Are you planning a trip to Lima, Peru, and have no idea what to wear during your time there? Learn everything you need to know, from what clothing to wear according to the time of the year, formal vs. informal outfits, etiquette, and more, by a Peruvian from Lima.

What to Wear in Lima vs. Other Parts of Peru

You may have seen pictures of Peruvian women wearing colorful traditional skirts, blouses and hats, with braided hair. And pictures of men wearing hats or chullos. But that’s not how people dress in Lima.

The kind of traditional dressing mentioned above is from the highlands, from places like Cusco, Puno or Arequipa. And on the highlands, people will mostly wear their traditional clothing in towns or villages, but their use in the cities is decreasing more and more.

Lima, on the other hand, is located on the coast and it’s a modern city. While there may be traditional dresses, they are much less elaborated than the ones worn in the highlands. Also, they are mostly worn in traditional dances, but not as daily outfits.

In Lima, in contrast to other parts of Peru. expect to see people wearing jeans, t-shirts, shorts, sweaters, etc.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru: Should You Bring Clothing for Warm or Cold Weather?

If you have been organizing your trip to Peru you might have read that there is a rainy season and a dry season, and that mostly people recommend traveling to Peru during the dry season.

This is not the case on the coast, though. So what you should wear in Peru during a certain month depends a lot on what part in Peru you will be.

The coast does not have a rainy nor a dry season. It doesn’t rain, though sometimes it drizzles in the winter. So it doesn’t snow either. We have the four seasons here. Still, they aren’t that marked.

For example, in Lima, summer (mid-December to mid-March) is warm, around 77°F-86°F (25°C-30°C). Personally, I think this is the best time to visit Lima. The skies are blue and you can pack lighter!

Winter (mid-June to mid-September) is cold, around 59°F-64°F (15°C-18°C), though it feels colder because there’s a lot of humidity and no heating indoors.

Spring and autumn are somewhere in between, and feel a little bit cooler than warmer.

So, first of all, you don’t need an umbrella, rainboots, rainjacket. But unless you are coming during the summer, you definitely need a sweater and/or jacket.

What to Wear During the Different Seasons in Lima, Peru

In the summer in Lima, Peru, wear shorts, thin pants, and a top or blouse if you are a woman. Men usually wear T-shirts and shorts or pants. Usually it cools down at night, so bring a light sweater. Dresses and skirts aren’t as popular as in other countries.

In the autumn in Lima, women and men wear pants, T-shirts/blouses, and, depending on the month, a light or a thick sweater/jacket.

In the winter in Lima, both women and men wear pants, T-shirts or long sleeves, plus a sweater and/or jacket. Layering is not common, as it’s generally cold. Long coats are not common in Lima.

In the spring in Lima, both women and men wear pants, T-shirts/blouses or long sleeves, and a sweater or jacket.

You can see even more details below, where you can learn what to wear in Lima in every month of the year.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in January

Usually, in January, women wear shorts, thin pants or leggings and a tank top or T-shirt during the day. At night, generally it’s a bit colder so most likely you would not wear shorts to go out, but light pants, and possibly a very thin sweater.

Men usually wear shorts and T-shirts in January in Lima. Plus a very light sweater for the night.

Of course, there’s no general rule. For example, summer of 2023 and 2024 were much hotter than usual, and even shorts and tank tops (for women) felt too warm during both day and night. But the weather hadn’t been like that since 1997.

Also, even though it’s hot, people don’t wear hats (though some men wear caps ocasionally). From time to time I see tourists wearing safari hats on the streets in Lima, but there’s no need for that if you want to blend in!

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in February

February is warmer than January. So women wear shorts, thin pants or leggins and a tank top or T-shirt during the day.

But even if it’s warmer than in January, the evenings are not so warm. So thin pants, and possibly a thin sweater will be okay for the evenings.

Men usually wear shorts and T-shirts in February in Lima. Plus a very light sweater for the nights.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in March

March is usually around the same temperature as February, or even warmer. Women wear shorts, thin pants or leggings and a tank top or T-shirt during the day.

Men usually wear shorts and T-shirts in March in Lima. Plus a very light sweater for the nights.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in April

April is already a little bit colder. And even though it’s not officially summer anymore, it still kind of feels like summer. Nevertheless, the weather is not so warm for wearing shorts anymore.

If you are a woman visiting Lima, wear light or normal pants in April. You can bring some tank tops, but bring some blouses and T-shirts for cooler days. And a light sweater for the evenings.

Men wear pants and T-shirts during the day in April. For the evenings, you can bring a light sweater or a shirt.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in May

Usually, the weather changes drastically during the first week of May. Between January and April, you can see the blue sky in Lima. But the first week of May the sky turns grey (almost until the end of the year) and it starts to drizzle.

The temperature also changes a lot. It starts to feel cold.

Women wear pants and usually go out with a sweater or jacket. It’s a bit cold, but your jacket doesn’t need to be very thick. Sometimes, just a thin long sleeve shirt will be enough.It’s not yet cold enough to need wearing a scarf.

Men also wear pants and go out with a sweater or jacket.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in June

June is colder than May in Lima, but you will be wearing more or less the same clothes as in May.

That means, both for men and women, pants and a sweater or jacket.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in July

July is one of the two coldest months in Lima.

Both men and women wear pants, and a sweater or jacket, or even a sweater and jacket. I would advise you to have a scarf with you for colder days. And if you get easily cold, like I do, have some thick socks with you.

In Lima we don’t have heating, so people usually wear sweaters or jackets indoors as well during the winter.

It’s not so cold as to need gloves or a beanie. Basically, you won’t see anyone wearing gloves in Lima. Usually also no one wears beanies, unless if you are out cycling for example. But you might want to have them if you are thinking of traveling around Cusco afterwards, though you can also buy them there.

But again, it can always happen that the weather can vary completely. Almost all of my life July in Lima has been how I described it, but for example in 2023, you could go out with just a T-shirt and there were some sunny days.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in August

August is usually the coldest month in Lima. It’s the time when I wear my thickest jacket, so I suggest you to bring warm clothes.

Like I mentioned before, thick long coats aren’t very common in Lima, neither for women nor men. So if you want to blend in, wear a sweater and thick jacket. A scarf will be useful as well.

Also, like I mentioned before, keep in mind that it doesn’t rain in Lima. But while it’s the dry season in other parts of Peru, in August it will drizzle in Lima, especially at night. Not enough to need an umbrella though (no one owns one). So you don’t need any rain gear. It’s basically not windy either.

Remember there is no heating in houses, so you might also want to bring warm pijamas (long sleeves).

Days will be cold, grey and dark. This is unique to Lima, though. In other parts of Peru it’s generally sunny even in cold days.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in September

While spring officially starts in September, you won’t notice a significant change in Lima’s weather compared to the previous months.

Days will be less cold than in August, but still cold. So you definetely need a sweater and maybe a jacket as well. You might also want to have a scarf with you.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in October

Even though October is in the middle of the spring, it’s still cold and days are still dark (the day when I shot this photo was an exception!).

So it’s still too cold for wearing dresses or thin cardigans. Like in September, you will need a sweater, and maybe a jaicket. A scarf will still come in handy.

One interesting thing about how people dress in Lima in October, is that during the whole month you will see a lot of women (generally older women) wearing a purple robe on top of their clothes. At the waist, they wear a white cord. Like in the picture above.

This is the outfit they will wear for the whole month. You will see this especially in more traditional neighborhoods. For example, very few people will dress like this around Miraflores, but much more around Lima center.

This comes from a Catholic tradition. October is the month of the “Señor de los Milagros” (“Lord of the Miracles”), a very important Peruvian celebration. Many devout people make a promise to this representation of Jesus, asking for example, for the health or well being of their spouse or children. In exchange, they vow to dress in purple, the color of the Señor de los Milagros, every October, for the rest of their lives.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in November

November is just one month before summer starts, but days aren’t so warm yet.

Some days, towards the end of November, it might be possible to go out without a sweater in Lima. However, for most of the month, you will still require a sweater.

Towards the end of the month, a thin cardigan or sweater can be enough.

What to Wear in Lima, Peru, in December

In December you will already get some clear skies in Lima. Summer starts around mid-December, and after many months, you will be able to see the sun again.

Most days, a T-shirt will be enough. But you might need a thin sweater or cardigan sometimes, especially if you go out in the evening.

Generally, December in Lima is not warm enough to be wearing shorts nor skirts yet, but it will get warmer towards the end of the month.

What Footwear Do People Wear in Lima?

When it’s warm, people usually wear sandals or slip-on shoes.

When it’s a bit colder, women wear sneakers or more formal shoes, or boots. Men wear sneakers or formal shoes.

Sneakers are very common but they aren’t as ubiquitous as in Europe. For example, in Peru, generally people will not go to work in sneakers (unless they have an informal job).

Also, sneakers are by far the most common footwear among younger people, but you won’t really see a lot of 60+ people wearing sneakers. Very few do.

I remember a funny anecdote a woman told me once when I was in Europe. This woman had joined a multi-day tour across Turkey, where she had met a woman from Lima in her sixties.

The woman from Lima had not taken any sneakers with her, only formal shoes, which of course were very impractical. When other people on the tour commented on this and suggested her to get sneakers, she would reply “No way! Am I going to the gym? What would my friends back home say if they saw me wearing sneakers!”.

So even if sneakers are not common among older people in Lima, still, people most people don’t really dress that fancy, as you can read below.

Do People in Lima Dress Fancy?

No, people in Lima don’t dress fancy. Most people dress casually, except if they go out to weddings or to certain bars or clubs.

Of course, it will depend on the neighborhood. But still, in wealthier and touristic neighborhoods such as Miraflores or Barranco, even if you go out to eat at night, you will see that most people aren’t really wearing fancy clothes.

For example, I personally have a few nice dresses. But if I ever wear one to go out for dinner in the summer, I will most likely be the only person wearing a dress in the restaurant. Most people will be wearing informal clothing and/or sneakers if they are younger. Older people might be wearing something a bit more elegant, but nothing crazy.

Even in restaurants like Central, which is one of the top restaurants in the world, you won’t find people dressed very elegantly. And for some reason, especially not tourists (I live very close by, so I see this everyday).

What Can Women Wear in Lima?

Lima is a modern city, so women have no need of walking around covered.

Women wear shorts, skirts and dresses, and sometimes small tank tops as well. Even if you visit churches, you will not need to cover yourself (at least, I have never seen any issue with clothing in churches in Peru).

But if you are a tourist who looks like a tourist (especially blonde), ideally don’t walk around by yourself too uncovered to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

Final Tips

Remember that the weather in Peru is totally different in Lima than in other parts of the country, like Cusco or Puno, which are in the highlands.

You will not be wearing the same in Lima as in other parts of Peru at the same time of the year.

So if you are also visiting Cusco, traveling to Arequipa, or spending time in Puno, make sure to bring very warm clothes even if you visit those places during the summer in Lima (December to March)!

Some other destinations on the coast, though, will have a similar weather to Lima. So if you are going to visit Huacachina or explore Paracas, you will need similar clothes than for Lima.

If you head to the north to surf in Huanchaco, the weather will be warmer than in Lima but still more or less cold during winter.

But if you go further up north to relax in the beaches in Mancora, the weather will be definitely warmer. So you can wear shorts and hang out at the beach all year-round.