Lima City Tour: Colonial Center, Pre-Columbian Sites & Catacombs

Walk Lima's three eras in one morning or afternoon

A four-hour city tour of Lima covers the pre-Columbian, colonial and modern periods with hotel pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle. The route includes Huaca Pucllana, the Plaza Mayor, San Francisco Convent and its underground catacombs, plus the residential neighborhoods of El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar. Departures run at 9:50 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. daily, with a live guide speaking English or Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lima city tour and historical sites

• Pick-up at pre-established time
• Panoramic view of Huaca Puccllana
• View Historical Center and Government Palace
• Visit Plaza San Martin and Plaza Mayor
• Appreciate colonial balconies and mansions
• Visit Convent of San Francisco and library
• Tour underground galleries and catacombs
• Explore traditional residential areas

The experience

The tour starts with a pickup from your hotel and a panoramic view of Huaca Pucllana, an archaeological complex built over 1,500 years ago. From there you move into Lima's historical center (the Government Palace, Municipality, Cathedral and Archbishop's Palace) before reaching the Plaza Mayor, where colonial-era balconies and mansions line the square. The Convent of San Francisco opens its cloisters and library to the group, and the tour descends into the underground galleries, or catacombs, the main cemetery of the colonial period that still carries the weight of centuries.

The second half takes you through Lima's modern residential areas: El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar, where you see how the city has grown beyond its colonial core. The air-conditioned vehicle moves between stops, and the guide narrates in English or Spanish throughout. Two departure times: morning at 9:50 a.m. and afternoon at 2:50 p.m. Let you fit the tour around the rest of your schedule.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• air-conditioned vehicle throughout the tour.
• live guide in English or Spanish.
• access to the Plaza Mayor, San Francisco Convent and its catacombs.
• panoramic views of Huaca Pucllana and Lima's historical center.
• time in the modern neighborhoods of El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:00

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Chullos Travel Peru

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cover Lima's three historical periods (pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern) in a single guided tour with built-in transport through the sprawling city.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is Huaca Pucllana and why does the tour start there?

Huaca Pucllana is a large archaeological complex built more than 1,500 years ago, and the tour opens with a panoramic view of it to show the pre-Columbian period that shaped Lima before the Spanish arrived.

Does the tour go inside the San Francisco Convent?

Yes, the tour visits the Convent of San Francisco, where you see the cloisters, the library and then descend into the underground galleries: the catacombs that served as the main cemetery during the colonial era.

Which neighborhoods does the tour include in the modern Lima section?

The modern section covers El Olivar de San Isidro, Miraflores and Larcomar, the traditional residential areas that show how Lima has expanded beyond its historical center.

What time does the tour depart, and is hotel pickup included?

The tour departs at 9:50 a.m. or 2:50 p.m. daily, and hotel pickup is included in the price. The guide will collect you from your accommodation.