Lima Guided Visits and City Tours
Lima has many guided options, from a site guide who comes with your ticket to a half-day city tour by minibus. This page covers what is built into entry, what operators sell on top, and what to check first. Prices are in soles (S/).
Guides included with the ticket
At Huaca Pucllana in Miraflores the visit is guided and the guide comes with the ticket. A 2024 press report listed day visits at S/ 15, Wednesday to Monday from 9:00 to 17:00, and night visits at S/ 17, Wednesday to Sunday from 18:45 to 21:00, with booking in advance. The site is closed on Tuesday. The adobe is fragile, so visitors stay on the marked routes with the guide.
The San Francisco convent and catacombs in the Historic Centre are also visited on a guided tour. The catacombs are a burial place for Lima’s colonial dead, with remains arranged in pits, and they call for a quiet, respectful manner. Reported fees range from about S/ 7 to S/ 30, so confirm the price at the desk, and ask there about photography before you take out a camera.
Museum visits with a guide
Museo Larco sells entry at S/ 50 at the door or S/ 45 online. Operators also sell private visits that bundle the ticket with a guide, which can make sense for the open storage rooms, where thousands of vessels are shelved without labels on every piece. Half-day tours that combine Larco with Huaca Pucllana are listed by several operators. Compare prices and check that the entry ticket is included. The museum is open daily from 9:00 to 19:00.
Casa de Aliaga on Jiron de la Union is a family house open to visitors by booking only, always with a guide. One guide lists daily hours from 9:30 to 17:00, last entry 16:30. Book ahead through an approved operator.
Callao
Callao is the port city west of central Lima. Walking tours of the Callao Monumental street-art district and visits to the Real Felipe fortress are sold as guided outings. The fortress is an 18th-century coastal stronghold, and operators list entry at about S/ 20 per person. Hours differ between sources, from 9:00 to 16:00 to 9:00 to 17:00, so check before you go. Stay with a guide in Callao and go in daylight.
What to check before booking
- Whether the ticket and guide are both in the price.
- The group size and the language of the tour.
- That the operator is licensed. Read recent reviews of any open-top bus before paying.
- Pick-up points, which are normally in Miraflores or the Historic Centre.
Staying safe on tours
The UK government says street crime is a significant problem in Lima, and that fake taxi drivers target arrivals at the airport. Keep valuables out of sight, carry only what you need for the day, and use an app or licensed taxi when you leave a tour. Protests are common in the Historic Centre and can close roads.
Compare Lima guided tours and the Museo Larco visit page for current fees.
Read more: walking tours in Lima and sightseeing in Lima .