Why book this afternoon
Why book this afternoon
The horse is the whole show
There is no jumping, no racing, no trick riding here. The Peruvian Paso is bred for one thing — a natural four-beat gait so smooth a chalan can carry a full glass without spilling it at speed — and the show is built to let you see exactly that, not around it.
The dance happens beside the horse, not instead of it
The marinera, Peru's national dance, gets a distinct staging here: a dancer takes the horse's offered hand or scarf and the animal moves with her, trained to hold the rhythm rather than stand still while she performs around it.
Lunch is part of the booking, not an afterthought
This listing includes lunch and drinks at the hacienda itself, served after the show rather than rushed beforehand — the pace is an afternoon out, not a coach-tour stop with a horse attached.
The transfer is the only practical way in
The hacienda sits in the Pachacamac district, roughly ninety minutes from central Lima by van, and this booking includes the round trip from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco — there is no bus route or taxi rank that gets you there as reliably.
The gait, explained
The gait, not the trick
Everything at the hacienda comes down to how the horse's feet meet the ground. The paso llano is a natural four-beat lateral gait, refined into the Peruvian Paso over roughly four centuries rather than trained into any individual horse, and it is the reason a chalan can ride at speed holding a full glass without spilling it.
The cycle opens with the left hind foot landing alone, taking the horse's weight before any other foot leaves the ground.
The left forefoot follows a quarter-beat later, on the same side — the 'lateral' half of the sequence, hind and fore together before the horse crosses to the other side.
The right hind lands next, mirroring beat one on the opposite side. At no point in the cycle are all four feet off the ground together.
The right forefoot closes the cycle. Because all four beats are evenly spaced — a 1-2-3-4 rhythm, not two paired footfalls — the ride reads as one continuous glide rather than four separate strides.
Compare: an ordinary trot
A trot is two beats, not four: the legs move in diagonal pairs — right fore with left hind, then left fore with right hind — with a moment of suspension between each pair, which is exactly the vertical bounce the paso llano is bred to have none of.
The sequence is inherited, not taught — a Paso foal shows the same lateral four-beat pattern within its first days on its feet, and no artificial shoes or training devices are used to produce it.
The afternoon, hour by hour
The afternoon, hour by hour
One booking, one small group, one pickup loop. Here is the shape of it, door to door.
- Pickup
San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco
The van collects your small group from one of three hotel zones and heads south — the operator asks for a phone number in advance so the driver can reach you directly on the day.
- ~90 min
South to the Pachacamac district
The drive out of the city runs about an hour and a half, the same road every booking uses — there is no shortcut that changes this leg.
- On arrival
The hacienda and the stables
A guided walk through the private hacienda, in Spanish or English, introduces the horses before the show starts — this is also when you can ask about riding one yourself.
- The show
The gait, and the marinera
Chalanes put two or more Paso horses through the paso llano at close range, and the marinera segment brings a dancer into the same ground, the horse trained to hold the dance's rhythm beside her.
- After the show
Lunch and drinks
Lunch is served at the hacienda once the performance ends, with drinks included — the booking treats it as the afternoon's second half, not a quick stop before the drive back.
- ~90 min
Back to your hotel
The same van runs the pickup zones in reverse for drop-off, closing out a door-to-door afternoon of about five hours.
The hacienda, and getting there
The hacienda, and getting there
The show runs at a private hacienda in the Pachacamac district, south of Lima — not a public venue, and not the Pachacamac archaeological ruins, which this booking does not include.
A private hacienda, not a public stable
The listing describes the venue only as a private, exclusive hacienda in the Pachacamac district — the exact address is shared once your booking is confirmed, in keeping with how small, working properties like this one operate.
Not the Pachacamac ruins
Pachacamac is also the name of a well-known archaeological site nearby, and a separate GetYourGuide product bundles the ruins with a Paso horse exhibition. This booking is the hacienda afternoon on its own — check the listing title carefully if you specifically want the ruins as well.
The transfer is included, both ways
Round-trip van transport from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco is part of this booking, with the driver reaching you directly using the phone number you give at booking.
Book at least two days ahead
The operator asks for a minimum of two days' notice, which rules out booking this as a same-day or next-day plan — build it into your Lima days early rather than leaving it for a gap in the schedule.
The afternoon, in pictures
The afternoon, in pictures
A chalan and a Paso horse mid-marinera, a criollo plate, and the courtyard style of a Peruvian hacienda — representative photographs of the tradition, not photographs of this specific booking.
Booking options & what's included
Booking options & what's included
| Option | What it includes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| The hacienda afternoon | Peruvian Paso horse show, a ride on a Paso horse, the marinera dance, lunch and drinks, and round-trip transport from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco | The listing this site is built around — book at least two days ahead |
| Two or more travelling together | The same small-group afternoon, seated together on the same pickup loop | Per-person pricing applies; check the current child and age rules on the listing before you book |
| Making your own way | The show, the ride, the marinera and lunch, without the van | Not offered on every listing for this afternoon — check the inclusions on the option you are booking rather than assume one includes it |
| Pair it with a day in Lima | Booked as a separate GetYourGuide experience | The afternoon pickup leaves the morning free for the historic centre or Miraflores |
Ways to book the afternoon
Find a date for the hacienda
Every option below is booked through GetYourGuide, with live availability and the final price in your own currency.
Planning your afternoon
Planning your afternoon
Book at least two days out
The operator's own minimum notice is two days, so this is not a same-day add-on. Pick the date early in your Lima planning rather than leaving it for a free afternoon that turns out to be tomorrow.
Give the driver a working phone number
Pickup coordination runs through the phone number you provide at booking, not a fixed meeting point — keep your phone reachable on the morning of the show so the driver can find you in San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco.
Ask about riding while you're there
A ride on a Peruvian Paso horse is part of the booking's inclusions — if riding matters to you, say so on arrival during the hacienda tour rather than assuming it happens automatically.
Budget the whole afternoon
With roughly ninety minutes each way on top of the show and lunch, this is a five-hour commitment from pickup to drop-off — plan the rest of the day around it rather than squeezing it into a half-day gap.
Planning a Peruvian Paso horse show visit from Lima
Planning a Peruvian Paso horse show visit from Lima
The Peruvian Paso horse show near Lima: what actually happens
A van south to a private hacienda, a horse ridden at a gait no other breed performs, a dancer brought into the same ground for the marinera, and lunch afterwards — here is the shape of the afternoon, in order.
Read more →The gait, explainedThe Caballo de Paso and its gait: why this horse moves the way it does
Left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore — the footfall sequence that makes the Peruvian Paso's ride famously smooth, and how it differs from an ordinary trot.
Read more →The marinera, explainedThe marinera: when the horse dances too
Peru's national dance gets a distinct staging at a Paso horse show — a dancer, a chalan, and a horse trained to hold the rhythm beside her rather than stand as scenery.
Read more →Food and cultureThe creole lunch, and criollo culture at a Lima hacienda
What's actually included with this booking, and the wider criollo food tradition the hacienda sits inside — described plainly, without overstating what one lunch includes.
Read more →Getting thereGetting to the hacienda from Lima, and what to wear
Three pickup zones, a ninety-minute drive each way, and the practical questions the listing doesn't spell out — answered plainly.
Read more →Around the cityLima beyond the hacienda: building the rest of your day
The afternoon takes about five hours door to door. Here is how it fits alongside the rest of a Lima stay, and what the pickup zones themselves are like.
Read more →FAQ
Peruvian Paso horse show questions
What is the Peruvian Paso horse show near Lima?
It is an afternoon at a private hacienda in the Pachacamac district, south of Lima, built around the Peruvian Paso horse's natural four-beat gait. Chalanes ride the horses through the gait at close range, a marinera dance segment brings a dancer into the same show, and the booking includes a ride on a Paso horse, lunch and drinks, and round-trip van transport from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco.
What makes the Peruvian Paso's gait different from a normal horse?
Most horses trot — a two-beat gait with a bounce between diagonal pairs of legs. The Peruvian Paso performs the paso llano instead: a four-beat lateral gait (left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore) with no moment of suspension, which is what makes the ride unusually smooth. It is bred into the horse, not trained — every purebred foal shows the pattern from its first days on its feet.
Is lunch included, and what is it?
Yes — this booking includes lunch and drinks at the hacienda, served after the show. The listing describes it as lunch and drinks rather than a large buffet, so if a big spread of dishes matters to you, it is worth checking the current menu on the listing before you book.
Where exactly is the hacienda, and is transport included?
The hacienda is in the Pachacamac district south of Lima; the exact address is shared once your booking is confirmed. Round-trip van pickup from San Isidro, Miraflores or Barranco is included, with the driver contacting you directly using the phone number given at booking.
Is this the same as the Pachacamac ruins tour?
No. Pachacamac is also the name of a well-known archaeological site nearby, and a separate GetYourGuide product combines the ruins with a Paso horse exhibition. This booking is the hacienda afternoon — the horse show, the ride, the marinera and lunch — on its own.
How far ahead do I need to book?
The operator asks for at least two days' notice, so this is not a same-day or next-day booking. Build it into your Lima itinerary early rather than deciding on the morning.
Can I ride a horse myself?
Yes — a ride on a Peruvian Paso horse is one of the booking's stated inclusions, alongside the guided tour of the hacienda. Ask about it when you arrive so it's arranged during your visit.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
The listing offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time, and some options let you reserve now and pay later. The exact cancellation terms for your booking are shown on GetYourGuide before you pay.