Lima half-day tour: Cathedral, Santo Domingo & Larco Museum

Santo Domingo Convent holds a library of 25,000 rare volumes, some from the 15th century.

A half-day guided tour of Lima's historic center and the Larco Museum, with entry to the Cathedral of Lima, Santo Domingo Convent and museum galleries, plus air-conditioned transport and a live guide in English or Spanish. The Cathedral closes on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. On those days the tour visits the MALI Museum instead. Children from age 3 are welcome, and a dress code applies: no shorts or sleeveless tops at places of worship.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Marcahuasi1h · entry included
2. Cathedral of Lima1h · entry included
3. Larco Museum1h · entry included

Explore Lima's heritage and Larco Museum

• Visit Santo Domingo Convent
• Explore Lima Cathedral
• Tour Larco Museum

The experience

The tour starts in Lima's Historic Center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, beginning at Santo Domingo Convent. Built as a relic of Lima's foundation, the convent once housed San Marcos University, the oldest in the Americas. You walk through ancient corridors and see the country's oldest chairs, then enter a library holding 25,000 rare volumes, some dating back to the 15th century. The convent is also the resting place of San Martín de Porres and Santa Rosa de Lima, figures central to the city's spiritual legacy.

From there, the guide takes you to the Cathedral of Lima at Main Plaza. The cathedral holds priceless religious art and paintings tied to Francisco Pizarro and pivotal moments in Lima's history. The space itself is the story: each painting and artifact narrates a different chapter of the city's past. (Note: if your tour falls on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, when the Cathedral closes, you visit the MALI Museum instead, which holds a similar collection of Peruvian art and cultural objects.)

The final stop is the Larco Museum, a 30-minute drive from the city center. Review sites named it one of the world's 25 best museums. The collection spans Peru's ancient cultures through ceramics, with pieces depicting faces, objects, fruits and birds that bring pre-Columbian life into sharp focus. The museum's warehouse section holds an especially large array of these pieces, so you move through layers of Peru's past in a single afternoon.

What’s included

• Entrance to the Cathedral of Lima, Santo Domingo Convent and Larco Museum.
• air-conditioned transport between stops.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.

Options for this experience

2 options

Shared TourGuide in English or Spanish · 09:00 and 14:30Tour is conducted in both English and Spanish at the same time, and pickup is included.

Private TourGuide in English or Spanish · 09:00 and 14:30Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 14:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by VIPAC Travel

Is this one for you?Choose the shared tour if you're comfortable joining other travelers and want to split the cost. Pick the private tour if you prefer a guide and vehicle to yourself, or if your group has specific timing needs. Either way, the fixed four-hour schedule means the cathedral, convent and museum all fit into one afternoon without you arranging the route or managing the transitions between them.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

What's inside Santo Domingo Convent that makes it worth a stop on a Lima tour?

Santo Domingo Convent holds the country's oldest chairs and a library of 25,000 rare volumes, some dating back to the 15th century. It was once home to San Marcos University, the oldest in the Americas, and now serves as the resting place for San Martín de Porres and Santa Rosa de Lima, revered figures in Peruvian history.

Can I visit the Cathedral of Lima on any day, or are there times it closes?

The Cathedral closes on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. If your tour is scheduled for those times, you visit the MALI Museum instead, which holds a comparable collection of Peruvian art and cultural objects.

How far is the Larco Museum from Lima's city center?

The Larco Museum is a 30-minute drive from Lima's center. It holds one of the world's 25 best museum collections, with ceramics and artifacts spanning Peru's ancient cultures.

What should I wear to enter the Cathedral and convent?

A dress code applies at places of worship and selected museums on this tour. No shorts or sleeveless tops are allowed. You risk refused entry if you don't comply.

What's included in the price of this tour?

The tour includes entrance fees to the Cathedral of Lima, Santo Domingo Convent and the Larco Museum; air-conditioned transportation; and a live guide in English or Spanish.