With Peru’s long history of textile weaving and handicrafts, perhaps no country in Latin America provides more opportunity for shopping. Partners of shopaholics beware. The question when looking for the best Peru souvenirs is where to begin.
Craft markets, stalls, street vendors and shopping centers are everywhere in Peru. From the cities of Lima and Cusco to the high altitude slopes of the Andes, Peruvian gifts await purchase.
Locals are friendly and enthusiastic in offering souvenir shopping opportunities to tourists. I purchased a scarf on the roadside after cresting a mountain pass on my bike 14,000 feet elevation as an example of available goods.
Shopping Tips in Peru
The Spanish word for souvenir is recuerdo translating to reminder. The night of drinking Peruvian Pisco Sours may create some special memories, possibly ones best forgotten. Not my personal experience of course.
As delicious as those Pisco Sours are, visitors may want to return home with a more lasting Peru souvenir.
From Peruvian folk art to pottery, alpaca clothing to baskets, leather to candles, woodwork to silver the choices seem endless. Definitely no shortage of what to buy in Peru.
Should I bargain for my Peru souvenirs?
In markets, on the street or floating reed island some type of bargaining is accepted and usually expected. In higher end stores this is not the case. Be good natured in your negotiation. Know that the prices in Peru are some of the best in Latin America.
Prepare to pay in cash. Many guidebooks advise that US cash is acceptable but that was not our experience in Cusco and southern Peru. We recommend small denomination Peruvian soles. Merchants are reluctant to give change so our advice is to have the exact change for the agreed to price.
Can I use a credit card to shop in Peru?
Peru retail shops in cities commonly accept VISA and MasterCard and on occasion American Express. However, there may be surcharges for the use of a credit card up to 12%. Be sure to ask about extra charges prior to purchasing Peruvian gifts. Of special note, many goods also contain an 18% value added tax.
Credit cards are typically not accepted in markets or smaller stores.
How do I know if my Peru souvenirs are authentic?
With look alike stalls side by side all advertising their look alike goods as hand made where is one to begin?
Llama wool masquerading as alpaca in the form of hats, sweaters and blankets will smell when wet. Most merchants will not be keen to have you walk in the rain to test it out.
Shopping in higher end stores in larger centers you are more likely to get 100% alpaca rather than a mix.
Baby alpaca is incredibly soft, light weight and definitely more expensive. If your Peru travel schedule allows, visit a high end store early in your trip. Feel a genuine alpaca garment so you will be a smarter shopper in the markets. If a deal for real alpaca seems too good to be true it likely is.
Are their souvenirs in Peru that are illegal to bring home?
In some markets Andean condor feathers are on sale. Both illegal to sell and purchase this is one souvenir from Peru you do not want in your possession at customs.
Should a merchant try to sell 1000 year old artifacts this would be another another purchase to avoid at all costs.
Peru shopping for social good
In the village of Chinchero, a group of 30 weavers and their children ensure the 2000 year old traditional textile weaving thrives. The Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco is a non profit organization providing support to ten weaving communities on a fair trade basis.
Using natural dyes to prepare the fibers for weaving
Chinchero is one of ten communities weaving ancient patterns and utilizing natural dyes and fibers. In buying the women’s work you get an authentic souvenir from Peru assist indigenous families in generating a sustainable income and preserve textile traditions of the area.
Do you have a favorite souvenir you like to bring home from your travels?
Do you love shopping? For our tips on shopping in Mexico click here.
Great tips! One is never quite sure about the shopping protocol in other countries. My friend brought me a couple of very nice items when she was in Peru.
Thanks Darlene. I will say it was a learning experience. The scarf I bout at high elevation while on my bike was not the greatest purchase of the trip that’s for sure. Glad to hear you received some lovely gifts.
Hey, I recognize those people in the picture!! How the heck are you? I am hoping to head to Peru in Dec and just saw your site. Thanks for the tips.
What a fabulous surprise to find you here Michelle. I hope your December trip goes as planned.
We are doing well, exploring close to home after not being on a plane in over a year. A big change to be sure.
How are things with you? Our email is traveltalesoflife@gmail.com if you want to be in touch.
Although I am no longer an official ‘shopaholic’, I would find it difficult to pass up one of those colorful handmade items. I love the Peruvian fashion and all that color.
Since I don’t have room for knick-knacks, I’ve turned into a T-shirt collector.
T-shirts sound like a great space saving souvenir Ingrid. I came back with some scarves and a hat which I shovel snow in. Makes me smile every time I wear it.
All great tips Sue! I am always drawn to pottery, think I have a little piece from most places I have been. Scarves are also a draw for me, easy to pack to bring back!
Lynn perhaps the scarves make good packing material for the pottery in your luggage! Since we often travel with carry on only scarves have been a frequent purchase for me. One that always makes me smile is a scarf that I bargained for at the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, in Turkish! I still smile at how surprised the merchant was that I could speak the language, albeit poorly.
I have done that for sure Sue. I must admit I am terrible at the whole bartering thing, whether I speak the language or not!
It’s definitely not my forte Lynn. Prior to our trip in Turkey I had decided it would be part of the cultural experience. This is pent quite a few months especially working on learning how to say numbers. It was a bit more fun when taken on as a learning challenge. 🙂
These souvenirs are not to be found elsewhere. I’d love to get a couple piece of their handcrafts. 🙂
Great travel information. Thank you Sue!
Amy I can’t remember if you have been to Peru? If not perhaps a great excuse for a trip to pick up some souvenirs. 🙂
I haven’t, maybe in the near future. 🙂
I hope a trip to Peru happens for you Amy.
I hope so too 🙂
🙂
Such a fun post. We absolutely loved the month we spent in Peru and came back with mostly textiles woven in beautiful fire tones from the market place in Chinchero. What we loved was the high quality of artisanal products and the friendliness of the people.
Your photos of the natural dyes and the yarn are simply gorgeous!
Great that you included an NGO as it is always great to be able to support local communities through ones purchases.
Peta
Peta how fabulous that you have been to Chinchero as well. I can imagine that the textiles would work so well in your home. I am imagining your positive energy in the market and the friendly people responding to you.
Our local cycling guide was from the Chinchero area. His Grandmother and wife both were part of the NGO. How wonderful to have the opportunity to meet with them and to see the process of the natural dye. Thanks so much for the kind feedback which I very much appreciate.
I admit that all those wonderful colours would be a huge lure for me. More often than not though, I end up not buying anything because I can’t decide … there’s too much choice!
I am definitely not a haggler though. Whether they are expecting it or not doesn’t matter … I’m not comfortable doing it. If I want something and the price is within a reasonable range to me, I’ll accept it.
The impulse purchases though – like the scarf purchased on the top of a hill climbed by bike – are the most dangerous 😉
Joanne I wonder if it is the Canadian in us that feels uncomfortable wit the bargaining. It’s not something that comes naturally to me that’s for sure. I usually give in very quickly. In Turkey at the Grand Bazaar that merchant actually encouraged me to keep bartering!
Yes so many choices as you can see by the photos. I agree hard to know where to even begin. A lot of our purchases were made at the non profit cooperative we knew where the product had come from and the good work that was being done there.
As to the purchase from the bike between the exercise and high altitude I just wasn’t thinking straight.
I don’t buy souvenirs anymore. I always get home and wonder why on earth I bought them!
Other than the postcards right Andrew? As I recall you scan them when you get home? Dave and I usually buy a piece of clothing but we do often bring back gifts for the kids and now grandkids.
I forgot about the postcards, I am on my second shoe box now!
Well that isn’t too much of a space issue I bet. 🙂
Depends what size shoes you take!
Ha! Well fair enough. Hoping you don’t have size 15 feet. 🙂
Colorful wares. I love them all but do not like shopping. I don’t need anything anymore. Where will I put it? Trying to downsize. Fun looking though. 🙂 <3
Tess I hear you about not increasing once’s possessions. We often buy something to wear. In Peru we each came home with a toque for snow shoveling. Made me smile a great deal last winter. We do look for gifts as well. Hard to resist all those colours for sure.
I always love the Value Added Tax. Question, how does paying an extra 18% (holy hemorrhoids, Batman! 18%?!) add value to an item?
I am rolling in laughter…’holy hemmorhoids Batman’. Well that’s not a line you hear every day. Yes a bit shocking isn’t it? Having said that items are still very reasonable in Peru compared to other South American countries not to mention North America. I just wanted to be sure to get the point across that when purchasing you need to ask about tax rather than be surprised at the final bill.
Great tips, Sue. When we were in the village, some of the local women brought their wares to sell on our last day. To the obvious disdain of our guide, I eagerly purchased one of those ponchos the boys wear. It was clearly synthetically dyed and mass produced and there were better, natural dyed and handwoven products on offer (he gushed over another traveller’s purchase of just such an item). What I wasn’t able to explain to him was that this was the souvenir I wanted because I had three young boys at home and so purchasing something that young Peruvian boys wear was going to be a significant memory trigger for me. I don’t regret it. So another tip from me would be to buy whatever you want to remind you of the trip whether it’s valuable or tacky. It’s the memory attached that’s important. Like the reminder of conquering a tricky hill on a bike. 😉
Heather this is such a great perspective. It’s not always about the quality of a product but the memory attached to it. Very good point. It’s having the knowledge to know what you are actually buying. I always appreciated when vendors and merchants said ‘No alpaca’ rather than the ones who said ‘Yes, yes, alpaca” when you knew it wasn’t.
I’m curious (if you know, Sue) whether the llamas and alpacas are butchered and eaten down there (and they use their fur); if it’s like sheep, then they might be. More a curiosity for me than anything, but I love these markets. If I ever get to South America, Peru is definitely on the so-called bucket list—and now I know so much more (such as having soles, not dollars, and the wool smell-test) about it. My thanks to you and Dave, as always!
Leigh yes alpacas are sheared once a year very much like sheep. They look so tall and skinny without their lovely coat. I do hope you get to Peru to see all of the wonders it has to offer. I will say we did struggle with the altitude so prior to a trip you would definitely want to see a travel clinic to have medications on hand to deal with the issues should they arise.
You caught me with “after cresting a mountain pass on my bike 14,000 feet elevation.” Just had to throw that in, huh, Sue. I am amazed you had the breath to bargain. 🙂 –Curt
Definitely one of my big achievements of that cycling trip. It did strike me as odd that in the middle of absolute nowhere Peru there would be a staff selling souvenirs. Truth be told lots of people stopped for the view and some of us stopped as it felt a lung might be leaving our bodies. I did not bargain well that is for certain.
“I did not bargain well that is for certain.” And maybe that was the reason for the souvenir stop in the middle of nowhere. 🙂 If you have traveled through the Southwestern US, Sue, you have probably noticed that many of the scenic sites in the middle of nowhere, often have Native Americans pushing souvenirs! Catch the tourists where they stop. 🙂 As they say in real estate, it’s all about location, location and location! –Curt
Well that’s true isn’t it Curt! Of course in this case the cyclists are stopping to pick up assorted body parts like lungs. 🙂
Probably get a better price for body parts than alpaca scarves. 🙂 –Curt
Could well be Curt. 🙂
Peru is fabulous for beautiful crafts! And this is a great guide. Of course we don’t buy souvenirs, but I well remember the amazing Chinchero market. We had a memorable day at Chinchero. There was a special festival on as well as the market. In Ollantaitambo we bought a couple of batik pieces as a gift. We were sitting outside a cafe and the artist came up to us to show his work. It was very beautiful and I loved the unexpected melding of cultures – batik with Inca art.
Alison
Alsion what a lovely memory of your time in Peru. That does seem like an interesting combination of art forms and not usually found in Peru in my experience. Most of the things we took home were gifts but Dave and I sport hats that we purchased from the cooperative. Should you see us shoveling snow in the winter our Peru hats are keeping our noggins toasty.
I used to love and hate souvenir shopping when I was backpacking. I would postpone the shopping until the last day and then take my time, picking and choosing and bargaining. It was fun and it was an art. Most of the souvenirs were gifts, but I liked to collect wooden statues and masks for myself. Now, all those great souvenirs are packed in boxes at my parents’ place. Since we don’t have a house, souvenir shopping has been reduced to one item – a useful one – in every country we visit. To me, the only reason to settle one day, is to decorate my home with all my souvenirs. 🙂 Great post, Sue and very informative.
Thanks so very much Liesbet for the kind feedback. We often travel with carry on only so we too will be seen shopping in the final days. We have one souvenirs from most countries we have been to somewhere in our home. We are quite minimalist so over time there has been purging of other items to give these international visitors a place to call home. When the day comes that you unpack it will be like opening presents and reliving wonderful trips.
My best Peruvian souvenir was some lovely silver earrings. I like to buy jewellery because it’s small and doesn’t take up much room in the packing! Art is my other favourite type of souvenir…but I have to stop because there’s only so much wall space in my apartment. Sadly I’ve lost one of those earrings….
Earrings are such a convenient souvenir. Unfortunately their strength in being small and easy to pack is their weakness in being small and easy to lose. I chuckled at the diminishing wall space. Perhaps you will need to upsize to accommodate the souvenir shopping. 🙂
so cool 🙂
Thank you Joshi!
Wow, the markets look lovely with all that bright colour! The magpie in me is instantly attracted, but the Canadian part of me that hates haggling would probably just keep walking. I like your idea of buying a souvenir toque, though! I don’t buy souvenirs anymore unless they’re clothing I can wear or art I can hang on a wall… and even my “art” space is getting limited.
The magpie comment made me laugh out loud. Yes lots of colour to grab attention Diane. For me it is always how to get things home and weight in luggage. I think on this trip we almost came home with toques and scarves to equal the weight of an alpaca!
Such an informative post and your photos are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing this lovely tour, and warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. 🙂
Thanks so very much for your kind words Linda. Lovely to hear from you in Montreal. We visited last fall for a weekend (a cousin’s wedding) and had a marvelous time.
Enjoyable post, Sue, and I loved your photos. I’m planning a trip to South America next year, so it’s interesting to read that US Dollars aren’t welcome everywhere. I always travel with a few dollars in cash because they’re usually acceptable the world over!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Susan I was surprised as well by the preference for Peruvian soles. Thanks kindly for the generous feedback on the post and photos. With all of that color about one’s camera practically leaps open itself to take images.
I just loved all the colours in Peru, it is one of the things I remember the best from my travels. As we were backpacking and had to carry everything we purchased we had to limit what we could buy – it not I would probably fill up my luggage pretty fast:)
Yes the issue of space really settles down the purchasing. We usually travel with carry on but on this trip( cycling/hiking) we had so much gear it required checked luggage. Thus a bit more shopping!
Such vibrant colours, Sue. Make one’s brain cells go ‘ping’ and ‘double ping’. If were in Peru I would definitely get very over-excited.
Tish I am smiling away at the ‘pinging’. Yes so much vibrant color in Peru. It all felt very beige to come home to Canada. 🙂
Nothing more lowering, I think, than feeling beige 🙂
always a bit of a let down post holiday. That’s why I am a firm believer in having another one planned before returning home. Don’t get me wrong we love where we live. It just doesn’t have the color and history of many countries.
I never know what I’m going to find out from your posts, Sue. I now know that llama wool is smelly in the rain but alpaca wool isn’t. I guess the same might be true of the animals themselves. The next time I see an unknown camelid on my way to work, I’ll surreptitiously sneak up behind it and give it a good sniff.
Bun I am laughing out loud. The vision of you creeping around sniffing morning commuters has me howling. Do report back and always happy to give you some new ideas to make the trip to work go by faster.
Thank you very much, Sue. 🙂
🙂
Thank you so much for your info Sue, beautiful photos and lovely colourful yarn 🙂 🙂 Fantastic!
So glad you enjoyed it Della Anna. Thank you!
Lovely, I for one would certainly enjoy PERUsing those souvenirs 🙂 I would find it so hard to choose. I might buy something like a nice warm and colourful hat I think.
Very clever Vanessa. That made me grin. Dave and I both came home with hats which we use when shoveling snow of f the sidewalks. At the time we knew wearing them would make us smile and think of beautiful Peru. A distraction during the mind numbing cold.
Such a helpful guide for anyone looking to go to Peru!
I appreciate your feedback Christy. Thank you!
I rarely buy souvenirs when I travel but I always enjoy a visit to local souvenir shops for their display of unique and colorful handicrafts with beautiful patterns. This post is really useful for those who want to buy souvenirs but feel a little unsure of what’s ethical to buy.
Thanks for sharing Bama. I do find the colors and patterns seem to act like a magnet toward my camera. We usually buy one or two things for ourselves but typically gifts for family and friends.
I still have Peruvian souvenirs. My favourite is a big rug that’s now in the back of my car in case of emergency. Even though it’s been used and used it look brand new. Great tips. I do like to bring back a reminder of a holiday.
Now that sounds like a very useful and durable souvenir!Did you have it shipped back or was it something you could actually bring home yourself. We had rugs shipped from Turkey. I was a bit doubtful that we would ever see them but they beat us back to Canada!
I chuckled when you said that the shopkeeper wouldn’t be keen on you walking out in the rain to test out the wool garment 😀 Sometimes you really just have to go with your gut feeling as to whether the product is genuine or not. I like shopping, but only when I need something. When I’m on the road, shopping is usually the last thing on my mind. I would much rather take in my surrounds and create memories right there and then, and also with my camera 🙂 Hope you had enough cash on you to buy your souvenirs in Peru 🙂
Mabel that is often a discussion point in that if we are taking photos are we enjoying the experience less. In some ways it has made me more attentive to watching for beauty and interesting moments than I was before. So in some cases I think I enjoy the travels more with a camera. Still there are times when i just breathe in the joy of the experience.
I’m not a big shopper, but I did love the presentation and shopping options in Chinchero – such a lovely little place!
One of my very spots to Lex. Our guide was from Chinchero and we met his wife and grandmother. What a delight the whole day was.
I am definitely not savvy when it comes to negotiating prices nor determining whether something is authentic or not. I typically end up not getting any souvenirs.
LuAnn I can appreciate that feeling of not knowing where to start for sure. It’s why i really loved the cooperative where you knew the products were made there and the money going ot further their lives and traditions.
I like that approach.
🙂
Great shopping tips and now I have to ask myself, why our daughter never brought any souvenirs home from either of her filming trips to Peru!! Gonna have to talk to her about that!!
She may have been overwhelmed with the selection! It’s one of the reasons we purchased most of what we bought at the cooperative in Chinchero. Knowing it had been made there and supporting the cause went a long way to increase my shopping interest.
Agreed….great post!
Thanks Kirt. Much appreciated!
Those floating reed islands are incredible. I always marvel at the bright colours of the fabrics in Peru. They contrast so much with the countryside.
The colours are astounding I agree. Even in the most remote of locations.
I don’t know about the souvenirs, but the scenes and photos are really authentic and candid. Fabulous gallery and some very useful advice.
Thanks so much Paula. We are just back from being off the grid kayaking in Mexico. Hoping all is well with you.
Oh, I haven’t realised. I had to be absent cause of work. Glad to hear you are fine. Will be visiting soon.
No rush at all Paula. You take care of yourself and no pressure ever from me. Sending hugs.
Great tips. Since we will be living in our motor home(where space is a commodity), I’ve stopped buying souvenirs for the most part, unless it is something functional. Glad the textile history is being honored.
Our souvenir buying is often more as gifts for family and friends I will admit. We did bring home two hats which we wear snow shoveling. It seems appropriate to dream of exotic lands while getting rid of a snowbank. 🙂
Hi Sue,
Good tips! I did a wee bit of shopping in Cusco when I swung through 3 years ago. I recall seeing traditional markets set up along the road, especially on the outskirts of town where I stayed, WELL AWAY from the Plaza de Armas. The short, squat women wearing colorful fare, with babies strapped to their backs, as they sold all manner of good from helado to hell, anything LOL. Did some bartering but my Western lack of patience results in a smile and darn good price for the locals. I’ll drop soles to avoid long haggling 😉 Thanks for sharing!
Ryan
Like you Ryan I’m not too good at haggling unless i am really psyched up for it. For our trip to Turkey I learned about 200 words of Turkish including numbers so I had some fun in the Grand Bazaar. You can imagine the shocked looks when I launched into my bartering in the the local language. 🙂
Sue you are living my dreams. You seem to visit many places that I have always wanted to go to. Peru is high on my list and I would have been in my element with all that beautiful craft and colour. Thanks for the tips.
Kath hopefully one day you can follow in our footsteps. We didn’t really get traveling until the kids were in late teens. Happy to share these tips!
I lived overseas for two years in London and managed to see many wonderful places but life slows down with children Sue. I feel blessed that I know what it is like to wake up on the other side of the globe far from home and watch how people live.
Yes I totally understand what you are saying about life slowing down with kids. Wonderful that your time living overseas brought so many experiences.
I quite like bargaining, I like the experience. I like to laugh with the seller and try to make the best offer and joke a bit about it. But sometimes, I also feel a bit guilty because for us, it’s not a lot of money but for them, it’s very important.
It’s wonderful that you have that comfort level with the bartering. Yes sometimes I think I just can’t bear to negotiate over a matter of cents for me.