Long layover in Lima
 

I've got a 6-hour layover at the Lima airport from around midnight to 6am in the morning (worse, on a Sunday morning). I've never been to Lima. I know it's unlikely, but does anyone know if there is anything open in the airport or near it?

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Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Lima can be a bit scary at night. I'm sure you might be able to find some bars open around the city, and the psuedo casinos are open too, but I'd certainly be a bit careful.

If you do take a taxi, the normal price is usually about $10 US to the Larco Mar/Miraflores area. They'll show you lists that list much higher prices, but just move onto the next taxi if they won't work with you.

Be careful taking "just any taxi" from the airport. Not all are reliable, and tourists unfamiliar with Lima are easy targets for robbery. IMHO you're best off taking one of the "official" taxis that you can hire at the stands as you exit through Customs. You'll pay more but you'll get a reliable ride.

The airport is located in Callao which is, shall we say, not the best district of Lima. If you're intent on seeing a bit of the city, you could take a cab into San Isidro, Miraflores or San Borja where there are late night places open. On the other hand if you want to rest up a bit between flights there is a hotel at the airport.

Long layover in Lima
 

Maybe it is just me, but I would stay safe in the Airport. I have visited most of Central and South America, and Lima at night is not a safe place. Fine someone working the night shift, and talk to them. In the international side of the airport, something is always open. Try the local airport food, and maybe a drink. Enjoy your trip.

Wayne Almquist

I just did that same layover a couple of weeks ago, as my international flight to Lima got in around 11:30, and my Cuzco flight left at 5:40 AM. This is pretty common. I spent the time at the Airport terminal. There were probably between 50-70 people in the same situation, as this is a standard layover for folks going to Cuzco. We ended up getting pretty friendly and developing a cameraderie amongst us. It was, though subdued, almost a bit of a party atmosphere. We all started the night as perfect strangers, ended up comparing travel notes, playing cards, getting to know each other. It actually ended up being a pretty enjoyable time.

The fact is, there is no good alternative, unless you don't mind paying $200 to kill 3-4 hours at an overpriced airport Ramada Inn. I suggest you plan on staying at the airport and make an adventure out of it.

HI!

I also have a long layover coming up in LIMA. At the moment I am schedule to arrive in Lima at 430pm and depart at 12am. Does anyone have any recommendations about me possibly going into the city for dinner or anything else i can do for 3-4 hours.

How far is the airport from the city? Taxi price? I dont believe there should be alot of traffic at about 10pm to the airport from the city center.

Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

If by "city center" you are referring to the old colonial district by the Plaza de Armas, you could get there and back in the time you have, but be careful. That area can be hazardous especially after dark (which happens abruptly about 6:30 pm all year round).

Most tourists don't go directly to the city center but rather to the old suburbs of San Isidro and Miraflores, which are now upscale urban districts with lots of nice shops, good restaurants and bars, etc. From the airport a reliable taxi (the remisses that you'll see referred to on other posts) are probably (I'm guessing here) $25 or $30. Travel time from LIM is about 30 minutes with no traffic and can be an hour or more when traffic is bad.

Don't assume there won't be traffic at 10:00 pm. I've seen lots of it in my time, and have nearly missed late night flights because of it. If you want to be at the airport two hours prior to a midnight departure, I'd look to be leaving San Isidro or Miraflores around 9:00 pm.

I'm glad to hear some things are open at the airport in the middle of the night. I've got a layover from around midnight to 4:30 in the morning. I've been to Lima before and wouldn't think of going out at that hour unless it were just from my Miraflores hotel to a nearby nightclub. Heck, I probably wouldn't do that in my own city now that I think about it...

If anyone is going to be there in the wee hours of December 8, let's have a drink together! (Or a coffee as the case may be.)