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Lima City Tour - Culture and Contrasts

Feel free to ask us to add this tour to your schedule if you have a full free day in Lima, you can still visit a museum but you will need extra time another day in order to fit that in.

Lima is a big, noisy, disorganized city and many people visiting Peru avoid it completely. This is a shame in our opinion as the city has alot to offer and our special full day tour helps you appreciate this huge city in many of its guises, having played an important part in South American history for hundreds of years. This city of over 10 million people is the social and economic heart of Peru, and its environmental and economic extremes will suprise and shock you.

Our "Culture and Contrasts" tour is a full day spent visiting the capital accompanied by an English-speaking guide, high quality vehicle and driver. Departing from your hotel at around 9am you will start by passing through some of the city´s poorest neighborhoods such as La Victoria, Gamarra and Barrios Altos so you can appreciate how over 75% of the inhabitants of Lima live. Many people already know how lucky they are living where they do in the developed world but a little peek into this world rams the message home. You will then have a short visit to the main Presbyterian cemetery before continuing to the colonial centre.

You will visit the lovely Plaza de Armas which includes the Presidential Palace and the beautiful Cathedral among other colonial structures with their ornate colonial wooden balconies and doors. The construction of the impressive Cathedral was commenced in 1635 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro himself. After the Plaza de Armas you will visit the Church of San Francisco and the catacombs beneath.

The Church and Convent of San Francisco were constructed in the seventeenth century and are made up of the church and the convent of San Francisco, as well as two chapels. The building is noted for its 17th century architecture, a fine example of Spanish Neoclassicism. Catacombs are built under the monastery, and are said to connect to other catacombs beneath the cathedral and other churches in the area. The convent's library is world-renowned. It is also the headquarters of the Museum of Religious Art.

From the old colonial centre you will head south to the bohemian district of Barranco, an attractive area with fine architecture. Here you will stop off in the famous, traditional bar of Juanitos where you can enjoy a cold drink and something to eat. After lunch you will explore Barranco on foot, crossing the "bridge of sighs" and stopping off at one of the viewpoints over the Pacific Ocean before descending by stairs to the coast where you will meet your transport.

You will then continue to the modern, business area of San Isidro which has grown up around 2 pre-Inca pyramids, the most famous being the Huaca Pucllana, before cruising around this wealthy, boutique and restaurant filled neighborhood. San Isidro is frequented by the economic elite and people who live here pay western prices for their apartments, shopping and entertainment. You will also have a walk through the ancient olive park in the heart of the district.

The last visits on the tour are in Miraflores, where your hotel is located. You will visit the Parque de Amor (Park of Love) and the lighthouse overlooking the Pacific Ocean before being taken back to your hotel to recover from a full and eye-opening day out.

This comprehensive tour of the city allows you to see and experience more than on standard tours and gives you a real feel for the city. If you have a whole day to spare, this is the tour to do in our opinion. If you wish to see a museum as well as this tour you will need a few hours extra on another day, please ask us for the options.