Should You Tour Lima's Catacombs?

The catacombs beneath the San Francisco convent are one of Lima's more memorable historical sites. Expect a 20-30 minute guided walk through narrow underground tunnels lined with thousands of neatly arranged human bones and skulls. The experience is equal parts macabre and educational: guides explain colonial burial practices, the 17th-century earthquakes, and how over 25,000 people ended up here. It's atmospheric but not especially scary or gory. Above ground you also visit the convent's cloisters, tiled courtyard, and library. The whole visit usually takes 45-60 minutes unless bundled into a longer city tour.

Best time to go is the dry season from May to October when Lima isn't wrapped in coastal fog. Morning tours tend to be less crowded. Expect to pay around $15-35 per person depending on whether you do a standalone catacombs ticket or a half-day city tour that includes it. Private tours or small-group options sit at the higher end.

Tip: do the catacombs as a focused visit rather than bolting it onto a packed full-day city tour if you're short on energy; the underground part gets stuffy. Skip it if you're traveling with very young kids or anyone uncomfortable in tight, dark spaces with human remains. Otherwise it's a genuinely interesting slice of Lima's colonial past that most visitors remember.