71 Best Places to Shop in Peru

If you're looking for something truly unique, you must make your way here. Part museum, mostly a store, this has been a labor of love for many years as Rosie Barnes and Walter Rodriguez Mamani painstakingly made their way through the legal mire of renovating a colonial manse. The result is simply gorgeous, not least owing to the plethora of one-of-a-kind items that you simply won't find elsewhere, due to locals from all over Peru and Bolivia bringing their heirlooms to sell over the years before the store finally opened.

If you think Ayacucho's retablos are incredible, just wait till you see the precision that goes into their making. Maestro Silvestre Ataucusi Flores invites you into his workshop, after which you can do a little mask painting yourself or browse among his stunning depictions of Carnavals, musical instruments, and bullfights. A 15-minute taxi ride from the Plaza de Armas gets you here. Call first or send a WhatsApp message to confirm the maestro is available.

Housed in a restored mansion on Barranco's stately Avenida Sáenz Peña, this Aladdin's cave–like tienda specializes in contemporary work, as opposed to the traditional handicrafts sold by most shops. It's packed with the colorful creations of dozens of independent artists and artisans, including an impressive selection of jewelry. The little café in the back garden is a pleasant spot to take a breather while traipsing around Barranco. There's another branch in Larcomar mall in Miraflores.

Religious art, including elaborately costumed statues of the Virgin Mary, is sold at the shop at the Galería Mendívil. The popular Museo Hilario Mendívil is located across the plaza.

In San Blas, the Galería Mérida sells the much-imitated ceramics of Edilberto Mérida. His characters are so expressive you can practically hear them as you browse through the gallery, which doubles as a museum where you can learn more about this award-winning Peruvian artist and his work.

This is Cusco's finest silver store, with an ample selection of replicas of colonial-era pieces, as well as some really creative and elegant originals. The internationally recognized shop is based in Lima, though there are multiple locations in Cusco, including ones in the Monasterio, Casa Andina Private Collection, and JW Marriott hotels.

Long-established and übermodern KUNA has alpaca garments and is one of the only authorized distributors of high-quality vicuña scarves and sweaters. It's run by Peruvian design company Alpaca 111, which has eight other shops in Cusco, including at the Plaza Regocijo, the Monasterio hotel, the Marriott hotel, the Palacio del Inca hotel, and the airport.

The Cusco shop of famed ceramics maker Pablo Seminario is now housed in the MAP museum building. Known around the world, it is an ideal place to get a locally made gift that is truly special. Prices are lower at the source, in the Sacred Valley town of Urubamba.

Ceramics, hand-painted or embroidered fabrics, and other handicrafts of Peru's Amazonian tribes decorate the windows of this small shop two blocks east of Parque Kennedy. It also has some Andean statues and retablos.

One of several shops in Miraflores specializing in alpaca clothing, All Alpaca sells sophisticated sweaters, ponchos, coats, and more.

With several stores in Cusco, Alpaca's Best sells quality knits but also has a good selection of jewelry.

Set next to Las Gringas and the Chaqchao Chocolates factory, the boutique of collector Alvaro Valdivia is filled with orderly stacks that are a mix of old goods and new, including vintage photo replicas, brass antiques, locks, old cameras, coins, Peruvian rugs, and Pucará bulls. It can ship anywhere within about a week via DHL.

This reasonably priced crafts shop has many original pieces including tapestries, ceramics, and alpaca clothing.

This reputable antiques dealer stocks all manner of furniture, glass, and ceramic items. The store is frequently open during weekday business hours, but it's a good idea to contact the owners beforehand via WhatsApp to schedule a visit.

If you're looking for modern twists on folkloric crafts, check out Arte y Canela, which sells a variety of high-end silver jewelry and household goods, all with a regional artistic flair.

On a quiet street one block east of busy Avenida Grau, this shop is in the home of Mari Solari, who has been selling handcrafted goods and folk art for decades. She works with some of the best artisans in the Andes and Amazon basin. Ring the doorbell and someone will let you in.

One of the best shops in town, this atmospheric place filled with stone statues carries an array of high-quality handmade leather goods, woolen ponchos, and traditional handicrafts from the valley and elsewhere in Peru. It's open by appointment only.

You'll find top-quality, locally made goods near the Plaza de la Constitución at Casa del Artesano, where independent artists sit in their tiny shops plying their trades.

The tiny pueblo of Catacaos, 11 km (7 miles) southwest of Piura, is famous for being northern Peru's premier market for textiles, pottery, and silver and gold figurines and jewelry. Among the treasures available there are cerámicas de Chulucanas, folksy (and often humorous) clay vessels in the shape of well-fed criollo singers, chicha-bearing women, guitar players, female dancers, and more. The ceramics are made in a small village east of Piura and have been declared part of the national cultural heritage by the Peruvian government.

The market around Catacaos's Plaza de Armas, filled with street stalls and shops, is open daily until 6. Look around as much as you like, but to get the best price, only closely examine what you really want to buy. When it's time for a breather, the town has several good picanterías serving northern cuisine. To get to Catacaos, take the Pan-American Highway; a taxi costs about S/30 round-trip.

Sweaters, ponchos, scarves, and wall hangings are sold at fair-trade prices at this nonprofit organization dedicated to the survival of traditional weaving. Weavers from local villages work in the shop, and the on-site museum has informative exhibits about weaving techniques and the customs behind traditional costume. There are additional branches in MAP and Museo Inka.

The municipal government operates the Centro Artesanal Cusco, containing 340 stands of artisan vendors. This is often your best bet for buying those souvenirs that you've seen everywhere but not gotten around to purchasing. Prices are typically negotiable (and often cheaper than you will find in Pisac), and the more you buy at one stall, the better discount you are likely to get.

This collection of handicraft stalls on a wooden platform perched over a seasonal swamp is worth wandering through even if you don't want to buy anything. It's down the stairs from the Malecón Maldonado, at the end of Jirón Napo.

Educate your passion for chocolate at this store and workshop, where you learn how it gets from bean to bar by making tasty treats from fair-trade, Peruvian-sourced cacao. If you don't have time for the workshop (classes cost US$30), you can shop the store for delicious souvenirs.

This sprawling craft complex on the road out to the airport often has better prices and variety than shops in town. Look for intricate woodcarvings, tree bark paintings, and textiles woven from vegetable fibers. There's also a small amphitheater used for occasional live performances.

Brooding saints dominate the walls of this small shop, which also carries some interesting ceramic and silver figures. Hours are sporadic, but the owners live nearby and are happy to schedule appointments if you message them on WhatsApp.

Located in a tiny alleyway known as Pasaje El Suche in a colonial-style retail complex, El Nazareno has an eclectic selection of antique statues and religious art, as well as handicrafts such as woven rugs.

If you'd rather knit your own sweater than buy one, there are many places where you can buy yarn. Take a walk over toward the San Pedro market, where you will find a number of yarn stores, such as this one, where you can buy packets of the famous baby alpaca yarn.