Peru's capital is a vast, energetic city on the Pacific, and increasingly a culinary capital of the world, with restaurants that top global lists and markets bursting with produce. Strong universities like the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and the Universidad del Pacifico draw exchange students into a rich, chaotic urban life. Beyond the food and history, Lima is your gateway to the rest of Peru, from Machu Picchu to the Amazon and the desert oases of the south.

• The Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru is the country's most prestigious university.
• Lima is regularly ranked among the world's great food cities, home to several of its best restaurants.

Student and expat life concentrates in Miraflores and, especially, bohemian Barranco, whose bars, live-music venues and Puente de los Suspiros draw crowds at weekends. The clifftop parks and the Malecon are the go-to for sunset runs and skating, while the coast south of the city offers surfing year-round. Nightlife starts late, and Peruvians are warm and social once you have a little Spanish.

• Barranco is the nightlife and arts heart; its bars and penas (live-music venues) fill up at weekends.
• Run, skate or watch the sunset along the Miraflores Malecon on the cliffs above the Pacific.
• Ask the Lima group on Studcasa which surf spots and language exchanges are worth your time.

Lima is the most expensive city in Peru but still cheap by European standards. Budget around S/2,800 to S/4,200 a month all-in (roughly 700 to 1,050 euros), with Miraflores and Barranco pricier and districts like Jesus Maria or Pueblo Libre far kinder on rent. A menu del dia lunch costs just a few soles, so eating out is easy on the wallet.

• A set menu del dia lunch runs S/12 to S/20; markets like Surquillo are cheapest for cooking at home.
• Rooms in shared flats run S/1,200 to S/2,200; Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre beat Miraflores on price.

Miraflores is the safe, central, well-connected favourite for newcomers, and Barranco next door adds bohemian charm, though both cost more. San Isidro is upmarket and calm, while Jesus Maria, Pueblo Libre and Magdalena offer better value within reach of the coast. If you study at PUCP in San Miguel, look nearby to avoid punishing commutes across the city.

• Miraflores and Barranco for safety and social life; Jesus Maria or Pueblo Libre for cheaper rent.
• If you're at PUCP, base yourself in San Miguel or Magdalena to dodge Lima's brutal traffic.
• Use Facebook groups like Cuartos y Departamentos Lima and the Lima group on Studcasa to find rooms.

Lima's traffic is notorious, so plan around it. The Metropolitano bus rapid transit runs a fast north-south corridor, and Metro Line 1 serves the east and south, but neither reaches every district, so buses (combis and micros) and ride apps fill the gaps. Uber, Cabify and DiDi are cheap and the safest option, especially at night; avoid hailing street taxis.

• The Metropolitano bus corridor is the quickest way along the coast to the centre; buy a rechargeable card.
• Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi rather than street taxis, particularly after dark.
• Allow far more time than the distance suggests; Lima's rush-hour traffic is relentless.

The Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru is the country's top university, with a large, green campus in San Miguel and strong programmes across the humanities, social sciences and engineering. The Universidad del Pacifico leads in economics and business, while the historic Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos is the oldest in the Americas. Teaching is in Spanish, so a solid level is important; each has an international office for exchange students.

• PUCP's campus and library in San Miguel are the main hub, and classes run in Spanish.
• Coordinate with each university's Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales for enrolment and orientation.

Check your own passport's rules, as they vary. In practice most EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens enter Peru visa-free for up to 90 days, enough for a short stay but not a full semester. For a proper exchange you want the student visa (Visa Temporal de Estudiante), which your host university helps you arrange once you have an acceptance letter.

You can apply at a Peruvian consulate before travelling or, in some cases, enter on the tourist stamp and change your status with the immigration authority (Migraciones) after arrival. Either way you will need your acceptance letter, proof of funds, a criminal record check and health insurance. Start the paperwork early, Peruvian bureaucracy rewards patience.

• Up to 90 days visa-free for most Western passports
• Student visa needs acceptance letter, funds proof, police check
• Confirm the process with your university before booking flights

Food is Lima's crowning glory: ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, causa and anticuchos are everyday staples, and the city is the birthplace of a fusion tradition drawing on Japanese Nikkei and Chinese Chifa influences. The Mercado de Surquillo is the place to see the ingredients that make it all work. Wash it down with a pisco sour, the national drink, and never leave without trying ceviche at a proper cevicheria.

• Eat ceviche at lunchtime, when it's freshest, at a local cevicheria rather than a tourist restaurant.
• Explore the Mercado de Surquillo for fruit, aji peppers and cheap, excellent market lunches.

Miraflores is the polished, seafront district where most exchange students start, safe and packed with amenities. Barranco is its artsy, romantic neighbour, full of murals, galleries and nightlife. San Isidro is the upscale financial quarter, while Jesus Maria, Pueblo Libre and Magdalena are more residential and affordable. The historic centre, with its colonial plazas, is worth visiting but less practical to live in.

• Miraflores and Barranco for coastal living and nightlife; San Isidro for calm and green streets.
• Wander Barranco's Puente de los Suspiros and clifftop bajada for the city's prettiest sunset spot.

Lima is the springboard for Peru's headline sights. The desert oasis of Huacachina and the Paracas coast are about four hours south by bus, perfect for dune-boarding and boat trips to the Ballestas Islands. Cusco and Machu Picchu are a short flight or a long bus away, as is the Amazon. Closer to home, the Lunahuana valley offers rafting and wine within a few hours.

• Paracas and the Huacachina oasis are about four hours south by Cruz del Sur bus for dunes and islands.
• Cusco and Machu Picchu are best reached by a short flight; book weekends well ahead in dry season.
• Lunahuana, three hours inland, is the closest spot for rafting, pisco vineyards and a warm-weather escape.

Get comfortable with ride-hailing apps and build extra time into every journey, because Lima's traffic and distances swallow your day. Manage expectations on the weather, since the coastal garua mist keeps winters from June to September grey and damp despite the desert setting. And prioritise Spanish, as it's essential for daily life and unlocks the warmth of Limenos.

• Download Uber, Cabify and DiDi before you arrive; they're your default transport, day and night.
• Pack layers for the grey, humid winter months; sunny Lima is mostly a summer phenomenon.