Getting around Lima: which network for which journey

The principle: one area per half-day

The most visited neighbourhoods are far apart: there are about 9.5 km by road between Parque Kennedy, in Miraflores, and the Plaza Mayor, and about 10 km to the Museo Larco, in Pueblo Libre. These distances are modest; it is the traffic that makes them long, especially in the late afternoon on weekdays.

The rule that saves the most time is therefore not a network but a way of organising things: one area per half-day, starting from your accommodation. The historic centre and Rímac in the morning, Pueblo Libre another half-day, Miraflores and Barranco on foot the rest of the time. Do not plan to cross the city just before a booked dinner or a bus departure.

Five networks not to confuse

Paying: cards and fares

• Metropolitano and Corredor Azul: top-up card (Lima Pass or Metropolitano card), sold and topped up in the stations. A journey on the Metropolitano’s main line costs S/ 3.20. On the Corredor Azul, the press reported in August 2026 a fare of S/ 2.40 for two journeys.
• Line 1: a card specific to the metro, S/ 5 excluding credit, then S/ 1.50 per journey at the standard fare. Hours: last departures from both terminals, Villa El Salvador and Bayóvar, around 22:00, every day, according to the operator’s FAQ; at an intermediate station, the last train depends on the direction. For an evening journey, check on the operator’s timetable page the last train at your station, in your direction and for your day; customer service hours are not the train times.
• Taxis and apps: payment in cash or through the app depending on the service. Amounts are agreed before getting in.

A card bought for one network does not necessarily work on another: ask at the ticket office, when you buy it, which networks it works on. Have small notes ready for topping up.

Typical journeys between bases

Taxis and apps

Lima has street taxis, company taxis (radio taxis) and vehicles booked through apps (Uber, Cabify, InDrive, among others). The FDFA advises, especially in Lima, taking only official taxis booked in advance or those provided by the hotel, because of assaults reported in taxis hailed in the street. An app or a radio taxi also gives you a record of the journey and a price known in advance.

Before getting in, check the number plate and the driver’s name; sit in the back; keep bags and phone inside, away from the open window. For a street taxi, agree on the price before leaving: there is no meter.

Walking in Lima

Miraflores, Barranco, the historic centre and Pueblo Libre are best discovered on foot once you are there. The seafront of Miraflores and Barranco, at the top of the cliffs, is one long continuous promenade. In the centre, the pedestrian streets (Jirón de la Unión, Jirón Ucayali) link the Plaza Mayor with the Plaza San Martín.

Two local habits protect your phone: checking a route before going out rather than while walking, and keeping your mobile put away at the edge of the pavement, where most of the snatchings reported by the FDFA take place (often by thieves on bicycles or motorbikes).

Accessibility

Line 1 stations are equipped with lifts. On the Metropolitano, access is via footbridges and ramps depending on the station; at rush hour, the crowds make boarding with a pushchair or a wheelchair difficult. For a traveller with reduced mobility, a taxi or a booked vehicle is often more reliable than a public network. See Travelling at your own pace.

Keeping a margin

Journey times shown by the apps vary widely from one hour to the next. For a fixed appointment (a booked dinner, a long-distance bus, a guided tour), add a wide margin at the morning and evening rush hours. For the airport, see the page Arriving in Lima.