In short
Start by placing your days on the map: a cheap hotel far from your visits is paid for in taxis and hours of traffic. Read the unit of the price (per room, per bed, per person), ask what is added (cleaning, deposit, tax) and, from June to September, whether the accommodation is dry and has hot water. For booking, Booking and Airbnb cover the essentials, and we also have contacts locally. To get to your neighbourhood from the airport: arriving in Lima; for visiting: Lima’s neighbourhoods.
Start with your days
Write down what you want to do in Lima and where it is: museums in the centre or in Pueblo Libre, walks in Miraflores and Barranco, markets, appointments, bus or plane departures. Stay close to what comes up most often, and devote a whole half-day to the outlying areas rather than crossing the city again and again. The page Getting around Lima helps you estimate journeys.
The areas compared
| Area | Strengths | Weaknesses | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miraflores, between Parque Kennedy and the malecón | Everything on foot, seafront, restaurants, airport bus stops | More expensive, busy, traffic on the main roads | First stay, short stay, families |
| Miraflores, around Huaca Pucllana and Avenida Arequipa | Residential streets, neighbourhood restaurants, gentler prices | Further from the sea; Avenida Arequipa is noisy | A week’s stay, mid-range budget |
| Barranco, streets south of the park | Charm, walks, within walking distance of the sea and Miraflores | Noise at weekends near the bars; further from the centre | Couples, travellers who go out in the evening |
| San Isidro | Quiet, parks (El Olivar), business district | Less lively in the evening and at weekends, fewer walks | Business trips, travellers looking for peace and quiet |
| Historic centre | Right by the monuments, low prices | Particular caution in the evening according to the FDFA, noise | Experienced travellers, a stay focused very much on the centre |
| Callao, near the airport | A few minutes from the terminal | Nothing to do around it in the evening | The night before a very early flight |
No district is “safe” or “dangerous” as a whole: the street, the lighting, the entrance to the building and the route to your visits matter more. The FDFA advises paying particular attention to safety when choosing accommodation, notably to access and security staff.
Room, bed or apartment: reading the unit of the price
| Type | Usual unit of the price | What is often added |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel | Per room and per night (single, double, triple) | Breakfast sometimes included; tax depending on your status (see below) |
| Youth hostel | Per bed in a dormitory and per night, or per private room | Locker, sheets, towel depending on the establishment |
| Rented apartment | Per property and per night, with reduced rates by the week or month | Cleaning fees, deposit, platform fees |
| Room in someone’s home | Per room or per person | Access to the kitchen, laundry |
| Package (tour, organised stay) | Per person, often “in a double room” | Single room supplement |
Always compare the total for the stay for the real number of travellers and nights, not the price shown per night. The budget calculator counts accommodation per room or per person.
The tax on tourist accommodation
According to Peruvian tax rules as described by specialist guides, the accommodation of a non-resident foreign tourist in a hotel listed on the SUNAT register is treated as follows: stay invoiced without IGV, as an export of services, for up to 60 days per entry into the country, on presentation of the passport and proof of entry. IGV is Peru’s VAT. In practice, ask whether the price quoted includes IGV and whether the exemption will be applied to you. A rental between private individuals does not necessarily follow the same rule.
Four profiles
Alone, first trip. A hostel or a small hotel in Miraflores, within walking distance of Parque Kennedy and an airport bus stop. A single room often costs almost as much as a double: compare with a bed in a dormitory if the budget matters.
As a couple. Miraflores for simplicity, Barranco for the atmosphere. Check that the room does not overlook a street full of bars.
As a family. A family room or an apartment with two bedrooms and a kitchen, near the malecón (the parks and the promenade serve as a playground). Ask for the exact configuration of the beds and whether there is a cot.
For working. San Isidro or Miraflores, accommodation whose connection has been tested (ask for the speed), a desk or a table, and a coworking space nearby if you are staying a long time. See Staying several weeks.
Humidity, hot water, noise: the questions to ask
Lima is a very humid coastal desert (average humidity of 83%, about 6 mm of rain a year), and from June to September the sky is often grey, with a morning drizzle, the garúa. Winter temperatures remain mild (about 19 °C by day and 15 °C at night), but accommodation is rarely heated and you feel the humidity at night. Before booking, ask:
- Is the accommodation dry? Are there signs of damp, ventilation, a window in the bedroom?
- Does the hot water work at all hours? Many properties have an electric water heater (“terma”) with a limited capacity.
- Does the room look onto the street? Double glazing is rare.
- Access: reception or caretaker, a lit entrance, a lift.
- Internet: real speed, cable or wifi.
- Late arrival: how do you collect the keys after 22:00?
Booking: Booking and Airbnb
For most stays, two platforms are enough:
- Booking for hotels and hostels: plenty of choice in Miraflores and Barranco, and often free cancellation. Use the map to stay close to your visits, read the recent reviews (noise, humidity, hot water) and compare the total price, taxes included.
- Airbnb for an apartment, as a family or for more than a week: a kitchen, more space and weekly or monthly rates. Look at the total with the cleaning fees, choose a host who has recent reviews, and ask them the questions above before booking.
In both cases, keep all your exchanges within the platform and refuse a payment by bank transfer requested by message: that is what protects you if there is a problem.
We also have contacts locally. For accommodation you cannot find online, a long stay or simply an opinion on a listing, write to us: if one of our contacts in Lima might suit you, we will tell you.
The full cost and cancellation
Get it in writing before paying: the total price, what it includes (taxes, breakfast, cleaning, linen), the deposit and the conditions for its refund, and the cancellation conditions. Indecopi points out the right to clear information on the price and to proof of payment. Keep a copy of the booking offline.
Our interests, declared
For accommodation for several weeks or several months, we may point you towards Swiss Lima Property, the property business of the publisher of this guide: it is a relationship of interest, we tell you so, and you are free to compare with other offers. The criteria on this page apply in the same way.
Sources and dates
5 sources
Prices, opening hours and rules change: every piece of information cited links to its source, with the date it was consulted.
Figures and rules cited
- stay invoiced without IGV, as an export of services, for up to 60 days per entry into the country: Accommodation for a non-resident foreign tourist: treatment of Peruvian VAT (IGV) (Accommodation establishments registered in SUNAT’s special register) (Foreigner not domiciled in Peru, on presentation of a passport and proof of entry (TAM) ; includes: Accommodation, Meals invoiced by the establishment) . Rule described by tax guides; it does not apply automatically to a private rental. Ask whether the price shown includes IGV and whether the exemption is applied to you.
Press or reseller: Noticiero Contable, tax benefits for tourism (Legislative Decree 919, Ley 28780) (new tab) , published on 2 October 2009 · consulted on 2 October 2026 - average humidity of 83%, about 6 mm of rain a year: Average relative humidity and annual rainfall in Lima (Jorge Chávez airport weather station (13 m))
Press or reseller: Wikipedia (English), Lima, climate (1991–2020 normals of the airport station) (new tab) · consulted on 2 October 2026 - about 19 °C by day and 15 °C at night: Average temperatures in Lima in August (southern winter), 1991–2020 normals (Jorge Chávez airport weather station (13 m)) . From June to September, morning drizzle (garúa) and grey skies are common; sunshine in August is around 28 hours over the whole month.
Press or reseller: Wikipedia (English), Lima, climate (1991–2020 normals of the airport station) (new tab) · consulted on 2 October 2026
Sources consulted
- Wikipedia (English), Lima, climate (humidity, garúa) (new tab) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
- Noticiero Contable, IGV and accommodation for foreign tourists (new tab) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
- Airport Express Lima, stops in Miraflores (new tab) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
- FDFA, Conseils pour les voyages – Pérou (travel advice, in French: choosing accommodation) (new tab) (consulted on 1 October 2026)
- Indecopi, rights of users of tourist services (new tab) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
How we choose and date our information: our method. Has something changed? Let us know.