Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima
Traveler rating
4.7/5
Based on 20 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima worth booking?
Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima is a 7.5-hour experience in Lima, Peru, from $124 per person. It scores 62 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Solid Choice”, based on a 4.7/5 rating across 20 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 62 / 100
- Rating
- 4.7/5 (20)
- Duration
- 7.5 hours
- From
- $124 per person
In the morning, you'll go on an off-the-beaten-path market tour, where you visit an authentic market where locals do their shopping or enjoy a quick lunch. You'll try traditional Peruvian foods how and where the locals e
What you get
- Private transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch
- Contribution to the social project visited on the tour
- All activities
- Food tasting
About this experience
In the morning, you'll go on an off-the-beaten-path market tour, where you visit an authentic market where locals do their shopping or enjoy a quick lunch. You'll try traditional Peruvian foods how and where the locals eat them. With typical Peruvian dishes, drinks, fruits and desserts surrounded by and interacting with friendly locals, this market visit is both a cultural and gastronomic experience. In the afternoon, you'll visit several places in a human settlement up in the hills of Lima such as a very unique and huge cemetery, a female artisan's workshop, a social project run by locals and you'll have one more drink and small snack at a local family’s house. You'll not only learn about daily life in Lima’s human settlements and the historical, political and cultural background but most importantly, you'll meet amazing locals who work hard to improve their community. This cultural immersion tour focuses on positive initiatives and hope and benefits the social project you'll visit.
What's included
Included
- Private transportation
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch
- Contribution to the social project visited on the tour
- All activities
- Food tasting
Not included
- Gratuities
What you'll see and do
Enjoy tasting regional meals, fruits, cheeses, liquors, drinks, and sweets, all the while chatting and laughing with our enthusiastic friends in the market who are always so eager to share their favorite flavors. For seafood lovers and those who will try anything once, our favourite ceviche vendor will show you how to prepare this Peruvian classic in the market itself. Carefully pace your eating and always save some room in your stomach! We then continue to meander through the market, tasting a large variety of dried snacks, side dishes, fresh fruits, time-honored liquors that will surely give you a nice jolt, and succulent juices you won’t easily find on just any restaurant menu. Whether you love to eat or just want to see what the Peruvian food hype is all about, our market tour is definitely an authentic, alternative experience that foodies can’t miss.
180 minutes here
Cementerio de Nueva Esperanza
After a 40-minute drive, you'll reach the second largest cemetery in the world. It's a very impressive place, different than any other cemetery you have visited before. It's located amidst the hills and human settlements. You'll have the chance to look around and if you're into photography, you'll surely take a bunch of artistic photos.
20 minutes here · Admission included
San Juan De Miraflores
After the visit to the cemetery, you'll head towards the human settlement where you will first visit a local lady who has started her own small business and artisan workshop in her house. She will tell you more about herself and her business. The bilingual guide teams up with a local guide who will show you around the neighborhood and take you to meet several local families and community leaders. The first stop is the house of our local cook who has prepared a delicious drink and small snack for you. Afterwards the local guide will show you around and tell you more about daily life with its many challenges but also its many positive initiatives. The people who live there have worked hard to build a real community and you'll get to meet some of these community leaders. The guide will also tell you more about the local project your visit supports. On some days you'll even be able to see their activities with the participating kids in action.
120 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers.
Options you can book
Private car from Miraflores
Full-day from Miraflores: The guide will pick you up and drop you off at your hotel in the central areas (Miraflores, Barranco, San Isidro or nearby) Pickup included
From airport or port shuttle
The guide will pick you up from the airport or the port shuttle (recommended pick-up time: 9:30 am) Pickup included
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 10 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Alternative Peru
Know before you go
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Operated by a bilingual guide (Spanish/English)
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking (allergies or any other restrictions).
- In winter months, some areas may be a bit muddy because of humidity (even if it doesn't rain). Please dress appropriately.
- We recommend wearing comfortable closed walking shoes (f.i. sneakers, no sandals)
- Sunscreen, water and a hat are highly recommended. The sun in Lima is very strong, even if it seems cloudy.
- From May to November it is recommended to bring a sweater and a light coat since the weather may be colder in some areas you'll visit
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 20 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Food and drink
8 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
The guide
7 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Knowledge and storytelling
4 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Good for families
4 mentionsReviewers traveling with kids report it landed well with their group.
Value for money
2 mentionsTravelers feel they got more than they paid for.
Traveler reviews
20 verified traveler reviews for Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Family of Five
This was our first trip to Peru and our family included a 3yr old, 9yr old and 12yr old. We wanted to find a local guide to help us learn alongside Indigenous communities and make a positive impact. Alfredo was a wonderful guide - extremely knowledgeable, professional and passionate about empowering sustainability in local communities. He was patient when our toddler interrupted and answered our older children’s questions with enthusiasm. We loved the multiple tours: meeting Shipibo Konibo artisans and creating artwork together, meeting fishermen in Chorrillos, making ceviche, painting Tablas de Sarhua with the Ramos Family, visiting the Lugar de Memoria, trying graffiti art with a local artist in Callao, tutoring school age children at a ludoteca (play center) and volunteering in a community herb garden and children’s library. Our cultural exchange was based on honest communication and human connection woven together with a sense of community. We learned so much from the lived experiences and knowledge of the community members, artisans, and Alfredo. We plan to return to Peru and know Alfredo will help us craft a perfect itinerary for Macchu Picchu. We cannot recommend Alternative Peru enough. Alfredo will make your trip more than just a vacation. He provides a way for families to make memories together through service - young children and adults learning about themselves by connecting to community and Nature through fun activities.
Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your wonderful review! It was a pleasure showing your family around and sharing these experiences together. I'm so glad you enjoyed meeting the communities, artisans, and local projects. Thank you for your kind words and for recommending Alternative Peru. I hope to welcome you back to Peru one day!
via Tripadvisor
Tour which is a must- a mix between people, community, food and culture
This is an absolute must-do if you want to experience the real Lima. As an avid traveler, it takes a lot for a tour to impress me, but Alternative Peru exceeded every expectation. The morning food market tour was incredible—they perfectly accommodated my pescatarian diet, and the ceviche was out of this world! The second half of the day in the local community was deeply moving. You visit the world's second-largest cemetery and get to see the amazing work being done by the Jugando Aprendo youth project. It's rare to find a tour that offers such fantastic food while also giving back to the local community in such a direct, respectful way. Highly recommended!
Response from the operator: Thank you so much for your lovely review! We're really happy you enjoyed both the food experience and the visit to the community. It means a lot to know the project made an impression on you as well. Thanks again for joining us and for recommending the tour!
via Tripadvisor
Great tour for those wanting to see the less touristy side of Lima
A fascinating tour of the less touristy parts of Lima. Authentic market food, exploring real neighborhoods, not just the touristy parts of Lima. It really provides a great view of the diversity of Lima’s population.
Response from the operator: Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re truly happy to hear you enjoyed discovering Lima’s authentic markets and neighborhoods, and that the tour gave you a genuine sense of the city’s diversity and everyday life beyond the tourist areas. :)
via Viator
Lima from Different Angle
I want to see the inner belly of Lima, not the normal beaten path of tourists. Noted that it is not inexpensive nor entertaining, but very well planned and we travel in comfortable transportation with enlightening guide, Alfredo, and going home with a better understanding of people of Lima. First we stopped at mercado surquillos and choose the juice and the lunch of our choices. We chose ceviche and causa. Then continued to the biggest cemetery, traveling past traffic and located in dusty area. Learned a bit about growing Lima and their spiritual beliefs. Then ended up in human settlement (publo jovenes), seeing the wall of shame dividing the human settlement and the rich departmento and then meet their inhabitants, listening to the lady who made handcraft (inexpensive, no concern about price gouging nor guide benefitting from the sales), and lastly the after school program for children. I want to see Lima from different angle, and the tour delivered.
via Tripadvisor
Food and sociocultural tour of Lima
We only had one day in Lima, at the very beginning of our trip, so I booked the food and sociocultural tour as a way to both introduce my somewhat-picky teenager to the food of Peru and also to learn about how many people live in Lima. Our guide, Alfredo, was outstanding. He picked us up from our hotel and we went to a local market, where we wandered around picking out different fruits. We sat down for lunch at one of the stalls and had the most amazing ceviche while Alfredo cut up our fruit purchases to try. We also tried a couple of different kinds of juice liqueurs. Then it was back to the van for a trip to the human settlements, where we visited one of the largest cemeteries in the world, as well as a couple of homes where we got to talk to some of the local people and learn about their culture. I think one of my favorite parts of the whole tour was sitting down with a local woman who served us tea and popcorn while we got to learn about her and her life. Our tour finished up with a visit to one of the social projects that our tour fee helps to support, an after school program for kids, where we got to play a whole-body-involved game of rock paper scissors with the kids. We highly recommend this tour and our guide, Alfredo!
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 7.5 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- 5+
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $124 to $359
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 7
- Verdict
- Solid Choice
Why this scores 62
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Lima.
How much does Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima cost?
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Prices start at $124 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Lima usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima take?
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Plan for about 7.5 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Lima is not rushed.
Is Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 62 out of 100, which we label "Solid Choice". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.7/5 across 20 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Lima, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima suitable for kids and families?
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The operator sets a minimum age of 5. Older children generally do well here, and families should factor in the 7.5-hour running time when deciding.
How far in advance should I book Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima?
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Around 7 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Lima can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Lima and add a light layer if any part of the 7.5-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Alternative Food and Socio-Cultural Experience in Lima start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Lima within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Lima?
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On Outty we rank every Lima experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Peruvian Cooking Class, Local Market Tour & Exotic Fruit Tasting, The Complete Lima Experience: History, Culture & Flavors, #1 Rated Lima Cooking Class: Make Ceviche, Causa & Pisco Sours!. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Lima?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Lima?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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