Peruvian Food Tours in Lima: Barranco or the Historic Centre?
5 min read
For most visitors: the Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour in Barranco. It is rated 4.9 from 951 reviews and costs €94.20 for four hours. If you would rather eat street food in the old centre: the Historic Center Street Food, Market and Eateries Tour, €49.52, 4.9 stars from 392 reviews.
Both are run by the same operator, Exquisito Peru, both last four hours and both are walking tours. They differ in where you walk and what you eat. Lima has more food experiences than these two, but only these two have several hundred reviews each.
The two tours
| Tour | Length | From | Rating | Group | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour | 4 hours | €94.20 | 4.9 (951) | Up to 10 or 12, by option | English (see below) |
| Historic Center Street Food Tour | 4 hours | €49.52 | 4.9 (392) | Up to 12 | English |
Barranco: tastings and demonstrations
The Barranco tour starts at the Mirador Sáenz Peña and moves between small restaurants and local shops, with tasting stops of 15 to 45 minutes. The page promises up to 14 flavours, demonstrations of ceviche and lomo saltado, a pisco sour, and a workshop on fair-trade chocolate. The page describes Barranco as an artsy district, so the walk between stops is part of the point.
See dates and prices for the Barranco food tour
The historic centre: street food and a market
The centre tour starts at the Gran Hotel Bolívar and combines sights seen from outside (the cathedral, the Government Palace, the San Francisco basilica) with a visit to Lima’s largest market and a stretch through Chinatown. The food is the quick, cheap kind: the page names chilcano, creole churros, anticuchos, pan con chicharrón and picarones. A reviewer noted that it felt safer than ordinary street food and that the organisers clearly cared about keeping the group healthy.
Check availability for the historic centre street food tour
Who should not book either
Read the “Know before you go” lines, because both are blunt:
- Vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian diets: the Barranco page says vegetarian and vegan options are limited in Peru and asks you not to book if you expect a balanced menu. The centre tour says pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans should not book, because it cannot provide alternatives.
- Allergies: both ask for any dietary restrictions when you book. Both ask people with a severe nut allergy not to book, and the centre tour says the same about severe gluten allergy.
- Mobility: the Barranco page lists wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments as not suitable.
- Language: the centre tour is guided in English only. The Barranco page lists English and Spanish at the top, but its notes say the tour is guided in English only, so ask before you book if you need Spanish.
Our recommendation
Book the Barranco food tour if you want a relaxed first food introduction with the larger review count. Take the historic centre tour if the market and street food are what you came for. If you would rather cook than walk, see the cooking class guide.
