Lima Transport: Cards and Fares

Lima does not have one visitor product that turns every bus and train into a single network. The practical system for a short stay is a set of distinct services: the Metropolitano bus rapid transit corridor, the Azul, Rojo and Morado complementary bus corridors, Metro Line 1, the limited operating section of Metro Line 2, and other authorised or conventional buses. Payment media and fares are not automatically interchangeable across all of them. Choose the route first, then obtain the product that the chosen operator accepts.

For trips between the historic centre, Miraflores and Barranco, start by checking the Metropolitano and the Azul corridor. ATU says the Azul corridor links Rímac, San Juan de Lurigancho and central Lima with Miraflores and Barranco. The Metropolitano's north-south trunk includes stations serving central Lima and districts to the south; its service pattern matters because regular and express buses do not stop everywhere. A station on the map is not proof that the next express serves it. Check the current ATU route notice or journey information before entering.

Metro Line 1 is a separate north-east to south route between Bayóvar and Villa El Salvador through stations including Grau, Gamarra, La Cultura, Angamos and Cabitos. It can be useful when a day is built around destinations near Avenida Aviación or the eastern and southern districts, but it is not a rail line through Miraflores, Barranco or Plaza Mayor. The operator lists 26 stations, so select a station by the actual destination rather than treating “metro” as the default for every Lima journey.

Metro Line 2 is also separate. As of the checked date, ATU describes only five enabled stations—Evitamiento, Óvalo Santa Anita, Colectora Industrial, Hermilio Valdizán and Mercado Santa Anita—and requires the interoperable transport card to enter and exit. This limited section is not a substitute for the citywide network shown in future-project maps. Lines 3 and 4 remain projects, so do not build a present-day itinerary around them. Group sights by district, walk within compact clusters, and use a verified trunk or corridor route for the longer crossing.

The Metropolitano card and Lima Pass are the payment media ATU names for the Metropolitano and complementary corridors. They are stored-value transport cards, not evidence of an unlimited tourist pass. On the Metropolitano, ATU lists S/3.20 for a trunk-only journey and S/3.50 for an integrated trunk-plus-feeder journey. The integrated price is route-specific: it does not mean that any second bus anywhere in Lima is free. Validate as the service requires and retain enough balance for the planned return.

Complementary-corridor fares depend on the corridor, service and boarding section. Current ATU notices list a S/2.43 general fare on the Rojo corridor, while short “Aquisito nomás” sections across the Azul, Rojo and Morado corridors cost S/1 or S/1.50, with some Morado short sections at S/2. The low price applies only to specified short trips and authorised boarding points. It is not a flat fare for riding an entire coloured corridor. ATU also lists particular integrated combinations: Rojo–Morado at S/3.50 and Rojo–Azul at S/3.60, using designated stops and completing the second boarding within two hours.

Line 1 uses its own card and fare table. The operator currently lists S/5 for an adult card and S/1.50 for an adult journey. Treat the S/5 as the card price, not loaded credit and not a day pass. The S/0.75 half fare is for schoolchildren, university students and higher-institute students; a visitor should not claim it without the operator's required eligibility. The operator's site also advises associating a DNI with a card to recover balance after loss. That recovery option should not be assumed available to every foreign document holder, so load only what you expect to use.

Line 2 currently requires a different Tarjeta Interoperable de Transporte. ATU lists the card at S/7.50 and says the five-station service remains free, although users must validate at both entry and exit. Do not load money merely because a barrier requires a card. No official source reviewed for this guide publishes a single timed visitor pass covering Metropolitano, all corridors, Lines 1 and 2, and AeroDirecto. Compare the real journeys rather than searching for a citywide pass that the current operators do not document.

AeroDirecto is the official public-transport connection that enters the new Jorge Chávez Airport terminal. ATU's current campaign describes six routes—Terminal Norte, Norte, Centro, Sur, Ventanilla and Quilca—with fares from S/3 to S/5 depending on the section travelled. The Centro route starts in central Lima, while the Sur route begins around the Brasil corridor. These are airport routes with their own stops and operating information, not an extension automatically included in a Metropolitano, Lima Pass or Line 1 purchase.

Choose AeroDirecto from its current route map, not from the name of a broad area. The authorised stop must be useful for your accommodation and luggage, and the direction must be correct. ATU's airport campaign provides route maps and stop information; consult it again on the travel day. Earlier launch material described fewer routes, lower starting fares and a limited trial schedule. The current campaign supersedes those launch details, which is why a saved blog post or old screenshot is unsafe for a flight connection.

A timetable is a planned service window, not an arrival guarantee. Road traffic, boarding time and the walk between the AeroDirecto area and the terminal all belong in the airport buffer. ATU explains that airport-bound buses enter an internal road and passengers then use a pedestrian route into the terminal boulevard. On departure from the airport, use the designated, signed boarding zone. Do not assume that a roadside city bus with “airport” nearby uses this internal stop.

Keep the airport fare calculation apart from later sightseeing. Paying S/3–S/5 for a verified AeroDirecto section does not load a city card or buy unlimited transport for the rest of the day. Conversely, holding a Metropolitano card, Lima Pass, Line 1 card or Line 2 interoperable card does not prove acceptance on the chosen AeroDirecto bus; the current campaign page reviewed here does not publish a universal card-acceptance statement. Confirm the exact route's current payment method at the official stop or with ATU before boarding, and keep an alternative that does not depend on an undocumented transfer. The airport-transfer helper should be used for the full arrival decision; this page only prevents the city fare from being mistaken for an airport entitlement.

Use the Metropolitano for a journey aligned with its segregated north-south busway. For a visitor, its strength is connecting central Lima with stops serving Miraflores, Barranco and Chorrillos without asking a conventional bus driver where to get off. Its weakness is service pattern complexity: regular, express and late-night services have different stops and operating periods. ATU currently lists the Lechucero night service on Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., every 30 minutes, between Matellini and Naranjal with named intermediate stops. That schedule applies to the Lechucero, not to every route or every night.

Use a complementary corridor when its published route follows the avenue needed for the day. The Azul corridor is particularly relevant to sightseeing areas because ATU identifies links through central Lima toward Miraflores and Barranco. The Rojo corridor is more useful for east-west movement through areas including San Miguel, Ate and La Molina; the Morado corridor links San Juan de Lurigancho with central and western districts. Colour alone does not establish the fare. Read the route number, direction, boarding stop and applicable tariff before validating.

Use Line 1 when both ends lie near its 26-station alignment. A flat S/1.50 adult journey can be clear and predictable, but buying its S/5 card for one ride adds a separate fixed cost. Two people also need to follow the operator's card-use rules rather than assuming one card functions as a group ticket. Current official material provides the fare and station list, but this guide does not record a through-transfer discount from Line 1 to Metropolitano or a complementary corridor. Budget the next mode separately unless the operator explicitly shows an integrated product for that connection.

Use Line 2 only when its five operating stations solve the actual eastern-Lima journey. Free service does not make it useful for a destination outside that short section, and the S/7.50 access card is still required. For all modes, map the pedestrian first and last kilometre. A cheap trunk trip can become a poor choice if it leaves a long walk with luggage, requires an undocumented bus, or ends after the final useful connection. Scheduled frequencies are planning inputs rather than guarantees; check live operator notices for maintenance, demonstrations and temporary route changes.

Do not treat “integrated” as a promise that every Lima service shares one fare. ATU's examples are narrowly defined: a particular Metropolitano feeder-to-trunk journey, selected transfers within a complementary corridor, or named Rojo–Azul and Rojo–Morado combinations. The two-hour transfer window belongs to the specified corridor products and authorised connection stops. It is not a general grace period for switching from Line 1, Line 2, a conventional bus or AeroDirecto.

Do not confuse card cost with travel credit. The S/5 Line 1 adult card and S/7.50 Line 2 interoperable card are purchase prices. Line 1 then charges the adult fare listed by its operator; Line 2's five-station service is currently free even though the card must be validated. Likewise, a Metropolitano or Lima Pass card enables listed fares but is not itself a day pass. Load a deliberate amount, keep enough for the return, and check the balance before joining a busy queue.

Do not claim student or disability concessions from age, appearance or a foreign student card. Official sources define preferential cards and eligibility processes. The Line 1 half fare is listed for schoolchildren, university students and higher-institute students, while ATU's Metropolitano guidance refers to specific preferential cards and documents. Unless the operator confirms that the traveller and document qualify, use the general fare in the budget. A reduced number printed beside a fare is not an invitation to self-select the category.

Do not rely on a future network map. Only the five-station Line 2 section described by ATU is in the current calculation here; planned Lines 3 and 4 are not available city transport. Do not copy old AeroDirecto trial hours or introductory prices into a flight plan, and do not assume an express Metropolitano stops at every station. For any time-critical journey, check the current operator notice, route direction and last useful connection on the day.

Finally, separate price from convenience. The lowest short-section corridor fare may require a specific boarding point that does not match your route. Make a journey list, mark the operator for each leg, then total card purchases and fares separately. This exposes undocumented transfers before they become missed visits or an airport delay.