Here’s everything you need to know about Lima’s Jorge Chavez airport!

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As international airports go, Lima’s is fairly basic. Don’t expect attractions like the swimming pool at Singapore’s Changi Airport or the shopping and spas at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle. Here are my top tips for arrival, departure, connections, and layovers.

Arrival at Jorge Chavez International Airport

The good news is that this is a relatively small airport by international standards, meaning that you won’t have endless hallways between getting off the plane and getting out of the airport. The bad news is that immigration can take a long time.

There is often a long line that takes about half an hour to get through. If you’re on team carryon and have two heavy backpacks, this is a very painful slow shuffle back and forth. I recommend checking luggage to Lima or bringing a roller bag as your carryon. In over ten years flying in and out of Lima, I can only think of one time when there was no line. If you’re lucky, it will take 10-15 minutes. If you’re unlucky, it could take up to an hour.

Immigration wait times in Lima are particularly long 5am-8am and 6pm-11pm when there are usually a lot of international arrivals.

At immigration there is a separate line for people with special needs. This includes not only people with wheelchairs but also those flying with small children and pregnant or elderly travelers. If you’re over 60 and not used to getting the senior discount, get in this line anyway. It really is for you. If you’re obviously pregnant, definitely get in this line. If you’re not showing yet but your feet hurt, just say you’re pregnant and you’ll be welcomed.

Be aware that you no longer get a Peru stamp in your passport when you enter the country. Immigrations officers might still have them, so you can try asking for one if you are into collecting stamps in your passport.

Airport preferential lines

Pregnant, elderly and handicapped travelers have preferential lines in the airport. This is also for people traveling with small children. Grocery stores, banks and other government institutions have similar accommodations. This is one of my favorite things in Peru, though I’ve never gotten to use it.

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Upstairs from the airlines’ check in counters, near the cafés is both a lactation room and the post office. They’re before you get to the food court and if you can’t find them just ask where Starbucks is, because they’re right next to it. The Lima airport is the only place in Peru I haven’t seen breastfeeding in public. Markets, restaurants, busses and everywhere else is common. I’ve seen babies breastfeeding in the Cusco airport, which doesn’t have a lactation room.

Connecting flights in Lima

International connecting flights at Jorge Chavez International Airport

New in 2023, those with connecting international flights don’t have to go through customs. In the past, everybody had to go through customs, pick up their checked luggage, recheck it and go through security again. Finally, there is a new hallway to your right just before customs, next to the bathrooms. Make sure that your bag is checked through to your final destination! If not, it can take over an hour to go through customs, get your bag and recheck it.

National connecting flights in Peru from international arrivals

To get to any national flight from an international flight, you need to go through customs and get your bags. In most cases, you’ll get a 90-day tourist visa, after which you have to walk through the duty free shops. (Check here to be sure you qualify for visa on arrival). Go through baggage claim, past the baggage scanners that are used intermittently, through the small room with the rental car agencies and you’ll be in a large room with doors to the outside.

Do not go outside. The fence that funnels people outside has a gate on the left. Go through the gate, past the escalators and you’ll be at the area with airlines’ check in counters. There is a shop with basic drinks and snacks to your left, under the escalators. Prices aren’t much better than other places in the airport, but if you didn’t get fed on the plane, this is a good spot to stop.

If you don’t need to check anything in, go up the escalator and along the upstairs hallway to the food court and security. It’s much easier than pushing through the crowds trying to check luggage. You’ll just have to take an escalator on the other end to get upstairs to the same food court and security. There are stairs and elevators at both escalators.

You are allowed to bring a full water bottle through security for national flights. All other restrictions, like knives and fireworks, apply. You don’t have to take off your shoes at any airport in Peru.

National connecting flights from national arrivals in Peru

All national arrivals go through baggage claim, go upstairs past the food court and through security again. Finally, in 2023 a connection from the baggage claim exit was made to the area with check-in counters. (For years I grumbled that I had to go outside in the Lima fog & rain to get to a connecting flight). When you exit the baggage claim area you’ll go through a room with car rental agencies. Turn right and you’ll be near check-in counters and at the foot of the escalators to go up to the food court and security.

Peru is a very centralized country, and most flights have a connection in Lima. There are a few flights directly from Cusco to nearby cities like Puerto Maldonado and Arequipa, but those are the exception, not the rule.

Again, you are allowed to bring a full water bottle through security for national flights and you don’t have to take your shoes off.

Departure from Jorge Chavez International Airport

            If you have overstayed your visa, or somehow accrued fines in Peru, you must pay those before you get in line for customs. Before you enter the maze for immigration, look left and you’ll see an office for payments.

Short layovers in Lima

            If you have a short layover from your international arrival and a connection to Cusco or another national destination, it’s best to stay in the airport. The neighborhood around the airport is one of the most dangerous in Lima (which makes it the most dangerous in all of Peru). There’s not a lot to see near the airport, so if you don’t have time to go somewhere, stay inside.

Long layovers at Jorge Chavez International Airport

 If you have a few hours and you really want to leave the airport, you can walk about a block from the airport to the Arauco Faucett Outlet Mall. There is a café called La Baguette that has good coffee and great avocado toast. (Photos of the menu are above). The outlet mall is where you can replace almost anything if your luggage was lost or delayed. It’s mostly clothes, shoes and luggage but also has outdoor gear and glasses shops.

The airport is in the town of Callao, which is just north of Lima but not technically Lima. It’s not a safe area. If you’re not checking your luggage, leave any big carryons in a locker at the airport, which are near the international terminal exit. Do not walk around Callao with your luggage!

I don’t recommend wandering farther than the outlet mall. I’ve walked through the neighborhood, which is called Bocanegra, and it always makes my Spidey sense tingle. (Bocanegra means black mouth and the name always reminds me of a pit viper’s black tongue). However, the outlet mall is so close that I’ve never felt any danger on that short walk.

            If you have four to five hours, you can consider taking a cab to La Punta, the only really touristy place in Callao. There’s a nice malecón and you can get in a good walk if you need to stretch your legs. La Punta also has a string of good restaurants along the malecón. If you want to go to a bigger mall than Arauco, the Plaza Norte Mall is a 15 minute drive away and a taxi should only cost about s/15 PEN. Keep taxi windows closed and put purses and valuables on the floor by your feet. One of the most common thefts in Lima is somebody reaching in a car window to grab stuff and then zooming away on a motorcycle.

            Getting into the center of Lima takes about an hour most of the time but even longer during morning and evening rush hour. I don’t recommend going to Lima unless your layover is more than six hours. Give yourself two hours to get back to the airport during rush hour.

If you’re traveling to Peru, I highly recommend getting travel insurance!

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Questions?

I offer personalized travel advice for Peru. Contact me to arrange a call.