The Lima Metropolitano runs its regular bus services from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm Monday to Saturday and from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm on Sundays and public holidays, with the Lechucero night bus on Friday and Saturday nights.
This guide covers hours by service, the main stations in each part of the city, the trunk and integrated fares, how to get and top up the card, and where the new TIT card stands. All details were checked on Thursday, 8 October 2026 against press releases from Lima’s urban transport authority (Autoridad de Transporte Urbano para Lima y Callao, ATU), which runs the system under Peru’s Ministry of Transport (MTC).
Lima Metropolitano hours: weekdays, Sundays and holidays
The Lima Metropolitano regular services A, B and C start at 5:00 am every day and end at 11:00 pm Monday to Saturday and at 10:00 pm on Sundays and holidays. The ATU confirmed the Sunday pattern when it extended service to 11:00 pm on Sunday, 12 April 2026, calling it one hour later than usual for that day.
Each service runs its own window inside that range. Route B, for example, starts at 10:00 am on weekdays, because express services cover the north in the morning.
| Day | Regular services A, B and C | Expreso 1 | Lechucero (night) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 5:00 am to 11:00 pm (route B: 10:00 am to 11:00 pm) | 5:00 am to 9:00 pm towards Lima; 5:30 am to 9:00 pm towards Chorrillos | Not running |
| Saturday | 5:00 am to 11:00 pm | 6:00 am to 9:00 pm; 6:30 am to 9:00 pm in the other direction | 11:30 pm to 4:00 am |
| Sunday | 5:00 am to 10:00 pm | 6:00 am to 9:00 pm from Matellini; 6:30 am to 9:00 pm from Central | Not running |
| Public holidays | 5:00 am to 10:00 pm | 6:00 am to 9:00 pm | Depends on the weekday |
The Lechucero also runs on Friday nights, from 11:30 pm to 4:00 am on Saturday. For public holidays the ATU announces a special timetable: for Thursday, 6 August 2026 it set regular services from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm, Expreso 1 from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm and Expreso 5 from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, with feeder buses until 11:00 pm. Check the Peru public holidays 2027 calendar if you are planning a trip.
Routes: regular, express and feeder services
Metropolitano routes fall into three groups: regular services that stop at almost every station, express services that skip most stops, and feeder routes that bring passengers from the neighbourhoods to the terminals. All of them use the same card.
- Regular A, B and C: run all day. Since December 2024 route B runs from the Chimpu Ocllo terminal in Carabayllo to Estación Central, according to the ATU.
- Expreso 1: links the Matellini terminal in Chorrillos with Estación Central, stopping at Terán, Estadio Unión, Balta, 28 de Julio, Angamos, Canaval y Moreyra, Javier Prado and Estadio Nacional. It runs all day, Sundays included, and is the most useful service for visitors staying in Barranco or Miraflores.
- Expreso 5: runs on Sundays and holidays with shorter hours that the ATU announces for each special date.
- Northern rush-hour expresses: the Súper Expreso Norte leaves 22 de Agosto station on weekdays from 6:00 to 8:30 am, and Expreso 11 runs from Los Incas to Estación Central from 5:00 to 10:00 am, according to the timetables the ATU published when it extended them in 2025.
- Feeder routes: lines such as Puente Piedra, Milagros de Jesús, Bertello, Los Olivos, Puno, Naranjal, Carabayllo, Torre Blanca and Villa El Salvador reach the terminals and run until 11:00 pm on holidays.
Express timetables change often, so check the screen at the station before boarding.
Stations by area
The Lima Metropolitano is a north-south line of more than 40 stops, from the Chimpu Ocllo terminal in Carabayllo to the Matellini terminal in Chorrillos, with a third terminal at Naranjal. The ATU counted 41 stations and three terminals in its April 2026 note on the new top-up machines.
| Area | Main stations |
|---|---|
| North (Carabayllo, Comas, Independencia, Los Olivos) | Chimpu Ocllo terminal, Los Incas, Andrés Belaúnde, 22 de Agosto, Las Vegas, Universidad, Naranjal terminal, Izaguirre, Pacífico, Independencia, Tomás Valle, UNI |
| Historic centre | Dos de Mayo, Quilca, España, Estación Central, Jirón de la Unión, Ramón Castilla |
| Vía Expresa (Lima, Lince, San Isidro, Miraflores) | Estadio Nacional, Canadá, Javier Prado, Canaval y Moreyra, Aramburú, Angamos, Ricardo Palma, Benavides, 28 de Julio |
| South (Barranco, Chorrillos) | Plaza de Flores, Balta, Bulevar, Estadio Unión, Terán, Matellini terminal |
| Vía Expresa Grau branch (in testing) | Abancay, Andahuaylas, Parinacochas |
The table groups stations by area and does not follow the exact order of the route. For Miraflores, Ricardo Palma, Benavides and Angamos are the usual stops; for the historic centre, Jirón de la Unión and Estación Central.
Fares in 2026
The Lima Metropolitano fare is S/ 3.20 on the trunk line and S/ 3.50 for the integrated fare that combines a feeder bus and the trunk line. The ATU restated both amounts in its 1 October 2026 note on the new Vía Expresa Grau link.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk fare | S/ 3.20 | Regular and express services |
| Integrated fare | S/ 3.50 | Feeder + trunk, free connections within 2 hours of the first bus |
| Student half fare (trunk) | S/ 1.60 | University and higher-education students with a preferential card |
| New card | S/ 4.50 | Same price to replace a lost, stolen or damaged card |
| Minimum Yape top-up | S/ 10.00 | Activated at the stations |
The student card and half-fare amounts come from the ATU note of 26 February 2026. Integrated fares only apply when you pay with a Metropolitano or Lima Pass card.
Card and top-ups: Yape, Plin and the TIT card
To ride the Metropolitano you need a Metropolitano card or a Lima Pass card, which costs S/ 4.50 and also works on the Azul, Rojo and Morado complementary corridors.
How to top up
- Yape: in “Yapear servicios” search for “Metropolitano y Corredores – Recarga de Tarjetas”, enter the card number and amount, from S/ 10. The balance is ready to activate in about 15 minutes.
- Plin: choose “Recargar Transporte”, type the number printed on the back of the card and the amount.
- Activation: tap the card on a validator or kiosk at any station between 5:00 am and 11:00 pm, within seven days of the top-up; after that, go to a card service centre (CAT).
- Machines and ticket windows: the ATU replaced 97 top-up machines in 2026. Ticket windows have had reduced hours since April 2026, mostly 6:00 to 10:00 am on weekdays, and are closed on Sundays and holidays. Visitors without Yape or Plin can top up at the station machines.
Register your card
A card registered in your name lets you recover the balance if you lose it. Block it on 203-9000 (option 1) or at a CAT, buy a new S/ 4.50 card with your ID, and the balance moves to it within 48 hours.
What about the TIT card?
The Tarjeta Interoperable de Transporte (TIT) costs S/ 7.50 and has been mandatory on Metro Line 2 since Wednesday, 8 July 2026. The ATU says it will gradually give access to the Metropolitano and Line 1, but as of 8 October 2026 it had not announced a date for the Metropolitano. Until then, keep using the Metropolitano or Lima Pass card.
The Lechucero night bus and special hours
The Lechucero is the Metropolitano’s night service: it runs on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:30 pm to 4:00 am, every 30 minutes, between the Matellini and Naranjal terminals. The ATU describes it in its note of 9 January 2026.
It stops at Bulevar, Balta, Ricardo Palma, Angamos, Canadá, Jirón de la Unión, Ramón Castilla, UNI, Tomás Valle and Izaguirre in both directions. For big concerts and elections the ATU extends hours: for the BTS concerts on 7, 9 and 10 October 2026, routes B and C ran until midnight.
Connections with Metro Lines 1 and 2
The Metropolitano does not yet connect directly with any metro line, but a link with Line 1 is being tested along the Vía Expresa Grau. The new 2.8 km busway joins Estación Central with Grau station on Line 1, on Avenida Aviación, via Abancay, Andahuaylas and Parinacochas.
From Thursday, 1 to Tuesday, 6 October 2026 the ATU ran trials with passengers from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, with a bus roughly every 15 minutes at the normal fare. A trial service is planned before the end of the year, with no official date as of 8 October 2026.
Line 2 will meet the Metropolitano at Estación Central once its central section opens; today it only runs between Ate and Santa Anita, as explained in our Lima Metro Line 2 guide. To compare with other cities, see the Santiago Metro hours and the Mexico City Metro hours. For background on wallets like Yape and Plin, read our guide to alternative payment methods in Latin America.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Lima Metropolitano hours?
Regular services A, B and C run from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm Monday to Saturday, although route B starts at 10:00 am on weekdays. On Sundays and public holidays they run from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. Expreso 1 runs until 9:00 pm every day, and the ATU announces special hours for holidays and big events.
How much does the Lima Metropolitano cost in 2026?
The trunk fare is S/ 3.20 and the integrated fare, which combines a feeder bus and the trunk line, is S/ 3.50, according to the ATU in October 2026. You pay with a Metropolitano or Lima Pass card, which costs S/ 4.50. Student half fare on the trunk line is S/ 1.60 with a preferential card.
Can tourists pay with cash or a bank card?
You pay by tapping a Metropolitano or Lima Pass card, which you can buy and top up at station machines or at the card service centres. Contactless bank cards are planned for the new validators, but as of October 2026 the ATU had not announced a start date, so buy a card when you arrive.
Does the Metropolitano run at night?
Yes, on weekends only. The Lechucero runs on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:30 pm to 4:00 am, with a bus every 30 minutes between the Matellini and Naranjal terminals, stopping at stations such as Balta, Angamos, Canadá and Jirón de la Unión. From Sunday to Thursday there is no night service.
Which Metropolitano stations are best for Miraflores and Barranco?
For Miraflores, the usual stations are Ricardo Palma, Benavides and Angamos on the Vía Expresa. For Barranco, use Bulevar, Balta or Plaza de Flores. Expreso 1 links this area with the historic centre at Estación Central, stopping at Balta and Angamos, and runs all day including Sundays.
Can I use the TIT card on the Metropolitano?
Not yet. The S/ 7.50 TIT card has been mandatory on Metro Line 2 since 8 July 2026, and the ATU plans to extend it to the Metropolitano gradually. As of 8 October 2026 the Metropolitano still works with its own card or the Lima Pass card, so you need that card for the bus.
Cover photo: ui-martin / Unsplash
