The 9 best day trips from Lima

15.11.2023 - 11:39 / lonelyplanet.com

With its top restaurants and leading cultural museums, you might never tire of the fast-paced metropolitan lifestyle found in Lima.

But step away from Peru’s capital city for a day and there's plenty more to see, from roaring rapids to ancient archaeological sites. These are the best day trips from Lima.

Only 34km from the capital city, the vast Lomas de Lucumo (Hills of Lucumo) are a far cry from the manicured parks of Lima. The ocean mist gets trapped within the soft hills here, painting the landscape with verdant green vegetation during the typically gray winter months (June-October).

Depending on your pace and route, an undulating trek through the sea of green can last anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours.

Guides are available to hire from the base of the Lomas. They can point out the caves and wildlife that dot the area. If you want to go it alone, simply pass the grazing cows and begin your ascent.

How to get to Lomas de Lucumo: It's a 70-minute drive by private car to Lomas de Lucumo. Head south on Panamericana Sur, taking the exit to Lurin, and then continue towards the Pachacamac village. Keep an eye out for the Quebrada Verde bridge where signs will lead you to the site. If taking a taxi, ask the driver to wait for you as it is difficult to find a ride back.

Built at the time of the Egyptian pyramids, the massive Norte Chico civilization settlement of Caral, 186 km from Lima, pre-dates the Incas by some 4000 years.

Tours of the once-thriving metropolis cover its plazas, temples, residential areas, and amphitheater which were 'lost' beneath the desert dunes until archaeologist Paul Kosok came across the city in 1948.

Excavations continue at the site nicknamed the 'Cradle of Civilization' with plenty of musical instruments to see but no signs of war.

Despite its significance, few visit Caral, likely due to its remote location. But this archaeological site, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, is well worth hitting the road at sunrise for.

How to get to Caral: It can take about 3 hours to get here. Catch an early ride with a bus agency that offers direct transportation, such as Movil Bus. By taxi or private car simply follow the Panamericana Norte for 184km until you reach the town of Supe, from which Caral is a mere 3km away. 

Marcahuasi is a high Andean plateau, 80km east of Lima, that's noted for its mystic stone forest made up of dozens of ancient rock sculptures that depict anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. Discovered in the mid-20th century, a lot of excavation still needs to take place here.

Most traveler visit for the challenging 4km trail which takes up to three hours to complete. But the views from the top reach out across mountain peaks and the Colchón de Nubes (Mattress of Clouds)