How to get to Miraflores from the Lima Airport

Lima International Airport or, if you prefer its official name Jorge Chávez International Airport is the most important airport in Peru. If you are arriving at Lima airport for a layover only, or to spend some days in the city, I recommend staying in Miraflores, even though there are many hotels around the Lima airport.

Although it is a bit far from the airport, there is no need to worry. Getting from Lima airport to Miraflores is simple and there are many ways to do so, some are more secure than others though.

Disclosure: We received two Airport Express Lima passes, but as always, all opinions are completely my own.

How to get to Miraflores from the Lima International Airport

When visiting Lima, most people choose to stay closer to the city center, as it is easier to get around the city. Although staying in the main square or around it might sound interesting, the best option is staying in Miraflores or the Barranco area.

Particularly, I recommend staying in Miraflores since it is easier to get around, there are many buses in these areas and many restaurants, also some of the most important tourist points in Lima are located in Miraflores.

If you have at least one day in Lima and are staying in Miraflores, it will be possible to make your way to the city center and visit Plaza Mayor and some tourist points nearby.

Jorge Chávez International Airport – Lima Airport

Although the name suggests, Lima International Airport is not located in the city of Lima, rather it is 17 km away, in an independent district called Callao, and the trip from the Lima airport to Miraflores and Barranco, takes around 45 minutes, depending on the traffic (to be honest, it can take a lot more sometimes because the traffic in Lima is crazy).

Although it is one of the busiest airports in South America, it is pretty small compared to other airports around the world, Lima Airport, has only one terminal, but it offers great facilities, and it was rewarded as the best airport in South America in 2011.

In the case of layovers in Lima, the airport has many souvenir shops where you can buy Pisco, the Peruvian traditional drink, and products made of llama wool, among other things. Close to Lima Airport, you will find hotels, if you prefer to spend the night nearby.

How to get from Lima Airport to Miraflores

Unfortunately, public transportation is not an option when you are trying to get from Lima Airport to Miraflores.

There is no subway or train linking the airport to any part of the city, and the few local buses, micros, and combis are not trustworthy either, especially for those first-timers, but don’t worry, the other options are very pretty simple and can be cheap if you choose wisely.

Airport Taxi Lima

This is the most expensive option on the list. In general taxis in Peru are very cheap, as long as they are not airport taxis!

If you are thinking about taking the Lima airport taxi though, remember to negotiate the price for the service before you take it, taxis in Peru don’t have a taximeter, so the price can be a surprise sometimes.

Although you will pay a really expensive price for a Lima airport taxi, don’t bear high expectations, the cars are normally in bad condition and don’t offer much comfort.

How much is a taxi from Lima Airport to Miraflores? Taxi is the most expensive way to get from Lima Airport to Miraflores, it will cost between USD 15 to USD 20 (50 to 75 soles). Most of the taxis don’t have a taximeter so it is interesting to set a price before even taking the service. To avoid the stress or being overcharged, you better choose between one of the taxi companies whose offices are inside the Terminal.

But still, if you want a taxi, avoid the street ones or the service of those men standing outside the exit door of the terminal building, you may think they will be cheaper than the companies inside the terminal building, but it is not true, besides it is sometimes shady as well.

There are 5 major taxi companies serving the Lima Airport, they are CMV Taxi Remisse Ejecutivo, Mitsoo Remisse Taxi, Taxi365, Taxi Directo, and Taxi Green. They all have offices inside the Terminal.

You may ask why, and the answer is simple, the area around Lima airport tends to have a high crime rate, plus the chances are that this service will be more expensive than the others, as some drivers try to take advantage of the tourists sometimes.

To get from Lima airport to Miraflores you don’t need to take an airport taxi, however, if your hotel is located in another area besides Miraflores and Barraco, this is one option to consider.

Airport Express Lima

The best option if you are looking for comfort and a good price. Tickets for Airport Express Lima are US$6, with discounts available when 2 or more passengers have a boarding ticket for the same flight.

Airport Express Lima‘s facilities include well-equipped buses. It is the official airport bus, so you can expect the best and most secure service from them.

They have 45 – 50 super comfortable reclined seats and offer free wifi and USB ports to charge your gadgets on your way to the hotel. There is no baggage limit, so don’t worry about being charged more for that, as it happens sometimes in other companies. The Aiport Express Lima bus also has a TV, A/C, and toilet on board and is monitored by GPS for better security.

Their buses leave the airport every 30 minutes in the morning, from 09:30 to 11:30 and from 17:30 to 00:00, and every 1 hour from 12:00 to 17:00. Their timetable is super reliable so you know exactly when a bus is coming and what time you will arrive at your destination.

They also do the other way around, so you can take their bus from Miraflores to the Lima airport as well. The bus has 7 different stops around Miraflores, and they let you know exactly when you have arrived at your stop, so you miss it or get lost on your way to your hotel.

The tickets can be bought online or inside the terminal, otherwise, you can also pay in cash at the bus.

Public Bus

The main public bus companies that pass close to the airport are the Holding Express S and Aquarius Express. Both operate from 05:00 to 00:00. The price for their ticket is just $3 soles, and both go to the center of Miraflores neighborhood.

If you are visiting Peru or South America for the first time, I truly do not recommend going for the local bus, it can be hard and confusing for foreigners, as probably nobody will speak or understand English.

Besides the buses, you may also find local micros and combis outside the terminal making their way to Miraflores, they are small vans that carry people around in Peru. Their service is just like the local bus maybe with less comfort, I also don’t recommend this option.

Another issue in taking the local bus, micro or combi is the number of pickpockets, again, due to the high crime rate around the Lima airport area, it is always good to pay attention and go for the safest options ever.

Uber in Lima airport

Sadly, taking an Uber in Peru, especially at Lima airport is not an option, and they hardly get access to the airport as police are constantly checking for their permission.

Is there Uber in Lima? Yes, there is Uber in Lima, however, there were many reports of inappropriate behavior from some drivers and other incidents, as a result, Uber drivers were banned from the Lima airport area and Uber is not licensed, because of this, it is generally speaking, extremely hard to request Uber in Lima airport.

I don’t need to say that taking an Uber at Lima airport is not recommended at all right? I would avoid taking Uber anywhere in Peru, it is not a safe option and there are so many good services offering cheap prices for their services that it is not worth taking the risk.

If you wonder though, the price from Lima airport to Miraflores by Uber is something around S/60 or S50, according to the app’s estimator.