Planning to visit Lima with kids? There are tons of thing to do in Miraflores with kids! The whole family will enjoy Lima, Peru with kids and especially all the fun things to do in Miraflores, Peru!
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I’ll be honest, we had pretty low expectations for visiting Lima, Peru, with kids. Other families told us not to bother as there weren’t many things to do in Lima.
We took a chance on a trip to Lima, anyway, and were blown away by what to do in Lima! We felt like 5 days in Lima wasn’t enough to truly enjoy all the fun activities, and even wished we had more time in this South American capital.
If you find yourself on a family vacation to Lima, Peru, also, you’ll most likely be staying in the seaside neighborhood of Miraflores. Miraflroes, Lima, Peru, is known as the expat hub of the city based on it’s clean streets, nice hotels, good restaurants, and fun things to do.
That’s right- you won’t be bored for a minute if you’re staying in Miraflores! There are plenty of things to do in Miraflores with kids, too, but we’ll also add our favorite things to do in Lima with kids outside of Miraflroes, as well. If you’ve made it this far you may as well travel around a bit!
Read on for:
- Planning your trip to Lima
- What to do in miraflores with kids,
- Other top things to do lima with kids,
- and the best day tours from Lima
Best family hotel in Miraflores, Lima
Before arriving in Miraflores book the best hotel to make sure your family has an easy, fun, vacation!
- Book a top-rated apartment in Miraflores if you like extra space
- Best budget hotel in Miraflores for families with free breakfast, free wifi, and ocean views
- Best luxury hotel for families in Miraflores includes breakfast, wifi, and a great location outside Larcomar mall
Top Things to do in Miraflores, Peru, with kids
Wondering what to do in Miraflores with kids? Look no further! After spending a week in Lima with kids we have all the answers on what to do in Miraflores as a family!
1. See the wild cats at Parque John F Kennedy
2. Try making chocolate at the Choco Museo
3. Walk through the picturesque Parque de Amor
4. Go paragliding along the coast
5. Go surfing at the beach
Any surfing buff undoubtedly has the notoriously long Pacific Coast waves of Lima, Peru, on their list of must-surf locations in the world. Even if you aren’t a surfer, though, you can head down to the beach below the city to watch surfers, lay on the sand, take in some sun, or go swimming!
6. Shop at Larcomar Cliffside Mall
Going to a mall isn’t something I’d normally recommend for a family vacation, but Larcomar is really special. The mall is built into the cliffside underneath the main hotels and commercial district of Miraflores. That’s right- it’s underneath the city with a view of the Pacific coast!
At Larcomar you’ll find amazing restaurants for traditional Peruvian food, familiar international brands, and local souvenir shops. It isn’t too big, so you’ll only need a couple of hours to take in the unique view of the ocean!
7. Ride Lime Scooters around Miraflores
You’ll find Lime scooters at most sidewalk corners around Miraflores. The scooters are able to be individually rented and ridden around the city after you download the app and scan the scooter. Miraflores, Lima is the perfect city to enjoy a ride on the fun scooters- it never rains, the roads are flat, there is organized traffic which gives you ample time to cross streets, and the sidewalks and streets have designated scooter, bike, and running paths.
Though it’s generally safe to ride in Lima, you will have to state you’re over 18 when renting the scooters. This activity isn’t recommended for children younger than teens who are able to responsibly ride on their own.
Even More Great Things to do in Lima with Kids
Now that we’ve shown you what to do in Miraflores, Lima, now it’s time to move on to the larger city. Believe me, Lima kids have it easy! There is so much to do in South America’s only coastal capital that any family vacation to Lima, Peru, with kids will be a blast.
1. Visit the Pre-Inkan ruins in Lima at Huaca Pucllana
2. Tour the catacombs underneath the San Francisco monastery
Just as you don’t have to go to Cusco to tour ruins in Peru, you don’t have to go to Europe to see catacombs! The San Fransisco monastery, in the heart of Centro Lima, features it’s own set of underground catacombs which were used for hundreds of years in the 16th – 19th centuries.
A tour of the monastery includes rooms used in the daily life of the resident monks, a brief history of the Catholic church in Lima, some impressive artwork, and ends with a somewhat intimidating walk through the underground catacombs, complete with decoratively-arranged original bones.
- A tour is required for entrance which last 45 minutes. English tours are available through the day.
- 15/soles adults, 3 soles/ kids
A tour of San Fransisco monastery is included in this top-rated group tour of Lima’s historical center. Book in advance for an easier trip!
3. Walk around the Parque de la Muralla
The Parque de la Muralla, located next to the San Fransisco monastery in Centro Lima, displays sections of the city’s original wall. The urban park is free to enter and walk around and also offers a playground, garden, miniature train, and other fun things to do in Centro Lima.
- Walking paths begin just behind the San Fransisco monastery
- Botanical gardens, bike path, playgrounds, on-site restaurant, and more
- See the historic wall “la muralla” of Lima
4. Centro Lima Plaza de Armas
The Plaza de Armas (or main historic plaza) in Centro Lima doesn’t offer much to do but is an interesting place to walk around. It’s near the San Fransisco Monastery, so a quick walk in this direction is easy!
You’ll pass the residence of the Peruvian president, complete with armed guards stationed at the gate, for one, which is worth the trip! You’ll also see plenty of examples of beautiful architecture around the square, as well as many reputable restaurants for great traditional food in the historic plaza.
A tour of Centro Lima architecture is included in this top-rated group tour of Lima’s historical center. Book in advance for an easier trip!
5. See the free electricity museum in Barranco
6. Make a wish at the Bridge of Sighs, Barranco
7. Walk around the colorful fountain circuit at Parque de la Reserva
Best Lima tours in and around the city
Interested in a fun trip in and around Lima? Maybe a guided Lima tour? There are some fantastic tours from Peru’s capital!
1. Half day Lima tour of the best historic and modern sites
This Lima city tour is perfect for people short on time! In just 3.5 hours you will be picked up from your hotel (in designated locations) and taken to some of the top sites of Lima:
- Overlook of Lima Bay and paragliders from Miraflores
- Tour Huaca Pucllana, the Lima pre-Inkan ruins (described above)
- Main Square of Centro Lima (described above)
- Church of Santo Domingo
- Ends at Larcomar cliffside mall (described above)
These stops are all relatively far from each other, and the savings from individual taxis back and forth will almost cover the cost of your ticket, which includes an English-speaking personal guide! It’s really a no-brainer. This cheap Lima tour is rated 4.3 stars and likely to sell out, so book your seat on their Lima tour bus as soon as possible!
2. Huacachina Peru Oasis
Huacachina is the only oasis in South America! A small village surrounding a lake in the middle of the southern Peru desert, Huacachina is a gorgeous, relaxing escape from Lima. Located 4 hours south of Lima, Huacachina tours from Lima can be done in just one (long) day, allowing you to see the Peru desert oasis as well as other interesting coastal stops along the way.
Follow this guide to find which of the top three Huacachina tours from Lima is right for you and your family!
3. Swim with Pacific sea lions with a tour to Palomino Islands
Lima is the only South American capital city on the coast, and you can take full advantage of the warm weather and Pacific Ocean with a day tour from Lima to the Palomino Islands!
Famous for the groups of native sea lions, Humbolt penguins, Guano birds, and other marine species, a tour to the Palomino Islands will teach you about this Pacific habitat and give you the opportunity to swim with the friendly sea lions in a protected area of the Pacific Ocean.
This 4-hour tour begins in La Punta Bay and includes a boat ride past some historic islands off the coast, the opportunity to swim with sea lions, a neoprene wetsuit for comfort, tour of the islands by an English-speaking guide, light snacks and drinks.
This is one of the highest-rated tours from Lima and is likely to sell out, so check for prices and available dates as soon as possible!
Contrary to reports from other traveling families, we found Lima for kids was great! We spent 3 days in Lima with kids, but even if you only have 2 days in Lima (or 24 or 48 hours in Lima!) you can still find tons of unique, fun things to do.
We hope you enjoy our top activities in Lima with kids, and would love to hear other suggestions on fun things you find to do in Miraflores or Lima, Peru, for kids!
Heading to Lima, Peru with kids? Pin this article on what to do in Miraflores with kids and other things to do in Lima with kids for later!
