Lima Activities: Museums, Surf and Food

November 5, 2026

Lima sits on a cliff above the Pacific, and a visit tends to split between museums and pre-Inca sites inland and a coast of parks, beaches and restaurants. The city is at sea level, so there is no altitude to plan for. Prices below are in Peruvian soles (S/).

Museums and ruins

Museo Larco in Pueblo Libre is a private museum in a vice-regal mansion. Its open storage galleries show thousands of ceramic vessels on shelves, and one separate gallery covers erotic pottery of the Moche and related cultures, which some parents will want to skip with children. It opens every day, including holidays, from 9:00 to 19:00. The museum’s price list shows S/ 50 at the door and S/ 45 when you buy online (the online shop is in Spanish only). Seniors over 60 pay S/ 35 at the door or S/ 30 online, students and ages 9 to 17 pay S/ 25 or S/ 20, children 3 to 8 pay S/ 1, and under 3 is free. Reduced rates need ID at the ticket office. Details are on the Museo Larco site .

Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores is an adobe pyramid built by the Lima culture between about the 5th and 7th centuries and later used by the Wari and Ychsma. Entry is by guided visit only. A 2024 press report gave day visits Wednesday to Monday from 9:00 to 17:00 for S/ 15, and night visits Wednesday to Sunday from 18:45 to 21:00 for S/ 17 with advance booking. It is closed on Tuesday. Check the current schedule before you plan around it.

MALI, the Museo de Arte de Lima in the Parque de la Exposicion, opens Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00, closing at 17:00 on Saturday and all day Monday. Ask at the ticket office for the current fee.

An evening at the fountains

The Circuito Magico del Agua in the Parque de la Reserva has 13 fountains and is open daily from 15:00 to 22:00. General entry is S/ 7, children under 5 enter free with ID, and seniors over 65 pay half with ID. Multimedia shows run at 19:15, 20:15 and 21:10. Children run through the jets, so pack a dry change of clothes. The park’s own site is circuitomagicodelagua.pe .

On the water and above it

Beginners learn to surf at Makaha and Waikiki beaches in Miraflores. A 2026 guide puts a lesson of 1.5 to 2 hours at roughly US$ 20 to 45 with board and wetsuit. The beaches are pebble, the Humboldt Current keeps the water cold all year, and a wetsuit is needed in every season. The British government warns that some surfboard rentals on Miraflores beaches are unlicensed and that lifeguards may be absent, so book a licensed school, stay with the instructor and never swim alone.

Tandem paragliders launch from the Miraflores cliff top for flights of about 10 to 15 minutes. Wind decides whether a flight goes ahead, and prices vary by operator, so compare before you book.

Eating well

Lima is a serious food city. Maido in Miraflores was named best restaurant in the world by the World’s 50 Best list in June 2025. Central in Barranco and Astrid y Gaston in San Isidro also run tasting menus. Book Maido and Central a month or more ahead.

Staying safe

The UK government reports gunpoint robberies of tourists in Miraflores and Barranco and phone snatching by motorbike riders, so keep your phone away at the kerb. Use app-based or licensed taxis rather than hailing in the street, especially from the airport. A state of emergency over crime has covered Lima and Callao, so check the current position before you travel. The UK travel advice for Peru is updated often.

Compare Lima activities and tickets if you want to book ahead.