Lima

Currency

Licensed street changers in Miraflores wear vests and IDs and give good rates, but use the established casas de cambio if you are unsure. US dollars are widely accepted but at a worse effective rate.

ATMs & cards

BCP, Interbank and BBVA machines are reliable. Use ATMs inside banks or malls rather than on the street. Choose to be charged in soles, never in your home currency.

GlobalNet is widespread and charges noticeably more than the banks. Withdraw inside branches or malls.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Miraflores and Barranco are comfortable and well-policed; central Lima needs more care and outer districts should be avoided without local guidance. Use ride apps rather than street taxis. Tap water is not drinkable — stick to bottled.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

• Yellow fever certificate, but only if you are arriving from a country where yellow fever is present

Worth having

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Tetanus up to date
• Yellow fever if you are going to the Amazon
• Rabies for rural or long stays

Getting treated

Private clinics in Lima are good and reasonably priced; outside the capital and the main tourist towns, facilities thin out quickly. Insurance with evacuation cover is worth having if you are heading into the Andes or the Amazon.

Altitude sickness is the most common problem for visitors heading to Cusco (3,400m) — ascend slowly and do not fly straight to a trek. Do not drink the tap water.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Lima is a genuine global food capital. Ceviche is eaten at lunch, never dinner — the fish is that morning’s catch. Try it at a cevichería, then work through lomo saltado, causa and anticuchos.

Getting around

• Uber and Cabify — the safest and most practical option for visitors
• Metropolitano — dedicated bus corridor, fast along the main north-south axis
• Walking — Miraflores and Barranco are pleasant and safe on foot
• Combi minibuses — very cheap but chaotic and not recommended for first-timers
• Airport: authorised taxi or Uber to Miraflores (45-90 min depending on traffic)

Must-see

Things to do

• Walk the Malecón cliffs at sunset
• Eat ceviche at a proper cevichería
• Explore Barranco’s street art and bridges
• Visit the Larco Museum
• See the Huaca Pucllana pyramid lit at night
• Paraglide over Miraflores

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Spanish (Latin American)

• HelloHolaOH-la
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youGraciasGRA-syas
• Yes / NoSí / Nosee / no
• Excuse meDisculpedees-KOOL-peh
• How much is it?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-ta
• The bill, pleaseLa cuenta, por favorla KWEN-ta
• Cheers!¡Salud!sa-LOOD

The c and z are said as an s here, not the Spanish "th" — gracias is GRA-syas.

Religion

Catholic

Catholicism fused with Andean belief — the Inti Raymi festival and mountain apu spirits sit alongside the church calendar without contradiction.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Greet with a handshake, or a cheek kiss once you know someone
• Try the food seriously — Peruvians are proud of it and interest is warmly returned
• Ask before photographing people in traditional dress, and expect to pay a small amount
• Take altitude slowly if you continue to Cusco; coca tea genuinely helps

Don't

• Do not eat ceviche in the evening; the fish is that morning’s catch and locals eat it at lunch
• Do not drink the tap water
• Do not hail street taxis; use an app
• Do not call the country’s cuisine Mexican-adjacent, which will not go well