Lima has a side you don’t see from street level. This city highlights walking tour pairs major plazas and classic downtown streets with a real underground finale in the Catacombs-Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi. I love the mix of big landmarks like Plaza San Martín and Plaza Mayor plus the walkable “how Lima grew” route along Jirón de la Unión. I also love that you’re not just staring at buildings: you get a professional guide who can answer practical and historical questions, like Pamela, Saul, and Vilma are known for doing. One thing to plan for: it’s a smooth walking route that still takes a chunk of time (150 to 210 minutes) and it runs rain or shine.

You’ll start with hotel pickup and a van ride toward the historic center, then bounce between stops with guided walking and photo breaks. If you’re staying in Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, or the Historic Center, pickup and drop-off are included. If not, there may be a small extra fee—worth checking before you book.

This is a camera-friendly, shoes-on tour. Bring comfortable shoes and a sun hat, and expect you’ll want water. The tour includes a small snack or a bottle of water, but it does not include food, so plan your lunch or dinner separately.

Key points before you go

• Major Lima landmarks on foot: Plaza San Martín and Plaza Mayor, plus the streets that connect them.
• Jirón de la Unión: an aristocratic-era street walk with plenty of photo moments.
• San Francisco de Asís Monastery stop: you’ll see the Library (once a railway station) and Bar Cordano.
• Catacombs entry ticket included: so you get the underground portion without scrambling for tickets.
• Hotel pickup and drop-off (in key areas): van transport helps when you’re crossing districts.
• Smooth walking pace: good for most people who can walk steadily for a couple hours.

Walking the Lima that matters, without rushing

Lima’s historic center can feel like a maze if you’re on your own. This tour is built to fix that fast. You start with big orientation points—plazas and central streets—so the city’s layout makes sense by the time you reach the older religious complex.

The pacing is also practical. It’s described as a smooth walking tour, which is exactly what you want when you’re mixing official buildings, churches, and a longer visit at San Francisco. It also helps that the day is capped at a realistic window of 150 to 210 minutes. That’s long enough to feel like you saw something real, not so long that you’re wrecked for the rest of the day.

One more practical upside: you’ll have a professional guide and a professional driver. That means fewer logistics headaches and more time for street-level Lima.

Plaza San Martín and Gran Hotel Bolívar: start strong

Your first stop is Plaza San Martín, one of the easiest places to get your bearings. The square itself is a showpiece, and the surrounding landmarks give you an instant “this is what Lima used to look like at its most formal” feeling.

You’ll have time for a photo stop and a guided walkthrough here. It’s also the kind of stop where your guide can point out relationships between buildings and streets—helpful because later you’ll be walking the same kind of axis and seeing those connections again at Plaza Mayor.

If you like architecture and old city layouts, this opening gives you a clean visual reference before you move into the more layered historic center.

Jirón de la Unión: Lima’s aristocratic street walk

Next comes Jirón de la Unión, a famous downtown street that once functioned as Lima’s high-society corridor. Walking it with a guide changes it from just a busy corridor into a timeline you can feel under your feet.

You’ll do a guided walk plus time for photos. Expect this to be one of those “oh, that’s why this area looks like that” stretches. The street is a practical bridge between plazas: it connects how the city’s elite moved and how the city’s civic and religious centers gathered nearby.

This is also a smart moment to slow down mentally. You’re moving from one major landmark cluster into the next, so it’s a good time to take in details your brain might otherwise skip.

Iglesia de La Merced: a quick stop with context

You’ll also stop at Iglesia de La Merced. It’s not the longest visit on the route, but it matters because it keeps the tour from feeling like a checklist of only the biggest squares.

A church stop on this kind of route helps explain the city’s center as more than government and commerce. In many historic centers—including Lima—the religious institutions are part of the civic structure. Your guide can connect that with what you’ll see shortly at Plaza Mayor and at the San Francisco complex.

Plaza Mayor de Lima: government, cathedral, and power in one frame

Then you hit the centerpiece: Plaza Mayor de Lima. This is the square that makes it hard to ignore Lima’s colonial-era influence. You’ll have a photo stop plus time to walk around and get a guided look at the surrounding buildings.

The key buildings you’ll cover include:

• Government Palace
• Cathedral
• Archbishop’s Palace
• City Hall
• Union Club

What I like about this stop is the way it tells a story just by looking around. It’s the city’s formal “who had power where” map. And because you’ll see both civic and religious sites, the square doesn’t read like one theme—it reads like how Lima organized authority.

For first-time visitors, Plaza Mayor is the quickest way to understand why people romanticize old-city central squares. For repeat visitors, it’s still worth it because the guided framing makes your own observations sharper.

San Francisco de Asís Monastery: Library and Bar Cordano

The tour then moves into the Monastery of San Francisco de Asís area. This is a big step up in “time and attention” compared to the earlier stops, because you’ll have around an hour for the visit.

You’ll see the historic Library, which was formerly a railway station. That fact alone adds an interesting twist: the complex isn’t frozen in the past. Lima reuse and transformation shows up right inside a famous religious space.

You’ll also see Bar Cordano during this part of the visit. In other words, you get more than stone walls and old arches. You get a sense of how the site lives in the present, too—so you don’t leave thinking history is only museum glass.

House of Peruvian Literature: a short pause that adds depth

Between the monastery visit and Plaza Mayor, there’s time at the House of Peruvian Literature. It’s a brief stop, but it helps shift the day from “old buildings” to “old ideas.”

Even a short photo stop here can make a difference. It signals that Lima’s culture isn’t only architectural. It also gives you a different lens for understanding what the city values beyond plazas.

Catacombs underground: the tour’s most memorable turn

The finale is the Catacombs-Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi, with an entry ticket included. This is the part that makes the tour feel unique. Historic Lima is impressive above ground, but going underground changes your whole sense of scale and purpose.

Your guide brings you there and stays with you during the visit, which matters because catacomb spaces can feel confusing if you’re just reading signs. With a guide, you’re more likely to understand what you’re seeing instead of just counting arches and footsteps.

Practical note: since this is an underground visit, you’ll want to stay focused on footing and pace. Bring those comfortable shoes again—this is where they pay off.

If you want one reason to justify choosing this tour over a plain walking tour, it’s this section. It turns a city highlights day into a story with a twist.

Price and value: how $38 holds up

The price is $38 per person, and for Lima that can be solid value when you look at what’s included:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• A professional tour guide
• A professional driver
• Entry ticket to the Catacombs
• Local snack or bottle of water

Food isn’t included, so you still need to plan for lunch or snacks afterward. But you’re not paying extra just to access the catacombs, and you’re not doing all the transit yourself either.

For me, the real value is time. A guided route that handles the main sights plus the entry ticket saves you from piecing together transport and tickets one by one.

Getting there: pickup zones, van rides, and drop-offs

The tour includes van time to and from the historic center, and the ride matters because Lima’s districts are not all equally close. You’ll typically transfer (about 35 minutes) toward the old downtown area, then move through the central route on foot.

Pickup and drop-off work best if you’re staying in:

• Miraflores
• Barranco
• San Isidro
• The Historical center of Lima

If your hotel is in another district, pickup and drop-off are still possible, but there can be a small extra fee. Also, drop-off is done at multiple spots, so you might be in the van for a bit after the tour while the group is released at different locations.

This is one reason to keep your next plan flexible. You’ll be done after 150 to 210 minutes, but your exact leaving time from the final stop can vary by where you’re dropped.

What to bring (and what to skip) for a smoother walk

This tour is run rain or shine. So I recommend light layers even if it looks sunny when you leave.

Bring:

• Comfortable shoes
• Sun hat
• Camera
• Comfortable clothes

Not allowed:

• Luggage or large bags
• Unaccompanied minors

If you’re using a stroller or wheelchair, let the team know in advance. The tour is listed as wheelchair accessible, but advance notice helps avoid surprises and lets the team plan the route.

A small tip: pack your day bag tight. This is not the kind of tour where you want to be wrestling with big items in narrow historic lanes.

Who this tour fits best

This works well if you’re:

• In Lima for a first visit and want the core landmarks grouped logically
• Interested in both the city’s public squares and the San Francisco site
• Short on time and don’t want to navigate the logistics on your own
• Happy walking steadily at a smooth pace for a couple hours

It’s also a good choice if you like guides who answer questions in real time. The experience is consistently associated with guides such as Pamela, Saul, and Vilma, and the general theme from their approach is clear: they explain Lima in a way that helps you connect what you see to what you’re learning.

Should you book this Lima city highlights + catacombs tour?

Yes, I’d book it if you want a guided Lima day that mixes the obvious landmarks with something you can’t easily DIY in the same way. The combination of Plaza San Martín, Jirón de la Unión, Plaza Mayor, the Monastery of San Francisco de Asís, and the catacombs gives you a rounded picture of the city’s center.

Skip or reconsider if you’re trying to avoid walking at all costs, or if you hate underground spaces. Also, if you’re sensitive to rain, plan clothing accordingly since the tour runs in bad weather too.

If you’re the kind of traveler who likes a plan that still leaves time for photos and explanations, this is a strong value at $38—especially because the catacombs entry is included.

FAQ

How long is the Lima City Highlights Walking Tour & Catacombs?

The tour lasts between 150 and 210 minutes, depending on the selected starting time.

What does the tour price include?

It includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional tour guide, a professional driver, the entry ticket to the catacombs, and a local snack or bottle of water.

Is food included?

No. Food is not included, so plan for lunch or other meals on your own.

Where do you pick up and drop off?

Pickup and drop-off are included if you are staying in Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro, or in the Historical center of Lima. Other districts may require a small extra fee.

Which parts of Lima will we see?

You’ll visit Plaza San Martín, Jirón de la Unión, Iglesia de La Merced, the Monastery of San Francisco de Asís (including the Library and Bar Cordano), the House of Peruvian Literature, Plaza Mayor de Lima, and you’ll end with the catacombs.

What language is the tour guide?

The live guide is available in English and Spanish.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is listed as wheelchair accessible. If you’re bringing a wheelchair or stroller, you should let the team know in advance.

What should I bring and avoid?

Bring comfortable shoes, a sun hat, a camera, and comfortable clothes. Avoid luggage or large bags, and note that unaccompanied minors are not allowed.