9 of the Best Museums in Lima and How To Visit

Housed in a whitewashed 18th-century mansion, the Larco Museum traces more than 5,000 years of Peruvian history through its private collection of pottery, textiles, ceramics, and metalware. But its 30,000 stellar artifacts aren’t the only draw—the bougainvillea-clad café is a lovely place to enjoy coffee or ceviche while admiring the gardens. A skip-the-line admission ticket will save you plenty of waiting time, but for the ultimate experience of the Larco Museum, combine an after-hours tour with a gourmet dinner of Peruvian specialties in the museum garden.

Don’t miss: The Erotic Gallery, home to pre-Columbian erotic pottery.

Housed in the Church and Convent of Saint Francis, the Museo Convento San Francisco y Catacumbas showcases art, architecture, and religious artifacts, making it one of the top historical museums in Lima. Once you’ve emerged from the labyrinth of cloisters and catacombs containing the bones of more than 70,000 people, admire sacred art in the free exhibition space. It's also worth stopping at the Magic Water Circuit show, a series of choreographed fountains in Parque de la Reserva.

Don’t miss: The baroque library, which contains more than 20,000 antique tomes in several languages.

The stained glass windows and ornate frescoes are just as much of an attraction at this museum as the 5th- to 18th-century Peruvian artworks it displays. But the exhibits don't just end there—the collection at the Pedro de Osma Museum extends to sculptures and silverware, making this one of the most in-demand Lima museum tickets. For the ultimate culture fix, combine a tour of the museum with the famous Huaca Pucllana archaeological site.

Don’t miss: Religious artwork from the 16th and 17th centuries, including a 6-foot (2-meter) canvas of the Corpus Christi procession.

When it comes to art museums in Lima, collections don’t get more cutting edge than MAC – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima. Exhibits here rotate regularly, but past expositions have explored everything from the physical body to poetry. Once you’ve been to the museum, continue exploring the bohemian district of Barranco, famous for its hipster crowds and quirky coffee shops, on a tour of colorful street art.

Don’t miss: Designed by Peruvian architect Frederick Cooper Llosa, the modernist building that houses the museum is reminiscent of an island with its reflective pools.

Mujica Gallo boasts a dazzling display of pre-Inca and Inca gold, silver, and brass. Thousands of pieces showcase diverse Peruvian cultures across several centuries. Highlights range from decorative items, such as bejeweled nose ornaments, to delicate filigree depictions of cats, lizards, and monkeys. Join a culture-rich experience that doesn’t just cover the Museum of Gold, but also takes you to the on-site Weapons of the World Museum, where you can see antique weapons decorated with gold and precious jewels to demonstrate wealth.

Don’t miss: The funerary masks from the Ica desert, decorated with serpents, and open-mounted masks from the Nazca cultures.

With branches in both Miraflores and Lima’s historic center, ChocoMuseo is designed with chocoholics in mind. In addition to the free museum that details the history and production process of chocolate, you can also take part in bean-to-bar workshops where you make your own chocolate.

Make Lima sightseeing even sweeter by combining the ChocoMuseo with several highlights of the Historic Centre of Lima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site packed full of photogenic colonial architecture.

Don’t miss: Cocoa bean exhibits that let you feel and try chocolate in its raw form.

Dating back to the 5th century, Huaca Pucllana is one of the most important archaeological sites in the region. Even better, the Huaca Pucllana Site Museum helps you make sense of the ruins with informative panels and bonus content in the form of excavated artifacts, including ceremonial jars. Explore the complex and museum at your own pace, then dine at a refined restaurant with spectacular views of the ruins on a gourmet food tour.

Don’t miss: The 82-foot (25-meter), 7-tiered adobe pyramid at the heart of the archaeological site, which dates back more than 500 years.

You’ll struggle to find a roundup of the best museums in Lima that doesn’t feature the Lima Art Museum, where more than 1,200 pieces of art span 3,000 years of Peruvian history. Indigenous textiles sit beside abstract modern art in this eclectic space, which celebrates Peruvian creativity. You can explore the collections using the free audio guide; alternatively, a private museum tour lets you hone in on the museum’s highlights with a guide to provide deeper insight.

Don’t miss: The Contortionist of Puémape ceramic vessel from the Cupinisque culture and the abstract 20th-century Puka Wamani painting by Fernando de Szyszlo.

Showcasing the diverse portraits of its namesake in a 19th-century mansion, the Mario Testino Museum celebrates one of Peru’s most famous artists. The subjects of the large-scale photographs range from Kate Moss to Indigenous Peruvians dressed in rainbow-colored finery. After the museum, delve deeper into Barranco’s artistic heritage on a Lima walking tour that reveals the richness of the bohemian neighborhood’s culture.

Don’t miss: The Diana Room, home to the last official portraits of Princess Diana that Testino shot for Vanity Fair magazine. It also has a replica of one of Diana’s Versace gowns.