Lima: Pizarro's City of Kings
Walk the streets where South American colonial history began — from the spot Pizarro founded Lima in 1535 to catacombs holding 70,000 bones, a cathedral hiding a fake mummy scandal, and the oldest university in the Americas.
Start
Plaza San Martin
Plaza San Martin
Lima's grandest civic square, inaugurated for the centennial of Peruvian independence in 1921, crowned by a monument to the liberator with an accidental llama.
Iglesia de la Merced
The site of the first Latin Mass celebrated in Lima, with a granite Churrigueresque facade that is one of the finest examples of ultra-Baroque in the Americas.
Plaza Mayor
The exact spot where Pizarro laid out Lima in 1535 — the political and ceremonial heart of the city for nearly five centuries, with a bronze fountain from 1651.
Lima Cathedral & Pizarro's Tomb
Lima's grand cathedral, where Pizarro laid the first stone in 1535 — home to one of the great mummy scandals in Latin American history.
Archbishop's Palace
A 1924 Neo-Colonial masterpiece with enormous carved cedar balconies — the finest surviving examples of Lima's once-famous balcones de cajon.
Government Palace
Built on the exact site of Pizarro's original residence, where he was assassinated in 1541 — today the seat of Peru's president with a daily changing of the guard.
San Francisco & the Catacombs
Lima's largest colonial religious complex with a UNESCO-listed church above and a labyrinth of catacombs below, holding the bones of up to 70,000 people arranged in geometric patterns.
Santo Domingo
The oldest religious foundation in Lima, where the oldest university in the Americas held its first classes and two of the continent's most beloved saints are buried.
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00 AM offer the best experience — the garua fog often lifts by mid-morning, museums and churches are less crowded, and the changing of the guard at the Government Palace happens at 11:45 AM. Avoid Sundays when several churches hold services and access is limited.
Pro Tips
- •Arrive at the Government Palace by 11:30 AM to watch the changing of the guard ceremony at 11:45 — the Husares de Junin in plumed helmets are worth the wait.
- •Book the San Francisco catacombs tour in advance if possible — it's the most popular attraction in the centro and lines build by midday.
- •Lima's centro is flat and walkable. Comfortable shoes are all you need — no hills, no altitude concerns at sea level.
- •Try a pisco sour at the Gran Hotel Bolivar bar on Plaza San Martin — order the 'Cathedral' for the full historic experience.
- •Do not miss the small floor grates inside San Francisco church — they look directly down into the catacombs beneath.
- •Carry small bills in soles. Church entry fees and museum tickets are often cash-only.
Safety & Precautions
- Lima's historic center is safe during daylight hours but keep your belongings close — use a crossbody bag and keep phones in front pockets. Pickpockets work the crowded areas around Plaza Mayor and Jiron de la Union.
- Avoid the centro after dark, especially side streets away from the main plazas. Take a taxi or rideshare back to your hotel at night.
- The garua fog can make mornings cool and damp from May to November — bring a light layer even though Lima is on the coast.
- Stay hydrated. Despite the coastal fog, Lima is a desert city and the air is drier than it feels.
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