Peruvian Paso horse show: how to book

What you are actually booking

This is a transfer-and-show afternoon, not an entry ticket. The booking covers pickup and drop-off at your hotel or Airbnb, a visit and guided tour of a private hacienda in Spanish or English, a Peruvian Paso horse show, traditional dance, a ride on a Paso horse, and lunch with drinks. The hacienda is in the Pachacamac area south of Lima, and its exact address is confirmed after you book. The whole afternoon runs about five hours from pickup to drop-off.

• Included: transport, entry, guided visit, show, dance, a ride, lunch and drinks
• Not included: tips and personal expenses
• Bring a camera and comfortable clothes

How this compares with the alternatives

There are other ways to see a Peruvian Paso at work, and they suit different travellers. Some tours from Lima add the Pachacamac archaeological site to a hacienda show, which makes a longer day with more history and less time with the horses. Other hacienda afternoons are sold directly by the hacienda or a local agency, so what they include changes: ask whether transport, a ride and lunch are part of it. Horse people can also watch the breed in competition. The table sets the options side by side.

Five questions to ask of any Paso horse tour

Listings for this kind of afternoon look alike, and the differences are in the details. Before you book any of them, check the same five things. Doing so takes a minute, and it tells you whether you are comparing like with like. None of these answers is right for everyone: a traveller with a driver and a hacienda in mind needs a different tour from someone arriving in Lima with no plans.

• Is transport from your hotel included, and from which districts?
• Is a ride on a horse included, or only watching?
• Is lunch included, and are drinks part of it?
• Are the Pachacamac ruins part of the day, or not?
• Is the hacienda named before you book?

Book this tour if

This tour fits you if you have no car and one free afternoon, and you want the horses, the dance and lunch in a single booking. It also suits you if you want to get on a Paso horse yourself, if you prefer a guide in English or Spanish, and if you like the idea of a smaller group rather than a coach party. The pickup removes the hardest part of visiting a private hacienda, which is finding your own way there and back.

How the booking works

Book at least two days ahead. The operator picks you up using the names in your reservation and calls the phone number you give, so enter a number that works in Peru. The starting time for your date shows when you check availability, and your confirmation repeats it. Booked through GetYourGuide, you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund, and some dates offer reserve now, pay later. The booking's bring list is short: a camera and comfortable clothes. Because you may ride, pick clothes you can move in.

• Pickup is from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco
• Alcoholic drinks are not allowed in the vehicle, and drugs are not allowed on the tour
• Not suitable for people over 95

The ride on a Paso horse

A ride on a Peruvian Paso horse is on the inclusion list, but the booking does not say how long it lasts or whether the horse is led. Ask your guide when you arrive. The breed is known for a smooth four-beat gait with little bounce, so many first-time riders find it comfortable. If you have never ridden, say so early. The ride is one stop in a visit that also covers the hacienda tour, the show and lunch, so do not expect a long outing.

Read next: The Caballo de Paso and its gait: why this horse moves the way it does

What the show promises, and what it does not

The booking promises a horse show and traditional dance, and the marinera, Peru's national dance, is the example it names. It does not spell out the running order, and it does not promise that a dancer and a horse perform together, a staging you may have seen in photographs of other shows. Expect chalanes, the traditional riders, who typically wear a striped poncho and a straw hat. Watch the horse's legs as much as the riders, because the gait is the point.

Read next: What is the marinera? Peru's dance

Lunch and drinks

Lunch and drinks are included. The booking does not list a menu, so do not plan around particular dishes. If you have allergies or dietary rules, tell the operator when you book, not on the day. Lunch comes with a traditional dance show at the same stop, so treat it as part of the entertainment rather than a break from it. Tips are not included in the booking, so whether and how much to tip is your call.

Read next: The creole lunch, and criollo culture at a Lima hacienda

Booking direct or going independently

Booking a hacienda directly can make sense if you have your own driver, want to choose a particular hacienda by name, or want a longer ride. This tour does not name the hacienda until after you book, so it is the wrong choice if the name matters. Going independently works for the ruins: the Pachacamac museum and archaeological sanctuary are run by Peru's Ministry of Culture and offer guided visits. Check opening days on the museum's own site before you set off.

The breed behind the show, and its contest

The Peruvian Paso descends from horses brought to Peru by the Spanish in the 16th century, and breeders shaped it over roughly four centuries into the breed you see now. Peru protects it by law as a native breed. The breeders' association, the ANCPCPP, is the officially recognised body for conserving, breeding and judging it. Its national contest is held in Lurín and lasts about a week. The finale includes an exhibition of the favourite horses and a parade of chalanes to marinera music. Peru marks a national day of the breed on the third Sunday of April. Event dates change, so check the association's own announcements.

Who this isn't for

Skip this tour if you need a same-day or next-day plan, because it needs two days' notice. Skip it if the Pachacamac ruins are the main goal, since the ruins are not part of this booking. It is also wrong for anyone who wants to pick the hacienda by name, expects a long ride, or wants a published running order, because the starting time shows only when you check availability. Travellers over 95 are not covered.