71 Best Places to Shop in Peru

There are three locations for this well-known supplier of outdoor wear. In the center, there is one right on the Plaza de Armas and another at Plazoleta Espinar 188; the third store is in the Real Plaza, Cusco's mall. It's best to buy directly from the company, as there have been problems with inferior knockoffs of North Face products being sold in Peru.

Forget to pack your winter jacket for the Inca Trail? No problem: check out RKF, where you'll find a variety of quality (mostly imported) outdoor goods from the top brands like Mountain Hard Wear and Columbia.

This sustainable-clothing brand stocks beautiful goods in its designer store. Look for trendy baby-alpaca wear, from ponchos to beanies, gloves, and sweaters.

The Santa Ana neighborhood is dotted with some of Peru's finest workshops. These local artists and their galleries are clustered around the Plazoleta Santa Ana, situated roughly 1 km (¾ mile) from the Plaza de Armas, and most are happy to share their knowledge and even their life stories with visitors. In particular, look for complex tejidos (textiles), which have elaborate, and often pre-Hispanic, motifs that can take more than half a year to design and weave. Many artists painstakingly research their designs, pulling abstract elements from Huari ceremonial ponchos. These creations, made of natural fibers and dyes, can cost US$400 or more for high-quality work. Equally impressive are the beautiful alabaster (huamanga) carvings available at some shops, which are strongly linked to the city's identity. 

Offering fine garments made from alpaca and vicuña fibers, this store is part of the Michell Group, which has more than 75 years of know-how in processing alpaca and is the leading alpaca producer and exporter in the world. There are also stores on Calle Espaderos, Portal de Mantas, Santa Catalina Ancha, and in the Plaza Nazarenas.

The Michell Group's Sol Alpaca has gone haute couture, constructing fine-quality knits and helping Peru make its mark on the international fashion scene.

Located in a new retail complex called Mundo Alpaca Lima that doubles as an informative camelid-themed museum, this popular shop offers a colorful mix of alpaca clothing with lovely designs. The selection includes sweaters, shawls, coats, hats, and scarves. The chain also has branches in Larcomar mall, in the Casa Andina hotel in Avenida La Paz, and in the Amano Museum.

Although the shop sells camping equipment, it's also the first place to check if you get to town and want to rent something for your trek. They also do repairs.

Huancayo's biggest shopping venue is the Sunday mercado, which monopolizes one of the main thoroughfares and its side streets for about a kilometer. It's one of the largest weekly markets in the country, yet it sees few tourists. This is a great spot to hunt for mates burilados, blankets, straw baskets, and retablos (miniature scenes framed in painted wooden boxes).

This well-stocked outdoors and sports store in Arequipa carries new and secondhand equipment to stock up for your next hike.