Archbishop's Palace of Lima: Travel Guide (4.6★)

Two balconies on the Plaza Mayor

Look up before you go in. The palace’s pale stone front sits shoulder to shoulder with Lima Cathedral, and two big enclosed balconies of dark carved wood hang off the facade over the square. Covered balconies like these are the signature of colonial Lima, and these two are among the most elaborate in the city.

The building is newer than it looks. The present palace went up in the early 20th century, designed by the Polish-born architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski, on the site the archbishops have held since the city’s founding. Its revival style borrows deliberately from Lima’s colonial baroque. It is still the working headquarters of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima, so parts of it are offices rather than exhibits.

Inside the archbishops’ rooms

The visit runs through the formal floors. Expect:

• A grand staircase climbing from a stone courtyard
• Reception halls with coffered ceilings and portraits of past archbishops
• A private chapel
• Rooms of colonial-era religious painting and sculpture
• A view from behind the carved balconies, looking out over the Plaza Mayor

Standing inside a balcony is the reason many people come: you get to look through the wooden lattice the way it was meant to be used, seeing out without being seen. The interior is quiet next to the noise of the square. Even the Cathedral, one door away, draws much bigger groups.

Getting to Jirón Carabaya

The palace faces the Plaza Mayor (also called Plaza de Armas) in the Cercado de Lima, the UNESCO-listed historic centre. The address is Jirón Carabaya, on the square’s east side, which it shares with the Cathedral. Government Palace takes up the north side and the Municipal Palace the west.

From Miraflores or Barranco, the Metropolitano bus runs north along the Vía Expresa. Get off at Jirón de la Unión station and walk a few blocks. A taxi or ride-hail drops you at the plaza in roughly half an hour outside rush hour.

Easy add-ons on foot:

• Lima Cathedral, right next door
• San Francisco Monastery and its catacombs, two blocks northeast
• Casa de Aliaga, a colonial mansion just off the plaza
• Jirón de la Unión, the pedestrian shopping street heading south

Visiting a working church office

Remember that this is an administrative seat of the Church as well as a museum. Dress the way you would for a church: shoulders covered, nothing beachwear. Keep your voice down in the chapel.

Opening hours and ticket prices are not posted reliably online. Check the Archdiocese’s official channels or the ticket desk at the entrance on the day. Ticketing has sometimes been combined with the Cathedral, so ask at either door before you pay twice. Photo rules can differ from room to room, so ask the staff before you raise a camera, especially in the chapel.

Plan your morning around the plaza. The changing of the guard at Government Palace fills the square around midday, so seeing the palace earlier keeps you clear of that crowd. Afterwards you can step outside in time for the ceremony. Keep your phone and bag close in the busy plaza, as you would in any crowded square downtown.