Mirabus

Mirabus runs sightseeing tours in Lima on its distinctive red panoramic buses, setting out from Miraflores. The company has more than 15 years of experience and describes its aim as promoting tourism in Lima in a fun, innovative way with a 360-degree view of the city. Its sales office, which is also the starting point for the tours, is on Avenida Petit Thouars in Miraflores, and the tours are led by professional tourist guides.

The tours are built around the sights that are hardest to reach on your own from Miraflores. The day tour of the historic centre combines a guided ride through colonial Lima with a visit to the catacombs of the San Francisco convent, where the colonial cemetery, in use until 1810 and rediscovered in 1951, is thought to hold the remains of up to 70,000 people. The evening tour heads to the centre and then to the Circuito Mágico del Agua in the Parque de la Reserva, where 13 computer-controlled fountains and a laser show at the Fuente de la Fantasía are at their best after dark; the circuit opened in 2007 and holds a Guinness record as the largest fountain complex in a public park.

A shorter Expreso Costa Verde trip follows the coast, the strip of beaches and surf spots beneath the cliffs that stretches for more than 20 kilometres from Callao to Chorrillos. Mirabus also runs a two-day trip with one night to the archaeological sites of Caral, Peñico and Vichama north of Lima, a good option for travellers interested in archaeology.

Bus tours are an efficient way to see a large, spread-out city in a short time, and they suit families, older travellers and first-time visitors who want to get their bearings before exploring on their own. The evening tour is a practical way to see the Magic Water Circuit without arranging transport there and back.

Tickets for some tours are sold directly at the office, and the website lists the current programme with starting prices. Contact is by WhatsApp on the number published on the site. Bring a hat and sunscreen for daytime tours and a warm layer for the evening, and check the departure times when you book.