In our opinion, Lima is best explored by taxi, but be careful, a large portion of taxis in Lima are unregistered (unofficial and unregulated by the government). It is always safer to use registered taxis, which can be called by hotels and restaurants or are found at official taxi stands. Registered taxis have a rectangular authorization sticker with the word SETAME on the upper left corner of the windshield.

Here are some of the better official taxis you may call:
Transporte Facil Peru +51 993 615187
Taxi Directo +51 1 7111111
Taxi Satelital +51 1 3555555

Also, Taxibeat and Easytaxi have proven to be a reliable way of securing a safe and affordable ride with the use of a traveler`s cell phone application. Just download the app and hail a taxi.

The Metropolitano is a rapid transport bus system that was inaugurated in 2010. The Metropolitano serves Lima with dedicated lanes and express routes, as well as wheelchair access. Rechargeable cards can be purchased for S/5 (about $1.54) and each bus ride costs approximately S/2.50 (about $0.77) each way. You can transfer busses within the main line for free. Buses often arrive packed even during non-peak hours.

The Metropolitano system runs north and south, and starts from Naranjal Terminal in the north all the way to Matellini Terminal in the south. Hours of operation are from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm daily.

Parts of Lima can be explored by walking. Lima Central, Miraflores and Barranco can be seen by foot. Traffic is not very `pedestrian friendly` with the heavy congestion and aggressive driving. Between neighborhoods, a taxis is necessary.

A bicycle is a good way to see parts of Lima. You can take a scenic ride down el Malecon (a 6-mile stretch of parks that sits along the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean) or enjoy a ride by the along the beach. You can rent a bicycle from Lima Bike (tel. +51 959 820 555). A bike rental will cost approximately S/25 (about $8 USD) for 3 hours or approximately S/40 (about $12 USD) for a full 24 hours.

We do not recommend using the Metro de Lima train. Lines are extremely long and the trains are jam packed, therefore the Metro de Lima train is not useful for navigating Lima.

We do not recommend you rent a car. Getting around in Lima by rental car is not the easiest or the best option for travelers and it is not cheap. Traffic is congested and drivers are more aggressive than in the U.S. If you insist on renting a car, you can rent a car with or without a driver. If you like the freedom that renting a car brings you, rent a car along with a driver might be an option for you.