The Perfect Stay in Lima: Tips for the Best Peru Trip

​Where do you begin planning your trip to Lima, let alone Peru? Nowadays, a wealth of information is available like never before, and even the most savvy of travelers can get bogged down by the plurality of voices sharing their experiences. The ideal scenario would be to have a local friend to call on for insider insights, someone whose taste and characterization of a place you could unthinkingly trust. What is the next best thing? The perspective of an expat who understands a destination’s culture, history, and nuances while bridging the divide through their own cultural lens. In that sense, you would get the best of both worlds, essentially a shortcut to the “meat and potatoes” of a destination through a curated itinerary that would allow you to get the most out of your Peru trip. Today is your lucky day because that is just what I’m offering you – a way to hack your travel planning to Lima. I’m a Kansas City native who has spent the last 20 years as an expat, eleven of which have been spent in Peru alongside my Lima-born husband, Lucas, helping visitors discover the best of the country.  So, here are my two cents on how to hack Lima and have an unforgettable stay in the City of Kings.
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Where to stay in Lima

Lima has 43 districts, or neighborhoods, meaning you’ll have to narrow your visit down to three or four to maximize your wandering. Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, and Lima’s historic center will encompass most activities on your itinerary. You may hit a few outliers along the way, but for the most part, you’ll be in and out just to see a main attraction or two. The best areas to book your hotel would be, without hesitation, Miraflores or Barranco. ​
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Miraflores offers a modern view of the city with many shops, upscale restaurants, street food, and many international chains (sometimes a comfort, but I know you did not come all the way to Peru just to hit up Starbucks). Miraflores is a safe neighborhood where you can walk around and get a feel for how the city has developed over the last 60 years. There are beautifully landscaped parks, the coastal promenade, or malecón as it’s known locally, bike lanes and rentals, paragliding, and more.  You’ll find international hotel chains like the Marriott (JW, AC, and Courtyard) and Hilton (Garden Inn, Doubletree, and Lima), but getting carried away by the charm of a boutique hotel or quaint B&B adds another layer to your Peru experience. Here are some lovely options that are well-located and are a big hit: Manor House, La Quinta Miraflores Boutique, and Hotel Atemporal.

Barranco is the bohemian, romantic and even slightly hipster side of the city. Here you’ll find gorgeous traditional mansions that have been restored and invite you travel back in time. The colors of the neighborhood pop as you walk through the narrow, tree-lined streets and appreciate the eclectic architecture, eye-catching street murals and boutique art galleries that are peppered throughout the area. The laid-back vibe and mix of traditional styles infused with a modern twist make this district truly unique and unforgettable. Barranco boasts some amazing boutique hotels that allow guests to be fully immersed in the district’s hallmark style. Try Casa Republica or Villa Barranco for an extra special stay in Lima.

What to eat in Lima

​​If you haven’t tried Peruvian cuisine before now, there is no better place than Lima. And even if you have, be prepared to be blown away by the freshness of the ingredients, variety of flavors, and seemingly boundless fusions. This is undoubtedly the most extensive section of tips; we run Lima food tours, so we believe this is one of the best ways to get to know Peru. With limited time in the city, you’ll still be able to understand why Lima has been declared the Leading Culinary Destination in the World eight times by the World Travel Awards. By now, most people have heard of cebiche and the pisco sour, Peru’s flagship dish and drink, even if you haven’t tried it, however, the country’s rich foodie history has so much more to offer.  Let’s take a look:

​Top restaurants in Lima

​Every year San Pellegrino and associates publish a ranking of the world’s 50 best restaurants. Lima is always guaranteed to be represented among the best of the best. So what are they? Central, Maido, and Mayta. As you can imagine, these hot spots fill up months in advance, so plan ahead if you want a seat at the table (pun totally intended). If you’ve left your planning to the last minute, no worries, there are options. Just like any restaurant, the top three also get cancellations, depending on how badly you want to get in, it’s always worth a try to head directly to the restaurant to see if you can nab a table as a walk-in if they’ve received any cancellations or no-shows. We’ve found that in many cases, lady luck is on your side, and guests end up getting in without prior reservations, it just depends.

​Other fine dining alternatives in Lima

If you didn’t get the reservation at one of the coveted top three, never fear. Lima has other unique options that are just as good. For molecular gastronomy that turns the dining experience into a full-blown exhibit of artistic expression, Kjolle is the place to be. Guests also tend to book in advance, so if you’re set on Kjolle, try not to procrastinate when making your reservation. 

For a fresh-faced but upscale sustainable option, Xoma is an incredible alternative. Peruvian chef Ralf Zúñiga focuses on local products and experiments with ways to give these ingredients new form and function for the palate. Out of the world’s 113 microclimates, Peru is fortunate enough to enjoy 84 of them, which are artfully displayed through the dishes.

In case you need one more option to get you through the trip, Limaná is an exceptional choice. Maintaining a fairly low profile on the international scene, this corner is a chic and classic favorite among locals. The restaurant provides a cozy atmosphere with simultaneously refined and straightforward dishes that pay full homage to sustainability in sourcing, preparing, and serving our meals. Limaná is also excellent for patrons with any type of food sensitivity.

What's all the fuss about Peruvian fusions

​Like many countries worldwide, over the past few hundred years, Peru has welcomed waves of migrants from all over.  Along with the new residents came their cultures, traditions, styles, and of course, cuisine. In many countries, these influences were welcomed but remained separate from the local trends or had only a light impact. However, Peruvians embraced cooking techniques, recipes, and ingredients from abroad, “digested” their essence, and then fused them with traditional dishes to create new and unique delicacies over the years. Today's primary fusions are Japanese-Peruvian: Nikkei, Chinese-Peruvian: Chifa, African-Peruvian: Creole, and of course, the European influence from mainly Spain, Italy, and France. Here you can see a video diving into Peruvian cuisine and its flavorful legacy.
 
Here are some of our favorite spots to try these famous fusions. For Nikkei, Osaka, Hanzo, or Ache are fantastic options. For Chifa, Shi-nua or Chifa Royal will leave you wanting more. For Creole cuisine, Isolina, la Huaca Pucllana, or José Antonio all do the genre justice.


We’re just getting started on the food, but we’ll leave the rest for another post. In the meantime, you can check out more of our favorite restaurants in Lima or a reduced selection of restaurants in Lima and what to order.

Things to do in Lima · Get your cultural fix

​One of the best ways to grasp Peru’s vibrant and ancient culture is through a visit to the Larco Museum. It’s one of the top museums in the country, in our opinion, THE top, and houses over 40,000 artifacts that give you a glimpse into traditions, history, and economy over approximately 4,000 years. The museum is beautifully designed, and a major plus (besides the enlightening erotic ceramics exhibit) is the stunning outdoor café which serves an excellent variety of Peruvian dishes that are expertly executed.
 
​The historic center of Lima is also a spot you’ll want to check out if you’re looking to get a feel for what life was like while Peru was under the Spanish empire. The urban planning of this area was designed by conquistador Francisco Pizarro and the buildings reflect various architectural styles that will keep your eyes toward the sky. In the center, you’ll find no shortage of places to visit, just to name a few: Lima’s Cathedral, San Francisco Monastery, Santo Domingo Monastery, the Inquisition Museum, Plaza de Armas, and Plaza San Martín.
 
If you want to do it all in one day so that you get to see a bit of everything at a leisurely pace, a city tour is a great way to cover the highlights. We’ve done the research for you, check out the itinerary here: Lima city tour.

Shopping in Lima

When you’re out shopping on vacation, especially in a foreign country, it’s understandable that you would want to hone in on the products that are crafted with care, that are unique to the destination, and that will bring back unforgettable memories when you get home. If it’s not for you but a gift you’re planning to bring back, then it’s even more imperative that it be something more than a token keepsake and a present representative of where you’ve just been. There are many options in Peru, so we’ll try to point you in the right direction depending on what you’re out to get.  The best souvenirs from Peru are baby alpaca, silver, organic Peruvian coffee, chocolate, pisco, and unique chili pepper mixes. For a curated offer of high-end products by highly lauded Peruvian craftsmen and women, Dédalo and Puna are excellent options. If you want to peruse among endless possibilities, perhaps try the Inca Market in Miraflores. If you are specifically looking for baby alpaca, Kuna and Sol Alpaca would work; for jewelry, try Lorena Pestana or Sissai, and for all food items, you can explore a local supermarket like Tottus or Vivanda. ​

Want to do it all, but where to begin?

​We’ve thought of that, too! For the last seven years we’ve been positioned as the number one tour in Lima because our routes explore different neighborhoods of Lima, the cultural, historic and socio-economic context of the country you’re visiting and of course – delicious, carefully selected tasting menus so you can have your cake and eat it, too. Check out our city and food tours of Lima for the perfect intro to Peru.

​¡Bon appetit y buen viaje!