Peru · DINING EXPERIENCES
Good dining experiences fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 12 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Spend two hours at Tunupa Restaurant in front of Cusco’s main church, enjoying a three-course Peruvian dinner and a lively Andean show. Ten songs and six dances use traditional instruments, while the dining room offers views over the Plaza de Armas. Vegetarian meals are available, but drinks cost extra.
“The best part of our whole trip to the Andes... and that includes Machu Picchu!”
Start with a 3 pm pickup and an evening look at Cusco, often including San Pedro Market and Plaza de Armas. Guides such as Valentin or Kenny explain local life before taking you to Cusco Planetarium for Inca star lore and telescope viewing. Dinner and one Pisco sour are included, but the $25 planetarium fee is extra.
“Kenny was an excellent tour guide. He took his time with us and explained the attractions in detail. Dinner was excellent”
Spend five hours touring Lima’s Magic Water Circuit, where fountains, music, lasers, and water projections create the main event. Then enjoy a Peruvian dinner in a 100-year-old republican house museum. Pickup is included from Miraflores and San Isidro, with guides in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.
“El Circuito Mágico del Agua tiene un show de las fuentes que dura 15 mins. No se pudo esperar ya que el restaurante con show folclórico queda distante y había que salir antes. Desconocía ese detalle y separó la actividad para disfrutar de todo. Se me indicó ese detalle el mismo día. El Circuito, cena y show folclórico valen la pena.”
Spend an evening at Lima’s Magic Water Circuit, where fountains, lasers, and music tell a visual story, then eat Peruvian dishes in a historic house museum. Hotel pickup covers central Lima, Miraflores, and San Isidro. English, Spanish, and Portuguese guides are available, with the tour limited to 40 people.
“Negative- we got picked up very late so when we were visiting the water park, we were rushed through and didn’t get as much time or pictures as we liked. We were very late to dinner and caught the last few dances. The food at the buffet was average. Positives- the tour guide was friendly, politely rushing us. the water show and park was amazing, def a must do. The dances that we caught were interesting.. im not sure how “Peruvian” they actually are or authentic, but it was entertaining to say the least. The horse show was very interesting and cool to see how they drove the horses.”
Start with hotel pickup in Miraflores or San Isidro, then pass three pre-Inca huacas before a guided Larco Museum visit. Guides such as Andy have offered clear historical context, while dinner at Café del Museo brings Peruvian dishes to a peaceful garden terrace. Small groups are limited to six.
“Our guide Andy and driver Jose were excellent. They pickup us up at our hotel on time and give us a drive by view of three important historical sites before showing us the museum. Andy gave us an excellent and knowledgable overview of the Larco Museum collection. Dinner at the museum was great, delicious food and great ambiance.”
Travel from Barranco with an English-speaking guide to Lima’s Magic Water Circuit, then continue to a dinner show with Peruvian food, regional dances, and Peruvian Paso horses. The small group is limited to 10 people. Guide Manuel has earned praise for making the evening enjoyable, while the horse show and restaurant may change.
“Brilliant! guide Manuel was great and the night was enjoyable. Amazing fountains, dinner and show! strongly recommend!”
Meet at Mangos Restaurant in Larcomar for a two-hour set lunch of Peruvian and international dishes. Your meal includes a small pisco sour, starter, main course, dessert, lemonade or chicha morada, and tea, with sea views from the terrace.
“Tuve que esperar 30 minutos a que sirvieran la comida, el postre crema volteada estuvo 10/10, los ravioles 7/10 ya que al queso le faltó sal y la causa de pollo también 10/10. La chicha le faltó sabor a frutas y esencias ya que sabía más a agua con azúcar y el pisco 10/10”
Spend six hours with a private English- or Spanish-speaking guide exploring San Pedro Market, Plaza de Armas, Sacsayhuaman, and the Cusco planetarium. Taste Andean specialties, enjoy a pisco sour and Pollo a la Brasa, then view southern-hemisphere stars through telescopes.
“I enjoyed a tour, planetarium presentation and star watching was really interesting and I have learned few new things. Dinner at local restaurant was very tasty and pisco sour delicious.”
You’ll walk Cusco’s historic center and San Blas with an English or Spanish-speaking guide, visit the Cathedral and Hatun Rumiyuq Street, make a Pisco Sour, then enjoy traditional Peruvian food. Guides such as José and José Luis add useful local context.
“We did this our first night in Cusco and our guide was Jose. He was amazing! He took us to the Pisco Museum where we got to go behind the bar and made our own Pisco Sours. Jose is so knowledgable about Cusco and the history of the Inka civilization. He was so gracious and he offered us advice on the rest of our trip including our trek to Machu Picchu. If you go to Cusco you should definitely take a tour with Jose you will learn and see a lot of this amazing city. We would definitely go back and do another excursion with Jose and this company.”
After Machu Picchu, enjoy a two-hour lunch at Café Inkaterra in Aguas Calientes. LimaTours arranges a starter, main course, dessert, water, and hot drinks beneath an Ese’Eja palm-thatched roof beside the Vilcanota River, with vegetarian and vegan choices available.
“Sensacional!!! Lugar lindo, atendimento perfeito e rápido, pratos saborosíssimos . Apenas as bebidas são carinhas mas faz parte pelo nível do lugar. Me surpreendi! Além da praticidade de estar praticamente dentro da estação do trem . Eu recomendo!”
Meet at Cala Restaurant in Barranco at 11:30 am for a private, English or Spanish demonstration of tiradito and pisco sour. Then choose a starter, main course, dessert, and drink for lunch on the first-level terrace above the Pacific Ocean. Transport is not included.
“Hey Berteaux, thanks a lot for your comment. We're thrilled you enjoyed the cooking class at Cala and the lunch with a stunning view of Lima. We hope this moment will be a delicious memory and that you'll come back soon to discover even more of Peruvian gastronomy.”
Meet your guide at 5:40 pm in Miraflores, Barranco, or San Isidro for a guided visit to Lima’s Magical Water Circuit. After the fountain show, continue to a restaurant for Peruvian dinner and traditional dance, with hotel pickup and return included.
“la guía es muy amable, tiene mucho conocimiento”
Pick a ruin, a summit, a dune or a kitchen.
