How do I get from the airport to Lima?

Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) sits in Callao, about 12 km northwest of Miraflores, where most first-time visitors stay. Lima has no airport rail link. The best ground option is the Airport Express Lima bus, which follows Avenida Arequipa south to Parque Kennedy in central Miraflores. The fare is 25 PEN (about $7.40). Buses depart every 30 minutes from 7am to midnight. Plan on 45-60 minutes in normal traffic. During morning rush from 7am to 9:30am or evening rush from 5pm to 8pm, that 12 km can stretch to 90 minutes by any road-based transport. The bus is air-conditioned, which matters when you step off a red-eye into Lima's thick coastal humidity. Buy your ticket at the counter inside the arrivals hall, not from anyone who approaches you at the curb.

After midnight, or if you're heading somewhere other than Miraflores, use Uber, inDriver, or Beat. All three operate at LIM. Walk up to the departures level to request your ride. Drivers avoid the arrivals pickup lane because of the airport access fee and the congestion around the taxi queue. From departures, a ride to Miraflores costs 25-40 PEN ($7-12). To Barranco, expect 30-50 PEN. To the Centro Histórico near Plaza Mayor, 20-30 PEN. Confirm the license plate matches the app before you get in. Lima scores 4.2/10 on solo-traveler safety (see the TTDI Solo-Safety Index), and the airport-to-hotel window is when petty theft targeting tourists tends to spike. Keep your phone in a front pocket. Keep bags on your lap, not in the trunk where you can't see them.

Skip the taxi touts inside the arrivals hall. They'll quote 80-120 PEN ($24-35) for a ride that runs a third of that on an app. The official Taxi Green desk in arrivals is safer but still charges 60-80 PEN to Miraflores. That's not a scam. It's a convenience premium with insurance included. If you want a fixed-price car with your name on a sign, book through your hotel. Most mid-range properties in Miraflores charge 70-100 PEN for airport pickup, and you get a driver who knows where your lobby is. Worth it at 2am when the garúa fog has the highway down to 3 lanes of visibility. One thing to avoid entirely. The colectivos, Lima's shared minibuses, run along Avenida Faucett and cost 2-3 PEN. Fine for commuters. With luggage and limited Spanish, you'll end up standing on a corner in Bellavista wondering what happened.

LIM's arrivals hall has improved after recent terminal renovations. Signage is bilingual in Spanish and English. Immigration lines tend to stack between 10pm and 1am, when most North American flights land. Budget 20-40 minutes for the queue. After customs, ATMs line the left wall. The Scotiabank and GlobalNet machines dispense soles. Withdraw PEN, not USD. Lima's smaller shops, corner bodegas, and many taxi apps still run on cash. The exchange counters at arrivals offer rates roughly 5% below the street rate you'll find on Calle Schell in Miraflores, so change only enough for your transport if you don't have a no-fee ATM card. You'll walk out of the terminal into damp, cool air that smells faintly of jet fuel and the salt breeze off the Pacific. It's 21°C and overcast in mid-August. The coastal winter. Pack a light layer.