Business hours in Lima are from 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, with one hour for lunch. All banks are open from 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, and on Saturday mornings. Shops usually open at around 09:30 and stay open until 20:00. Some are open seven days a week, although many are closed on Sundays.

Banks: 09:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, and 09:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays
Post Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday
Department Stores and Shops: 09:30 to 12:30 and 15:00 to 20:00, Monday to Saturdays, with some opening on Sundays
Museums: check with the individual museum, as each museum keeps different hours
Business Offices: 09:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday

As with most big cites which attract tourists, petty street crime is a problem in Lima. Violent crime against tourists is rare, but theft is commonplace. You should always be on alert for pickpockets and never leave your valuable unattended. Try to avoid flashing lots of money around and be very careful with expensive items such as cameras or sunglasses.

Some areas of Lima are safer than others. Miraflores and San Isidro have large populations of wealthy Peruvians and large tourist groups, so the police presence is large. Other districts, such as La Victoria, are not as safe. Visitors would be well advised to stay out of these areas unless accompanied by an experienced local.

 Electricity: 220 V, 60 Hz

Passengers travelling from areas which are affected by yellow fever must provide a valid vaccination certificate. If you are travelling from a country which does not have yellow fever, vaccination is highly recommended for travel within the Amazon Basin. Immunisation against typhoid is also recommended. Hepatitis A, B and D are also prevalent, and dengue fever outbreaks are common. Rabies is also found here and vaccination is recommended. If you are bitten by an animal, seek medical assistance immediately.

Altitude sickness can be a problem if you are thinking of travelling to the highlands. You should always make sure that you take time to acclimatise and avoid strenuous exercise on the day that you arrive.

Only drink bottled water and avoid dairy products that are likely to have been made from un-boiled milk. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit should be peeled.

You should always make sure that you have comprehensive medical insurance and be prepared to pay upfront for any medical services.

Spanish and Quechua are the official languages of Peru. However, you will find that English is widely spoken in the main tourist areas of Lima.

The currency of Peru is the new sol (PEN). The new sol is broken down into 100 céntimos. New sol notes can be found in denominations of PEN 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins come in denominations of PEN 5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 céntimos.

Most bureaux de change facilities in Lima will only exchange US dollars. Dollars can be exchanged everywhere and banks, hotels and shops will accept them. Never exchange your money in the street, as this is usually a scam.

All major credit cards are accepted and ATMs are now generally regarded as one of the best ways to obtain money in Lima. Banks will exchange traveller's cheques, but it can take a long time. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US dollars.

The following items may be imported into Peru: 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco; alcoholic beverages not exceeding 2.5 litres; perfume which is solely to be used for personal use; gifts for personal use up to a value of US$ 300; 2kg of processed food.

The importing of firearms and drugs as well as raw ham from Italy and Portugal is prohibited. The export of artistic and cultural articles is prohibited.

Shaking hands is the customary form of greeting in Lima, regardless of whether or not you know the person. Visitors should follow normal social courtesies and the atmosphere is generally informal.

Peruvians are renowned for their unpunctuality. If you are invited to someone’s house, you should always arrive 30 minutes late and take a bottle of wine, flowers or chocolates for your hosts. Do not arrive in jeans unless you know your hosts pretty well. If you are invited for lunch, food will normally be served after 15:00, and if you are invited for dinner, you will normally eat after 22:00. For weddings, you should also arrive 30 minutes late and always wear a tie and coat.

When you are invited out for the evening, casual or sport dress means men should wear a shirt and jacket, women should wear trousers and a jumper. Sport elegante means to wear a coat but no tie; women should dress smarter. Elegante or formal requires a tie and jacket, and for women, a dress or skirt. If you see RSVP on an invitation, you must confirm whether or not you will be attending. If you are invited to play golf, do not wear jeans, as you will not be allowed to enter the course. You will be expected to wear proper golf attire.

The high-end restaurants will expect you to dress in smart clothes. You can ask to be seated in a non-smoking area at the restaurant, but be sure to make reservations ahead of arrival.

Unless you are eating at a restaurant which is frequented by tourists, you will be expected for lunch between 13:30 and 15:30, and for dinner between 20:30 and 23:30.

Most restaurant and bar bills include a 10 per cent gratuity, although, if you are very happy with the service, you can add another 10 per cent on top.

A valid passport is required by everyone who wants to visit Peru. Visitors from the US, Europe, Australia and Canada do not require a tourist visa, as long as don’t stay for longer than 90 days. You need to apply for a visa if you wish to stay longer. Contact your nearest Peruvian embassy for more information

Lima’s tourist information office can be found at: Edificio Mitinci, Calle Uno, 13^th and 14^th floors, San Isidro. You can telephone them on: +511 224 3279, or visit their website at: www.peru.info/perueng.asp. They are open Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 18:00.