A family trip to Lima, Peru was one of our favorite getaway trips we took over thanksgiving break a few years back. South America has many amazing cities to visit and Lima, Peru is one of quickest to get to if you live in the North America. Our direct flight from Houston, Texas to Lima was around 6.5 hours and actual in-flight time was less.
Lima is an underrated travel destination to go to with family. The city is naturally beautiful, has cool parks all over, locals are family oriented/friendly, the variety and quality of food is excellent!
Our Top 5 Travel with Kids Tips for Lima, Peru:
#1 Stay in Miraflores District
Lima is a beautiful coastal city. However, the Miraflores district in particular is spectacular and a major tourist attraction for good reason. Plenty of the major name brand hotels like Hilton and JW Marriott are in this area and are walking distance to a large variety of restaurants, parks and shopping areas.
We stayed at the JW Marriott and highly recommend staying there not only because of the quality of the hotel and service but also because of location. Larcomar, is an open-air mall right across the street and is a very convenient place to find great restaurants, ice cream shops and even arcades for kids to play, with views of the beautiful Pacific coast all around. The natural scenery is beyond amazing all around Miraflores. There are also several beautiful and vibrant parks in the area that are walking distance from each other.
#2 Book a City Tour
When visiting another city (especially foreign), one of the best ways to explore with children is to book an organized, guided tour. We did a city tour of Lima and it covered many of major highlights of the city. We got to stroll through the center of the city and see many landmarks including the San Francisco Convent (UNESCO World Heritage Site), an ancient pyramid (over 1000 years old) in the center of the city called Huaca Pucllana as well as Santo Domingo, a historic and beautiful church/monastery.
#3 Circuito Magico del Agua (Magic Water Tour)
Aside from all the activities around Miraflores, our favorite activity was going to Circuito Magico del Agua. For those who appreciate and enjoy water fountains, this is one of the best, if not the best fountain complex in the world.
There are 13 separate and colorful fountains that can be explored by walking the park or taking a fun train ride around the park. At the Fuente de la Fantasia, there is a lazer and water show synchronized with music, be sure to check the show times as this is a must see. The Fuente Tunel de las Sorpresas (Tunnel of Surprises) is a really unique and fun tunnel of water to walk through, our kids really enjoyed this particular activity as it is the most immersive in the park.
#4 Parque Kennedy (Kennedy Park)
Lima has a lot of unique and beautiful parks. As a cat loving family, Parque Kennedy was a must go for us as it is also famously known as a cat park. This park is filled with beautiful cats that are well taken care of by the community. They wouldn’t be considered stray cats but rather neighborhood cats that are fed and well groomed. These cats are very friendly and comfortable with humans; many people bring cat food to the park to feed them on a regular basis. We really enjoyed this park!
#5 Try Peruvian food!
As a foodie family, we research local cuisine and the must try food/restaurants before every vacation. Peruvian food is influenced by many cultures including but not limited to the indigenous population, Spanish, Italian, Japanese and Chinese.
Seafood is not one of our favorites, but Ceviche came to fame around the world from Peru. Lima in particular is famous for its Ceviche and is a must try when you visit the city. This dish is made from fresh fish marinated with lime, onions and other basic ingredients; we highly recommend trying it.
Lomo Saltado is also an excellent Peruvian beef dish. This dish typically combines sirloin strips with Peruvian seasonings, vegetables and served with fries and rice on the side. The flavors are unique, we love this dish.
If you prefer chicken, Pollo a la Brasa is delicious rotisserie charcoal-grilled chicken with a distinct combination of ingredients. We loved it so much, we had to and did find a Peruvian restaurant locally to fulfill our cravings for it.
Lastly, we really enjoyed trying Chifa, which is Chinese/Peruvian fusion style food. We tried a few different dishes including Pollo Tipa Kay (a variation of Sweet and Sour chicken) and Tallarin Saltado (a variation of Chow Mein) among some others. If you like American style Chinese food, it’s likely you will enjoy Chifa!
