Meet our wonderful guides. All our guides are Peruvian or Bolivian and are bilingual. They will assist you on your trip with every question or issue you may have and will give you the best tips about their beautiful country.
Shirley
Age: 24
PH/BH Guide since: 2017
Place of birth: Cusco, Peru
Why should people travel with Peru Hop or Bolivia Hop?
Peru Hop and Bolivia Hop represent a new concept of travelling around South America. The experience they offer is the best, and people end up becoming a family on our buses. It’s not just sitting on the bus, watching movies and using the restroom for a “number one”. People get to know each other, they share tours, experiences and friendships in a fun, flexible and safe environment. I think the experience and the service make all the difference.
What’s the best part about being a guide?
I love travelling, and the Peru Hop route is amazing. I get to meet new people, share experiences with them, and get to know the south of Peru really well. On every trip, I discover new places to visit, and I learn new things about the history and the local culture of each place. I truly enjoy every minute of it. It is work but I get to spend my time enjoying good food, with great people, in places that never cease to surprise me.
Jorge
Age: 31
PH/BH Guide since: 2014
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What’s the best part about being a guide?
I can make friends from all over the world and keep in touch with them. I have learnt a lot from the people that I’ve befriended, and maybe one day I’ll have the chance to travel the world and visit them. I hope they can give me some place to stay – only for a few months haha.
What do you think passengers love most about you?
I think they like me because I always pay attention to them, I listen to what they have to say, and try to help them with whatever problem they might have, whether it has to do with Peru Hop or with something unrelated. Being a tour guide is my passion, so I try to be the best I can be.
What’s your favourite Peruvian drink or dish, and where can you get it?
My favourite drink would be a “maracuya sour”. I love variations of the Pisco Sour, and if you want to try that particular one, you should do it in Paracas. Regarding food, I like a good “lomo saltado”, but I would choose seafood or fish. In Lima and Paracas they always serve fresh fish, and every place has its own variation on it.
Aldo
Age: 24
PH/BH Guide since: 2017
Place of birth: Italy
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to listen to music, travel with my friends and try doing new and different things. The last time I tried parapenting, I really loved it. And I say try, because I wasn’t actually able to do it, hahaha. I think I will have another go soon. Good for me that I’m often in Paracas so I can practise.
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I would like to travel to Australia or New Zealand. These countries have always interested me, especially Australia, which seems like such a wild place with many rare species. It might be silly, but I would love to take a road trip through this vast country, and see some kangaroos hopping around like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
Any shoutouts?
Pack your bags, get out of your country, and set out to become an adventurer, not just a tourist!
Diego (Juan Diego)
Age: 28
PH/BH Guide since: 2015
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
Do you have any advice for visitors to Peru and Bolivia?
My advice is to try to get a good price for souvenirs – don’t forget to bargain! Also, here eating is a pleasure, and if you’re in Peru, you cannot leave without tasting ceviche! It is our typical seafood dish, and has got a unique flavour… It’s just incredible!
What is your favourite Peru Hop stop and why?
The beach-side town of Paracas, for the strange and beautiful landscapes that have been naturally formed there. The weather is always sunny, and I love going out to the islands to visit the seals, or just sitting on the beach and watching the pelicans. It is a peaceful place when you want it to be, but a party is never far away.
Why should people travel with Peru Hop or Bolivia Hop?
People that travel want to have the most genuine experience of the places they visit, and the best way to do that is with someone who is from that place. Peru Hop does its best to give passengers real experiences, and we as guides love showing people our beautiful country.
Mauricie
Age: 33
PH/BH Guide since: 2016
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you while you were travelling with a Peru Hop group?
This one time in Huacachina, we went to a party and then we went for some drinks. There was a Dutch guy who got completely naked and started doing yoga. Just to say that Peru Hop gives you the opportunity to meet all kinds of people, and see all kinds of strange things.
How to win over the heart of a Peruvian girl or guy?
If you want to date a Peruvian girl, you can always invite her to dance salsa (at your own risk of course), or you could invite her to dinner. We love our own country’s food the most, but if you manage to whip up a typical dish from your own country in a simple hostel kitchen, I’m sure she would love that even more. I don’t know how to win over the heart of a Peruvian guy. I hear they play hard to get haha.
Natalia
Age: 33
PH/BH Guide since: 2016
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
Natalia Age: 33 PH/BH Guide since: 2016 Place of birth: Lima, Peru What’s your favourite Peru Hop Stop and why?
Definitely Lima. It’s my city, and I think it has it all. You can find anything and everything you could ever imagine, and there are so many things to do. It’s so big, and the possibilities are endless. For visitors, I recommend cycling through Miraflores along the Malecon. The views of the ocean are spectacular, and the little parks are really cute. But for adrenaline junkies, I’d say to try your hand at some extreme sports, like “parapente” (paragliding), or go surfing.
Is there a funny Peruvian or Bolivian saying you would like to share?
Maybe “chevere”? It means great or cool, so when you want to say that you had a blast sandboarding, you can say, “el sandboarding fue muy chevere!”.
What’s your favourite Peruvian drink or dish, and where can you get it?
My favourite drink is chicha. It’s a beverage you should drink cold, and it’s really refreshing. My favourite food is definitely ceviche. Both you find anywhere really, but I think Lima has the best ceviche.
Walter
Age: 27
PH/BH Guide since: 2015
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What do you like to do in your free time?
I’m very passionate about music, so I would happily spend all my free time playing instruments. But I understand that sometimes, I need to do other stuff as well. Soccer is one of my favourite sports, and I often play with my childhood friends. It’s amazing that we can still make time for that.
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I would like to travel to Brazil. I hope that one day there can be a Brazil Hop, because the country is so big, I just wouldn’t know how to go about visiting it. At the moment, I want to travel to Colombia to go beach hopping. It’s close to home, and everyone tells me it’s amazing.
Any shoutouts?
Pack your luggage and book your next adventure with us!!!
Alex
Age: 27
PH/BH Guide since: 2016
Place of birth: Trujillo, Peru
What’s the best part about being a guide?
I love learning new languages, and here I can meet people from all around the world that can teach me new phrases. What I love even more is that being a tour guide gives me the opportunity to learn about others. I talk to them about my country, and they share so much about theirs. Each anecdote helps me to understand other parts of the world. It’s an amazing cultural experience!
What do you think passengers love most about you?
My dancing skills? Hahaha… Well, believe it or not, I have a great sense of humour and I try to engage all our passengers, regardless of their age. I think every single one of them is important, and I love sharing my passion for Peru with them. I treat everyone with respect, and like I said, most of the passengers who’ve met me would agree that I‘m an easy-going guy, and yeah I love dancing hahaha.
Is there a funny Peruvian or Bolivian saying you would like to share?
‘Hola pe causa’ (what’s up friend).
Diego Alonso
Age: 22
PH/BH Guide since: 2016
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What’s your favourite Peruvian drink or dish, and where can you get it?
It depends on where I am really. In Lima I would go for ceviche I think, but in Arequipa I would rather try a “rocoto relleno”. This is a local dish, consisting of pepper filled with meat and vegetables. It’s slightly spicy, and really tasty. If you’re new to Peru, I would also suggest trying “cuy”. The best place to try that is Cusco or Arequipa. I’m not telling you what it is, but let me know if you like it or not!
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I want to travel everywhere I think, haha. The first place I want to travel is right here, in Peru. It’s so big, I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface. Luckily, being a guide with Peru Hop gives me the opportunity to get to know my own country more. After, I’d probably explore South America more. I would love to travel to the south of Argentina, and go to the end of the world in Ushuaia.
Alejandro
Age: 37
PH/BH Guide since: 2015
Place of birth: La Paz, Bolivia
What’s the best part of being a guide?
I love being a guide because you can interact with people from all around the world and make friends, sometimes even friends for life. You can learn a little from everyone, and I think it’s surprising that you can have so much in common with someone that grew up on the other side of the planet, and comes from a totally different background.
Do you have any advice for visitors to Peru and Bolivia?
The best advice that I can give you is to try everything you see! – With caution, of course. But travelling is the best opportunity you have of learning other ideas, customs, flavours, languages, etc. I feel that when you come to Peru or Bolivia, you should really try to be open to new experiences. It can be hit or miss, but eventually you will find the perfect dish, the perfect drink or the perfect place that will surprise you and make your trip, giving you memories that will last a lifetime.
Antonio
Age: 30
PH/BH Guide since: 2017
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What do you like to do in your free time?
I really like to go fishing. I usually go to a place called Pucusana, which is about 2 hours from Lima. You can find all types of fish in those waters, like pejerrey, bonito, pescado diabolo, etc… I’m not really sure what they’re called in English. Sometimes I catch a lot and sometimes I don’t, haha. When I’m in the city, I often go jogging, go to concerts…
What is your favourite Peru Hop stop and why?
I really like Huacachina, it’s easily accessible from Lima and is an oasis in more ways than one. I always feel really relaxed there, and it’s just a great place to disconnect from the city. Lima can be a bit much sometimes, so it’s great that I can go to Huacachina so often.
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I’ve always wanted to go to Asia, and visit Thailand and the Philippines – these places have an amazing culture and natural beauty. Also, I have friends there who I can visit.
Fiorella
Age: 25
PH/BH Guide since: 2017
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What’s the funniest thing that ever happened to you while you were travelling with a Peru Hop group?
I was doing the tour of the Chincha slave tunnels alone for the first time, and I have to confess that I got lost in the tunnels with a group of 15 passengers… We were all walking in circles, but fortunately nobody suspected that I had no clue where I was going either, hahaha! Finally, I found my way back, and luckily nobody had noticed! Before I said goodbye to my group, I did confess this story to them over the microphone. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened again since!
Your favourite PH/ BH Stop and why?
Huacachina… The small village in the desert! This tiny place surrounded by “mountains of sand” is always sunny and hot in the day time. The buggy and sandboarding are the best activities to do over there, but besides being fun, it´s also a relaxing paradise… You can lie on the sand next to the oasis and read a book with a cup of good coffee, or you can climb up the sand dune to watch the amazing sunset over the desert. If you feel romantic, you can also go up the dune at night, and see the small oasis sitting below in the middle of the lights. I can easily say that I’ve experienced the most beautiful nights in all of Peru right there in Huacachina.
Ivan
Age: 29
PH/BH Guide since: 2017
Place of birth: La Paz, Bolivia
What do you like to do in your free time?
My number one passion is music, so I spend most of my free time practicing the guitar. At the moment I’m getting some of my friends together to form a band. Another favourite activity of mine is to wander around the city. There’s always so much going on, and I love discovering new places that I didn’t know about before. You can never get bored in La Paz, it’s such an interesting and dynamic city, and there’s always something to do or see! When I’m not working, you can sometimes find me at the movies. It’s a great way to switch off from the outside world, and I find it really relaxing.
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I would really love to travel to Canberra in Australia, I’ve heard some great things about it! It sounds pretty different to what I’m used to, with most city roads having bike lanes, which make cycling an important part of transportation. It’s also a quiet place where traffic and pollution are quite low. One of my long-term goals is to go there.
Victor
Age: 33
PH/BH Guide since: 2016
Place of birth: Lima, Peru
What do you think passengers love most about you?
I think that the passengers like that I speak loud and clear so they understand me well. That’s not always the case in Bolivia so I think it’s comforting for them that there are no misunderstandings because of the language at least. I think that they like my jokes as well. Maybe not always haha. The good thing is that our Bolivia Hop passengers are very forgiving so I feel very comfortable trying to make them laugh and I enjoy being their guide.
If you had the chance, where in the world would you like to travel?
I would love to go to Brazil! I know it’s very close but I want to travel the coastline of Brazil and roam the hot sunny beaches. It’s such a contrast with my country. Bolivia is extremely beautiful but it’s extreme in all senses. Here it’s always quite chilly and the altitude weighs you down. Luckily I can escape the cold once in a while by going to Paracas or Huacachina so I’m good.