If you are planning a trip to Peru, chances are you are arriving at Lima airport, the only international airport in Peru. From Lima airport, you have multiple choices of how to get your hotel, and one of them is Uber.
Sounds straightforward? Well, it is indeed easy, but there’s important information that you should know when ordering one.
Let’s take a look at all you need to know when ordering an Uber from Lima airport.
Are Ubers Allowed in Lima Airport?
Taking an Uber from Lima airport is one of the most popular ways to get to Miraflores, Barranco, or any other destination in Lima.
In fact, this is what most Peruvians (including me) do when getting back from a trip. Actually, not just Uber, but there are many other taxi apps that are popular in Lima and that you can use from the airport.
But the thing is that Uber is not officially allowed inside Lima airport. Nor are any other taxis who work with apps.
But, since Ubers are private cars, of course there is no way of really knowing who is a taxi driver and who is entering the airport to pick up a friend, guest or relative. This is why even if they aren’t officially allowed in the airport, you wont have a problem finding one.
Where is the Uber Pick-Up Location in Lima Airport?
If you order an Uber at Lima airport, your Uber will generally arrive very soon, since taxi drivers are usually waiting in the vicinity of the airport.
Since Uber is not officially allowed inside Lima airport, there’s also no official pick-up location. But in practice, they will pick you up right in front of the International or National Arrivals (meaning doors 3 or 1).
Specifically, they will pick you up on what is called the “via rápida” or “fast lane”. That means, the lane where taxis are supposed to just drop off passengers. If you are coming out of International Arrivals, that will be the third lane, the one just in front of Hotel Costa del Sol.
Once you order your Uber, be alert of where your Uber is. So that as soon as you see it, you can get inside the car. Remember that they are not officially allowed to pick up passengers, so you will have to get in very quickly.
There’s security always checking that Ubers don’t stop to pick up passengers, but they aren’t really that strict.
Is there WiFi in Lima Airport to Call an Uber?
Yes, there is free WiFi at Lima airport and it’s very easy to connect.
You will be able to connect to the WiFi from the arrivals area, but the signal won’t reach the exit nor the street. Sometimes the signal is not very strong even at the place where you pick up your lugagge.
If you don’t have internet and need to connect to the WiFi, then walk back to the Duty Free shop (right before getting to the baggage belts). You will be able to connect there. From that point to the Uber pick-up point outside, it’s less than a 2-minute walk.
Unfortunately, connecting to WiFi is not the best option since you will lose the signal once you start walking out of the airport. But if you can communicate with your Uber before you walk out and let them know how you are dressed and that you are at International Arrivals (“Llegadas Internacionales”) it should be easy.
Uber drivers generally don’t speak English, so knowing some Spanish will be a big advantage.
Buying a Sim Card at Arrivals in Lima airport is not possible, unfortunately. There used to be a small Claro stand selling them but as of 2023 it’s not there anymore.
Taking an Uber from Lima Airport: is it Safe?
I travel a lot, and the way I always get back home from Lima airport is by taking an Uber (or any other taxi app). Personally, I consider it safe.
I also receive plenty of Airbnb guests and Uber is what I usually recommend to my guests. Especially if they are used to traveling and speak some Spanish, Uber is a very easy and cheap way to get to Barranco and Miraflores. No one ever had any problem reaching my place by Uber from Lima aiport.
The thing is that because they are private cars and drivers aren’t officially registered as taxi drivers, they can potentially be dangerous. I say potentially because time to time it can happen that people can get robbed by the drivers. But this is very rare.
I’m Peruvian and I personally don’t know of anyone (nor have heard of any friend of friend) to whom this has happened. But once in a while you can see some incident on the news. It basically is a question of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being very unlucky.
If this makes you nervous and you are looking for the safest option to get to your destination, maybe you should take official airport taxi to your hotel. That will cost you around 5 times more than an Uber, but it’s the safest option.
Also, drivers of the official airport taxis will speak English, in case that’s something that will make you feel more comfortable. Chances are that your Uber driver won’t.
Safety Around Lima Airport
Whichever mode of transportation you take from the airport, be it an official taxi or an Uber, be aware of your surroundings in the area near the airport.
Lima is generally speaking, a relatively safe city, but the area around the airport isn’t that much. You should have your windows closed and your doors locked when you are at the taxi. Also, have your handbags on the floor of the taxi.
Again, I have personally never heard of anyone getting robbed around the airport. But I wouldn’t be surprised if someone wasn’t very alert and got his phone or bag robbed from the window by a passing motorbike, for example.
Uber from Lima Airport to Miraflores
Chances are that your hotel will be in either Miraflores or Barranco, the two most touristic neighborhoods in Lima. By the way, if you haven’t chosen where to stay yet, take a look at this post about staying in Barranco vs. Miraflores.
An Uber ride from Lima airport to Miraflores can be around 40 minutes to 1 hour long or even more, depending on traffic.
The cost of the ride can be anywhere from 50 soles to 90 soles, depending on the time of day. In USD, that would be between 14 and 25 dollars.
Uber from Lima Airport to Barranco
An Uber from Lima airport to Barranco takes around 45 minutes, depending on traffic.
The cost of the ride is more or less the same as going to Miraflores. That is, somewhere between 50 soles to 90 soles, depending on the time of day. In USD, that would be between 14 and 25 dollars.
Are There Other Taxi Apps Besides Uber in Lima?
Yes, you can call other taxi apps besides Uber to pick you up from Lima airport. Uber is a very popular app in Lima, but it’s not the only one.
What varies mainly is the price, but the drivers are the same (drivers use several apps). Another difference, though, is that with Uber you can choose a better car (Uber black) or a van, if you are more people.
But, personally, I have used all of different taxi apps from Lima airport (and everywhere else in the city) and I don’t really find a big difference among them.
Didi
A very popular app is Didi, which is generally cheaper than Uber. The standard service is generally the same as Uber’s.
Cabify
You can also download Cabify, which has the reputation of being safer than Uber. I personally don’t know to what extent this is true. It’s around the same price as Uber or more.
InDrive
If you are traveling on a budget, I suggest you download InDrive. There, they will give you a suggested rate, which is always much lower than Uber’s rate. You can either lower it or make it higher. Immediately after placing your oder, you will start receiving bids from drivers. You will see how far they are and you have some seconds to accept the offer you prefer.
Last time I came back from the airport to Barranco (June 2023), I used InDrive and I was surprised to see how cheap it was compared to Uber. For example, Uber was charging me around 90 soles, while the suggested rate in InDrive was 35 soles.
I thought that was too little and offered 45 soles, and I immediately had lots of bids for that price. The driver explained me that the app takes a smaller cut from the drivers, that’s why they can afford to charge you less.
With InDrive, though, you need to pay cash (soles), so make sure to change money before exiting the airport. There’s an exchange counter at the entrance on the opposite side of the airport (just a 4-minute walk).
Taking an Uber to Lima Airport
While taking an Uber from the airport is a very convenient way of transportation but can be tricky, taking an Uber to Lima airport is easy and completely straightforward.
Taking an Uber or any other app taxi to the airport can actually be a better option than hailing a taxi from the street.
The registered taxis in Lima are the yellow taxis. If you take one of them you won’t have any problem. But non-yellow taxis, which are the majority, will not have the required permit to enter the airport, since they aren’t licensed taxis.
That means they will leave you at the door and from there you will need to walk to the actual entrance. It’s very close by, just a 3-minute walk, but it might be inconvenient.
Ubers will not have this issue, since they are private cars, and it is as if they were leaving a friend or relative at the airport. They will leave you right inside the airport.
Before You Go…
If you are still organizing your trip to Peru, you might still be planning your stay in Lima. Take a look at this post about how many days you should spend in Lima, which includes suggested itineraries.
If you will be in Lima for just one night, it might be better staying near the airport (instead of Miraflores or Barranco). Take a look at this post about the recommended hotels near Lima airport for more information. An Uber ride from the airport to those hotels should take you just around 10 to 20 minutes.
If you are still trying to figure out where to go in Peru besides Machu Picchu, take a look at this Peru 10-day itinerary or at this Peru 3-week itinerary.
