If you’re packing for a trip to Peru, make sure to save room for Peruvian souvenirs from your travels. Throughout your journey through the Andean country, you will find various colorful markets. These are full of beautiful handicrafts made in colors and patterns that catch the eye.
Therefore, with Machu Travel Peru‘s help, we want to share the top souvenirs from Andean countries. So that on your next Peru vacation, you can return with some classic reminders of our beautiful country.
The greatest souvenirs from Peru to take home with you
- Where to buy
- Money accepted
- Always negotiate
- Alpaca clothing
- Keepsake textiles
- Peruvian dolls
- Chullos
- Memorial backpacks
- Paintings
- Ekeko and Handmade art
- Retablos Altar of Ayacucho
- Toritos de Pucara (Pucara bulls)
- Musical instruments
- Pisco
- Mates burilados
- The Chacana and the Peruvian Jewelry
- Coffee and Chocolate
- Pink Salt of Maras
- Coca candies
Where to buy
The handicraft market centers and the specialized stores are the best places to buy souvenirs. The first ones are in almost all cities in Peru, very close to their downtown areas. The second one used to be close to each other in the same plaza, street, or even alley.
Be wary of stores outside of handicraft market centers and away from downtown areas. In addition, don’t buy in those stores that are solitary and surrounded by businesses that do not belong to their field.
In Cusco, the most touristic Peruvian city, we can mention the Pisac Handicraft Market. Many visitors cataloged this as the best Handicraft Market in Peru to get the best souvenirs.
Money accepted
The cash is the most secure form to pay in Peru. Sadly, the Andean country lacks advanced technology for payments using credit card swipe Point Of Sale (POS) machines. This is due to poor internet connectivity throughout Peru.
Not to mention that the handicraft vendors have very little training in the use of technological equipment. That is why they prefer to charge in cash.
If you’re deciding between paying in US Dollars or Soles in Peru, we suggest using Soles, the local currency. But don’t worry; there are ATM machines close to tourist areas, handicraft markets, and hotels where you can get cash. The money exchange counters are also on the main streets of cities. There, you’ll be able to exchange your foreign money for Soles.
Do it before a shopping day in the wonderful Peru!
Always negotiate
We recommend bargaining the price of a handicraft before buying it. Don’t be embarrassed to do so, as bargaining is part of Peruvian culture. When you negotiate the price of a handicraft, you don’t disrespect the seller. Don’t forget that.
Peruvians may charge you more for a handicraft if they know you are a foreigner. This is because of your skin color or your language.
Thus, learn Spanish and its most popular words. “Disculpe,” excuse me, “Please,” por favor, “Una rebajita,” can you give me a price reduction? and much more.
Of course, you can practice the bargain in handicraft market centers. However, you’ll not be able to negotiate prices in specialized stores. Because this usually has established prices and is invariable. This is an exception; you can ask for a small rebate as long as you carry several handicrafts from these specialized stores.
Alpaca clothing
Alpaca fabrics are one of the most fine and costly in the world. The Alpaca clothes are light, insulated, hypoallergenic, and, best of all, they don’t itch. Therefore, the major fashion houses have them as one of their finest and most exclusive fabrics!
Definitely, the Alpaca fabric is worth buying in Peru. Baby Alpaca is wool extracted from the first shearing of the Alpaca. This is the finest fabric extracted from this animal, and a product of this weave can cost thousands of dollars.
In Peru are many handicrafts and textiles made of Alpaca fabrics. And, many of them are machine-made and use synthetic fibers and dyes. These bad imitations are usually in the stands of handicraft markets.
So, how to distinguish an original fabric from an imitation? The only thing you can do is to buy an Alpaca fabric from a specialized store. They will give you the guarantee that your product is 100% original. The specialized stores work directly with Alpaca producers and breeders of Arequipa, Huanuco, and Ayacucho.
A. Buying tips
One of the best things to do in Peru is buy an Alpaca souvenir. So, Choose the specialized stores. Peru has two great specialized trademarks like Sol Alpaca and Kuna. These stores are in the main streets of almost touristics Peruvian cities.
These have exclusive Alpaca clothes with current Western fashion designs.
Their production process is not handmade, but they use 100% Alpaca fiber in all their products. Totally guaranteed. Of course, you will have to spend a little more than you should because they are expensive products.
Keepsake textiles
No trip to Peru is complete without a textile to take home with us. Peruvian textiles are beautiful works of art and important pieces within Peruvian history. The Ancient Peruvians have to come weaving for 6,000 years. In them, they represented commemorative events, pieces of their history, and their gods.
Therefore, it is not surprising that they have become one of the best souvenirs in Andean. There are many textile communities all over the country, so you’re sure to find a unique piece for yourself.
You can find pillowcases in bright colors, tapestries, hats, gloves, rugs, backpacks, pencil cases, and more. Llama and vicuña wool are the raw materials for these products. Of course, the products made from Alpaca wool are the finest and most expensive in this category.
A. Buying tips
Peru has two great Andean textile communities found in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in Cusco. We refer to Mosqoy Textils and the Awamaki Store in Ollantaytambo. The first store is online and located in Cusco. They sell handmade products from Andean women in the region.
This non-profit organization work with more than 200 weavers in 11 Cusco local communities. In thi form, they revaluing its rich cultural heritage in Inca weaving techniques.
Awamaqui works exclusively with women weavers from local Andean communities. In this way, this non-profit organization promotes their empowerment and financial independence. Awamaqui provides them a place to display their awesome handmade weavings using llama and alpaca fabric. The organization also offers half-day workshops to learn ancient Inca weaving techniques.
Peruvian dolls
These traditional dolls represent the most representative Peru animals. Of course, these handicrafts also reflect the Andean inhabitant, man, and woman. The Andean master craftsmen make alpacas, llamas, and vicunas with Lana wool and lots of love.
The beauty and grace of Peruvian women are captured in these Cholitas Dolls. Just in case, Cholita is the affectionate appellation that receives the women of the Andes in Peru. Therefore, dare to bring beauty and affection to your loved ones from Peru; bring them Peruvian Dolls!
A. Buying tips
You can find these Peruvian dolls in many handicrafts market centers. As we mention, the most famoust one is the Pisac handicraft market. Just only pay attention in the sewing and joining of the fabric doll.
These should be tightly woven together. Also, look at the ends, such as the edges of the eyes, mouth, and hands (if they are Cholita or Cholito dolls).
Chullos
The Chullo is a traditional Andean hat that has ear flaps that can be tied under the chin. Some had a small ball tied over their head. The Andean artisans made them using alpaca, llama, or vicuña wool and decorated them with colorful patterns.
It is impossible not to recognize these typical hats. These are perfect to buy in handicraft markets or in the traditional San Pedro Market (If you are in Cusco). If you ask us, we recommend buying this last option.
They are much more visible in places like Cusco, Arequipa, and Puno, where the climate is much colder. The ancient Incas even used them in the coldest mountain zones, and the current Peruvians use them.
A. Buying tips
The Pisac handicraft market is another great place to acquire them. Just make sure that the fabric is of good thickness and that it does not itch in contact with the skin. Alpaca wool chullos are the best!
Memorial backpacks
What could be better than being able to store all our recently purchased awesome souvenirs inside an Andean backpack? In the markets, you can find many backpacks made with traditional textiles, as well as other options for hiking and travel. Llama and Alpaca wools make this colorful Peruvian backpack, with andean and Inca iconography.
There are many sizes and styles. So go for one now!
A. Buying tips
If you want variety and low costs, you can find them in the Handicraft market centers. On the other hand, if you want exclusivity and really good designs no matter the cost, the specialized stores are your place. Kuna, Sol Alpaca, Awamaki, or Mosqoy can bring you the best quality Peruvian backpack.
Paintings
Visually, Peru is a country that offer views and landscapes so differents and uniques at same time. If seeing Coast, Sierra, and Amazon through a photo is a privilege, imagine these through a painting! Mountains, exotic forests, beautiful beaches, archaeological rests, Nazca Lines and much more!
Moreover, the Cusquenean School (Escuela Cusqueña) was an artistic style of painting originating in Cusco, unique in the world. Famous art painters around the world recognize it as the greatest art style in South America.
This style originated from the religious paintings that the conquered Incas made under the teachings of the Spaniards. The Europeans, by teaching them Catholic iconography, hoped to deter them from their pagan religion. However, the Andean people drew virgins, angels, and satyrs in the shape of mountains, hills, and Andean elements. Thus, the Escuela Cusqueña is a combination of Catholic and religious elements in one painting.
Leaving Peru without taking a traditional painting as a souvenir would be a big mistake.
A. Buying tips
San Blas, the traditional artisan neighborhood of Cusco, is a good place to buy Cusquenian paintings. Here live families of Cusquenian artisans who offer their paintings in the stores of their homes. The master artisans hand down their unique style of painting from generation to generation.
Paintings of the Mendivil family and the Aller family are the most recommended!
Ekeko and handmade art
Perhaps one of the best ways to remember the Andean country is through a Peruvian piece of art. If you’re going to Peru or doing Machu Picchu tours, make sure to check out the galleries and art exhibits. Art tours are an important part of Peruvian culture, and you can even end up taking a painting with you in the process.
And art proliferates in most tourist destinations. These have constant themes of Andean tradition and landscapes as the main focus of Peruvian handmade art.
Ekeko is the Andean contemporary god of wealth, prosperity, and good fortune. The Peruvian artists represent it through beautiful ceramic figures. Of course, these figures dress in typical clothes of an Andean inhabitant. Give it to someone you wish for success instead of purchasing it for yourself.
What a person aspires to gain or receive in return is what they offer little to the deity.
A. Buying tips
Artisan markets in the central highlands of Peru (Ayacucho, and Huancayo) and Lima sell the adorable Ekekos. For ceramic handicrafts in general, as we said before, Pisac in Cusco is a good place to buy them.
Retablos altar of Ayacucho
Ayacucho is a picturesque town located in the center of the Peruvian Andes. Its ancient artist always admired the religious portable altars, taken out in procession, of Spanish people in colonial times. So, they tried to make their own movable altars with Andean iconography. The result was a unique masterpiece, the Retablo.
This Peruvian keepsake is a beautifully painted wooden wardrobe with flowers and roses from the surrounding areas of Ayacucho. Inside, two plants make the closet. The first plant hosted wooden figures of Andean persons and animals in their daily lives. Otherwise, the second floor hosts religious figures.
The Ayacucho artisans use the hand-carve technique in the Retablo’s elaboration. Certainly, the Retablo is a colorful Peruvian art in different sizes, from the smallest to someone of human size.
A. Buying tips
You can buy them in all handicract markets entire Peru. If you’re in Lima, you can go to Ayacucho and purchase these amazing art pieces from the artisans. Ayacuhco is 5 hours east of Lima. The Retablos are in any Ayacucho handicraft market.
Toritos de Pucara (Pucara bulls)
If you travel around Peru, you will find Pucara. It is a little town in the north of Juliaca. This is the second most important city after Puno in the Peruvian Altiplano. The town is famous for being the cradle of Toritos de Pucara.
These traditional souvenirs, called Toritos, are popular in cities like Cusco, Puno, Ayacucho, and Arequipa. The people of these cities usually put them over their rooftop houses.
Even in the middle of them, there is a cross as proof of syncretism between Andean and Catholic elements. These crafts protect the house from bad spirits (According to the belief of the Peruvian people). On the other hand, many of them are sold in different colors and sizes to tourists and gifted (in pairs) to married couples as a symbol of luck, prosperity, money, and protection.
A. Buying tips
If you have the chance to buy them in any store or craft market in Pucará, do it! Generally, tourists visiting Puno take a trip to Pucara to buy the famous Toritos. Pucara is 2 hours north of Puno. But also, next to the Retablos and the Ekeko, craft markets all over Peru sell them!
Musical instruments
Peruvian music is beautiful to listen to, it is even recognized worldwide. It has great Spanish, Andean and African influences. If you love music, consider bringing a musical instrument as a souvenir from Peru. You will have a large repertoire of instruments to choose from, from handcrafted wooden flutes to a ten-string Charangon.
A. Buying tips
Musical instruments are one of the few souvenirs that are not at a glance in any handicraft center. You will have to look for stores that specialize in Andean musical instruments to buy them. A charango, quena, zampoña can be totally yours. Fortunately, these music stores are very close to the handicraft market.
Pisco
One of the most traditional cocktails in the Andean Country can be an excellent souvenir to buy in Peru. If you try a traditional Pisco Sour, you’ll likely become a fan of the Peruvian Pisco. The taste is unique and cannot be found anywhere else. So, bring back some Peruvian-flavored bottles for your friends and family to enjoy.
If you visit Machu Picchu, you should end your day with a good old-fashioned Pisco Sour. The Peruvian wine is another great example of the variety of alcoholic Peruvian drinks. Famous expert tasters around the world recognize its quality. Because the grape strains with which they produce the wine come from Ica vineyards.
Ica has extensions of grape cultivation on the south coast of Lima. Dare to taste this wine and know why it is the new most-sold Peruvian souvenir.
A. Buying tips
As you can see, the Ica vineyards are the best place to buy a good bottle of handmade Pisco. When you’re in Huacachina Oasis or flying over the Nazca Lines, don’t forget to visit the vineyards! Ica is just 4 hours south of Lima. However, the bars and restaurants in Peru sell high-quality Pisco bottles, too!
Mates burilados
“Mates burilados” is another name for traditional Peruvian art, which has a 3,500-year history. The carved gourds narrate tales of Andean people, animals, history, customs, and culture. The Mates Burilados would have served both utilitarian and ceremonial functions in the past.
The artisans of Peruvian Andes’ central and southern mountains produce the most “carved gourds” in Peru. However, the masters of the country’s northern shores also produce them. The hand-carved figures on their surface reflect from geometric patterns to detailed sceneries of agriculture and indigenous animals.
Use them as a decorative accent in your house, or hang them from the Christmas tree.
A. Buying tips
The handicraft centers of central and northern Peru exhibit them in most cases. This is because the wood used to make these handicrafts is found in the places mentioned above. If you are in the south of Peru, such as Cusco, Arequipa, or Puno, you will find very little variety.
The Chacana and the Peruvian jewelry
Chacana or the Inca’s cross was a very important symbol for the Incas people. The sign reached singular importance. For this reason, they carved its form throughout all Inca complexes. Among them, we can mention archaeological parks, and fortresses as a memorial of its religiosity and beliefs.
Chacana has a form of a cross, each side is a three-rung gradient and represents the three-level of the Inca universe.
- Uku Pacha, also known as the Underground World, is where the spirits and souls of deceased people reside.
- Kay Pacha (the middle world) is the world that the Incas and all live people inhabit.
- Hannan Pacha (The World of Haven) hosts the gods and mountain spirits that protect the Kay Pacha.
A. Buying tips
The Chacana cross you can find in the souvenirs stores are silver or gold jewels. The Peruvian jewelers have a large tradition of silver and gold souvenirs. It is because their ancestors worked, carved, and buffed these minerals since the Inca times.
When you purchase Peruvian jewelry, you are not just getting a souvenir. You also learn about history, tradition, and ancient jewelry-making techniques.
Coffee and chocolate
When shopping in Peru, remember that Peruvian coffee and chocolates are high quality and popular in other countries. After Mexico, Peru is the second-biggest exporter of fair trade coffee. Cooperatives provide a large portion of Peru’s organic coffee output.
The farmers are owns of small land parcels that are higher than 1,189 meters above sea level. This entails a great deal of commitment and a fortunate location.
In the same places where the farmers produce coffee, they produce chocolate. In this form, Peruvian chocolate is another great product that you can enjoy. This makes both excellent souvenirs to buy in Peru. You will find numerous markets where you can taste the different coffee beans or artisan chocolates.
Don’t miss the opportunity to bring the taste of Peru with you when returning home.
A. Buying tips
Both products are not found in handicraft markets. However, you can find them in specialized stores. In the case of coffee, we can mention COCLA or Misky in Cusco. In the case of chocolate, the Chocomuseo is the best place to buy good chocolate products.
Pink salt of maras
If you’re in Cusco, make sure to visit Maras, a town with salt mines in the Sacred Valley. It’s a must-see for all visitors. The beauty of Qaqawiñay mountain slopes, with its salt wells, means a great memory of your stay in Peru.
The Incas used the salt mines 4 centuries ago and still produce white minerals. Of course, the Maras people continue to extract salt from its wells and are the current owners. They sell the product as the most representative of souvenirs in the south of the country.
Pink salt, or Sal de Maras, is a brand -stamp of Maras. The experts recommend its use for sprinkling your popcorn or as a finishing touch to your grills or dishes. The pink salt is an inevitable souvenir on your way through Cusco.
A. Buying tips
You can buy them in the same town of Maras, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Generally, tourists on the Maras and Moray tour pass through this town and can buy the salt. On the other hand, you can find them in all Peruvian supermarkets.
Coca candies
As soon as you set foot in Cusco, you will notice goods made from coca leaves everywhere. A well-liked home treatment for altitude sickness is coca leaf. The Incas used it, and it is still in use by contemporary Peruvians.
People chew the common leaf to get energy. However, most guests won’t likely think to purchase coca leaves. Therefore, they prefer to enjoy coca candies, even though these are easy to bring home.
Be sure to verify the laws in your country before purchasing them as souvenirs. For instance, while it is permissible to import candy, it is unlawful to bring tea or coca plants into the United States.
A. Buying tips
These delicious candies can be found in traditional markets, such as the San Pedro market in Cusco. You can also find them in specialized handicraft stores.
“A PHOTOGRAPH IS A SOUVENIR OF A MEMORY. IT IS NOT A MOMENT. IT IS THE LOOKING AT THE PHOTOGRAPH THAT BECOMES THE MOMENT. YOUR OWN MOMENT”
We have identified the top souvenirs from Peru with the experts at Machu Travel Peru. So, you can discover them on your next trip to Peru. Remember, these are just a few examples that you can find, but there are many other amazing wonders and crafts to buy.
Peru has so much to offer, it can be hard to know where to start. With many years of experience in the tourism sector, Machu Travel Peru is happy to help with anything regarding your trip to Machu Picchu and any tours around it. Make your Machu Picchu experience an unforgettable one!
