Half-Day Local Communities and Social Tour in Lima

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Lima, Peru

5 to 6 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Take the road less traveled in Lima for a unique learning experience about some of the citizens of one of the largest cities in the world. After visiting a cemetery with more than one million interred, meet the employees of a nongovernmental organization fighting poverty and inequality in Peru. Spend the rest of your tour visiting one of Lima’s most impoverished neighborhoods and eating lunch with a local entrepreneur trying to make a difference in her community.

Guided tour of Lima hill communities
Learn about Andean burial traditions in one of the largest cemeteries in the world
See the social and environmental projects undertaken by local entrepreneurs
Eat an authentic Peruvian lunch prepared by a local cook

What's Included

Lunch
Local guide
Private transportation
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Contribution to the social project visited on tour

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Itinerary

Cementerio de Nueva Esperanza

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

San Juan De Miraflores

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Tour can be canceled or altered due to extremely poor weather, political situation or other unexpected events. In case of cancellation, you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund
Not wheelchair accessible. Due to uneven surfaces, this tour is not recommended for those with walking disabilities or using a wheelchair
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for participants with medical conditions such as serious back or neck problems
A small amount of walking on uneven terrain is involved. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes or sneakers (no sandals)
Most of the year, the sun is very strong (even if it's cloudy) and especially from December to April. it is highly recommended to bring sunscreen, water and a hat.

Please advise any specific food or physical restrictions at time of booking
Infants must sit on laps
Transfer time can vary quite a bit because of traffic. Please let us know if you have to be back on time.
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

5.0

based on 40 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fantastic Tour!!!

Shigetsu_S, Aug 2025

Alfredo was a really great tour guide that was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He made sure I was happy with the tour and the tour was really great. Also it was a huge learning experience and a chance to see a world that is hard to experience alone. I definitely recommend this tour to people who want to see something unique.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m really glad to know you enjoyed the tour and that it gave you both a fun and meaningful learning experience. It’s always our goal to make guests feel comfortable and connected to this unique and authentic side of Lima. Your recommendation means a lot, and we truly appreciate it! :)

Alfredo was an...

Jason_Y, Jul 2025

Alfredo was an exceptional tour guide and brought us on the most incredible tour. Usually when travelling, we see the best rich areas that are not actually representative of how the locals actually live. This private tour showed us the unfiltered reality for most of the people living outside the rich areas of Lima - all the sights, the sounds, the smells. Alfredo’s tour allowed us to get close and personal with the locals and have direct conversations with his never-missing-a-beat translations. The highlight of the tour for me was definitely eating a home cooked meal in a lovely local’s house. The meal was delicious and her story made me quite emotional. It is incredible how someone can be through so much yet stay resilient and kind to everyone she meets. For example she wakes up early at 6am every morning to cook breakfast for all the local kids and old people who cannot afford to eat. Separately, the proceeds from this tour go directly into helping 6-12 year old kids in the area. It is great to be able to have such a great experience while supporting the community. It was a win-win-win. This tour was definitely worth it, if even just to have a conversation with Alfredo, highly highly recommend, thank you Alfredo 🙏

Unforgettable Experience

Charlyn_S, Jul 2025

This was a wonderful education about some of the less seen residents of Lima. Our tour guide was excellent and very patient with our many questions. We will never forget our experience.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Thank you so much for your beautiful words! I’m truly grateful I could share this side of Lima with you, and I’m so glad the experience gave you new perspectives and lasting memories. It was a real pleasure to spend the day together, and I hope our paths cross again one day in Peru.

Worthwhile & Recommended

Roxanne_F, Mar 2022

After an Amazon visit we had an extra day in Lima before traveling home. This social tour gave us real insights into the lives of the people living in the settlements outside of Lima. I highly recommend this tour with Alfredo as it provides the human side of Peruvians who work together facing challenges foreign to many of us visiting their country

Excellent

Jessica R, Mar 2019

This tour was very interesting; it was nice to see tThis tour was very interesting; it was nice to see the "other side" of Lima and get out of the tourist areas for a while. Our tour guide, Alfredo, was amazing and informative. The local guide that joined us in the human settlements was a nice addition and good to hear a different perspective as well. The group was only 4 in total which made for an intimate, unique experience!he "other side" of Lima and get out of the tourist areas for a while. Our tour guide, Alfredo, was amazing and informative. The local guide that joined us in the human settlements was a nice addition and good to hear a different perspective as well. The group was only 4 in total which made for an intimate, unique experience!

I took my 10 year old daughter and...

Sherry N, Oct 2017

I took my 10 year old daughter and her 13 year old friend on this tour. My initial purpose for arranging this tour was to meet people in Lima who were not connected with the tourist industry. I also wanted to show the children what real poverty is so that they might not complain every time they don't get something they want. I wanted them to see that there are people in the world who get by with a lot less than they have. And, I also didn't want them to leave Lima thinking that it is all fancy restaurants and expensive hotels. Our guide and the driver picked us up at our hotel in San Isidro. The drive to the neighborhood took about 45 minutes. The traffic in Lima is intense. On our way there the kids and I counted the number of free roaming dogs on the streets. Our guide laughed at this, but we explained that we don't see dogs like this in our small Floridian town. By the time we arrived at our destination we had counted more than 350. We stopped after 350. The area is spread out on the side of a large hill. We walked up the hill to our first stop. On the way, my 13 year old was throwing stones for fun. I pointed out to him that he was throwing stones on someone's roof. The roof consisted of a sheet of plywood. Our feet were level with the roof. He looked at that roof and I could see it took him a few moments to understand that that could be a house. Our first stop was at a woman's house. Actually, it had a dirt floor and roof and walls made of rock. So I guess it was more like a cave. She stood behind a long table covered with handmade items. She delivered a rehearsed speech about the items and a little bit about her life. I asked more questions about her life, and one of the children bought a pretty necklace made of purple seeds from the Amazon. We got back in the vehicle and drove to another woman's house who had made us a lunch of chicken and rice. We drank a sweet red beverage made out of corn. I liked it. She also had a prepared speech. I didn't mind the rehearsed narrative because it was informative and she was happy to answer any question I had. Her house was made of boards put together so that they did not fully come together. I could see daylight through the cracks and there were a lot of flies in the house. I asked her if it ever snowed there and she said no. I asked her if she had a backyard or any yard at all. She said no. They have no running water. They are given two jugs about 4 feet tall and 1 foot wide full of water once a week per family. But, you can only get the water if you can prove that you own the house. Lima is in a desert with a coating of dust on everything. Living with little water is a hardship right there. We then went to a sort of after-school meeting place for the kids in the area. They play games there and there are adults who they can talk to if they are having problems. Unfortunately, there were no kids there when we got there. I would've liked to have met them and have my kids meet them. After our tour of this area, we drove to the second largest cemetery in the world. The largest is in Iraq. It was not far at all from where we just were. There are approximately one million people buried there. A fascinating aspect of this cemetery is the combination of Catholicism and witchcraft. For example, there are crosses over every grave with various objects and herbs hung on the crosses that are associated with witchcraft. Witchcraft is apparently common in South America. I didn't know that. There is even an underground store in Lima that sells everything you need to practice witchcraft. Our guide told us that on November 1st, the Day of the Dead, families visit there loved ones and bring food and drink and generally have a party. I think it's a wonderful custom. I would recommend this tour to everyone. The guide was well informed, I felt perfectly safe and both of the children said it was the highlight of our trip to Lima. Well, the boy said sandboarding and offroading in the desert was number one, but he loves sports so I'm not surprised.

This tour was just fantastic! To see...

Peter B, Feb 2017

This tour was just fantastic! To see the 'other side' of Lima is a must and Elina and Alternative Peru made the experience just perfect. First, with a visit to the amazing Cementerio Virgen de Lourdes, then a visit to senor Balvina, who belongs the Bridge of Hope, a Fair Trade organisation that helps her develop her handicraft work and sales. Last, it was to Nueva Rinconada, where we were given lunch by senora Ninfa and met Elizabeth, a vibrant girl so motivated to progress her education, but also a tutor with Jugando Aprendo, an NGO that helps child domestic workers but has funding problems. It is not voyeuristic and the tour does support the work of the local non-profit organization Asociación Grupo de Trabajo Redes AGTR / La Casa de Panchita. If you want to see the 'other side' of Lima and support those who need help, take this tour and you wont be disappointed.

Esperienza bellissima!...

Julija_K, May 2025

Esperienza bellissima! Tour molto consigliato, anche questa parte di Lima merita assolutamente una visita se siete in Peru.

Response from Host, Aug 2025

Grazie di cuore per la vostra bellissima recensione! Siamo felici che abbiate apprezzato questa parte autentica di Lima e che l’esperienza sia stata così speciale. :)

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