Lima in 2 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Two days in Lima on a budget: what it actually costs
Two days in Lima realistically covers Miraflores, Barranco and a Centro Historico half-day, not the whole country, and definitely not Machu Picchu (a separate flight-plus-train trip to Cusco, never a Lima day trip). Peru’s currency is the sol, PEN, running roughly S/3.38 to S/3.41 per US dollar in 2026 (the old “Nuevo Sol” name was dropped back in 2015). Lima sits at sea level, so altitude is a non-issue here, unlike Cusco’s thin air. Visit outside December through April and expect the garua’s grey, damp skies rather than sun, a genuine coastal-desert overcast, not a rain risk. Both days below run cheap: free clifftop parks, a S/15 pyramid ticket, a S/7 to S/10 catacombs visit, and menu-del-dia lunches under S/20.
| Day | Focus | Travel time | Rough daily cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Miraflores: the Malecon cliffs, Parque Kennedy’s cats, Huaca Pucllana pyramid | Walkable within Miraflores; Huaca Pucllana a 10-15 min walk from Parque Kennedy | S/60-110 |
| Day 2 | Barranco’s Puente de los Suspiros, then a Centro Historico half-day (Plaza Mayor, San Francisco’s catacombs) | Metropolitano BRT roughly 20-30 min Miraflores to the Centro, or a registered taxi/app | S/55-100 |
Book these before you go:
- A Huaca Pucllana guided visit : walk-up tickets work too, but a guide explains the adobe brickwork pattern
- San Francisco Monastery catacombs tickets : the included 40 minute guided tour is worth timing your Centro half-day around
- peru.travel : PROMPERU’s own site, worth a check for current Fiestas Patrias dates and any live safety notices before you land
Day 1: Miraflores, free cliffs and one paid pyramid
Start on the Malecon, the clifftop path running the length of Miraflores; it costs nothing and is the best hour for sol value in the city. Cut over to Parque Kennedy for the resident stray cats locals feed daily, also free, then grab a cheap menu del dia nearby: soup, a main and a drink for roughly S/10-20 away from the Larcomar side of the neighborhood. In the afternoon, walk 10-15 minutes inland to Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca adobe pyramid sitting in the middle of a residential block; daytime admission runs roughly S/15 (about S/7.50 discounted), a genuinely worthwhile paid stop against a day of otherwise free sights. Round out the evening with anticuchos, grilled beef heart skewers, from a street cart, S/5-10 for a full plate. Between the pyramid ticket, lunch, dinner and a coffee or two, Day 1 lands around S/60-110 per person, lodging aside.
Day 2: Barranco’s bridge and a Centro Historico half-day
Take the Metropolitano BRT (buy the rechargeable card first, roughly S/4.50, since cash is not accepted at the turnstiles; fares then run S/3.20-3.50 a ride) or a registered taxi/app down to Barranco for the Puente de los Suspiros, a small wooden footbridge that costs nothing to cross and photograph, plus whatever street art you pass along the way. From there, head into the Centro Historico for a half-day: Plaza Mayor and the Cathedral exterior cost nothing to view, and the Monastery of San Francisco’s catacombs, an underground ossuary with a guided tour included, run roughly S/7-10 at the door (prices vary slightly by source, so treat whatever the ticket window quotes as current). Eat lunch before 2pm if ceviche is on the agenda; it is a midday dish here, not a dinner order, and a proper cevicheria plate runs S/20-35. Between transit, the catacombs ticket, lunch and a snack, Day 2 runs closer to S/55-100 per person.
Is two days actually enough for Lima?
No, and a budget plan honest about that saves you a disappointing trip. Two days covers Miraflores, Barranco and a Centro Historico half-day once, cheaply and on foot or a short BRT ride, not the Larco Museum, Pachacamac’s ruins, or any day trip south. Want more of the city on the same daily cost logic? The 4-day plan adds the Larco and a proper food day, and the 7-day plan works in Pachacamac and a longer Paracas day trip.
How much does two days in Lima actually cost?
Plan on roughly S/115-210 per person across both days for food, tickets and transport, lodging separate. A budget room in Miraflores or Barranco runs roughly S/80-150 a night for two, the single line item that moves the total the most. Everything else on this route, the Metropolitano card, the two paid sights, and cheap eats, stays genuinely low.
Is Lima safe enough for a budget two-day trip?
Yes, with the same caution any big Latin American capital needs. The US State Department rates Peru at its Level 2 “Exercise Increased Caution” tier, and Lima and Callao have been under a recurring crime-related state of emergency since late 2025, renewed in 30 to 60 day blocks, so check the live status before you fly. Stick to registered taxis or apps like Uber or Cabify rather than a street-hailed cab, keep your phone out of sight on the Metropolitano, and know that Miraflores and Barranco stay normal-caution tourist ground even during an active decree.