Lima Free Walking Tour: The Best Way to Explore the City!
The Lima Free Walking Tour leaves for the Historical Center at 9:45 A.M. , Miraflores Walking Tour at 2:55 P.M and Barranco Walking Tour at 10:35 AM.
Just visit the Tourist Information Center to sign up!
Avenida Jose Larco 799 or Avenida Diagonal 494, Miraflores.
With its incredible mix of Spanish colonial architecture, vibrant culinary and arts scenes, and a spectacular scenic coastline, Lima is a can’t-miss destination in South America. The best way to get a feel for all that this amazing city has to offer is by taking the Lima Free Walking Tour to the historic center. The best Lima Free Walking Tour departs from the official Tourist Information Center in Miraflores at 9:50 A.M. every day except Sunday. On the tour, you’ll get to know the following interesting sites.
Lima Free Walking Tour Historic Center of Lima
Take the time to get to know the corners of the capital city of Peru! With our excellently trained guides who are always happy to help you with whatever you need, you can learn and explore with them.
Meeting Place
You’ll begin the tour at 9:45 A.M. at any of the officials Tourist Information Centers in Miraflores. From here, you’ll walk through this popular district and your guide will give you some useful tips on restaurants, bars and other things to do nearby. Then you’ll board the Metropolitano bus (Local bus) to head to Downtown Lima. The price for this bus is S/.2.50 (about $1.00).
San Martin Square
This square was built in the early 20th century and was named for the large monument to the liberator Jose de San Martin which sits in the middle of the plaza. You will learn a little about Jose de San Martin and the history of popular gatherings in the square.
Jirón de la Unión
It is a street of the Pizarro checkpoint, for many years the most important road in the city, characterized by being the most aristocratic and where the most famous inhabitants were meeting. Subsequently, with the damage of the historic center of Lima, the Jiron of the Union lost its aristocratic character to assume a fully commercial one.
Church De La Merced
This church of the order of the Mercedarian was located here in 4 lots that were offered after the foundation of Lima in 1535, the first church was made of adobe and precarious materials of the time.
Jirón Ica
El jirón, in its first blocks, has an exclusively commercial character, highlighting the presence of restaurants. After its intersection with Tacna Avenue, the shred acquires a residential character. The western part of the jirón, especially after Tacna Avenue, is part of one of the city’s crime zones.
Main Square
Then you’ll head over the Main Square, where you’ll be given some free time to look around and take some photos before meeting in front of the Government Palace to see the changing of the guard.
The House of Peruvian Literature
Located in a former train station, The House of Peruvian Literature is one part museum, one part library. Here you’ll learn about some of Peru’s most famous writers and get an overview of Peruvian literature.
Basilica and Convent of San Francisco
It is one of the most extensive religious complexes in Lima. It was built in the second half of the 16th century (1535), of Baroque and Mudejar styles (12th century style characterized by having Arab influence and the brick’s main material).
Parque de la Muralla (The Wall Park)
This is our last stop, here we will find the remains of the old wall, which was based on brick, boulder and calicanto, which is the mixture of sand, lime and egg white of the Guaneras birds. It was built during the colonial era in the 17th century.
The Lima Free Walking Tour will return to Miraflores at about 2pm, unless you decide to stay in Downtown Lima to continue exploring. To find out more about these sites listed above, you’ll definitely have to take the tour for yourself. Don’t miss out!.
Lima Walking Tour of Miraflores
The Lima Walking Tour of Miraflores begins at 2:55 PM, every day from any of the Tourist Information Centers in Miraflores, where you will walk throughits streets and your guide will point out all of the best bars, restaurants, and shops in this popular district and explore the local history of the area. One of the most historically significant parts of Miraflores’ history is the role it played in the War of the Pacific. It was during the battle of Chorillos and Miraflores that Chilean soldiers took the city of Lima. You will learn more about the battle and the historical importance of the war and the other areas of importance in the area throughout the tour.
Parque Kennedy
Kennedy Park is one of the principal touristic places in Miraflores. People come here to relax and to walk around the area that boasts a variety of restaurants, bars, and cafes. A curious fact is that the park is also known as “The cat Park” since it is the home of approximately 100 cats, which you can see sleeping around the park.
Parroquia Virgen Milagrosa
Also known as the Miraflores church, this structure was built in 1919 by the Polish architect Ricardo de Java Malachowski after his arrival in Peru. Inside the church, we can find stained glass decorations based on the life of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
Mercado N° 1
Market 1 of Surquillo is one of the many local markets in Lima. The architectural design makes it different to any of the other markets in the city, and you can find around 300 stands with locals selling a great variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, meats, juices, spices, herbs, cereals and much more. You can also find some really great small restaurants with a real local taste known as “Huariques”. This market is great for tourists and people that are interested in Peruvian gastronomy.
Indian Market
The market is made up of a series of small shops that sell ‘traditional’ Peruvian handicrafts and souvenirs, including alpaca colorful woven textiles, embroidered cushions, ceramics, jewelry, and musical instruments.
With low prices, it is a great place to visit if you want to buy some souvenirs of your trip. Spend a little time shopping around for the best deal and then ask for a discount.
Arequipa Avenue
Arequipa Avenue is one of the main avenues in the city of Lima, the capital of Peru. It extends from north to south in the districts of Lima, Lince, San Isidro and Miraflores along 52 blocks.
It has a cycle path located along its entire central berm. Before the implementation of the ATU, Arequipa Avenue was the seventh most congested road in Lima due to the excessive circulation of public transport units.
Pizza Street
Paseo San Ramón, traditionally called Calle de las Pizzas, is a pedestrian street located in the Lima district of Miraflores. The characteristic 2-block street is full of restaurants whose main offer is pizza, hence its particular name. At night, this passage becomes a nightlife center where there are several pubs and bars. The corner of Avenida Diagonal with Calle Berlín marks the end point of this pedestrian path and the busiest area of the avenue.
Choco Museo
Hear all there is to know about the Peruvian cocoa and see the process of making chocolate, from the cacao tree all of the ways to the wrapping of the delicious treat. Tourists can take the opportunity to taste chocolates, chocolate jams, Peruvian pisco, and cocoa tea.
The whole group enjoys the cacao tour briefly try all of the different options, and buy the products at the Choco Museo shop, which has body lotions, lipsticks, candles, cocoa beans, and notebooks.
Parque del Amor (Love Park)
This beautiful park is located in the Malecon Cisneros. It was inaugurated on February 14th, 1993. In the central part, you can see a beautiful sculpture dedicated to love, “The Kiss” which was created by the Peruvian artist, Victor Delfin. The park is bordered by a colorful mosaic wall, where you can read romantic phrases from the best known Peruvian poets, phrases such as:
“You are above the infinite sea” written by Augusto Tamayo Vargas.
Larcomar
Inaugurated in 1998 by Fernando Andrade, this shopping center has 115 stores,17 restaurants of all flavors, and if you’re looking for fun it has bowling, bars, clubs, and plenty others. It’s the most famous commercial center in Miraflores.
Chances are pretty high that if you’re staying in Lima, you will be staying in Miraflores. The Lima Walking Tour of Miraflores is a great way for you to get to know the area that you are staying in, and the tour of the Historical Center of Lima is a must for those interested in the history of the city.
Lima Walking Tour of Barranco
The Lima Walking Tour of Barranco begins at 10:35 AM, every day from any of the Tourist Information Centers in Miraflores, where you will walk through of the Barranco district. At the beginning we’ll board a local bus call “La Chama” to head to the Barranco district. The price for this bus is S/.1.80 (less than a $1.00).
Barranco View
Barranco is considered as the bohemian and cultural district of Lima. It has been the favorite residence of artists and writers. Barranco was founded on October 26, 1874. An extremely attractive beach resort for upper-middle-class and foreign tourists from Lima, who for the most part built large ranches and European-style houses.
Artwork Stair
Here, you can find murals of many different artists. A place where artists of all disciplines and backgrounds have gone to nurture their creative inspiration. Lately, Barranco’s streets have become something of a canvas, as the local government continues to allow more murals to be painted on the streets’ walls, Barranco is morphing into a colorful and lively street art gallery.
Bajada de los Baños
The Bajada de los Baños is considered a Colonial and Republican Real Estate Cultural Heritage. Formerly it was a small ravine that crossed the Bridge of Sighs, currently it is a road but it continues to cross the famous Bridge of Sighs. Its name, Bajada de Baños, is due to the path that leads to the sea and in ancient times to the Baños de Barranco.
Casa de los Suspiros – Jade Rivera Paintings
A good place full of good taste and avant-garde that brings together an interesting variety of crafts and art of all kinds.
Puente de los Suspiros
In the heart of Barranco is the Puente de los Suspiros, a traditional wooden bridge wrapped in an air of romanticism, for having been the site that began countless love relationships in Lima.
Balance del Equilibrio – Achorada place
Equilibrio is balance, and in this part of Barranco the cultural reality of Peru is shown, under the bridge we find a mural called “the mural of the races”, since Peru is a multicultural country.
The Barranco Fair
The Barranco Independent Fair is an initiative of independent creatives and merchants from Lima located in the district of Barranco. The Fair supports and promotes local artists, entrepreneurs and SMEs.
Sanchez Carrion Boulevard
A street with a long tradition that housed different families, today converted into a boulevard, it joins Bolognesi Avenue with Grau and the Municipal Park. Ideal for night owls who like fun as it is a meeting place for all people from Barranco on weekends. Pubs, clubs and clubs are waiting for you.
Main Square of Barranco
Barranco is a district that has a strong entertainment offer. This district of Lima with old mansions, cheerful people and lively nights is known as “the artists’ neighborhood”. It was founded in 1874 and borders the Miraflores neighborhood. In the Plaza de Armas is the National Library and there you can get maps of the area with tourist information on bars, restaurants, shops and hotels.
The Lima Free Walking Tour will return to Miraflores at about 1:15pm, unless you decide to stay in Barranco to continue exploring. To find out more about these sites listed above, you’ll definitely have to take the tour for yourself. Don’t miss out!
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