Peru · Walking Tours

Walking City Tour Lima and Catacombs

4 Hours Round trip from Lima Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights
  • 01 Walk through Lima’s UNESCO-listed historic center
  • 02 Visit Plaza San Martin and Plaza de Armas
  • 03 See colonial architecture, churches, and wooden balconies
  • 04 Explore the Convent of San Francisco and its catacombs
  • 05 Taste traditional Peruvian churros
  • 06 Learn about Lima’s history with a professional guide

Explore the historic heart of Lima on a guided walking tour through elegant squares, colonial streets, and some of the city’s most important landmarks. From Plaza San Martin to Plaza de Armas, discover the architecture, history, and atmosphere that make Lima’s old town a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Your experience also includes a visit to the Convent of San Francisco and its famous catacombs, one of the city’s most intriguing historic sites. Along the way, enjoy a traditional Peruvian sweet and learn more about the City of Kings with your guide.

The walking tour of Lima starts at Plaza San Martin, a beautiful square declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 4 Hours
Tour type Shared
Activity level Easy
Accommodation Not included
Transport Included
Wheelchair access No
City Lima
Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1
Day 01

Plaza San Martin

After picking you up from the hotel located in the city of Lima (optional) or meeting you up at the starting point located at the Hotel Gran Bolivar, this fantastic walking tour will take you to admire the historic center of Lima with a professional tour guide.

The walking tour of Lima starts at Plaza San Martin, a beautiful square declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. The central monument is a tribute to Don Jose de San Martin, the liberator of the Peru’s independence.

This square opened on July 27th 1921 and it is surrounded by incredible historic buildings such as the National Club, the Gran Bolivar Hotel, Theatre Colon and Giacoletti, the latter destroyed by fired in 2018.

Jiron de la Union

The tour continues walking along the Street Jirón de la Union founded in 1535 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro. It was a busy street for years, with coffee shops and restaurants attended by distinguished characters and high society such as writers and politics. Along this street, you will admire commercial buildings, as well as traditional wooden balconies, and churches.

Plaza de Armas

You will arrive at the Plaza de Armas, the main point of the old town of Lima. The Government Palace is located here, where the Peruvian president lives. The construction of the Cathedral of Lima began in 1535 and ended in 1649 and it has a beautiful Renaissance and neoclassical style front.

Also, you will admire important buildings such as the City Hall, the De la Unión Club, the Sagrario Church, the Archbishop’s Palace and wooden balconies around the amazing Plaza de Armas. Take the best picture of this historical place and have amazing panoramic pictures.

During our Lima city walking tour, you will taste a delicious and traditional Peruvian sweet known as Churros, fried flour sticks filled with dulce de leche or manjarblanco.

Catacombs of San Francisco

You are going to visit the Church of San Francisco to explore the Convent of San Francisco and the catacombs. These underground creeps are the largest and best preserved in South America. This mysterious place was the main cemetery of the city until 1810 and during the tour you will see large pools with the bone remains of more than 25 thousand people.

Many historical buildings went through different renovations, as they suffered damage from strong earthquakes in the capital of Peru.

The tour ends at this point, however, the order of the visits could change, depending on the start time of the tour. Then, the transportation will drop you off at your hotel (optional).

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map
Round trip from Lima 1 city · 4 Hours

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

  • Round trip transport (optional)
  • Snacks

What's Not Included

  • TIP OR GRATUITY

Know before you go

  • PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NEARBY
  • INFANTS MUST SIT ON LAPS
  • PASSPORT REQUIRED
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Not stroller accessible
  • Not suitable for pets
  • Infant seats unavailable
  • Pick up to centrally located Miraflores, San Isidro and Downtown Lima hotels
  • The end point of the tour could change, depending on the start time of the tour
  • Service without transfers included: you should show up at the meeting point at the agreed time. The time will be confirmed 24 hours before the start of the tour.
  • Rates increase 50% on January 1st, May 1st, July 28th and 29th
  • The tour does not operate on December 25th

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point
Lima, PE
Tour start
Lima, PE
Tour ends at the same location as the start point.
End of the journey

Your 4 hours finish where they began, in Lima.

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