Tour of Lima with a visit to the catacombs of San Francisco.

Lima’s San Francisco catacombs are the memorable heart of this four-hour city tour. Below the old convent, subway crypts reveal a striking and sobering side of the capital, while above ground you move through Lima’s grand squares, colonial balconies, modern districts, and pre-Inca ruins.

I like the way the tour links three different chapters of Lima: pre-Inca Miraflores, modern San Isidro, and the Spanish colonial center. I also like the practical hotel or Airbnb pickup, plus the chance to see several major sights without arranging taxis across a city known for heavy traffic.

The main consideration is time. Four hours gives you a useful first look, but not long visits everywhere. One person found the van comfortable and the route worthwhile, while also wishing for more time at some stops. The San Francisco entrance ticket is extra, at 30 soles for adults.

Key points to know before booking

• The catacombs are the tour’s strongest historic stop, with the old library, choir, main cloister, and underground crypts included in the convent visit.
• You see modern and historic Lima in one outing, from Miraflores and San Isidro to the UNESCO-listed historic center.
• Hotel and Airbnb pickup is included in Miraflores and San Isidro, with round-trip transportation provided.
• The Plaza Mayor connects several major buildings, including the Government Palace, Lima Cathedral, Municipal Palace, and Archbishop’s Palace.
• English and Spanish live guides are available, and guides such as William have been praised for clear preparation and strong local knowledge.
• The $40 price does not include food or the 30-sol adult entrance fee for the Museum and Convent of San Francisco de Asis.

Start with Lima’s modern districts

Pickup is offered from your hotel or Airbnb in Miraflores and San Isidro. That makes this a handy first-day choice if you are staying in either district and want transportation handled from the start.

The opening section introduces the polished, contemporary side of Lima. Miraflores is known here through two very different places: Parque del Amor and Huaca Pucllana.

At Parque del Amor, you can expect a coastal city viewpoint and a stop focused on Lima’s modern identity. The park is a simple way to get a sense of Miraflores before the tour turns toward older architecture.

Huaca Pucllana changes the mood. This pre-Inca ceremonial temple has a pyramid shape and sits in the middle of Miraflores, surrounded by the city. That contrast is one of the best reasons to include it in a broad Lima tour. You are not being taken only to grand colonial buildings. You also see evidence of a much older society, right in a modern residential district.

The information provided does not promise a full archaeological visit or a long stop inside the site, so you should think of Huaca Pucllana as an important introduction rather than a separate museum tour. If you want extended time at the ruins, check the exact schedule before booking.

See San Isidro’s greener, business-minded side

The route continues into San Isidro, another residential district with a more modern feel. The tour includes the Olivaos forest and the city’s financial center.

This portion helps explain how Lima works today. Instead of treating the capital as one large historic center, the guide gives you a quick look at the districts where business, offices, and newer city life shape the daily scene.

The stop is brief within a four-hour program, so the value here is context. You get to compare San Isidro with Miraflores, then later compare both with colonial Lima. That range is useful if you are trying to understand the city rather than simply collect photographs.

Traffic is an important part of the timing. The route covers several districts, and road conditions can affect how long you remain at each stop. A comfortable van helps, but it cannot make Lima traffic disappear. Plan on a well-paced overview, not a slow walking tour with long breaks.

Enter Lima’s historic center through San Martin Square

The colonial section moves into central Lima, a part of the city recognized by UNESCO in 1991 as a cultural heritage site. Lima was known as the City of the Kings and served as the capital of the Spanish colony during the 16th century.

San Martin Square provides an introduction to this older city. The route includes colonial mansions and their balconies, details that give the area much of its character. Look up as you walk or ride through this section. The balconies are easy to miss if you focus only on street level, yet they are among the most distinctive architectural features mentioned in the tour.

This is where a live guide matters. A good guide can connect the buildings to Lima’s role as a colonial capital rather than simply naming them. William has received especially strong praise for being prepared and explaining the city well. Other feedback also points to very good guides, though the experience can naturally vary by the person leading your departure.

The tour is offered in English and Spanish. If you are booking in English, confirm that your departure is assigned to an English-speaking guide.

Spend time around Lima’s Plaza Mayor

The Main Square, usually called Plaza Mayor, is the visual center of the colonial route. It brings several important buildings into one compact area: the Government Palace, the Cathedral of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Archbishop’s Palace.

I like this part of the itinerary because it gives you a clear sense of how colonial power was arranged. Government, religion, and civic administration all face the same square. Even with limited time, the setting helps you read Lima’s old center as a planned seat of authority.

The square is also a practical photo stop. You can see the surrounding façades without crossing the city to find them one by one. The drawback is that a guided overview may not allow enough time to enter every building. The schedule specifically highlights the exteriors and the surrounding historic setting, while the interior visit is reserved for the Convent and Catacombs of San Francisco.

If your main goal is the Plaza Mayor, ask how much time will be spent walking there rather than viewing it from the vehicle. The available information confirms the stop, but not the exact balance between drive-by views, walking, and photo time.

Enter the Convent and Catacombs of San Francisco

The visit to the Convent and Catacombs of San Francisco is the most distinctive part of the experience. The convent dates to the 17th century and includes several interior spaces: the old library, the choir, the main cloister, and the underground crypts known as the catacombs.

The catacombs bring a serious tone to the tour. This is not just another ornate church stop. The crypts offer a physical reminder of Lima’s earlier burial practices and the long religious history of the colonial center. The underground setting also makes this portion feel very different from the open Plaza Mayor and the modern districts earlier in the morning.

The old library and choir add architectural detail before you go below ground. The main cloister gives you another view of convent life, with the building’s design providing the setting for the story. Your guide can help tie these rooms together, so listen for how the convent functioned as a religious institution and why its underground spaces matter.

The adult entrance ticket costs 30 soles, and it is not included in the $40 tour price. Food is also not included. That makes the true cost slightly higher than the headline amount, but the tour still offers reasonable value if you want transport, a guide, and a compact route through several parts of Lima.

One practical point: the catacombs are not an optional detail to ignore if you are comparing this outing with a general city drive. They are the central paid interior visit and the part that gives the tour its strongest sense of place.

What the four-hour schedule really gives you

Four hours is enough for a broad introduction, not a complete study of Lima. You will see modern neighborhoods, a pre-Inca site, the colonial center, the Plaza Mayor, and the San Francisco complex. That is a lot of ground for half a day.

The tradeoff is depth. You may want longer at Parque del Amor, Huaca Pucllana, or the historic center, especially if you enjoy taking photographs or reading architectural details. One booking experience specifically described the vehicle as comfortable and the sights as interesting, while noting that more time at certain places would have been welcome.

I would choose this format if I had a short stay in Lima, an arrival day with limited free time, or a preference for guided orientation before exploring alone. If you already know Miraflores and San Isidro, you may prefer a longer historic-center tour focused almost entirely on colonial Lima and San Francisco.

The route’s broad coverage also means traffic can shape the day. Lima’s roads may slow the transfer between districts, leaving less time on foot. That is not a flaw unique to this operator, but it is a real part of choosing a city tour with several separate stops.

Transport, guides, and the personal feel of the tour

Round-trip transportation and local guiding are included. Pickup is available from hotels and Airbnbs in Miraflores and San Isidro, which removes one of the annoying parts of sightseeing in an unfamiliar city: figuring out where to meet a vehicle in the center.

The provider is Transporte Chullos Travel. The supplied information does not state the group size or vehicle capacity, so do not assume this is a private tour or a small-group departure unless the booking page confirms it.

Guide quality matters on a route like this. The strongest feedback names William as a prepared and capable guide, with the tour of Lima described as genuinely enjoyable under his direction. Other high ratings describe the guide as very good, and one Spanish-language comment calls the visit excellent and praises the guide’s preparation.

At the same time, the overall rating is 4.2 from 24 reviews, not a perfect score. That fits the nature of the experience: most people appear to find it worthwhile, but a short, traffic-dependent city tour will not suit every pace or expectation. One low rating offered no useful explanation, so there is no clear specific problem to warn you about beyond the limits of the format.

Is $40 a fair price for Lima?

At $40 per person, the tour sits in a sensible range for a four-hour guided city outing, especially because pickup and round-trip transport are included. You are paying for the convenience of connecting Miraflores, San Isidro, and the historic center without arranging separate rides.

Add the 30-sol adult entrance fee for the Museum and Convent of San Francisco de Asis. Food is not included, and no other entrance costs are listed. In practical terms, budget for the tour price, the convent ticket, and anything you want to eat or drink during the outing.

The value is strongest if you are staying in Miraflores or San Isidro and want an efficient first look at Lima. It is less compelling if you prefer to move slowly, spend hours inside museums, or explore every square on foot. You are buying range and convenience, not unlimited time at each attraction.

The flexible booking terms also help if your Lima plans may shift. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying at once.

Who should book this Lima tour?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors who want orientation, anyone with only half a day, and people who appreciate having a guide explain the differences between modern, pre-Inca, and colonial Lima.

It is also a good match for visitors staying in Miraflores or San Isidro, since the pickup arrangement keeps the morning simple. English and Spanish options make it accessible to a wider range of visitors, provided you confirm the language when reserving.

I would hesitate if you want a slow archaeological visit at Huaca Pucllana, a long architectural walk through the historic center, or an itinerary built around food. The tour does not include food, and its four-hour route has many subjects to cover.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a well-rounded Lima introduction with transportation, a live guide, Plaza Mayor, and the San Francisco catacombs in one half-day. The route gives you more variety than a narrow historic-center visit and makes a strong first outing in the city.

Skip it if your priority is deep exploration of one neighborhood or extended time at each sight. For most first-time visitors with limited time, though, the combination of Huaca Pucllana, Parque del Amor, San Isidro, Plaza Mayor, and San Francisco offers solid value. Just add the 30-sol convent ticket to your budget and expect traffic to shape the pace.

FAQ

Where does the Lima tour pick up passengers?

Pickup is available from hotels and Airbnbs in Miraflores and San Isidro.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts four hours.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Pickup and round-trip transportation are included.

Is a tour guide included?

Yes. An expert local guide leads the experience.

Which languages are available?

Live guiding is available in English and Spanish.

Is the San Francisco entrance ticket included?

No. The adult entrance ticket to the Museum and Convent of San Francisco de Asis costs 30 soles and is paid separately.

What places are visited in modern Lima?

The itinerary includes Miraflores, Parque del Amor, Huaca Pucllana, San Isidro, the Olivaos forest, and the city’s financial center.

What can you see in colonial Lima?

The tour visits San Martin Square, colonial mansions and balconies, Plaza Mayor, the Government Palace, Lima Cathedral, the Municipal Palace, and the Archbishop’s Palace.

Can you cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.