At Home in Lima

This full-day experience takes place in a suburban area on the outskirts of Lima, where you will spend the day connecting with community residents and social projects. Among these, you will visit a cooperative of artisans in their workshop to learn how Limeños and Limeñas are preserving the value of traditional handicrafts and the importance of Fair Trade. You will also visit a community garden and learn how its crops are used to produce teas and herbal remedies. Over a relaxed, home-cooked lunch in the home of a local family, you will have the opportunity to hear about everyday life in this sometimes harsh environment. The afternoon is spent with a grassroots social project, experiencing firsthand how locals are working to improve their community. Your host, Alfredo, will populate the day with historical, political, and cultural insights while facilitating meaningful encounters with individuals you would not otherwise cross paths with on a typical Lima itinerary.

This full-day outing is a grounding experience focused on cultural immersion and social impact. Through your host, Alfredo, you will cultivate an understanding of how the people of Lima are working hard for positive change — preserving traditional crafts, maintaining family-owned businesses, and putting heart and soul into social projects that benefit the entire community and create opportunities for children and adolescents to flourish. In lieu of seeing the sights, you will hear stories — learning about hardships but also about positive change. In place of museums and restaurants, you enter private workshops and homes. You will learn about the so-called “Wall of Shame”, which separates one of the poorest neighborhoods of Lima from one of the richest. Through your participation — all experiences include a donation to Jugando Aprendo, an initiative supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds — you leave a positive footprint through tourism that directly supports the community.

Born in Lima and raised in the Andes, Alfredo has always carried Peru in his heart while exploring the world. He has lived in India, the Philippines, Thailand, and China, where he worked as an advertiser, journalist, and even a chef specializing in Sichuanese cuisine. These experiences deepened his appreciation for cultural diversity and ultimately inspired him to return home. In 2015, he co-founded an initiative bringing solar power and quality education to remote Andean communities through sustainable tourism. Alfredo is also the proud owner of a Lima-based company offering authentic, responsible tours that create real impact. For Alfredo, travel is more than discovery; it is a way to uplift communities, honor traditions, and give dignity back to the most vulnerable. In the case that Alfredo is not available to guide this tour, he will send a guide who shares his morals and guiding style.

Sunscreen and a hat. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes. Water. Sweater and/or light coat (May - October).