. After your exquisite dinner, head out for a night on the town trying cocktails at some of the most unique locations in Barranco. Fan favorites are El Piselli and Ayahuasca, but there are many unique bars all over the neighborhood.
Day 2
10 AM - 11 AM: Head to Miraflores for breakfast at Hecho en Casa - everything here is baked in house as the name suggests. They have fresh breads, pastries, and light breakfast. Either grab a coffee here or head specifically to Puku Puku to try some delicious Peruvian coffee.
11 AM - 1 PM: Take a guided tour of Huaca Pucllana, ancient Lima ruins still standing in Miraflores. Guides are included in the price of the entrance and tours take about an hour. You can learn about the importance and use of this site, foods these people grew in this desert area, and more about the timeline and history of ancient peoples in Peru.
1 PM - 2:30 PM: Grab lunch at Cafe de Lima. This cafe is known for its coffee, pizza and seafood burger. Another good lunch option is BuenaVista, located along the Malecón with a great terrace overlooking the ocean.
2:30 - 4 PM: Spend some time shopping in the mega complex Larcomar, built along the side of the cliffs facing the Pacific Ocean. It has multiple levels filled with many small Peruvian boutique clothing stores and restaurants. This is definitely the best place for shopping in Lima.
4 PM - 5 PM: Do a quick drive by of Parque Kennedy to explore the pop-up book store, market and to hang out with the cats. The cats usually don’t come out until around sunset time, so you want to make sure to head here later in the day. Feed the cats some snacks and take some Insta photos here, before heading off to El Malecón to watch the sunset.
5 PM - 7 PM: Stroll as far or as little as you want along this coastal path. This is the best place to watch the sunset in Lima, since the path runs along the coast and the sun sets perfectly over the Pacific Ocean. The path gets really popular at sunset, but it makes for some interesting people watching and the true sense of Lima. You can see the lighthouse, bridges, many art installations and sculptures, as well as pop up street performances and best of all: the sunset.
8:30 PM - 10 PM: Peruvians eat late, so don’t expect dinner to be started by 5:30 or 6 PM. The earliest you really want to go to dinner is around 7:30, but the later the better the vibe. Head to the most popular ceviche place in all of Peru - El Mar Cebecheria. This is undoubtedly a fan favorite and constantly voted one of the best restaurants in Lima.
