Lima, Peru

Airport Taxis. Take a legal, licensed taxi (do *not* accept rides offered from non-licensed taxi drivers) from the queue. We found taxis to be clean and plentiful, but here's an idea for you: rather than depend too much on taxis, we used smart local guides to help us get from A to B during our stay. On our last night in Lima, after an evening stroll in the Water Park, our guide very kindly drove us out to the airport, eliminating the need for a taxi ride. If you're booking tours, consider this.

Uber. Uber wasn't available during our visit, but we hear from others that Uber can be an efficient, convenient way to get around Lima. One nice thing: if your Spanish is iffy, Uber eliminates all confusion associated with hailing cabs and explaining your destination.

Tip: Traffic in Lima spooked us -- and we're used to crazy Bangkok drivers! Take extra care crossing streets and brace yourself before each taxi ride!

Use Local Guides. To make the most of our very short stay in Lima, we utilized local guides (as we often do). A great local guide can help you organize stops, arrive at the best possible times, and move efficiently through the city, allowing you to relax, enjoy the experience, and make the most of every second.

In Lima, we used two guide services: The Lima Gourmet Company (specializing in food tours) and Peruvian Local Friends.

With the Lima Gourmet Company, we booked both the Day Tour and the one-hour ceviche and pisco sour class. Both experiences were among the best we've had with local tour companies. Our guides were personable, flexible, and knowledgable. Some of the restaurants we visited when we went in 2013 are now being recognized as being among the very best in Peru -- so Lima Gourmet was ahead of the curve! Highly recommended.

For day tours, we used Peruvian Local Friends. Rodrigo took us out to Patchacamac, the Larco Museum, and then the Park of the Reserve (the water park). He also whisked us directly back to the airport after along day of touring. Recommended.