Lima is a large, sprawling, and confusing city, so if you want to make quick work of a visit, an organized tour of the major sights might be the best option. Standard city tours are offered by innumerable agencies. Among the most dependable is Lima Tours, Nicolás de Piérola 589, 18th floor (www.limatours.com.pe; tel. 01/619-6900). A standard half-day tour of Lima Centro costs S/120. Lima Tours also offers visits to Pachacámac as part of its “Lima Arqueológica” tours, as well as highlights packages across Peru.
Limavision, Jr. Chiclayo 444, Miraflores (www.limavision.com; tel. 01/447-7710), offers half-day sightseeing tours of Lima, including a choice of excursions, for S/115, as well as daylong trips to Caral for S/880 or a half-day at Pachacamac for S/150. Fertur Perú (www.fertur-travel.com; tel. 877/247-0055 in the U.S.) is a highly professional outfit, run by a Peruvian-American couple, with reasonably priced city tours and multi-day packages to sights across Peru. Class Adventure Travel (CAT), Grimaldo del Solar 463, Miraflores (www.cat-travel.com; tel. 877/240-4770), is an excellent all-purpose agency run by a knowledgeable and friendly Dutch couple in the U.S.; it offers a 3-day city tour and travel arrangements around Peru.
Free short walking tours of Lima are frequently offered by the Municipalidad de Lima (Town Hall). For the latest schedule, call tel. 01/427-4848.
Mirabus (www.mirabusperu.com; tel. 01/242-6699) is a double-decker bus that leaves from Parque Kennedy and offers several tours, from Lima Centro, to a night tour and even a dinner buffet tour, to visits outside of town to Pachacámac and Caral. Tours range from S/75 for a 4-hr. downtown colonial tour to S/170 for a night tour with dinner and a show. Although it sounds a bit uncomfortably close to those stag or bachelorette bus parties where everyone drinks his or her way across town, El Bus Parrandero, Av. Benavides 330, Of. 101, Miraflores (www.elbusparrandero.com; tel. 01/445-4755), is a colorful party bus promoting gregarious evening tours of Lima, with unlimited drinks, snacks, and live music. Tours are given Monday through Saturday from 8 to 11pm, departing from Larcomar shopping mall; the party ride costs S/90. Perfect if you’ve got your heart set on reliving (or continuing) your college days while you’re in Lima.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
