The Best Time Of Year To Visit Lima, Peru

*Esta publicación también está disponible en: Español

Depending on the time of year you visit Lima can drastically change your experience. For about half the year Lima is paradise with great weather, blue skies, and plenty to do. The other half experiences a cold, damp climate with grey skies every day. So how do you know when is the best time to go? Here is everything you need to know.

The first time I visited Lima was towards the end of February, during their summer. The golden sun was out, people were sunbathing at the beach, there were lots of outdoor events going on, and it was glorious. People told me that Lima was a gray city, and it has the nickname, Lima La Gris (Lima The Gray). I thought that people did not know what they’re talking about because on this trip it was all sun and fun.

After being super impressed with all Lima had to offer, I decided to book a return trip this year and stay for the month of June so that I could start my new website, Lima Insider. I live in Panama most of the time where it’s hot, humid and either sunny or rainy year-round so I checked out what the weather would be like in Lima and it would be their winter. The average temperature said it would be around 55 ℉ (13 ℃) so I packed a light jacket and a couple long-sleeve shirts since that isn’t too cold (I grew up in Kentucky).

As the plane made its descent upon towards Lima, I looked out the window and could hardly see anything as the city was completely covered in a thick, gray fog. Maybe it was just a foggy day and tomorrow would be sunny.

Two weeks later and I still hadn’t seen the sun. Lima La Gris is real.

As you can see from the below chart by climatemps.com, the amount of sunlight drastically drops to around 1- 2 hours a day from June – October (known as their winter) and then averages between 4 – 7 hours of sunlight between November and May (known as their summer). Not having sunlight and being next to the coast with a high humidity level makes it feel much colder than you can imagine so pack plenty of warm clothing.

But Peru has so many diverse climates all happening at the same time! You can literally go from a cold and grey day on the coast of Lima to hot desert sand dunes in 5 hours. Or Paracas is just 3 hours from Lima and it’s sunny most of the time over there.

My advice is to plan accordingly based on the time of year you will be in Peru. The only downside is that most of the time when it’s nice in Lima it’s rainy and cold in Cusco / Machu Picchu (which is probably why you’re going to Peru), so it can be hard to have great weather in both destinations. However, if you visit in April or November there is a period of time that overlaps where it is actually nice in both destinations.

So when is the best time to visit Lima? If you’re going to be in Peru between June – October, just plan two days in Lima and then spend more time getting to know other parts of the country. But if you’ll be here between November and May, you need at least four days in Lima to really soak up the gorgeous weather and things to do. Or come in April or November when it’s nice in both destinations!

Not sure what to do in Lima? Read my post, 21 Things YOU MUST Do In Lima, Peru for a few ideas!