What to see, where to stay and the best time to visit Lima, Peru.
Photo: Joem Castillo / Pexels
Lima is the capital of Peru and a large coastal city. Most visitors split their time between the colonial Historic Centre and the seaside districts. In the centre you can see Plaza Mayor, Lima Cathedral and the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco. Miraflores suits first-timers and walkers who like the coast. Barranco suits nightlife, art and couples. The best months to go are May, June, July and August.
Plan a few days. The historic centre sights take 1–2 hours each. The Larco Museum and MALI need 2–3 hours each. Barranco and Pachacamac each take half a day, so a short trip fills up fast.
Historic Centre (Cercado de Lima)
The main square of colonial Lima is lined by the Cathedral, the Government Palace and the Archbishop's Palace with its carved wooden balconies. Come for the changing of the guard at the palace and as a starting point for walking the historic centre.
Historic Centre (Cercado de Lima)
The cathedral stands on the Plaza Mayor and holds the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conqueror who founded the city. Inside you will find chapels with carved altars and a small museum of religious art.
Historic Centre (Cercado de Lima)
This church and monastery is best known for the catacombs under it, where the bones of thousands of people are laid out in pits. Guided tours also show the old library, tiled cloisters and colonial paintings.
Pueblo Libre
A private museum in an old mansion with a large collection of pottery, gold and textiles from Peru's cultures before the Incas. Its storerooms are open to visitors, and there is a well-known gallery of erotic ceramics and a garden café.
Miraflores
A large adobe and clay pyramid built by the Lima culture long before the Incas, now surrounded by modern apartment blocks. Guided tours explain how it was built and used, and there is a restaurant overlooking the site.
Miraflores
A clifftop path runs for several kilometres above the Pacific, with parks, cycle lanes and views of the surfers below. Love Park (Parque del Amor) has a large sculpture and mosaic walls, and paragliders often take off along the cliffs.
Barranco
Barranco is Lima's arts district, with old mansions, street murals, galleries, bars and cafés. The wooden Bridge of Sighs (Puente de los Suspiros) leads down a green path towards the sea, and the MATE museum shows the work of photographer Mario Testino.
Cercado de Lima
Peru's main art museum sits in a grand old exhibition palace in the Parque de la Exposición. Its collection covers Peruvian art from ancient ceramics and textiles to colonial paintings and modern work.
Lurín, south of Lima
A huge archaeological site on the desert coast south of the city, used as a religious centre by several cultures and later by the Incas. You can see adobe pyramids, a restored Temple of the Sun and a site museum, with views across to the ocean.
Average weather and our month score, from 10 years of climate data.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24°C / 20°C | 4 days (13 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 20°C | 9.2/10 |
| February | 25°C / 21°C | 4 days (16 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 22°C | 9.2/10 |
| March | 25°C / 21°C | 6 days (21 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 21°C | 8.8/10 |
| April | 24°C / 19°C | 2 days (4 mm) | 11.2 h/day | 21°C | 9.7/10 |
| Best month: May | 21°C / 17°C | 0 days (1 mm) | 10.5 h/day | 20°C | 10.0/10 |
| Best month: June | 20°C / 15°C | 0 days (1 mm) | 10.1 h/day | 19°C | 10.0/10 |
| Best month: July | 19°C / 15°C | 0 days (1 mm) | 10.3 h/day | 19°C | 10.0/10 |
| Best month: August | 19°C / 14°C | 0 days (1 mm) | 10.2 h/day | 18°C | 10.0/10 |
| September | 19°C / 14°C | 0 days (2 mm) | 10.7 h/day | 18°C | 9.9/10 |
| October | 20°C / 15°C | 1 day (3 mm) | 10.9 h/day | 18°C | 9.9/10 |
| November | 21°C / 16°C | 0 days (2 mm) | 11.1 h/day | 18°C | 10.0/10 |
| December | 23°C / 18°C | 2 days (9 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 19°C | 9.6/10 |
Warm and mostly dry, with highs of 24.3°C and 4.1 rain days. The sea is near 19.6°C. Scores 9.2, a best month.
The warmest month, with highs of 25.4°C and 4.2 rain days. The sea peaks near 21.6°C. Scores 9.2, a best month.
Highs of 25.1°C. It has the most rain days of the year at 5.8, but only 21 mm in total. Scores 8.8, still a best month.
Highs ease to 23.5°C and rain drops to 1.7 days. The sea stays warm at about 21.3°C. Scores 9.7, a best month.
Cooler, with highs of 21.4°C and almost no rain at 0.1 days. Scores 10, a best month.
Highs of 19.8°C and lows of 15.4°C, with 0.1 rain days. Scores 10, a best month. Bring a layer for cooler evenings.
Highs of 19°C, lows of 14.5°C and 0 rain days on average. Scores 10, a best month for dry sightseeing.
The coolest month, with highs of 18.6°C and lows of 14.1°C. The sea drops to 18.3°C. No rain days. Scores 10, a best month.
Still cool, with highs of 19°C, lows of 14.4°C and 0.3 rain days. The sea is cool at 17.8°C. Scores 9.9, a best month.
Highs of 19.6°C and 0.6 rain days. The sea is at its coolest, around 17.6°C. Scores 9.9, a best month.
Warming up, with highs of 20.8°C and only 0.2 rain days. Scores 10, a best month for walking the city.
Highs reach 22.5°C, with 2 rain days and 9 mm of rain. The sea is near 18.5°C. Scores 9.6, a best month.
Climate averages 2015–2024 · Best time to visit Peru →
The best areas to base yourself and who each one suits.
Good for first-timers, walkers, coast lovers
A safe, well-kept district on the clifftops above the Pacific, with a long green park walk along the cliff edge and many restaurants and cafés. It is the easiest base for a first visit and a practical place to arrange tours. It feels polished and less local than other areas, and the main streets can be noisy with traffic.
Good for nightlife, art, couples
A former seaside resort south of Miraflores with old colonial-style houses, murals, galleries and many bars. It has more character than its neighbour and you can walk to Miraflores along the cliffs. Weekend nights get loud around the main square and bars.
Good for business travellers, quiet
Lima's main financial district, with calm residential streets, an old olive grove park and some of the city's well-known restaurants. It is quiet and safe at night. It has less street life and fewer sights, so evenings can feel flat.
Good for history, architecture, short stays
The historic centre around the Plaza Mayor, with colonial churches, balconied mansions and major museums close together. Staying here puts the main historic sights on your doorstep. It is far from the coast, busy and chaotic by day, and some streets feel unsafe after dark, so take taxis at night.
Good for museum fans, local feel
A residential district between the centre and the coast, home to the Larco Museum and older traditional bars. It gives a more everyday view of Lima life with fewer tourists. Choice of places to stay is small and it is a taxi ride from the coast and the centre.
Raw white fish cured in lime juice with chilli, red onion and salt, served with sweet potato and corn. Locals eat it at lunch in cevicherías, when the fish is freshest.
Skewers of beef heart marinated in vinegar, garlic and red ají panca chilli, then grilled over charcoal. Street carts and anticucherías sell them mostly in the evening.
A cold, layered dish of mashed yellow potato mixed with lime and yellow ají chilli, filled with tuna or chicken, avocado and mayonnaise. It is a common lunchtime starter.
Strips of beef stir-fried with onion, tomato and soy sauce, served with chips and rice. It shows Lima's Chinese-Peruvian influence and appears on everyday lunch menus across the city.
Shredded chicken in a creamy sauce of yellow ají chilli, bread, milk and nuts, served with rice, boiled potato, egg and olive. A home-style dish found in many local restaurants.
Ring-shaped fritters made from squash and sweet potato dough, fried and topped with a syrup of chancaca (raw cane sugar). Street stalls sell them hot, often in the afternoon or evening.
May to August is the best time to visit Lima, based on our data. These months are dry and mild. Highs are between 18.6°C and 21.4°C, and each month gets only about 1 mm of rain. That said, Lima works all year. Every month scores at least 8.8 out of 10, so weather should not limit your travel dates.
Yes, August is a good month for Lima and scores 10 out of 10. It is the coolest month. Highs are around 18.6°C and lows around 14.1°C. It has 0 rain days on average and about 1 mm of rain. Evenings feel cool, so bring a light jacket or sweater.
March is the rainiest month in Lima, but it is still very dry. It has about 5.8 rain days and 21 mm of rain on average. January and February are similar, with 13 mm and 16 mm. From May to November, rain is close to zero, with 0 to 0.6 rain days a month.
The sea is warmest from February to April. February is the peak at about 21.6°C, and March and April stay above 21°C. February also has the warmest air, with highs of around 25.4°C. The sea is coolest in October, at about 17.6°C, which is too cold for many swimmers.
About 3 days is enough to see Lima's main sights. Spend 1 day in the Historic Centre for Plaza Mayor, the Cathedral and San Francisco, which each take 1 to 2 hours. Add the Lima Art Museum (MALI), which takes 2 to 3 hours. On day 2, visit the Larco Museum, then Huaca Pucllana and the Miraflores Malecón. Use day 3 for Barranco and Pachacamac, which take half a day each.
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