After pick-up, you travel for about 45 minutes through a changing landscape until arriving to what was for more than 1500 years the main sanctuary of the Andean coast, the archeological site of Pachacamac. First, you'll have a look at the modern Pachacamac museum with various artefacts of the different cultures that used to occupy this sanctuary. Then, you'll explore this immense archeological site, which consists of the remains of more than 50 temples and other buildings. Afterwards, you'll head to a local community of artisans nearby. The first thing you'll do there is have lunch at the house of a local artisan family. On the menu is a great local experience and delicious homemade typical Peruvian lunch. After entertaining you at lunch with some of his many stories, our funny host will show you his ceramics workshop. He will also take you to workshops of his talented fellow artisans, who make other types of Peruvian handicrafts, such as rugs and textile.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $344.
Larger groups pay less per person.
In demand: 12 of the next 52 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 13.
Without a doubt, Pachacamac is one of the most important archaeological sites of coastal Peru. It contains elements dating back as far as 200 AD. Because each succeeding culture added their own temples, there are remains belonging to different ancient cultures from pre-Inca and Inca times. Today, Pachacamac shelters the remains of more than 50 temples making it the largest archaeological complex in Lima. On this Pachacamac tour, your guide will first show you around the museum with the many artefacts found during archeological excavations. Then, the driver will take you around this huge site with stops at the different sights. At some stops, you'll need to walk around a bit to have a good look at the remains of the temples. Besides the archeological remains, you will be amazed by the great views of the surrounding area including the Pacific Ocean. It is hard to believe this is so close to the metropolitan city of Lima.
After the Pachacamac tour, you'll head to a close-by local neighborhood that houses many artisans from the area of Ayacucho. These people fled the violence of the guerrilla war of the 1980’s and 1990’s by moving to the outskirts of Lima. The guide will tell you more about this terrible period in Peru. In this neighborhood, local artisans continue to make the traditional handicrafts and art from Ayacucho. Before you'll visit some of their workshops, you'll have lunch with one of these local artisan families in their home. With a full stomach, you'll visit a few workshops where they make textiles, ceramics and other beautiful typical Peruvian handicrafts. The artisans love to show you their work and explain how they make these pieces of art. In a place where the government is mostly absent, these people have built their own community and are developing and maintaining the local economy with their traditions and art. They are working hard to keep their traditions alive. Certainly, you will leave this place very inspired and perhaps even with a few authentic and fair-trade souvenirs (completely optional of course).
The guide will meet you at the reception area of your hotel.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 1,464 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Private Local Artisans and Pachacamac Tour lasts about 7 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $202 per person for this Lima experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $344. There are 2 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 9:30 AM and 10:00 AM.
It can: 12 of the next 52 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. The guide will meet you at the reception area of your hotel. Pickup points include Alameda by Wynwood House, nhow Lima.
The experience is available in EN, ES.
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 10 travellers can book together.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 16 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Alternative Peru.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Absolutely superb tour, just the right amount of information and at the perfect pace. We’ve done quite a few tours before and this was easily one of the best, it was also really refreshing to be taken to artisans’ shops where you felt that the prices were completely fair and you weren’t being ripped off as a tourist - we would have bought more if not for luggage restrictions. Would highly recommend this tour and any others done by the same company.
We enjoyed the tour immensely Alfredo was very knowledgeable about the history of Peru The artisan houses we visited was a once in a life time experience. We got to meet and mingle with the artists and see their work. Very impressed with the tour and would recommend highly!!!
What a fabulous day. First of all, our guide, Alfredo was amazing. He is so knowledgeable and was very patient with questions, pictures, etc. We loved visiting Pachacamac, taking pictures with the local school groups, and learning more about the cultures in the museum. The visit to the artists was unforgettable. Being able to buy art directly from the artist is such an amazing experience. We loved having lunch with Jose and Alfredo--and have been trying to replicate the arroz con pollo since we returned! Thank you for a phenomenal day!
This tour, from our guide Alberto and driver Placido, to the information shared at the site of Pachacamac, to the delicious traditional Peruvian meal prepared, and the 2 local artisans we visited and their wondrous crafts- ALL were exceptional. Truly, it was the people of this experience that made it so special. Far beyond your typical history and walking around a historic site experience. This wasn't your rote tour by any means. We were left with a feeling of slowing down and getting to know a bit of people's lives and their craft. I feel it's necessary to add that Alberto went above and beyond for us in our conversations and going into greater depth of what we were seeing and experiencing. We were required to have a museum guide at the site of Pachacamac, and she spoke both far too softly to hear her well, and simply didn't go into the detail nor take the time to share with us the deeper meaning of the site. Alberto kindly and unobtrusively stepped in to ask our museum guide questions to assist us in learning the richness of Pachacamac. I'm very grateful to him for his knowledge and skill. He made our day and overall experience one of the best I've had through a tour- and I've traveled a good bit. Thank you Alberto (and Placido!), and Alterantive Peru for an incredible day! I will certainly do another tour with you when I'm back in Lima.
This was a wonderful day in Peru. Alberto’s knowledge of Pachacamc and the local artisans was very helpful. He provided information I’m not sure we would have gotten from just anyone. Placido, our driver, was skillful and kind. The artisans we met were masters of their craft and personable. And the meal was really special. This was a day that truly made my trip to Peru quite special and enjoyable. This is a tour not to be missed!
Tours that include visits to markets and artisans are mandatory stops. In addition, artisans tell you the process to obtain alpaca, which is really beautiful.
We enjoyed the experience and the guide. The company was organized and responded to our requests. We were hesitant to eat lunch prepared at an artisan's home due to concerns about possible gastric issues. The company was very flexible so we had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant. The two artists we met with were talented and interesting. The only negative part of the day was the mandatory guide provided by Pachacamac. Her English was hard to understand. We ended up asking our guide to translate which worked well. We would highly recommend working with Alternative Peru. They are top notch providers!
The tour was amazing. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable about Peruvian history, tradition and current events. The conversation and hospitality were wonderful. Our meal was excellent, and the artisans were capable and inviting. Our guides spoke English well. Over all, one of the best days of our vacation.
I took my two kids (20 & 13) on this tour and we had a great time! Alberto was our official tour guide who offered to speak in Spanish so we could practice. We started out on the Pachacamac Tour which is an incredible archeological site and amazing place to experience. It is unbelievable that many of the ruins are still uncovered. Bring water, wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a hat. Alberto was a better historian than the actual tour guides so we asked a lot of questions and gained a better insite of the place. The artisan tour was excellent as well. We ate a beautiful typical Peruvian lunch at the home of a local artist and met his family. The weaver was amazing and it was interesting to learn about how they color the yarns and how long this process takes. Our driver Placi was friendly too. I highly recommend this tour for any age. Thanks Alternative Peru for a great experience.
Had an excellent first day in Peru! We were collected from apartment and driven to the ancient ruins , the guide was friendly and informative, and being new! I had lots of daft questions which were answered well! We had a fantastic lunch (brilliant food) and great company, the craftsmanship of the pottery and tapestry was great. Would definitely recommend this tour, and we are looking forward to our other tours organised by this company Thanks Gino and placi for a great day
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Local Artisans and Pachacamac Tour | 7 hours | 4.9 (16) | $202 | |
 Private Experience Pachacamac, Peruvian Paso Horse Show & Artisan Store Full-Day | 9 hours | 5.0 (6) | $259 | View |
 Private Guided ''Pachacamac'' Tour in Peru | 4 hours | 5.0 (52) | $79 | View |
 Private Tour: Pachacamac Archaeological Site Including Barranco District | 3–4 hours | 4.4 (28) | $120 | View |
 Make artisan chocolate , chicha de jora and ceramic ornaments with local experts | 6 hours | — | $119 | View |
 Pachacamac's Inka Pyramids Tour including Museum Small-Group | 3h 30min | 4.9 (87) | $56 | View |
 Tour to the Archaeological Sanctuary of Pachacamac (small group) | 4 hours | 4.8 (337) | $35 | View |