This Lima airport guide for international arrivals starts with the change older guides miss: since June 1, 2025, every flight at Jorge Chávez International Airport has used the new passenger terminal, southwest of the old one, which is closed to passengers. After immigration and baggage claim you have four sensible ways into the city: the official Airport Express Lima bus to Miraflores for S/ 20, an authorized taxi booked at the counters in the arrivals hall, a ride-hailing app, or a pickup arranged by your hotel. Miraflores is 20.9 km away by road, about 1 hour 15 minutes at TomTom’s 2025 citywide average for Lima and 1 hour 45 minutes in the evening rush.
This guide is for anyone landing in Lima from abroad, staying in the city or connecting on to Cusco. The caveat that matters most is the clock. The airport bus runs roughly hourly until about 10 p.m., so a late landing turns the choice into taxi, app or hotel pickup, and the evening rush can add half an hour to any drive. Transport options, immigration rules and fares were checked on September 24, 2026, against Lima Airport Partners’, Migraciones’ and the transport authorities’ own websites and announcements.
On this page: At a glance · Before you fly · When you land · Getting to your hotel · Bus or taxi? · By area · Drive times · Arriving at night · Connections and layovers · Departing · The new terminal · Money and data · Families and assistance · Safety · Airport Spanish · Mistakes to avoid · FAQ
Lima Airport Transport at a Glance
Fares are as published on September 24, 2026. The airport doesn’t publish taxi fares online: the counter quotes one before you pay, so compare it with the bus before deciding.
| Option | Cost | Where to find it | Hours | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Express Lima bus | S/ 20, or S/ 15 each for two or more | Airport Express module, floor 1 | About hourly, roughly 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Hotels near its four Miraflores stops | Serves Miraflores only; check the last departure |
| Authorized taxi (regular or VIP) | Quoted at the counter | Counters in the arrivals hall | Check at the counter | Night arrivals, other districts, lots of luggage | Costs more than the bus; agree the fare first |
| Ride-hailing app | Shown in the app before you confirm | The pickup point the app and signs direct you to | Whenever drivers are available | Travelers with mobile data on landing | Needs data; find the right pickup zone |
| Hotel pickup | Set by the hotel | Driver meets you in arrivals | Any time you arrange | Late arrivals, first-timers, families | Confirm the driver’s name and your flight number |
| AeroDirecto public bus | Published by the transport authority | Floor 2 | Some routes launched as 24-hour | Budget travelers heading to the center or north | Not door to door; awkward with bags |
| Airport hotel | Room rate | Wyndham Grand, 60 m by walkway | 24 hours | Late landings with an early onward flight | Nothing to do nearby |
The one option we’d rule out is a taxi flagged down outside the airport or on the street. The UK Foreign Office’s advice for Peru is to use licensed taxis booked by phone or app and not to hail them.
Before You Fly: An Arrival Checklist
Most arrival problems in Lima are decided before you board. Ten minutes of preparation at home saves an hour of confusion in the arrivals hall.
- Decide how you’ll get to your hotel. If the Airport Express suits your hotel and arrival time, book it online; if you land late, arrange a hotel pickup and send the hotel your flight number rather than an arrival time.
- Save your hotel’s address in Spanish, with the district name, on your phone and on paper. Street names repeat across Lima’s districts, so “Miraflores” or “Barranco” after the address matters.
- Sort out mobile data if you plan to use a ride-hailing app, so it works the moment you switch off airplane mode.
- Screenshot what you need: your booking, the hotel’s phone number and a map of the area, in case your data doesn’t connect.
- Check the news for Lima, including the state of emergency declared on August 28, 2026, and any marches planned around your arrival.
- Note the airport’s information line, (01) 517-3500, and your airline’s contact for connections.
What Happens When You Land in Lima
The new terminal puts arrivals on level 1, and the order of events is the same for every international passenger: immigration, baggage claim, customs, then the arrivals hall. In PROMPERÚ’s 2024 survey of foreign tourists in Lima, 97% entered Peru through Jorge Chávez, so this is the gateway almost everyone uses.
1. Immigration (Migraciones)
Follow the signs to immigration. Visiting tourists use the staffed booths. The new terminal also has 19 electronic gates at entry and exit, but they’re only for travelers who’ve completed MigraCheck, a free online pre-registration made within 48 hours of an international flight, and MigraCheck is open to Peruvians with a valid passport and to foreign residents with a carné de extranjería, not to visitors. Queues depend on how many international flights land together, so the wait can be short or long for reasons that have nothing to do with you.
Peru no longer stamps passports on international flights at Jorge Chávez. Your entry is recorded electronically, and the Andean Migration Card, the TAM, is now virtual rather than a paper slip. Keep your passport handy anyway: hotels ask for it at check-in, and foreign tourists who aren’t resident in Peru can have lodging billed without IGV, the sales tax, for stays of up to 60 days.
2. Baggage claim and customs
Collect your bags, then pass customs on the way out. If you’re carrying goods that must be declared, declare them; otherwise follow the flow toward the exit. Leave your bags on a cart until you’ve decided how you’re getting into the city, because the transport counters are just beyond.
3. The arrivals hall
The arrivals hall is where the decisions happen. The authorized taxi counters sit here, operated by three companies, CMV, Mitsoo and Taxi Green; the airport’s own page describes regular and VIP taxi services sold at counters in both national and international arrivals, with staff who walk you to your driver in an exclusive parking area inside the airport. The Airport Express Lima module is on the same floor. If a hotel driver is collecting you, this is where they’ll wait with your name. If you need cash, get it inside the terminal rather than on the street.
Getting From Lima Airport to Your Hotel
Airport Express Lima: the official bus
Airport Express Lima is the airport’s official bus, and for most first-time visitors staying in Miraflores it’s the best value. It boards at its own module on floor 1 of the terminal and runs to four stops in Miraflores, in this order: the Marriott across from Larcomar on the Malecón de la Reserva, the Tourist Information Center at Avenida José Larco and San Martín, Parque Kennedy at the corner with Berlín, and the Hotel Boulevard entrance at Avenida José Pardo and Jorge Chávez. The regular fare is S/ 20 per person, or S/ 15 each for two or more traveling together, and you can book online in either direction.
Third-party guides updated in 2026 put the service at about one bus an hour, from roughly 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. toward Miraflores and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. back to the airport, on buses with Wi-Fi, air conditioning and no luggage limit. Check the current timetable when you book, because those hours decide whether the bus works for your flight.
Plan it: the bus suits you if your hotel is within a short walk of one of the four stops, you land between morning and evening, and you’re traveling light enough to walk a few blocks. For Barranco, San Isidro or the historic center, a taxi saves a second leg.
Authorized airport taxis
The authorized taxis are the default for anyone landing late, heading beyond Miraflores or carrying a lot of luggage. You book at a counter in the arrivals hall, where three companies operate, CMV, Mitsoo and Taxi Green, and the counter issues a QR code that assigns your vehicle; staff then walk you to your driver in a parking area reserved for authorized vehicles on level 1. The airport’s page offers a regular taxi and a VIP taxi. Fares aren’t published online, so ask for the price to your exact address before you pay, and compare it with the bus fare for your group.
Ride-hailing apps
App-based taxis can operate at the new terminal as long as their drivers meet the authorities’ documentation rules, and the app quotes the fare before you confirm. The catch is practical: you need mobile data the moment you land, and you need to find the pickup point the app and the airport’s signs direct you to. Drop-offs for departing passengers use level 3, which leads straight into the terminal. If you’ll be arriving without data, book a counter taxi instead of wandering the terminal looking for a signal.
A hotel pickup
Many hotels will send a driver for an agreed price, and for a first arrival after dark it’s the least stressful option: someone is waiting with your name, and the hotel knows when you should arrive. Send the hotel your flight number rather than a time, so the pickup tracks a delay.
AeroDirecto: the public bus
AeroDirecto is a public-transport bus service that the airport lists alongside the Airport Express, boarding on floor 2. At its June 2025 launch it ran five routes to the terminal, called Norte, Sur, Centro, Quilca and Ventanilla, with 24-hour service reported on the Norte, Centro and Ventanilla routes. Fares and current routes come from the government transport authority, not the airport. It’s the cheapest way in if you’re heading toward the center or the north and traveling light; with big bags or late at night, it isn’t the easy option.
Renting a car
Rental companies have a pickup lot beside the new terminal, but we wouldn’t drive in Lima on a first visit. TomTom’s 2025 index puts the average 10 km drive in metropolitan Lima at nearly 35 minutes, and parking and navigation add their own stress. Rent when you’re leaving the city, for a road trip south or north.
Airport Express or Taxi? Decide by Situation
There’s no single right answer, but there is a right answer for each arrival. These are the calls we’d make with the options and fares published on September 24, 2026.
| Your situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo or a couple, landing in the afternoon, hotel near Parque Kennedy | Airport Express Lima | S/ 20, or S/ 15 each for two, and a stop a short walk from the hotel |
| Landing after about 9 p.m. | Hotel pickup or counter taxi | The last bus leaves around 10 p.m., and you don’t want to be waiting for it |
| Family or group with several big bags | Counter taxi (ask about the VIP size) or hotel pickup | Door to door, with no walk from a bus stop |
| Staying in Barranco, San Isidro or the historic center | Counter taxi or app | The bus only serves Miraflores |
| Local SIM or eSIM working on landing | Ride-hailing app | Fare shown up front and the trip tracked |
| Connecting to Cusco the next morning | The Wyndham Grand next to the terminal | No drive in either direction |
| Tight budget, light bag, heading to the center or north | AeroDirecto | The cheapest way in, on a public route |
Getting to Each Part of Lima From the Airport
Where you’re staying decides how you travel. Here’s the short version for each area visitors use; the drive times come from the table in the next section.
To Miraflores
The new terminal is 20.9 km from Parque Kennedy, about 1 hour 15 minutes at the city average. Miraflores is the only area the Airport Express serves, with stops at the Marriott across from Larcomar, the tourist information center on Avenida José Larco, Parque Kennedy and the Hotel Boulevard, so it’s the easiest district to reach cheaply. If your hotel is more than a few blocks from a stop, take a taxi straight there instead of wheeling your bags through the streets.
To Barranco
Barranco is the farthest of the main visitor areas, 23.4 km from the terminal and about 1 hour 20 minutes at the average, or 2 hours in the evening rush. A counter taxi, an app or a hotel pickup is the sensible choice. The Airport Express’s first stop, across from Larcomar, is at the southern end of Miraflores, but you’d still need a taxi from there, so it’s rarely worth the change.
To San Isidro
San Isidro is 16.6 km from the terminal, about an hour at the average, which makes it the quickest of the coastal-side districts to reach. There’s no direct bus, so take a counter taxi, an app or a hotel pickup.
To the historic center
Plaza San Martín is 14.1 km from the terminal, about 49 minutes at the average, the shortest run to any of the main areas. Take a taxi to your hotel’s door rather than to a plaza, and if you arrive during a march or a security operation around the Plaza Mayor, expect detours. Budget travelers with light bags can look at AeroDirecto’s Centro route, which launched as a 24-hour service.
To the airport hotels
The Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol Lima Airport is about 60 m from the terminal, linked by a walkway, so you won’t need transport at all. The Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport, by the old terminal, is 5.3 km away and runs a free shared shuttle every 30 minutes, or sooner when the van fills.
How Long Does It Take to Get From Lima Airport to the City?
We measured road distances from the new terminal with OpenStreetMap routing and applied TomTom’s 2025 averages for metropolitan Lima: 34 minutes 53 seconds per 10 km across the day and 51 minutes 17 seconds in the evening rush. Night-time drives are usually quicker than the daily average, but we don’t have a measured figure for them, so plan on the average.
| From the new terminal to | Road distance | Typical drive | Evening rush |
|---|---|---|---|
| Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport (hotel shuttle) | 5.3 km | About 15 minutes, per the hotel | Not measured |
| Museo Larco, Pueblo Libre | 11.9 km | About 42 minutes | About 1 hour |
| Plaza San Martín, historic center | 14.1 km | About 49 minutes | About 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Plaza Mayor, historic center | 15.3 km | About 53 minutes | About 1 hour 20 minutes |
| San Isidro (Huaca Huallamarca) | 16.6 km | About 58 minutes | About 1 hour 25 minutes |
| Miraflores (Parque Kennedy) | 20.9 km | About 1 hour 15 minutes | About 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Barranco (Plaza de Barranco) | 23.4 km | About 1 hour 20 minutes | About 2 hours |
The routing follows the Costa Verde, the coastal highway, for much of the way to Miraflores, which is one reason the coast districts are a long ride even when the kilometers look modest. Your driver may choose another route depending on the traffic.
Arriving in Lima at Night
Many international flights land late, and the night arrival is where first-timers most often make a poor choice. The Airport Express stops running around 10 p.m., according to 2026 third-party timetables, so after that your options are an authorized taxi from the counter, a ride-hailing app, a hotel pickup or a bed at the airport.
- Book the hotel pickup or use the counter taxi. Both put you in a known vehicle without leaving the terminal to look for one.
- Don’t take a ride from anyone who approaches you in the hall or outside. Use the counters, your app or your hotel’s named driver.
- Get cash inside the terminal if you need it. The UK Foreign Office warns that tourists, especially those alone, risk “express kidnapping,” in which victims are forced to withdraw cash from ATMs, usually at night.
- Consider sleeping at the airport. If you land after midnight and fly to Cusco in the morning, the Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol Lima Airport, a five-star hotel about 60 m from the terminal and linked to it by a walkway, spares you two long drives. The older Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport, by the old terminal, runs a free shuttle every 30 minutes or sooner when full.
A 60-day state of emergency also covers Lima Metropolitana and Callao under Supreme Decree 123-2026-PCM, published on August 28, 2026. It restricts rights including freedom of movement and assembly, so check whether it has been extended when you travel and follow any instructions at checkpoints.
Connecting Flights and Long Layovers
Every domestic and international flight now uses the same new terminal, which makes connections simpler than in the old building. If you’re flying on to Cusco or another Peruvian city, ask your airline before you travel whether your bags are checked through or whether you’ll collect them in Lima and check them in again, and leave generous time between flights: immigration queues are the variable you can’t control.
For a long layover, the math is simple. The new terminal is 20.9 km from Miraflores, about 1 hour 15 minutes each way at the city average, and Lima Airport Partners asks international passengers to be back at least three hours before departure. Add immigration and baggage time on arrival, and a 12-hour layover leaves roughly four to five hours in Miraflores, enough for the clifftops and a ceviche lunch. Under about eight hours, stay at the airport. Our Lima itinerary for first-time visitors has the day plans if you’re staying longer.
Departing From Lima Airport
Lima Airport Partners and Migraciones advise international passengers to be at the terminal at least three hours before departure. From Miraflores, the drive to the new terminal is 19.9 km, about 1 hour 10 minutes at the city average and 1 hour 40 minutes in the evening rush, so for an evening flight you’ll be leaving your hotel close to five hours before takeoff. The Airport Express runs back to the airport from about 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., by third-party timetables, and it can be booked online.
- Drop-offs use level 3, which leads directly into the terminal.
- Departure immigration works like arrival: tourists use the staffed booths, since the e-gates are for MigraCheck users only.
- Early flights are the case for the airport hotel: for a 7 a.m. international departure, the three-hour advice means a 4 a.m. check-in.
- Leave your last day light. Stay close to your hotel on departure morning rather than crossing town to a museum.
If you’re choosing where to stay with the flight in mind, our guide to where to stay in Lima compares the drive from each area to the terminal, including the two airport hotels.
Old Terminal, New Terminal: Don’t Get Caught Out
All flight operations moved to the new terminal on Sunday, June 1, 2025, and it handled about 50,000 passengers on its first day. The old terminal, on the eastern side of the airport, is closed to passengers, though older guides, map pins and hotel directions sometimes still point to it. When you book a ride to the airport, make sure the app or driver is heading to the new terminal. The Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport hotel, which faced the old terminal, is now 5.3 km from the new one and runs its shuttle between the two.
The new terminal’s services change more often than its layout, so for shops, lounges and luggage storage, check the operator’s website before you fly; its information line is (01) 517-3500.
Money, Phone Data and Luggage on Arrival
Peru’s currency is the sol, written S/, and the fares on this page are in soles. If you need cash for the first day, take out a modest amount inside the terminal, where you’re not standing at a street ATM at night, and pay larger costs by card where it’s accepted. Keep small notes for tips and snacks.
If you rely on your phone for a ride-hailing app, set up an eSIM or roaming before you fly, since hunting for a signal or a SIM seller after a long flight is the moment people get flustered. If your phone won’t connect, don’t improvise: go back to the authorized taxi counters.
For luggage storage and lounges, check the airport operator’s website before you travel, because concessions in a new terminal change. If you have a long layover and want to leave the airport, having nowhere to put your bags is often the deciding factor, so sort it out in advance.
Traveling With Children or Needing Assistance
If you need a wheelchair or help getting through the terminal, request it through your airline when you book or at least a couple of days before you fly, since airlines arrange assistance from the aircraft door. Tell the taxi counter or your hotel about a wheelchair or a stroller when you book the ride, so the right vehicle turns up.
With young children, the arrival sequence can be long: immigration, baggage, customs and then the ride. A hotel pickup, or an authorized taxi booked at the counter, avoids waiting for a bus with tired kids, and the Airport Express’s hourly timetable is less forgiving if you miss one. If you land late with small children and fly on in the morning, the hotel beside the terminal is worth its price.
Safety at the Airport and on the Road
We don’t call any part of Lima safe or unsafe; the advisories are more useful. The UK Foreign Office says street crime, including muggings and thefts, is a significant problem in Lima and other major cities, and that attacks can happen in tourist areas such as Miraflores and Barranco. For a new arrival, its advice reduces to a few habits:
- Use an authorized counter taxi, a ride-hailing app or a hotel driver, never a taxi hailed outside.
- Check the driver and plate against the counter slip or the app before you get in, and share the trip with someone.
- Keep your phone and passport out of sight at traffic lights, especially with the window down.
- Withdraw cash inside the terminal or a bank, in daylight when you can.
Airport Spanish: The Signs You’ll Follow
Signs in the terminal are bilingual in most places, but taxi counters, drivers and hotel staff will use the Spanish terms, so these are worth recognizing.
| Spanish | English | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|
| Llegadas | Arrivals | Level 1, after customs |
| Salidas | Departures | The upper levels and the drop-off road |
| Migraciones | Immigration | Straight after you leave the aircraft |
| Recojo de equipaje | Baggage claim | After immigration |
| Aduanas | Customs | Between baggage claim and the arrivals hall |
| Conexiones | Connections | For onward flights |
| Vuelos nacionales / internacionales | Domestic / international flights | Check-in and arrivals |
| Taxi autorizado | Authorized taxi | The counters in the arrivals hall |
| Embarque / puerta | Boarding / gate | Departures |
Two phrases help at the counter: “¿Cuánto cuesta hasta Miraflores?” (how much is it to Miraflores?) and “¿Acepta tarjeta?” (do you take cards?). Say the district as well as the street when you give your address.
Lima Airport Mistakes to Avoid
- Heading to the old terminal. It closed to passengers in June 2025. Check that your driver or app is going to the new one.
- Accepting a ride from someone who approaches you. Use the authorized counters, an app or your hotel’s named driver.
- Counting on the last bus. With the Airport Express running about hourly until around 10 p.m., a delayed flight can leave you without it.
- Landing without data and planning to use an app. Set up an eSIM or roaming before you fly, or book a counter taxi.
- Expecting the e-gates. They’re for MigraCheck users, which means Peruvians and foreign residents, not visitors.
- Underestimating the drive for a departure. Three hours at the airport plus up to 1 hour 40 minutes from Miraflores in the evening rush means leaving about five hours before an evening flight.
- Booking a tight same-day connection on separate tickets. If your bags aren’t checked through, you’ll collect them and check in again, and immigration queues can eat a short gap.
Lima Airport FAQ
How long does immigration take at Lima airport?
It depends on how many international flights land at once. Visiting tourists use the staffed booths, since the terminal’s 19 e-gates are reserved for Peruvians and foreign residents registered with MigraCheck. Your passport isn’t stamped; the entry is recorded electronically. Allow time for queues on top of baggage claim before a hotel pickup.
How much is a taxi from Lima airport to Miraflores?
The airport doesn’t publish taxi fares online. The authorized counters in the arrivals hall quote a price for your address before you pay, and a ride-hailing app shows its fare before you confirm. For comparison, the official Airport Express bus to Miraflores costs S/ 20 per person, or S/ 15 each for two or more.
Is there an airport bus to Miraflores at night?
Not late at night. By 2026 third-party timetables, Airport Express Lima runs about hourly from roughly 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. toward Miraflores. After that, use an authorized counter taxi, a ride-hailing app or a hotel pickup, or sleep at the Wyndham Grand next to the terminal if you have an early flight.
Can you use Uber or other apps at Lima airport?
Yes. App-based taxis can operate at the new terminal if their drivers meet the authorities’ documentation rules. You’ll need mobile data on arrival and must walk to the pickup point the app and signs indicate. If you land without data, book an authorized taxi at the counter instead.
How early should you get to Lima airport for an international flight?
At least three hours before departure, as Lima Airport Partners and Migraciones advise, plus the drive. From Miraflores that’s about 1 hour 10 minutes at the city average and 1 hour 40 minutes in the evening rush, so for an evening flight leave your hotel close to five hours ahead.
Do you fill in an immigration card when you arrive in Peru?
No paper card is handed out at Jorge Chávez. Peru’s Andean Migration Card, the TAM, is virtual, and your entry is recorded electronically instead of with a passport stamp. Keep your passport with you, since hotels ask for it at check-in.
Related Lima Guides
- Where to Stay in Lima, Peru for Tourists: each area’s drive from the new terminal, plus the two airport hotels.
- Lima, Peru Itinerary for First-Time Visitors: how to plan arrival day, departure day and a long layover.
- Best Things to Do in Lima, Peru for First-Time Visitors: what to see once you’re through the arrivals hall.
- What to Eat in Lima, Peru: Food Guide: your first ceviche lunch, and the dishes to order after it.
Sources and How We Checked
Transport options, fares, immigration rules and closures on this page were checked on September 24, 2026, against the sources listed below. The guide is compiled from them, not from other travel lists, and it claims no first-hand visits. Drive times combine OpenStreetMap routing from the new terminal with TomTom’s 2025 Lima averages.
- Lima Airport Partners: Airport Express Lima and AeroDirecto, authorized taxis, the move to the new terminal
- Migraciones: MigraCheck; Gestión on the end of passport stamping; RPP on the e-gates
- Taxis and buses: Infobae on authorized taxis, Infobae on app taxis, América TV on AeroDirecto routes, Infobae on check-in times
- Hotels: Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol Lima Airport, Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport; SUNAT, Legislative Decree 919
- Traffic and routing: TomTom Traffic Index for Lima, OSRM; PROMPERÚ, 2024 profile of foreign tourists visiting Lima
- Safety: UK FCDO travel advice for Peru, Andina on the state of emergency
Lima Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with PROMPERÚ, the Municipality of Lima or any attraction listed here, and no one paid to be included.
Photo Credits
- New terminal, Jorge Chávez International Airport: photo by Mathias Rufino, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Miraflores malecón: photo by Mojnsen, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Map of the airport to Miraflores drive: Lima Tourism Guide, drawn from map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Old terminal, Jorge Chávez International Airport: photo by TomasVial, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
- Lima from the air: photo by F Delventhal, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)