What to do in Lima, Peru for the day??

This will be our first time visiting Lima (callao), Peru.

We will be spending overnight in port (Mind you we are due to leave port at 10am the next day!)

I was wondering would you recommend doing here for the day??

If you have been to Lima before, what did you do there for the day??

Also does the cruise ships dock near the city? or do we dock a long way from it?

Any ideas / suggestions are very welcome :cool:

Shipping berths are in the absolute worst part of town. We have not ported there, but were at the airport (very close by) last year.

Suggest you take an Uber to the Miraflores area where you can walk safely, lots of food venues, find your way to Parque del Amor...it's a nice walk on the bluffs above the Pacific Ocean.

Alternately there are tours of Lima that include colonial history or Inca ruins within easy driving distance from the city.

We had a 2 night stop in Lima in December 2016 and took two day-long tours with Haku Tours (https://www.hakutours.com/fullday-tours-in-lima-from-callaos-port/). The first day was what is now the first day in the 2 day itinerary for cruise passengers and it really was 11 hours long! The second day is what is now offered as a package #1, a full one day tour. We were very pleased with our tour guide (the founder of the company) plus the variety included in each tour. They have a well deserved 5 star rating on TripAdvisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294316-d2253893-Reviews-Haku_Tours-Lima_Lima_Region.html).

On our visit to Lima we spent time atPlaza del Armas to people watch, where there was lots of activity. We took lotsof photos. We watched the changing of the guard at Palacio de Gobierno. Formuseums, we visited Museo Larco with gold and jewelry on display were reallyinteresting. We also liked the NationalMuseum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History.

We took a cab to Miraflores because everyone said it wasbeautiful and the not to miss place in Lima, but it seemed like just anothershopping mall to us, although the view of the sea was nice. From there wewalked to the pre-Columbian Huuaca Pucllana ruins- I thought this was reallycool. After that we did our souvenir shopping at the Indian Market - CentroArtesanal Miraflores. We found what I think were great buys on blankets, jewelry formy nieces, etc.

The one place I would recommend to skip is a trip to Parque Kennedy(cat park). I found it rather disturbing to see all those feral cats foragingfor food. They look terrible and my guess is that they are diseased.

We took and evening food tour with the Lima Gourmet Company. They had Hoya, pickup and drop off, and we went to four or five different places, include learning to make a Pisco sour and having snack and a restaurant with pre-Incan ruins. They offered hotel pick up and drop off. Highly recommended!

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We took and evening food tour with the Lima Gourmet Company. They had Hotel pickup and drop off, and we went to four or five different places, include learning to make a Pisco sour and having snack and a restaurant with pre-Incan ruins. They offered hotel pick up and drop off. Highly recommended!

 

 

Sorry, I meant hotel pick up...

 

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If you are there overnight, a really interesting place is the Circuito Mágico del Agua.https://www.tripsavvy.com/circuito-magico-del-agua-magic-water-circuit-1619984 Go in the evening. There were lots of families there and it felt very safe. Our hotel arranged a pick up and drop off for us. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I agree that was a very pleasant evening. A drive up the coast with a private guide is beautiful! they even have cliff divers along the way! We also had a fun afternoon at a horse show....not sure this is the exact one but similar https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g294316-d11991742-Full_Day_Private_Tour_of_Pachacamac_Site_and_Peruvian_Paso_Horse_Show_from_Lima-Lima_Lima_Region.html

we were in Lima prior to an Amazon river Cruise and then Machu Pichu and the Sacred Valley. We stayed at the waterfront Marriott and it was lovely!!! Plenty to keep us busy for 3 days.

I hope I'm not too late to help.

You'll almost certainly be berthed at Callao - the industrial port for Lima. There is no walking to anywhere from the ship, since it is one of the busiest cargo terminals in South America. Expect shuttle buses to designated points outside the actual terminal (10 minutes). In 2017 on a Celebrity sailing, anyone who didn't take a Celebrity excursion was dropped at the "tourist" transportation point just outside the port terminal walls; it was a dumpy sidewalk in a run-down area. Tourist Police (that's what they're called) were present, but it is not an area I felt safe in. Additionally, the shuttle back to the ship was a handful of minivans - each seating about 6 - and we had a queue of around 70. Someone finally got through to the ship and they sent a coach after an hour.

The following day, we took the shuttle coach arranged by the Miraflores shopping district, which took us to (and later picked us up from) a nice mall.

As for what to do and see...

We were part of a privately-arranged tour that ran both days of our overnight stop. We visited the Pachacamac ruins site south of town, which was fascinating and HUGE. We also visited the central plaza area, where the government buildings are, and the San Francisco monastery. The monastery is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area, as the catacombs contain the bones of some 40000 people. The Huaca Pucllana site in Miraflores was a very nice stop. The contrast of ancient ruins in the middle of a modern city is palpable.

What to expect....

Miraflores is the upscale, modern area along the coast. It has the most shopping options (from your worldwide brands to local craft markets) and nice restaurants and parks.

You'll see a lot of "chifa" restaurants, which are Chinese joints; Peruvians love Chinese food, for some reason.

Try an Inca Cola, which is a bright yellow soda that tastes like Big Red, if you've ever had that.

The traffic...oh my God...the traffic is insane. It's worse than anything I've seen in the US, and I live in Houston. Someone on our bus said the only place he's seen worse is Beijing. It takes forever to get even short distances.

Take a look at my 2017 Flickr album linked in my signature if you'd like. I have a bunch of photos from Lima there.

We will be in Lima for a day before we start our tour and really appreciate these suggestions!

Another question for those who have been there before. We have a flight from the US that gets to Lima in the early morning hours. Our hotel is in Miraflores. We are looking for the best way (safe, economical) to get there at 2 or 3 am. Thanks for any help!

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We will be in Lima for a day before we start our tour and really appreciate these suggestions!

 

Another question for those who have been there before. We have a flight from the US that gets to Lima in the early morning hours. Our hotel is in Miraflores. We are looking for the best way (safe, economical) to get there at 2 or 3 am. Thanks for any help!

 

 

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At 2 or 3 am Miraflores is about 20 mins from the airport. I suggest a taxi. Agree on a price before you get in.

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Stu.... look at haku tours.... you should be able to book and they can make up a group... kings and queens tour ending with the magic fountain tour...

The shuttle from the ship will take you to Salaverry Mall... there will be taxis there to meet the buses with tours

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We have done a great day tour with Monica Tours

monicatoursperu@gmail.com

2 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

We have done a great day tour with Monica Tours

 

monicatoursperu@gmail.com

 

And you will be having another great day with Monica (and some others😎) in March!

My husband and I spent 17 days in Peru last fall on a private tour.  However, as we flew into Lima two days early, we explored it on our own and our absolutely favorite place was Museo Larco. (We took a taxi to it from our hotel in Miraflores). It is fabulous, especially if you like pre-Columbian pottery, textiles and golden artifacts of the Incas. And all the exhibits are in English as well as Spanish. Plus, the museum is landscaped beautifully. Walls are dripping with bougainvillea, they have an incredible cactus garden  as well as hanging baskets of ferns, etc.  Their onsite cafe served delicious food for a reasonable price. Staff was so friendly and when we were ready to leave, the guards called us a cab and made sure we got in the right one.  

We were in Lima recently on the HAL Zaandam and were provided free shuttle transport to the Plaza San Miguel.  From this safer area it was possible to get a taxi to wherever you want to go.  Hopefully your ship will provide some kind of shuttle since Callao is very unsafe.

In terms of what to see, the Plaza de Armas area would be first on my list if you have not been to Lima before.  I would also definitely recommend the Magic Water Circuit at night, hopefully not on an evening when there is a soccer game since the stadium is right next door causing massive traffic jams.  You could do both of those in a day easily.  After those 2, the Museo Larco and Miraflores are also worth a visit but I would prioritize the first 2.  If you are a hit and run tourist, you could theoretically do all in a long day but it would be a stretch considering traffic getting from one place to another.   If you have been to all of those places as we had on our last visit, the Parque de Lyendas, very close to Plaza San Miguel was a great place to spend a few hours.

Thank You everyone for your replays and information , very helpfully 😊