Lima eSIM — plans from ₹299.00

Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) serves the whole country from Callao, north-west of the city, and it is the gateway for almost every visitor including those connecting straight on to Cusco. Prepaid SIM counters operate in arrivals, and Peruvian lines are registered against identity documents, so expect a form, a photograph of your passport and a wait that grows with each wide-body that lands.

The transfer is where connectivity earns its place. Uber, DiDi, Cabify and inDrive all operate in Lima, and the airport has designated ride-hailing pickup arrangements that shift often enough that you want live in-app instructions rather than guesswork. The drive to Miraflores or Barranco crosses the city and takes anything from forty minutes to two hours depending on the Via Expresa, and arriving at three in the morning, which is when many long-haul flights land, makes an unbooked taxi the least appealing option of all.

An eSIM installed at home is live at the first Peruvian network handshake. See Peru plans.

Claro, Movistar, Entel and Bitel all operate nationally, and Lima has real 5G across Miraflores, San Isidro, Barranco, Surco and the central district, with dependable 4G in the wider metropolitan sprawl.

Metro Line 1 runs largely elevated so coverage follows it easily, and the Metropolitano busway corridor is covered along its length; the underground stations at the northern end can dip briefly. Congestion is worst in the Centro Histórico around midday and along the Malecón at weekends. Heading south, the Panamericana keeps signal to Pachacámac, Asia and on to Paracas, thinning in the desert stretches between towns, and the Huacachina dunes and the Ballestas boat trip are effectively offline once you are away from the settlement.

Download offline maps covering the airport, the Centro and the coastal districts from San Isidro to Barranco, plus the Panamericana if you are heading south. Ride-hailing, restaurant reservations and translation are the day-to-day data users, and QR payment codes are increasingly common in Lima cafés.

Café Wi-Fi in Miraflores and Barranco is good and widely available, and hotel networks are usually fine, so much of your city browsing can ride on those. The eSIM covers the taxi, the cliff-top walk and the coastal road. Hotspot for a laptop works on most plans. Carry a power bank for long transfer days, particularly if you are flying on to Cusco the same day, since airport charging points are contested.