Four questions before paying
1. Per person, per group or per vehicle? A transfer at S/ 220 for four people comes to S/ 55 per person if all four seats are used, and to S/ 110 each if there are two of you. A dormitory bed is paid per person, a double room per room.
2. What is included until you get back? Entry fees, meals, guide, equipment, pick-up, drop-off point. “Transport included” does not mean “all-inclusive”: at the Ballestas Islands, for example, the reserve’s entry fee comes on top of the price of the boat.
3. Is it the same product? A glass or a litre, an individual portion or a dish to share, a whole chicken or a quarter chicken with chips: a price difference often starts with a difference in what was ordered. Each price below states its unit.
4. What is the total, in the currency I am going to pay in? Have the amount confirmed before booking. The equivalents in francs, euros and dollars are there to help you read; the seller and your bank will apply their own rate.
Comparing two excursions
A shared excursion, private transport and an outing with a French-speaking guide are not the same product. To compare two offers for Vinicunca, the Mountain of 7 Colours, for example, write down side by side: number of travellers, departure time, vehicle, guide and language, entry fees, meals, any rental (poles, horse) and cancellation conditions. A high price deserves an explanation, not necessarily suspicion; a very low price deserves knowing the total. The page What to book before you go? offers a line-by-line comparison grid.
At the market and in small restaurants
The prices at a neighbourhood market, for a lunchtime menú in a comedor or for a breakfast at the counter are often lower than those on the restaurant menus above, and vary from one neighbourhood to another. See Lima’s markets and grocery shopping in Lima.
Three phrases to keep on your phone
- ¿Cuánto cuesta en total, con todo incluido? What is the total price, all included?
- ¿Es por persona o por todo el grupo? Is it per person or for the whole group?
- ¿Hay algún pago adicional? Is there any extra payment?
To decline without offending, a simple “Gracias, voy a pensarlo” (thank you, I’ll think about it) is enough. Understanding prices lets you travel with peace of mind, without turning every purchase into a negotiation.
Where these prices come from
They are official rates (metro, public museums, protected areas) or prices published by the establishments themselves (menus, websites, ticket offices), recorded on the date shown on each line. For a place that does not publish its menu, the price comes from the press, with the date of the article. They give a fair order of magnitude for these places, not an average for the country.
Did you pay a different price on the spot, or would you like an opinion on a quote? Send us the amount, the city, the date and what was included: write to us.
Sources and dates
10 sources
Prices, opening hours and rules change: every piece of information cited links to its source, with the date it was consulted.
Sources consulted
- Line 1, fares (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- ATU, 2026 publication restating the Metropolitano general fare (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- Plaza Vea and Metro, online sales catalogues (grocery basket) (new tab) (consulted on 2 October 2026)
- Chulucanas Lima, menu (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- Isolina, online menu (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- Museo Larco, planning your visit (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- MALI, visits (new tab) (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- Travel Inkas Route, indicative prices (new tab) : prices published by the transport company, with no commercial link to SwissLima. (consulted on 26 September 2026)
- BCRP, tipo de cambio SBS (series PD04640PD) (new tab) : rate of 30 September 2026 used for the dollar equivalents. (consulted on 2 October 2026)
- European Central Bank, euro reference exchange rates (new tab) : rate of 30 September 2026 (dollar and Swiss franc per euro), crossed with the BCRP rate. (consulted on 2 October 2026)
How we choose and date our information: our method. Has something changed? Let us know.