Private Full-Day Best of Lima Tour
Description
For the traveler who only has one day to spare in the capital city, this is the perfect tour for you! We'll cover all of the major highlights that Lima has to offer from pre-Incan history and colonial architecture to award winning gastronomy and a privately guided tour of Lima's top attraction, the Larco Museum. With your private guide and transportation this tour not only provides a well planned and conveniently thought-out itinerary but the chance to interact and travel the city with a new local friend.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop on the historic city-center portion of our tour. Here we recognize one of Peru's most well-known liberators, Jose de San Martin.
Also known as the St. Francis Monastery in English, the church and convent were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. The site contains a world-renown library with about 25,000 antique texts and in the catacombs beneath it is estimated that this same number of people were laid to rest. Today you can explore the once hidden passages and observe the uniquely displayed remains of first Limeños.
Here we will spend a few minutes in the heart of Lima. The Plaza de Armas is home to the Presidential Palace, Arch Bishop's Palace, Cathedral and Municipal buildings and can oftentimes be a lively place filled with people and various forms of entertainment.
Built atop a seventh century pyramid, this vice-royal mansion is a site to see with its beautifully cared for gardens; you will find yourself snapping photos of the grounds as much so as the relics inside. The portion of the tour consists of captivating history, a 45,000-piece store of antiquities and an intriguing erotic collection (this room can be left out if touring with younger children.) Afterwards we will have time to enjoy a delicious lunch surrounded by colorful gardens on the outdoor patio of the museum cafe.
A brief stop to observe Lima's most famous solid pyramid used as a ceremonial site for the Lima culture during the years of 200 to 700 AD. A full tour of the site is not taken, only observed from the outside.
An artistic park located on the sea-side cliffs of Miraflores. Observe the para gliders sailing over head and local young couples strolling along the paths dedicated to lovers everywhere. A great place to snap a quick photo of you and a loved one!
See the more contemporary side of Lima with it's ocean side views and beautiful parks. Included in this portion of the tour are stops at the Huaca Pucllana and Parque de Amor (Love Park.)
Sitting at roughly 251 meters above sea level, you will get a wonderful view of the Pacific Coastline, Chorrillos Bay an the Shanty towns below. Often overlooked on other tours, this can be the highlight of ours!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We can pick up from any location in Metropolitan Lima, however, if outside of Miraflores, San Isidro or Barranco, there will be additional charges. We offer this tour in the form of a layover or shore excursion, please choose the appropriate option when selecting your tour grade. If you are staying at the Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol or Holiday Inn Airport Hotels, then you should choose the Tour from Airport option.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
- The Catacombs portion of the tour is neither wheelchair nor stroller accessible but we can substitute the Cathedral of Lima or other venue if client is unable to participate in Catacombs tour.
- When tipping, please do so separately for the guide and driver.
- At time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time.
- Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to late or non-arrival of cruise ship.
Reviews(216)
We booked this tour for a long layover in Lima and it exceeded our expectations! Our guide Edgar was not only very knowledgeable, he made the tour fun. George, our driver, added to the fun while safely navigating the traffic and avoiding jams. Among our favorite sites were the church and catacombs, the Museo Larco (beautiful grounds and excellent food), and “lovers park” with its Gaudi-inspired wall. We highly recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that your layover in Lima turned into such a memorable day. Best regards to you both!
This tour was a perfect way to spend a long layover in Lima. We were picked up at the airport by our guide Edgar and driver George. Edgar answered all our many questions, providing insightful and fun facts about the city and the sites. Highlights for us were the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco with its catacombs and the Museo Larco, where we had a delicious lunch. George was both a friendly and great driver, safely navigating the traffic and avoiding jams. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone who has a day to spend in Lima.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that your layover in Lima turned into such a memorable day. It’s wonderful to know that Edgar and George (Jorge) made your tour educational, seamless, and enjoyable. The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco and Museo Larco are indeed special highlights, and we’re glad you enjoyed both the history and the delicious lunch. We truly appreciate you taking the time to recommend us!
Natalie (guide) and Ismael (driver) were amazing ! Very knowledgeable about the city and flexible w itinerary. Would do again !
Thank you so much for your commentary on our Best of Lima Tour—it truly sounds like it was exactly that! Private tours give us the option to remain flexible with our guests, making the experience all the more memorable. We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and share insights from your day with the traveling world. Kind regards to you.
Marie and Jorge picked us up at our hotel right on time first thing in the morning. Tour was fascinating, fun, perfectly paced. Marie was a wonderful tour guide and Jorge the best driver we could have asked for. It was like spending the day with family that you really like! So glad we picked their tour.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We’re thrilled to hear that your day with Maricarmen and Jorge felt like spending time with family — that’s exactly the atmosphere we hope every guest feels while exploring Lima with Integrity. We’re glad the pacing, guiding, and driving all came together to make your tour both fun and fascinating. It was a pleasure to have you with us, and we truly appreciate you choosing our tour for your day in Lima.
Excellent guide and driver. Both made sure I was well taken care of and focused on my comfort and learning the local history.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. At Integrity Tourism, our goal is to ensure every traveler feels comfortable, supported, and able to truly connect with Lima’s history and culture. We’re glad to know that Sandra, your guide, and Jorge, your driver, upheld that commitment throughout your full‑day tour. We appreciate you taking the time to leave this feedback.
We had only one day in Lima and chose this full day tour. Our tour guide, Edgar, and our driver, Jorge, were fantastic. Edgar was very knowledgeable about the city, its history, and the neighborhoods. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your review. At Integrity Tourism, we’ve designed our Best of Lima itinerary to be the most complete way to experience the city in a single day, and we’re thrilled your visit reflected that. Edgar and Jorge are part of our exceptional team, and we’re proud of the care and expertise they bring to every tour. We truly appreciate your recommendation.
I’ve done numerous guided tours, and Nathaly’s was one of the very best in terms of depth and breadth of knowledge, selection of sites, pacing, focus on the client, wonderful personality. She and her driver Jorge are a great team. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much, Sheryl. At Integrity Tourism, we’re incredibly proud of the team we’ve built, and it means a lot to hear that your day reflected the care and expertise we put into every itinerary. Nathaly and Jorge are perfect examples of the top‑level guides and drivers who make our experiences stand out. We’re thrilled you enjoyed your Best of Lima tour and truly appreciate your recommendation.
Nathaly was a fantastic tour guide with an in depth knowledge of architecture and art history. We had a comprehensive day of everything Lima, including the city center, churches, the eclectic architecture, coffee shop break, parks, archeological sites, the shantytown area, and our favorite: Museo Larco, a privately owned vast collection of antiquities followed by a delicious lunch. We had a lovely driver to take us places and we walked to some areas in the city. Highly recommend this tour if you only have a short period of time in Lima!
Thank you so much for your review. We’re glad you enjoyed a full day exploring Lima with Nathaly, covering the historic center, churches, eclectic architecture, parks, archaeological sites, the shantytown area, and Museo Larco with lunch. We appreciate you recommending this tour for travelers with limited time in the city.
Nathaly was a fantastic tour guide with an in depth knowledge of architecture and art history. We had a comprehensive day of everything Lima, including the city center, churches, the eclectic architecture, coffee shop break, parks, archeological sites, the shantytown area, and our favorite: Museo Larco, a privately owned vast collection of antiquities followed by a delicious lunch. We had a lovely driver to take us places and we walked to some areas in the city. Highly recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed such a full and varied day discovering Lima with Nathaly, who brings a remarkable depth of knowledge in architecture and art history to our team at Integrity Tourism. It’s great to know her insights added so much richness to your experience. Your description captures exactly what we aim for on this tour — a comprehensive look at Lima’s many layers: the historic center and its churches, eclectic neighborhoods, a relaxing coffee break, beautiful parks, archaeological sites, the shantytown area, and of course your favorite, Museo Larco, with its incredible private collection followed by a delicious lunch. We’re also glad your driver made the day smooth and comfortable as you explored both by vehicle and on foot. Thank you again for highly recommending us. It was a pleasure to host you, and we hope to welcome you back to Peru someday.
This tour was outstanding. We covered so much, and yet it was at our pace. If we wanted time for photos, or to shop, or for coffee, it was no problem. We learned so much about Lima, past and present!
We’re so glad the Full‑Day Best of Lima tour worked so well for your pace and interests. It’s great to hear you were able to enjoy the day with plenty of time for photos, shopping, and coffee while learning more about Lima’s past and present. We appreciate you choosing us for your visit to the city.
