A Journey Through Time: Lima's Historic Center & Catacombs Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Lima, Peru
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
See the best that Peru’s capital, Lima, has to offer as you embark on a city sightseeing tour. Join a small group and visit important landmarks like the Park of Love, the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site, Plaza Mayor, and the Convent Museum of San Francisco. As you explore, your guide sheds light on the three historical periods of Lima—pre-Hispanic, colonial, and modern—as well as the cultural and gastronomic heritage.
- Get a comprehensive overview of Lima’s city center
- Learn to make Peru’s national drink the pisco sour
- Enjoy round-trip transfers from your Lima hotel
- A small group means more attention from your guide
What's Included
- Oficial Tour Guide
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Pick-up from your hotel or airport (✔️Included only in Premium)
- Guided tour of Lima’s Historic Center.
- Entrance to San Francisco Museum & Catacombs (✔️Included only in Premium)
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
El Parque del Amor
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Huaca Pucllana
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Plaza de Armas (Plaza Mayor)
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Casa de la Literatura Peruana
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
5
Museo Convento San Francisco y Catacumbas
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 328 reviews
Michele_D, Apr 2026
Overall, the tour was excellent. Our guide was knowledgeable and her English was great! We saw the highlights of Lima, learned about Pisco, and the founding and colonial period of Peru. The tour lasted longer than estimated because of the Lima traffic, extending until afternoon and did not include lunch.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We’re really happy you enjoyed the tour and appreciated the professionalism and English fluency of our guide. We take pride in having a well-prepared team to ensure a great experience. We also truly appreciate your understanding regarding the traffic situation in Lima, which can sometimes affect timing.
Zonia_C, Apr 2026
We enjoyed the tour around the city, knowing many history and visiting the Catacombs was impressive our guide Patrick was very knowledgeable and oriented he was enjoyable, I will definitely recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hi, Zonia. It was a pleasure to hear that you enjoyed such a unique experience in Lima. We’re especially happy that Patrick helped make your tour even more memorable. Thank you for your recommendation!
Premkumar_E, Apr 2026
Very nice tour that lasted 3-4 hours that covered pretty much all the major sites in Peru. The guide Patrick was awesome.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for your feedback! We’re really happy you enjoyed this efficient and enjoyable tour, and that Patrick contributed to a great experience. We appreciate your visit and hope to welcome you again!
Ben_V, Apr 2026
Antonio the driver did a great job navigating Lima and dropped us off after the tour was finished were we wanted to go. Jose the tour guide did a wonderful job explaining everything and tending to everyone’s needs. Jose is a wealth of knowledge!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
It’s wonderful to know you had such a smooth and well-supported experience throughout your tour. We’re very happy that both the logistics and the guidance made your visit more comfortable and enjoyable. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again soon!
RAYMOND_S, Apr 2026
The tour is a wonderful experience into the cultur of Lima! Our guide, Roxanne, was fantastic! She was very professional, kind, helpful and knowledgeable!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
We’re very happy to hear you had such an enriching experience in Lima! It’s great to know you felt well supported throughout the tour. Hope to welcome you again soon!
Ron_L, Apr 2026
Very detailed. Runs longer than 4 hours. Beautiful city. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
What a pleasure to know you enjoyed exploring the city in such depth! We’re happy the experience felt engaging and that the guidance added value to your visit. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to see you again soon!
Ted_R, Mar 2026
José was a great tour guide. Extremely knowledgeable, with lots of additional information to add. Also, very easy-going which made the trip of pleasure. The driver was very safe. Do it!
LIL_E, Mar 2026
The tour guide, Vilma did a good job providing an educational experience on all sites visited. I would recommend this tour for everyone.
John_W, Mar 2026
Patrick was an experienced and knowledgeable tour. Really enjoyed it, and recommend it. Thank you!!!
Brian_M, Mar 2026
We had a great group.Our guide, Roxana was very informative
and was great at fielding questions about Lima
Donielle_F, Mar 2026
Wonderful day with our guide, Bryan exploring key historical points throughout Lima. We opted for a private tour and Bryan was incredibly accomodating when we asked for extra time at Lima's Literary House (Casa de la Literatura) and a visit to a local tabern to soak up some of the culture and sit down and have a cold beverage. Bryan was informative, socially charming and very pleasant. We learned a lot from him and enjoyed his company. Our driver (Jean Carlo "John") was a good driver, was very professional and friendly and kept the vehicle with A/C during a hot day (Many "limeños" don't always use A/C")! We loved our experience, seeing downtown Lima, and highly recommend Bryan and the entire tour!
Stephen_S, Mar 2026
This was an excellent tour with Roxana and our driver (Mr Carlos I think, but apologies if I have got that wrong!). Roxana is very knowledgeable and friendly, and a good sense of humor. Thankyou for making our Lima tour memorable, would definitely recommend
Kimberly_R, Feb 2026
Melanie was absolutely amazing! She was very informative and I was able to learn a lot about Limas culture and history with her guidance. The drive was smooth, and we saw a lot of places within the time frame we had which was very doable, had a surprise Pisco tasting and had time to shop a little for souvenirs also. I highly recommend doing this tour if you want to learn more about Lima, Peru. It is always nice to learn about the country you’re visiting from someone who cares a lot about it and from someone who knows best :)
Julie_P, Feb 2026
Fun and knowledgeable guide who took time to answer our questions.
It is advertised for 4 hours but with the traffic was more like 4.5
Molly_B, Feb 2026
What a great introduction to Lima. We got a brief history of the city and saw some archeological sites we didnt know about. Benji was a great driver and navigated the traffic like a champ. Jose was a fantastic tour guide and answered any question we had an took wonderful photos
Mike_S, Feb 2026
Love the knowledge of guide Arianne and also Edgar… combination of walking and van ride… perfect …..
WeiHong_H, Jan 2026
Had a great time with Melanie who is thoughtful and I learned alot during the tour. Strongly recommend!
Denise_L, Jan 2026
Tour with Jose from Miraflores to Lima Old Town was excellent. Met Jose at the Parque del Amor with fabulous views of the Pacific, then travelled past Huaca Pucllana archaeological site to the historic centre of Lima. Amazing buildings in the area. Toured the Convent Museum of San Francisco. Jose then took us to an old colonial house amongst the artisan shops where we learned about Pisco Sours with several tastings.
Victoria_E, Jan 2026
Patrick was extremely knowledgeable. He was passionate about sharing the history of Lima and his country. Excellent tour. Highly recommend.
Piotr_W, Jan 2026
Well organized
Great is the fact that organizer arranges pickup rom the hotel
One able to get flavor of the old town and culture. Good activity for the first day if you arrive from far duration ic good we actually decided to not to return to hotel and explore little bit more ourselves
Guide was Ok but we expected little more history but on the other hand it is easy to get overwhelmed there is so much that happened here
Saying it after today’s trip to Larco museum and then trip to Pacachama
Jessica_B, Jan 2026
This was a great experience. We learned a lot about the city and the history of Lima
The tour guides Jose and Melanie were so great! Very nice and informative and just great to be around
We learned a lot and enjoyed it immensely
Daniel_M, Dec 2025
Jose led an amazing tour around Lima! This was the first activity we planned and it was a great way to learn about Lima and see the city. Jose was very knowledgeable and gave us amazing information about Lima and the history at each site. Benji was also a great driver and made us feel safe throughout our rides around the city. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Lima!
ANDREA_H, Dec 2025
Jose was very accommodating and flexible to what we wanted to do, especially since it was a private tour. He was happy to let us shop and take us to our hotel or wherever we wanted to go within reason. Driver was safe. Highly recommended!
Romela_P, Dec 2025
Patrick was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable and very kind. He was very accomodazonh and his English was great
Samir_G, Nov 2025
The museums of san Francisco was amazing. Contains lots of history worth over 200 years. The guide, Jose, was very very good. Highly recommended.
Devin_S, Nov 2025
This tour was a great way to explore the city of Lima. We started off in Miraflores, and stopped in many places along the way. If you’re looking for an informative and lively personality, ask for Melanie. She really knew what she was talking about and my partner and I learned so much. Thank you Viator for introducing us to Mels. She was awesome!
Amanda_G, Oct 2025
This tour of Lima offered the chance to see some great highlights of the city and learn about Lima's history. It allowed us access to places we likely would not have visited on our own and taught us so much. Our guide, Patrick, was very knowledgeable and also took wonderful photos for us at every stop. The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco was the highlight of the tour, for me. The beauty and history of this place was captivating. We also thoroughly enjoyed our Pisco Sour tasting and found it perfectly placed before our adventure into the catacombs.
Neeta_J, Sep 2025
Very well organized. The contact person was always communicating with us constantly so smooth pick up as new in this area. Ms. Rukshana our tour guide was very nice/ informative/ funny which made the tour more memorable!! She went above and beyond and dropped us off at the hotel as running late for our international flight secondary to heavy traffic. Hats off to her and the driver!! Will recommend this tour to everyone touring Lima.
patrick_l, Jun 2025
Ricardo and Percy are a great duo. They gave me an awesome tour of Lima, both were friendly and knowledgeable. It was an afternoon well spent.
Katelyn_N, Apr 2025
The tour its self was good. However, we did not visit everything location on the detailed itinerary.
Our guide Pedro was great explaining everything in Spanish and English.
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per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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