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What to see in Lima

Pope Leo XIV in Lima (Nov 11-16, 2026): where to stay and getting around

Pope Leo XIV in Lima (Nov 11-16, 2026): where to stay and getting around

Pope Leo XIV, born in Chicago and a Peruvian citizen since 2015, is coming back to the country where he spent years as a missionary and later as bishop of Chiclayo. His visit to Peru runs from Wednesday, November 11 to Monday, November 16, 2026, and Lima is both the first and the last stop. If you're planning to travel from the US to be there, here's what's confirmed so far and how to make the logistics easier.

The official schedule in Lima

According to the official program published by El Peruano, Peru's official state newspaper (local Lima time):

Wednesday, November 11 — Lima and Callao
- 5:30 pm: arrival and official welcome at the Callao Naval Air Base.
- 6:15 pm: welcome ceremony at the Government Palace, followed by a meeting with the President.
- 7:45 pm: meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at the Gran Teatro Nacional.

Thursday, November 12 — Lima
- 9:30 am: meeting with the bishops of Peru.
- 10:20 am: Midday Prayer at the Basilica Cathedral of Lima.
- 11:30 am: gathering in the square in front of the Cathedral.
- 6:00 pm: prayer vigil with young people and university students at the Estadio Monumental.

Friday 13 to Sunday 15 — outside Lima. The Pope travels to Chiclayo and Pimentel (Mass on the 13th), Santa Cruz de Succhabamba in Cajamarca (Mass on the 14th), and then Cusco (Saqsaywaman and the Angelus at the Cathedral) and Pucallpa on Sunday the 15th, flying back to Lima that night.

Monday, November 16 — Lima and Callao
- 10:30 am: Holy Mass at Las Palmas Air Base in Santiago de Surco.
- 1:15 pm: farewell ceremony at the Callao Naval Air Base, before departing for Rome.

The visit coordinator, Monsignor Guillermo Inca, told the official news agency Andina that organizers expect at least 1.2 million people at the Las Palmas Mass, a turnout similar to Pope Francis's Mass at the same site in 2018. Access arrangements for each event will be announced by the Church and the authorities, so keep an eye on official channels before your trip.

Getting around: plan for crowds and closures

With hundreds of thousands of people on the move, Lima traffic, never easy, will be harder than usual on the days the Pope is in town. A few practical tips:

  • Arrive before Wednesday the 11th. The Pope lands at the Callao naval base, right next to the airport area, on the evening of the 11th, and large crowds are expected along the avenues into the city. If you can, land on the 10th or earlier.
  • Expect road closures around the venues (Government Palace and the historic center, the Cathedral, the Gran Teatro Nacional, the Estadio Monumental and Las Palmas). Check local news the day before each event.
  • For the Las Palmas Mass, go early and travel light. With over a million people expected, plan to get as close as you can by car or ride-hailing and walk the rest, bring water, sun protection and comfortable shoes, and agree a meeting point with your group in case phones struggle.
  • Use the days in between. From Friday to Sunday the Pope is outside Lima, so the city is calmer: a good time to explore Miraflores, Barranco or the historic center, or to plan a trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Where to stay: why Miraflores makes sense

For a trip like this, you want a base that is safe, walkable and well connected to both the historic center and Surco. That's Miraflores: most visitors stay here, there are restaurants and supermarkets on every block, and when you're not at an event you're on the clifftop malecón looking at the Pacific. Las Palmas Air Base is in Santiago de Surco, south-east of Miraflores, and the historic center is a straight run north. Our guide to where to stay in Lima compares the neighborhoods in more detail.

Lima Penthouse is an oceanfront penthouse on the Miraflores seafront, in a building with a doorman: three bedrooms for up to four guests, air conditioning in every bedroom, a full kitchen and a terrace looking out over the ocean. For a family or a small group traveling for the papal visit, it means coming back after a long day of crowds to your own space, cooking if you'd rather not go out again, and watching the sunset from the terrace.

Lima is expected to be busy that week, so if you're thinking of coming, check your dates on our home page sooner rather than later. And if you're arriving from the US, here's how to get from the airport to Miraflores.