free walking tour lima

Free Walking Tour Lima: Free Tour of Lima in the historic center

Best history focused free tour of Lima based on tips

ABOUT

Join our original historic free walking tour of Lima run by a pioneering Indigenous Company — we are 100% licensed guides.
In Peru, tour guides are required to take part in Tourism & Hospitality Career studies. After they finish their studies, the government gives them a license to be a guide.
There are a few phony guides in Lima’s historic centre, who are not allowed to guide legally.

We assure you that your tour leader will be a licensed guide making your tour one of top quality; your free walking tour will be an excellent one focused on history and you will visit must-see attractions in Lima center as Sandemans team would do.

We won’t take you to Chocolate Shops.

Why to reserve with us?
  • 100% Peruvian company
  • 100% Indigenous team
  • Licensed tour guides
  • It is Free to book

Availability of 10am & 11am & 3pm Lima free tour:

Make your free tour reservation now, even last-minute reservations are accepted, we have rooms! — we are operating all free tours in Lima in English and Spanish from Monday to Saturday (NO Sundays). Check the timetable below.

DETAILS

    How to recognize our Guides? Look for our Operator at the correct meeting place:

    • In Miraflores look for the Inkan Milky Way Logo-Sign
    • In Lima historic center look for the Inkan Milky Way Logo embroidered on the yellow vests

    Duration: If you start your walk in Lima center, the tour lasts for 2.5 hours; however, if you begin the trip at Miraflores, the tour lasts 3.5 hours.

    Language: English & Spanish — Separate Groups, based on language. We have 2 Tour Guides, for more info about Spanish free tour in Lima click here.

    Tour Type: It’s a free group tour (not private), sometimes our groups can be sizable; therefore, our guides use speakers.

    Accessibility: This tour is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

    What to bring?

    • If you leave from Miraflores with us, please bring:
      • 3.20 Soles per person for the local bus ticket, please bring coins, we don’t have small coins to give you the change
      • Cap or hat, a bottle of water in summer (January to March)
      • Sweaters or jackets in winter (mid-April to November)
    • If you start your free tour in Lima center, please bring:
      • Cap or hat, a bottle of water in summer (January to March)
      • Sweaters or jackets in winter (mid-April to November)

    Included: Professional and licensed Tour Guide.

    How to book?: Please book on this webpage.

    Faq’s: Please scroll down to the bottom of this page.

    WhatsApp: +51 958745640 & +51 984479073.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    The itinerary can always change because of weather, strikes and festivals.

    Jirón de la Unión Street
    Let’s explore this traditional street from the colonial period, a pedestrian street that connects the old town with the republican city. 

    Plaza de Armas de Lima or the Main Square
    Discover the vibrant birthplace of Lima city, surrounded by several buildings of great importance such as the Cathedral and La Casa del Oidor.

    Change of Guard — optional
    We will do our best to experience the famous Change of Guard, taking place in front of the Presidential Palace — this event is only for the morning walk. As mentioned above, it is optional, this means that this event does not happen daily, especially these days because of the political instability.

    Presidential Palace — exterior visit
    We won’t miss this superb building known also as La Casa de Pizarro, the famous Spanish “Conqueror”.

    Atrium of the Lima’s Cathedral
    We will hit the only one wooden Cathedral of Peru, designed by Matias Maestro during the colonial period.

    Santo Domingo Church
    Did you know that the first black Saint is a Peruvian? Well, his name is San Martin de Porres, he lived in this colonial church.

    House of Peruvian Literature
    We will hit this old railway station, built at the beginning of the 20th century to connect Lima with the Andes.

    Pisco tasting – optional
    Discover the history of the Peruvian Pisco and try it, don’t miss it!

    Atrium of San Francisco Church
    During our free walking tour, we will give you a great introduction about the San Francisco church and the history of the Catacombs.

    Colonial City Wall of Lima
    Lima was a fortified city for about 300 years; part of the city wall still exists nowadays at El Parque de la Muralla.

    Tour Ending Place
    We finish the tour very close of the Plaza Mayor (Plaza de Armas) in the historic center at about 1:30 pm for the morning tour and 5:30 pm for the afternoon walking tour.

    PHOTOS

    PRICE

    Free – based on your donation, neither our tour guides nor the team members have set salaries.

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      Date:

      TOUR SCHEDULES

      Monday thru Saturday at 10 am (Pick-up), 11 am, and 3 pm — we don’t operate free tours of Lima on Sundays, Christmas (25th December), and every 1st of January.

      Free Tour Lima at 10am

      Leaves from Miraflores — Mon thru Sat
      3.5 hours

      Free Tour Lima at 11am

      Starts in Lima historic center — Mon thru Sat
      2.5 hours

      Free Tour Lima at 3pm

      Starts in Lima historic center — Mon thru Sat
      2.5 hours

      Cheap Tours of Lima

      Every day — pre-paid tours!
      2.5 hours

      MEETING PLACES

      10 am Meeting Place — leaves from Miraflores: Meet us at Pasaje Porta 132 (outside Oechsle Mall) —you can only join us here if you are very close to Pasaje Porta 132 or Kennedy park—max 10min away by foot. Please bring 3.20 soles pp for a local bus ticket; seriously a bus? Yes, we don’t tour in Miraflores, this is only a pick-up place. If you are not close to this spot or you don’t like to travel via crowded local buses, go on your own to the 11 am or 3 pm Meeting Place (starting point).

      11 am Meeting Place — starts in Lima historic center:  Join us on the Jirón de la Unión Street 608 (in front of La Merced Church) this is where the tour begins.

      3 pm Meeting Place — starts in Lima historic center: For our Lima Free Walking Tour in the afternoon, you must also come to Jirón de la Unión Street 608 (in front of La Merced Church) from all over Lima — we don’t pick up anyone from Miraflores.


      If you stay in Barranco: Click here to join us at the correct meeting point.

      If you are a Cruise Ship passenger: Come to Jirón de la Unión Street 608 (in front of La Merced Church) in the historical center at 11 am or 3 pm.

      If you are in Lima airport: Come to Jirón de la Unión Street 608 (in front of La Merced Church) in the historical center at 11 am or 3 pm.

      If you aren’t sure, on which meeting point to join us? Come to Jirón de la Unión Street 608 (in front of La Merced Church) in the historical center at 11 am or 3 pm.

      Look for
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      10am in Miraflores: This is the Oechsle Mall
      free tour lima miraflores meeting point
      11am & 3pm: At La Merced Church

      REVIEWS

      TripAdvisor: 1200 testimonials |Google Maps: 70 reviews |Facebook: 50 comments |Instagram: 3000 followers |YouTube: watch our videos |Travellers: + de 70,255 tourists

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      What makes us different?

      • We are accountable
      • We do it right
      • We serve

      What is a free tour?

      Are you wondering whether our free tours in Lima are as good as the paid ones? Our guided tours are 100% free to join and we work hard to earn your appreciation at the end of the tour; therefore our walks are first-class.

      Read the history of our highlights

      Jirón de la Unión Street
      Jirón de la Unión Street

      It is the most famous and oldest street in the historic center, in the colonial period was known as Calle de los Mercaderes—The Merchant Street, because it was a very commercial alley as it still is today; this walking path connects the old city with the republican part of Lima.

      Plaza de Armas of Lima
      Plaza de Armas of Lima

      The Main Square of Lima is the oldest area from all over Lima, it is the square where Lima city was re-founded 500 years ago by Francisco Pizarro, the place where the Republic was founded, it is the core of Lima’s urban life and almost an obligatory tourist attraction to explore.

      Change of Guard of Lima
      Change of Guard of Lima

      The changing of the guard is a military staging, that takes place in the courtyard of honour of the Presidential Palace; the performance is done by the Peruvian National Police and the Cavalry Regiment of the Peruvian Army, with the musical accompaniment of Peruvian and European cantatas.

      Presidential Palace or the “House of Pizarro”
      Presidential Palace or the

      The palace of Taulichusco—Indian chief, was torn down to build the Viceregal Palace in the colonial period; however, the old colonial palace was destroyed by fire. The famous peruvian-polish architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski designed the current neo-colonial style residence in 1926.

      Church of Santo Domingo
      Church of Santo Domingo

      The convent of Santo Domingo was built in the early sixteenth century, it was home to the most famous Peruvian saints such as Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martin de Porres; the first university in Peru and South America was founded in this convent on May 12, 1551.

      House of the Peruvian Literature
      House of the Peruvian Literature

      This Art Nouveau style building was designed by Rafael Marquina (first Peruvian architect) at the beginning of the 20th century, it has 50 columns, 3 floors and a stained glass ceiling; it was originally built as a train station known as Estación Desamparados to connect Lima with the Andes.

      Cathedral of Lima
      Cathedral of Lima

      Pedro de Noguera, designed the first Saint John’s Cathedral of Lima, but it was unfortunately destroyed by the 1744 earthquake. The current basilica was designed by Matías Maestro and built after the earthquake; it is a renaissance style wooden cathedral to stand out earthquakes.

      Church of San Francisco
      Church of San Francisco

      This Spanish Baroque style Convent of San Francisco was built in the 16th and 17th century, it is very famous because of the Catacombs and the Library from the colonial period, where the Foundation Act of the Republic of Peru signed in 1821 is still preserved.

      Colonial City Wall of Lima
      Colonial City Wall of Lima

      This city wall was built in between 1684 and 1687, under the government of Viceroy Melchor de Navarra and Rocafull; during the colonial period, Lima was the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru and had a lot of wealth; therefore, the wall was built against pirates and corsairs.

      Faq’s

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