Larco Museum and Lima Historic Center

In 2017, the Larco Museum was ranked as number 22 of the 25 Best Museums in the World, according to Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards. This marked the first time a Peruvian museum made the list. The Larco Museum was founded by archeologist Rafael Larco Hoyle, who spent his life investigating and protecting the vestiges of Peru’s northern, pre-Colombian cultures. Larco Hoyle not only treasured and catalogued the remains he found on his scientific explorations of the archeological sites on the north coast of Peru, but he also purchased numerous private collections. Today, the Larco Museum exhibits almost 45,000 objects from the Mochica, Virú, Chimú, and Sipán Cultures, as well as other, smaller cultures that populated pre-Incan Peru.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo, Jirón Camaná 170, Cercado de Lima 15001, Peru

This exclusive tour takes you through Lima’s Historic Center, where you can admire and learn about the numerous architectural relics that make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Begin in the magnificent Santo Domingo Convent, which was built during Lima’s foundation, and originally housed the San Marcos University – the oldest university in the Americas. Stepping into the convent is like stepping into the past. The oldest chairs in the country sit in the chorus area, while the library – with its 25,000 books from the Dominicans, some of which were printed in the XV Century – is of incredible historic value. The Santo Domingo Convent was transited by all the major Saints of Lima, and currently houses the remains of San Martín de Porres, San Juan Masías y Santa Rosa de Lima. From here, cross through Lima’s Main Plaza – which contains the Government and Municipal Palaces – as you make your way towards the Lima Cathedral. The Cathedral is containing numerous religious art gems, and is considered an integral part of Lima’s history. The paintings housed within it take us on a visual tour through moments of Lima’s past.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Museo Larco, Avenida Bolivar 1515 Pueblo Libre, Lima Lima 21 Peru

Then, make your way to the Larco Museum, located 30 minutes from Lima’s city center. The museum, named one of the Worlds 25 Best Museums by Tripadvisor’s Traveller’s Choice Awards, has many different displays that offer visitors a journey through the beauty and history of Peru’s ancient cultures. Meanwhile, the warehouse contains an impressive amount of ceramic pieces that depict faces, objects, fruits, birds, and many other aspects of day-to-day life in ancient Peru.

Duration: 1 hour