+51.956.298.721 info@alternativeperu.org

Why Book With Us?

  • Escape the masses and go beyond the beaten tourist path
  • Unique, alternative and authentic experiences
  • Bilingual expert guides
  • A focus on local culture and respectful encounters with locals
  • Leave a positive footprint in the places you visit

Our ToursLima Cultures Blog

Read Our Articles
Articles about Lima, sustainable travel, Peru and much more
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Peru II: Food and health

    In Part II, we answer some of Google's Frequently Asked Questions about Peru. Two very popular subjects are food (safety) and health. Is it safe to eat street food? What is Peru's national dish? Which vaccinations and medicines do you need for Peru?
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Peru I: How does a Peruvian look like?

    Answering questions about Peru is like an addiction to us, so we went actively looking on Google for Frequently Asked Questions about Peru. Some of the questions we found are ... interesting, to say the least. In Part I, we'll tackle some of the FAQs about the physical appearance of Peruvians.
  • Weekend trip from Lima: the Nor Yauyos-Cochas mountain nature reserve

    Sometimes you need more than just a day to escape the big city. Our next suggestion for a trip from Lima is ideal for a weekend away. It’s about five to six hours driving inland and uphill from Lima. This one is perfect for those that love idyllic nature, hiking, rivers, waterfalls and small villages....
  • Day Tour from Lima 3: The colorful town that became the largest altarpiece in the world

    We have already refuted the common belief that the city of Lima is grey, but we do have to admit that the foggy weather in winter (especially June – August) can be quite depressing. The perfect antidote is our third Day Tour from Lima to the colorful town of Antioquía, named the largest altarpiece in...
  • Daytrip from Lima 2: Marcahuasi

    Marcahuasi has become one of Lima's favorite destinations for camping near the capital but it’s still mostly undiscovered by foreign tourists. This high-altitude Andean plateau (4,000 meters above sea level) is famous for its unique set of gigantic and mysterious rock formations with strange shapes resembling human faces, animals, and religious symbols. This unique landscape...
  • Day Trip from Lima: A unique ecosystem, pre-Inca sites and hot springs

    Leaving Lima seems to take forever. The apartment buildings, shops, garages and constructions just seem to go on and on. It’s anything but boring for visitors because it brings you to areas of Lima you wouldn’t visit if you just fly in and out of the airport. The Panamericana Norte, the highway you’ll travel on...
  • 10 culture shocks when visiting Peru

    The Alternative Peru team loves Peru (duh!) and we would love for you to come and visit us here and discover the wonders of Peru. But for most of you, Peru is also very different than what you’re used to in your own country. To avoid any big surprises, we’re preparing you with a concise...
  • Social impact Lima tour

    How to find the right place to volunteer in Peru (or anywhere really)

    Voluntourism, traveling and paying to volunteer, has gained momentum during the last decade. It has even become one of the fastest growing niche travel markets. While most volunteering travelers (or is it traveling volunteers?) mean well and simply want to have a more meaningful vacation, certain forms of voluntourism have a very negative impact on...
  • How to start planning your trip to Peru

    It’s decided. Your next trip is going to be to Peru. But where and how to start planning your adventure? Peru has a lot to offer and it might seem overwhelming at first. Because we’re very avid travelers ourselves at Alternative Peru, we’ve tried to write down the steps that we take when we plan...
  • 5 things to do to prepare for your next trip to Peru!

    You can’t travel to Peru right now. You can’t enjoy a delicious ceviche while sipping from a Pisco Sour in Peru right now. You can’t wander the street of Cusco and you can’t fish for piranhas in the Amazon. You also can’t take one of our tours in Lima or meet one of the amazing...
  • Amazon tour Lima

    Lima is not Grey!

    We admit that Lima isn’t exactly the city that travelers adore at first sight. Five months a year (June through October) the garúa covers the city sometimes high in the sky, sometimes even in between the buildings and homes of Limeños. This mysterious sea mist is caused by the interaction of warm inland desert winds...
  • Jorge Chavez airport blog

    Travel in times of corona

    For now, as long as this pandemic is not under control, stay home! Don’t travel! This might seem weird coming from a person making a living from tourism, but we need all of us to beat this together. As Dr. Georgine Nanos, board-certified physician and CEO of Kind Health group in California told Forbes: “It’s...
  • community stay Huaraz

    What is Responsible Tourism?

    Alternative Peru’s mission is to help grow responsible tourism in Peru because we believe it has great potential to strengthen Peru’s economy in a sustainable way and to replace harmful non-sustainable economic activities that are now driving Peru’s economy but are not decreasing inequality.
  • Local Artisan Lima tour

    7 sustainable travel apps and websites that make traveling more responsible and fun!

    Travelers from around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the ecological, economic and social impact of traveling. That’s why a lot of them choose to discover new countries through sustainable tourism. But sometimes it is easier said than done. Do you also want to travel in a sustainable and responsible way but you don’t...
  • Iquitos Amazon tour

    How can you help protect the Amazon Rainforest?

    After visiting the Amazon in Brazil and in Peru and conducting research with some of its indigenous peoples, I’m even more passionate about the most biodiverse section of tropical rainforest in the world, and its people. That’s one of the reasons that at Alternative Peru we definitely wanted to include some responsible and authentic experiences in...

Customer Reviews

  • The tour was just amazing! You get to know about the real Lima and what is happening behind the scenes by talking to people about their life and daily struggles. I have met inspiring people and it is a pleasure to be part of such a good cause – supporting locals through another type of tourism!

    Celine Oubibet
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • The best part about the half day trip my friends and I took with Alternative Peru was becoming truly immersed in the culture of Lima. This tour was not your typical tourist-attraction highlight tour, we went into the Human Settlements to meet with families and community leaders, to hear from them about their culture. Our tour guide was extremely helpful in answering any questions we had about Lima and was also great to hang out with on the bus rides! I will definitely be recommending an Alternative Peru tour to others.

    Hunter M.
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • My four friends and I went on the Half-Day Authentic Lima tour, and it was the most eye-opening, yet enjoyable tour I have ever been. This tour offered a glimpse into a poor, yet hand-made and flourishing community – allowing us to see a side that almost all Lima tourists would never have seen. For that, we are incredibly grateful and would recommend this to anyone!

    NathanEpstein
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • I took this tour with my 14 year old daughter. Since I had taken her out of middle school for 5 days, I wanted our trip to have more value than the usual pictures at notable spots. We came across this tour and it seemed to fit perfect. This was not slum tourism, it was thoughtful and respectful, highlighting the sense of community and closeness.

    Gary Derheim
    Full Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • I really thought this tour would impress my adult children, boy was I right, it impressed everyone (there were 6 of us, three adult children, my husband and I and my mother). This is the most “real” tour I have ever taken, they weren’t trying to hide anything, no tourist traps just real people trying to make it, we got the stories behind the places we stopped. My only hope is that my family is more understanding and grateful after learning about other peoples struggles.

    Caprice Fuentes
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • We are here for gourmet Peruvian Mecca tour. Everyday we are experiencing yet another highlight of wonderful food culture. However, this alternative Peru tour really open our eyes to true Peruvian culture, and people. We are impressed this tour was able to bring us the true ordinary Peruvian everyday life. Feel warm and grateful.

    Stephanie Ho
    Fishing Culture in Lima Tour
  • As a Westerner visiting Lima, I wanted to discover what daily life looks like for millions of people living in the Human Settlements but didn’t dare to go on my own. I was lucky to find this tour from Alternative Peru, and everything was made easy for me: from the quick answers to my mails before the tour, to the pick up on time and flawless organisation during the day. Important ‘detail’: I never felt unsecured. I recommend this tour to all, and will do it again if I go back to Lima.

    Stefan Eggermont
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • It is really hard to put into words what we experienced on our Lima Local Communities Tour. It was very authentic, and we are so appreciative of the people who shared their day with us and allowing us a glimpse into their daily lives. I highly recommend this tour if you want to really feel this part of Lima. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, professional, kind, interesting, perceptive, and passionate about his role with this community. Thank you for this experience.

    Ted M.
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • There is a basic difference between Traveler and Tourist. Tourists are mostly searching for fast entertainment. These ones should stay in the Miraflores enjoy all kind of kitsch entertainment that this place offers and listen the high class paranoid stories about criminals. But if you are a traveler who wants to see how the real life is organically happening and be forever inspired from the amount of the dignity that will see, then please do this trip. Excellent in every aspect.

    Anna Vasof
    Customized Lima Tour
  • The opportunity to meet and interact with local families in an extremely challenging environment was a revelation that ran the gamut of emotions from tearful pain, despair and anger to an acute sense of humility, resiliency and witnessing first-hand the power of the human spirit. I will never be the same as a result of the 4 hours I spent with profoundly strong and brilliant people who face overwhelming obstacles with such grace, charm and determination against all odds. As a result, I am compelled to do what I can to return the love that was given to me by so many angelic souls. Those I met are heroic and I am so thankful for the wake up call provided by this wonderful ‘Alternative Lima’ tour organization.

    Brad B.
    Half Day Authentic Lima Tour
  • We spent the morning exploring a local market. Not a big one, but offering everything we wanted to taste – cheeses, fruits (don’t miss the lucuma milk shake), cakes. We had a very good ceviche for lunch, but the star was a booth with Amazonian cuisine, where the owner got us several unusual drinks and cooked a typical meal, explaining all the ingredients and techniques.
    The afternoon was dedicated to the visit of poor communities and the huge cemetery. It is amazing what a difference there is just a few kilometers from the fancy Miraflores. A humbling experience which put many things and problems in our lives into a perspective.

    Matevz Kmet
    Full Day Food and Cultural Lima Tour