South America
Peru
Lima Region
Lima
Things to do in Lima
Centro Historico de Lima
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Centro Historico de Lima

See all things to do
See all things to do
Centro Historico de Lima
4.5
#21 of 381 things to do in Lima
Historic Walking Areas
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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About
Lima's downtown center, with its breathtaking architecture and rich history, makes it clear why it deserves to be a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: San Isidro
Best nearby
Restaurants
750 within 5 kms
Embarcadero 41
1,776
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Latin • Seafood
PERÚ GOURMET
224
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Cajun & Creole • Seafood
L'Eau Vive del Peru - Restaurante Frances e internacional
202
0.3 km$$ - $$$ • French • European • South American
Churros San Francisco
110
0.1 km$ • Dessert • Peruvian • Fast food
Restaurante Bar Cordano
692
0.1 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian
Museo del Pisco
181
19 m$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Latin • Bar
Tanta
355
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Embarcadero 41
280
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Latin • Seafood
El 10 Plaza De Armas
153
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Steakhouse • Peruvian • Latin
Pardos Chicken
129
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Peruvian • Barbecue
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Attractions
252 within 10 kms
Archbishops Palace
325
0 mSpeciality Museums • Architectural Buildings
Presidential Palace (Palacio de Gobierno)
772
0 mArchitectural Buildings • Government Buildings
Pileta del Angel de la Fama
1
0 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Fountains
Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor)
8,184
0.8 mPoints of Interest & Landmarks • Fountains
ChocoMuseo Plaza de Armas
71
21 mSpeciality Museums
Palacio Arzobispal De Lima
5
29 mArchitectural Buildings • Religious Sites
Parroquia del Sagrario
3
34 mHistoric Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Cathedral of Lima
2,432
88 mChurches & Cathedrals
Casa de la Literatura Peruana
149
0.2 kmPoints of Interest & Landmarks
Palacio Municipal de Lima
77
0.1 kmGovernment Buildings
See all
See what travellers are saying
  • Stacy Gwylneth
    Boston, Massachusetts2 contributions
    Visiting Lima
    Nice city, worth knowing.... the ideal is to take a bike tour or take advantage of the sightseeing buses to get to know the city a little bit. the food is very good, excellent cuisine. to get to know the city to the fullest, go with the idea of walking a lot, it is the best way to take advantage of everything.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled with friends
    Written June 28, 2023
  • TheExplorerFamily
    Somerset, New Jersey6,451 contributions
    History, History and More History
    The Historic center is the old Downtown of the Lima Metropolis, and among the most important tourist destinations in Peru. It starts at The Plaza de Armas in Lima, and in the entire district, there is no street, plaza or balcony that is not relevant to Peruvian history. Amazing…! The City of Lima (the Capital of Peru) was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, and given the name “City of Kings”. The Main places to see here are the Arch Bishop’s Palace, the Basilica Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo, Government or Presidential Palace, the Plaza Mayor, and so much more. And then, there are the Balconies – 1600 of them around the district – built in the Viceroy Era. They are maintained meticulously well, and they even have a “Adopt a Balcony” Program. Given the time constraints of the city tour, we could only stop at, and examine a few of the important places. But we are delighted at what we were able to see. Our guide drove us around some of the neighborhoods, and pointed out some buildings that have a Black and White Logo on their facades. This meant that they are UNESCO listed buildings. The Colonial/Victorian architecture reminded us of Europe. So worth it to spend a lot of time in this historical district.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written October 9, 2023
  • Brad P
    Dallas, Texas113 contributions
    Worth the visit
    Went to Peru to see Machu Picchu. Added day in Lima due to late flight and glad we did. Took a nice tour of the Spanish city center. very nice.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written November 28, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
5,061 reviews
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2,666
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1,867
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448
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61
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Brad P
Dallas, TX113 contributions
Worth the visit
Nov. 2023 • Family
Went to Peru to see Machu Picchu. Added day in Lima due to late flight and glad we did. Took a nice tour of the Spanish city center. very nice.
Written November 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheExplorerFamily
Somerset, NJ6,451 contributions
History, History and More History
Sep. 2023 • Family
The Historic center is the old Downtown of the Lima Metropolis, and among the most important tourist destinations in Peru. It starts at The Plaza de Armas in Lima, and in the entire district, there is no street, plaza or balcony that is not relevant to Peruvian history. Amazing…!

The City of Lima (the Capital of Peru) was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535, and given the name “City of Kings”.

The Main places to see here are the Arch Bishop’s Palace, the Basilica Cathedral, Convent of Santo Domingo, Government or Presidential Palace, the Plaza Mayor, and so much more. And then, there are the Balconies – 1600 of them around the district – built in the Viceroy Era. They are maintained meticulously well, and they even have a “Adopt a Balcony” Program.

Given the time constraints of the city tour, we could only stop at, and examine a few of the important places. But we are delighted at what we were able to see. Our guide drove us around some of the neighborhoods, and pointed out some buildings that have a Black and White Logo on their facades. This meant that they are UNESCO listed buildings. The Colonial/Victorian architecture reminded us of Europe.

So worth it to spend a lot of time in this historical district.
Written October 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eastlight54
solihull235 contributions
Very disappointing
Oct. 2023 • Couples
We spent a morning here on our last day in Lima. I was very disappointed, whilst there are many large buildings round the two squares the rest of the area is a bit of a dump, nothing attractive about it and not much to see. There was a strong police presence everywhere. It was not worth the 30 minute taxi ride to get here, give it a miss.
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stacy Gwylneth
Boston, MA2 contributions
Visiting Lima
May 2023 • Friends
Nice city, worth knowing....
the ideal is to take a bike tour or take advantage of the sightseeing buses to get to know the city a little bit.
the food is very good, excellent cuisine.
to get to know the city to the fullest, go with the idea of walking a lot, it is the best way to take advantage of everything.
Written June 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mediawhite
Georgia59 contributions
Just beautiful
Feb. 2023
We loved walking around the area and enjoying the food and architecture. It was a highlight of our trip
Written February 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bcsystems
Ann Arbor, MI3,996 contributions
Large Main Street
Nov. 2022
We were on a tour and we mostly ventured down a large main street of shops, restaurants and bars. Though along the way, there was some interesting architecture and historical buildings.
Written November 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
enncle
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK4,534 contributions
Gorgeous, lots going on .
Oct. 2022 • Couples
My partner and I visited while staying in Lima, about a 40 min Uber from miraflores, £6 . Historical centre was gorgeous, lots to look at, unfortunately churches where closed due to work. But it was a great day out. Fantastic architecture.
Written November 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lucycan
San Diego, CA3,456 contributions
Good stop
Nov. 2022
The historic center of Lima is about 9 square blocks of pedestrian only streets in the center of Lima. The main town square is there, the Presidential palace and much more.
Written November 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Komator
Barcelona, Spain870 contributions
Average historical center
Aug. 2022
Centro historico is a mandatory stop for every tourist. Being that said, it's a little disappointing. Mainly because of the insecurity you feel. I've been in other South American historical centers (e.g., Quito) and it's different. As you reach the Plaza de Armas you're told to not step one street out of the Plaza or the two main roads.
The plaza itself is quite large, with Lima's Cathedral on one side and several historical buildings nearby (most of them, being remodeled). It's nice and quite crowded with tourists and people trying to sell you things.
Written October 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
emorga
Rome, GA592 contributions
An odd experience
Aug. 2022
We visited when Peru was experiencing protests over high gas and grain prices. The result was Plaza de Armas was blocked off with at least 4 different police and army units heavily armed keeping an eye on everything. All was quiet and security was friendly It was nice to walk the fringes and view the square without crowds Also the area around the plaza is being converted to a pedestrian only zone many other streets were torn up and you had to walk several blocks to get there That said it is well worth the effort to see
Written August 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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CENTRO HISTORICO DE LIMA - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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