An Incredible Lima 1 Day Itinerary

How to Spend 1 Day in Lima

Table of Contents

If you only have 1 day in Lima, you can still see a surprising amount of the city without feeling rushed. Lima is often treated as just a stopover on the way to Cusco, but after spending time there myself, I realised it’s worth slowing down and choosing the right neighbourhoods to explore.

I spent a full day in Lima and focused on a mix of history, food and coastal views, which ended up being the perfect introduction to the city. From drinking the most delicious coffee in Barranco to watching the sunset along the Malecon, this itinerary balances sightseeing with time to actually enjoy yourself.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what to do in Lima for a day and exactly how I spent my time, including my favourite places to grab great coffee, which walking tour to take, where to try ceviche and how to end the day with the most delicious sushi you will ever have in Miraflores.

Karry in Downtown Lima on a free walking tour

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KErry standing looking at the Huaca Pucllana ruins at night in Miraflores

Quick Tips for visiting Lima

Best time of year to visit: December to April is when Lima gets the best weather (warm, sunny and dry). May to November is also relatively dry, albeit a bit cooler, but the skies tend to be grey most days.

Where to stay: Barranco or Miraflores
Budget: Ancestral Hostel Barranco
Moderate: Hotel Limade
Luxury: Hotel B
Top things to do in Lima:
1. Wander the streets (and cafes) of Barranco
2. Catch the sunset along the Malecón de Miraflores
3. Take a Peruvian cooking class
Best restaurants:
1. Aka Sushi Barranco
2. Mangos Restaurant
3. Ciclos Café – for the coffee!

1 Day in Lima Summary

Morning:

Grab a coffee and explore Barranco
Do a free walking tour of Lima

Midday:

Try Ceviche for lunch

Afternoon:

Visit the Huaca Pucllana Ruins
Walk along the Malecón de Miraflores
Have Nikkei Sushi for dinner

1 Day in Lima Itinerary

Try to arrive in Lima the night before and leave the morning after your 1 day in Lima so that you have a full day to explore. This itinerary is based on staying in Barranco because I absolutely loved my time there and think everyone should experience it. If you are struggling to figure out where to stay, read this post.

Morning: Grab a coffee & breakfast

I recommend getting up early to get breakfast and coffee in Barranco before you do a walking tour of Lima. Barranco is full of cute cafes so it’s not hard to find a good one. If you are staying in Barranco like I did (I stayed here), you can easily walk to find a café.

Kerry sitting in a cafe in Barranco Lima — Café Floral

A quiche and a latte at the Ciclos Café in Barranco — Café Floral

A couple of cafes that I visited and loved were:

Ciclos Café – they have a tasting experience where you can get either a flight of 3 different espresso shots or a Espresso + Stumpy + Chocolate. Or if you are like me and appreciate a good latte, you can opt for that.
Café Floral – I had another latte from here which was good but they also have really delicious pour over coffee. It’s not my thing but I tried some of my friend’s and I was shocked at how smooth it was!

For a really nice breakfast experience, you could also go to Café Ancestral Barranco which is located in the hostel that I stayed in. It has a rooftop with amazing views (you can see the ocean), where you can enjoy your breakfast.

rooftop bar at the Ancestral Hostel Barranco — Rooftop bar at the **Ancestral Hostel Barranco**

Explore Barranco

Once you have had your fill of coffee and perhaps a yummy breakfast treat, It’s time to take a walk around Barranco. The streets are really beautiful with old pre-colonial style buildings and mural wall art everywhere. Head over to the Plaza de Armas Barranco which is around an 5-10 minute walk from the 2 cafes that I mentioned above. There is a really yummy ice cream place in the square called Crem Dela Crem.

Icecreams at Crem Dela Crem Barranco — Crem Dela Crem Barranco

Kerry standing in the Plaza De Armas Barranco at night — Crem Dela Crem Barranco

There are also some cool local outdoor markets across the street from the Plaza if you feel like doing some shopping.

Once you have had your fill of the Plaza and perhaps a post-breakfast ice cream, head over to the Bridge of Sighs which is about a 5 minute walk. If you hold your breath while walking across the bridge and make a wish, it is said that your wish will come true. Sadly, I didn’t find out about this until I was back in Canada so I missed out.

Once you walk across the Bridge of Sighs, you can do a bit of a loop by heading down underneath and walk past some really cool murals and then back up to the street.

Do a free walking tour of Lima

This is something I felt obliged to do to get a sense of where things were and also of the history of Lima, however if you are not keen on cities, you could skip this or even do something a little more interesting like a tour of the Lima catacombs!

For the free walking tour, I recommend Guru Walks. The 2 hour tour is not technically free because you will need to tip at the end and the recommended tip is 15-25 Soles per person. If you are staying in Miraflores or Barranco, I recommend leaving a minimum of 1 hour before the tour starts. The start times are 9:30am, 10am, 12:30pm and 3:30pm.

How to get to Downtown Lima

To get to the tour meeting point in Downtown Lima, you could either catch an Uber or the regular C bus which takes around 30 minutes when you get on, but they are very busy so getting a bus that’s free is a little tricky. You also need to purchase a pre-paid card beforehand at one of the stations or authorised shops. I recommend asking your hotel reception where the closest place to purchase one of these it.

Midday: Try Ceviche for lunch

Lima’s most famous dish is Ceviche which is fresh raw fish that’s cured in lime juice, then mixed with ingredients like red onion, chilli, and cilantro. Head back to the Miraflores area but more specifically to Mangos Restaurante to get lunch. It is located right on the cliffs above the ocean, so you can gaze out over the water and maybe even spot paragliders floating past at eye level!

To get back to Miraflores from Downtown Lima, it will take around an hour or so by Uber or Bus C again.

Afternoon: Visit the Huaca Pucllana Ruins

From Mangos Restaurant, these ruins are about a 10-15 minute Uber ride. The Huaca Pucllana Ruins are a great choice if you only have 1 day in Lima. I visited them at around 7pm (in the dark which meant that I missed out on seeing some of them but it was still a really great experience. They do close at 5pm for a couple of hours so make sure you get there before then. The special evening hours are only valid on certain nights.

This crazy pyramid dates back around 1,500 years and was used by the Lima culture for ceremonies and administration. They are definitely worth a visit, especially if you want to learn a bit about Lima’s history.

Huaca Pucllana Ruins at night with the moon

Walk along the Malecón de Miraflores at sunset

The Malecón de Miraflores is the best sunset spot in Lima! You can walk along the boardwalk from Barranco to Miraflores or vice-versa and watch the sun set over the ocean.

View from the Miraflores Boardwalk at sunset

Have Nikkei Sushi for dinner

If you like sushi normally you simply MUST try Nikkei sushi! It is a Japanese / Peruvian fusion Sushi and the only way to describe it is DELICIOUS!

I tried Nikkei Sushi at Aka Sushi Barranco which was great and pretty affordable but there are lots of places that you can go which are closer to the Malecón de Miraflores so that you can get dinner straight after your sunset walk.

Kimo Nikkei – A Nikkei restaurant right in Miraflores with creative fusion dishes and sushi, plus great views from its location near the Malecón.
FAN – Neo Nikkei Restaurant – Highly rated for its fresh Nikkei plates and sushi, just a short ride or walk from the boardwalk.
Barrio Nikkei – also located in Miraflores and and a bit more vibrant and local.

My thoughts

I had such a lovely time during my 1 day in Lima, however I do think that you need to loosely plan your time there so that you can make the most of it. I hope this itinerary helps you have the best 1 day in Lima ever because I think even 1 day in Lima is so so worth it!

I had SUCH a magical trip to Peru and have visited quite a few different places! Here are some more guides to help you plan your trip of a lifetime: