The post-Thanksgiving MR with a GREAT Lan D fare is giving me approximately 24 hours in Lima - a night's sleep, followed by a full long day. What are some "must sees?" I don't need to kill myself (nor get killed) and figure I'll be back at some point, but don't want to sit at the hotel all day, either. Staying at the Sheraton (rate was $65, and need the stay, so hotel suggestions unnecessary). Also, efficient/best airport transportation recommendations good, too. (I have taken off and landed @ LIM many times, but have only been inside the terminal once, and never have left the airport.)

What's a 1K doing on a MR to Lima?

I was in Lima for a wedding earlier this year. I don't know the city that well, but these are my general impressions.

Taxis are easy to get from the airport and cost about $20 IIRC to most downtown areas. The neighborhoods I was in (mentioned below) felt completely safe.

Your hotel is near the old center of the city. I would spend the morning/middle of the day exploring that part, and the afternoon/evening in San Isidro/Miraflores (residential areas). Check out a map for a location of all 3 neighborhoods: they kind of lie in a line, with Miraflores near the ocean, the old downtown farther inland, and San Isidro lying between the two.

The best ceviche I've ever had was at Punta Sal. There are two of them, one in San Isidro and one in Miraflores.

I also stayed at that Sheraton for my stay in Lima (about a day and a half, a year ago). I didn't get killed, nor did I sit in the hotel all day. The historical center of town is about a 20-minute walk from the hotel, very easy to get to, and worth seeing. There are some great churches and monasteries around, many with super art collections and one, I recall, with a delightfully creepy catacomb complex underneath. We walked around there for most of the day, then took the free shuttle from the Sheraton to Miraflores (it goes right to the beach) to eat dinner out there. Taxis are quite cheap, so you can get a taxi back to the hotel--a restaurant will call one for you if you want.

Lima has some of the best food in South America, actually. The cuisine is very interesting, including Chinese influences from the older immigrant population, foods from the local indigenous population, and of course European-style cuisine. If you do a little research before you go, you can have some great meals. The breakfast buffet at the Sheraton's not bad, either.

I just got back from Lima. Having read some other travellers' comments about security, I was little worried about taking cabs to and from the airport. We decided to arrange for a car booked by the hotel to pick us up and take us back. It probably was a little more expensive (about $24 from the Doubletree in Milaflores), but it worked smoothly and there were no hassles. We also hailed a few cabs on the street in the business districts (near Milaflores and down near the stock exchange) and didn't have problems, although I did note that the local international organization's staff decided to walk a block back to their office and take the organization's car. The International Airport was modern, clean, spacious, and felt very secure.

The food was great and very reasonably priced for the quality, so I'd spend all your time eating, if you can. Unfortunately, colleagues more familiar with Lima booked the restaurants and I can't remember the names, except that: a) one overlooked an archaelogical dig (touristy but good); and b) one was on a pier.

a) Huaca Pucllana
b) Rosa Nautica

Go to the Gold Museum.

Lima is a very big city and there are areas that are not safe--stay out of them if you care about your safety.