Visit Lima by tourist bus
There are two tourist bus companies that offer a complete tour of Lima.
- TURIBUS (panoramic bus)
The complete tour lasts 4 hours and there are only 2 departures during the day: at 9 a.m. and 15 p.m.
You can pick it up at the following address: Foreign's C. Larcomar - LIMA Tel: (511) 747-37-17
For USD 25, he offers two itineraries: BARRANCO or CENTRO HISTORICO DE LIMA . The price includes entrance fees to the Convent of San Francisco and the Catacombs.
- LIMA BY DAY (panoramic bus)
The full tour lasts 3:30 hours and there are only 2 departures during the day: at 9:30 a.m. and at 14:30 p.m. The route goes from the Miraflores district to the historic center. The price is 75 SOLES.
You can pick it up at the following address: Kennedy Park - Miraflores - LIMA
Entrance fees to the Convent of San Francisco and the Catacombs are included in the price.
Tour to visit Lima
The interesting sights in central Lima are concentrated and easily accessible on foot. I simply chose to follow the itinerary recommended by Lonely Planet.
We start from Plaza San Martin and follow the directions below.
The raising of the National Guard or Republican Guard
We were lucky enough to stumble upon the changing of the guard ceremony (it takes place every Sunday at 12:00 PM at the Palacio del Gobierno , or Presidential Palace – Plaza de Armas). El Cambio de Guardia: this is the changing of the guard of the Peruvian Republican Guard (also the official escort of the president). It was a magnificent spectacle, which I invite you to watch in the attached clip. The ceremony lasts about twenty minutes and ends with the military version of El Condor Pasa: strangely enough, it was very moving.
We spent the entire morning visiting Lima . This gave us a general overview, but it wasn't enough to fully explore all the sites (cathedral, museums, catacombs, etc.). I think you need at least a full day. But my schedule didn't allow for that because I absolutely wanted to visit some distant relatives who treated us like royalty.
My grandfather's sister's son is married to a Peruvian woman named Myluska. He is the father of Myluska and her two sisters who live in the very posh Surco neighborhood in the center of Lima.
Being received by Peruvians
In the morning, I called Myluska's father to confirm our visit today at 15:00 p.m. He had insisted on inviting us to eat but I declined so as not to have too much work for us (we are still 4 adults…). I did say we would just go have a little coffee.
What a surprise when we arrive… Not only are we welcomed as VIPs, but we discover a large and beautiful table displaying all the typical dishes of Peru.
They had prepared for us a tasting of the main specialties of their country! We were very embarrassed but very curious and finally we went to the table.
The father offered to show us how to make the famous Pisco , and right in front of us, he concocted this delicious drink. He made enough for 10 people, but there were only 7 of us, 2 of whom didn't drink alcohol…
The afternoon unfolded in a joyful atmosphere, thanks in part to our hosts but mostly to the number of glasses of Pisco …
Our trip ended in the best possible way: In joy, friendliness, exchange and sharing with Peruvians.
Homemade Pisco recipe for 4 or 5 people
(For us, he multiplied the doses by 2 !!! 😛):
- 1 large glass (like a large lemonade glass) of white PISCO
- Half the glass of lemon juice
- Half the glass of cane syrup
- Half the glass of water
- Half egg white
- Put everything in a blinder and mix for 5 seconds, serve and enjoy ...
Typical dishes, specialties of Peru
- The guinea pig : Dish of pre-Inca origin. There are guinea pig farms because it is the holiday dish and it is very popular with Peruvians. My experience was limited to tasting Cuy Pekines at Astrid y Gaston (see previous article).
- Ceviche : Raw marinated fish. There are a multitude of versions of this recipe. The 3 that I tasted at Astrid y Gaston were simply delicious. A word of advice: you must absolutely taste this dish in this country !!!
- El lomo saltado : Beef tenderloin minced and sautéed with onions, tomatoes, peppers, soy sauce and served with large fries. It is found on all maps and I have never been disappointed.
- The PATARASHCA : Amazonian dish consisting of fish, tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil.
- Alpaca steak : We must forget these adorable animals that we stroked throughout our trip to get to taste this meat ... which we say is incredibly tender.
- abodo de cerdo : Typical dish from the Arequipa region. It is a pork stew marinated in red wine and accompanied by Andean potatoes.
To find out the list of hotels on my tour: