Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

All of the pre-trip planning and communication from Jimena was excellent. The activities selected were exactly what I had in mind and the choice of hotels was perfect. Once on the trip, every person we met was friendly, knowledgable and did everything they could to make our trip special and personalized. This includes the drivers and logistics staff (Bosco, Alan etc) and of course the truly wonderful guides Nancy and Edward, who spent several days with us. Overall it was the perfect visit to Peru for my wife's 40th Birthday and would not have been possible without the team making it happen

Our family of 5 had an unforgettable trip to Peru! Anne was very helpful and informative in the planning and booking stages of our trip. She was available during our trip as well to answer any questions or to help things run smoothly.
We had a great time at the Explorer's Inn. The accommodations were very nice and the staff was all very helpful and happy to share their beautiful home with us. Raul was a terrific guide. We really enjoyed our rainforest walks, visiting the tower, night walks, the clay lick and seeing Giant River Otters at the lake.
We were next in the Sacred Valley where we met Edwar and Guido. They took great care of us exploring the Sacred Valley and Macchu Picchu. Guido was a great driver both in the busy towns and on the winding roads of the valley. Edwar has an amazing amount of knowledge that he openly shared with us. The pace of our days was perfect. It was nice to have such an awesome guide to help navigate the train and 1 day hike on the Inca trail. We also went on a beautiful hike in the Colca Valley and saw Andean Condors. Edwar was the perfect guide both on the nature aspects and historical aspects of our trip.
He has a great energy and was a lot of fun to explore with. Edward and Guido make a great team.
Thank you to all the members of Peruvian Soul and the KimKim team!

Io helped us plan a fantastic trip to Peru. We requested several iterations of the proposed itinerary across messages and a video call, which Io happily took on board. She also incorporated enabling our group of 4 to do two different activities on one day and then reunite to visit Machu Picchu. Once the trip was booked and paid for, Io was still very helpful with all the various questions we had about details of our itinerary.
As for the actual trip, it was great and all went very smoothly, we had great guides and drivers and stayed in some extremely nice hotels. The only activity I felt less comfortable about was dressing in traditional local clothes to walk around the lagoon when we visited the Urpis de Antaquillka community in Chinchero. The people were charming, but I just wasn’t sure about the dressing up element of this activity.

Hotel Reviews

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado

This place was great - it’s an eco lodge in the jungle and they have done a great job laying on the activities and meals and providing airy accommodation. They do need to make sure the torches they provide work better than the ones we had, which were not good enough for the night walk we went on. We changed to our phone torches instead, and even those aren’t that strong.

Authenticity & Character

All the rooms and restaurants have net walls to keep them airy and free of mosquitoes. There were also mosquito nets over the beds which were lowered while we were out for the evening activities. I liked the addition of the kerosene lantern in the toilet each night so you could find your way to it in the dark, once the electricity went off for the night

Location

Staff

The staff made a huge effort to ensure we were looked after and knew what activities were planned

Cleanliness & Comfort

We appreciated touches like the kerosene lamp mentioned above, and the flip flops - provided while we were at dinner on the first night, after I asked about them.

Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco

Cusco

This is another well located hotel in the heart of Cusco, with a lovely courtyard. Strangely you had to walk through the restaurant to reach the rooms, which made the restaurant feel a bit like a corridor. The rooms were spacious, but did not feel quite as lovely as the ones we’d already had at the hotels in Colca and the Sacred Valley. It’s inevitable when you stay in a number of hotels during a trip that some feel a bit more special than others. This place was good, but we’d already been spoiled by the hotels just before!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta Posada del Inca

Urubamba

This place was stunning! We could have easily stayed here longer, everything about it was lovely. The rooms were very comfortable, the gardens were beautiful, the location and surrounding scenery was great. The bar and restaurants were also very good - we had one of the best pisco sours of the trip here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Hostería Boutique Hotel

Arequipa

This hotel is in a great central location and is quite charming. Our room had a bath sunk in the floor in the room, which actually seemed a bit of a hazard, especially if you get up to use the toilet in the middle of the night. The other element of this hotel which slightly disappointed us was the way the breakfast buffet was laid out in the courtyard - it was very cold first thing in the morning so everything was freezing to touch, particularly the plates, so all food ended up very cold

Authenticity & Character

Lovely buildings and courtyard

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

We were only here for one night to visit Machu Picchu, but it was an extremely nice hotel and we had amazing views from the window over the river

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Beautiful hotel with a tranquil spa. We also enjoyed the scenic grounds and seeing the humming birds, parakeets and alpacas in the gardens. The element that could be improved is the restaurant used for evening meals as it felt rather large and lacking in character and atmosphere

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Colca Lodge

Yanque

Fabulous hotel in amazing location. We thoroughly enjoyed using the thermal baths

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful setting in the Colca valley

Staff

All very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shared Short Inca Trail Trek 2/2: Machu Picchu +Private Guide+Bus RT+Upgrate Oservatory Train

Peru

Seeing Machu Picchu was incredible. We were blessed with a beautiful clear day with blue skies and sunshine and it all looked amazing. Our guide was brilliant, he told us so much and he was great at taking photos and videos of us!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private 02-Days Colca Canyon Tour 1/2

Peru

This was a fantastic trip. Mariel was our guide again and she was great, as was Fernando our driver

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our car had an issue on the way and we had to wait an hour at a roadside shop for a replacement. These things happen and it can’t be helped, but the delay slightly changed the plans for the day. However Mariel managed it all well

Private Arequipa City tour

Arequipa

Mariel was a great guide, and we really enjoyed this city tour

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our tour guides and driver were very friendly and personal. We felt well taken care of, our guide Esmeralda in Cusco and Roy in Macchu Pichu were very knowledgeable, great for helping with family pictures. Our driver Ramiro was very helpful and friendly.

We can honestly say that our trip exceeded our expectations🎉🙏✨.

From the very beginning, our travel specialist, Io, was wonderful. We had many ideas, many questions and, of course, many little details that were important to us. She listened to everything with incredible patience and really tried to understand what kind of trip we wanted. And the final itinerary truly felt like our trip, not just a standard tour. We also loved Io’s warmth, honesty and obvious love for Peru.

Everything during the trip was very well organized too. The transfers, hotels, activities and all the logistics worked very smoothly.

We were also very happy with our guides and drivers. Our guides were knowledgeable, kind and professional, and their love for their country made our experiences even more special.

One of the best examples of how well the team took care of us came at the very end of our trip. We decided to make a major last-minute change to our itinerary, and in a very short time they arranged a completely new plan for us. And, everything worked perfectly as well.

From the first days of planning until we returned home, we felt that we were in very good hands. For us, this was not just a well-organized holiday. It was a very personal and unforgettable journey.

A big thank you to Io, the operations team, our guides, drivers and everyone who helped make our trip so special. We would happily recommend Io and her team to anyone planning a trip to Peru.

All our guides were great and definitely helped us learn and really helped us embrace the true essence of Peru and its culture.

Hotel Reviews

Eco Amazonia Lodge

Las Piedras

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sol Natura Hotel

Ollantaytambo

Tika Wasi Casa Boutique

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel El Tambo

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

EcoAmazonia Lodge - Lago Sandoval 3/3: Flight to Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Ziplining & Via Ferrata in The Sacred Valley

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Interactive City & Gourmet Lima Food Tour (AM)

Lima

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoAmazonia Lodge - Sandoval Lake 2/3

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

I

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight to Puerto Maldonado: EcoAmazonia Lodge - Sandoval Lake 1/3

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Machu Picchu (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We started planning very early & Jimena was amazing from the very start. She asked about our preferences and curated 2 starting off points. From there we were able to customize the exact activities we wanted. Jimena was incredibly supportive through it all, moving activities around & determining how much was possible each day. Once we got closer to our travel dates Jimena got on a call with us to answer any of our outstanding questions. During this call we asked about adding another activity & although it's a super uncommon option, she made it happen for us! We ended up with issues commuting to our destination & were delayed a full day. Jesus & Jimena were able to rework our itinerary so we didn't miss any of our planned activities even though we arrived a full 24 hours late!

While in Peru, we hit the ground running with Edwar (guide) & Wilmer (driver). Edwar was the PERFECT guide for us. He was honest and straight forward. He kept us on track without us ever feeling rushed, if things were running early or late we never noticed because he was taking care of everything in the shadows. He knew exactly when to call our driver back so the whole time in Cusco was effortless. Edwar even stayed with us all the way to the security check point for our domestic flight, to make sure we had no airport hiccups. I recommend KimKim 11/10 & plan to come back for any future travel like this.

Our trip to Peru was our third trip with kimkim and it could not have been better! The guides, excursions, hotels, etc. were wonderful. Our guides Martin, Diego, and Wilson were kind and knowledgeable and felt like friends. My husband had stomach trouble on the trip and within an hour of notifying our guide Diego in the Sacred Valley he came to our hotel with medicine and rearranged our schedule the following day so as not to miss anything. Thank you kimkim for another amazing trip!!

This was our first trip using kimkim to plan and book the entire experience. We were connected with Peruvian Soul and rep Anne Godoy. Because of Covid and then variouschallenges on our end, this trip was several years in the making. But Peruvian Soul and Anne really delivered. She helped us create an itinerary combining her recommendations and experience along with our research and goals. It was a true collaboration. And then Peruvian Soul really came through on the logistics. During the trip, their operation manager Jesus Martel, provided us with frequent updates as needed. He was available for questions. And he was able to make happen a short notice changes in our itinerary that became necessary. This was our first time trusting someone to take care of travel arrangements other than ourselves, and I was very impressed.
So many highlights but want to mention several that were suggested and/or coordinated by Anne & Peruvian Soul.
- Home visit and Homestay on Capachica Peninsula, Lake Titicaca: We visited two kind, delightful families to get a glimpse into their lifestays, and share several meals, next to Lake Titicaca. We were shown how they use local plants as everything from soap to medicine. We witnessed (and slightly helped) our host Ruffino fishing on Lake Titicaca by hauling in nets. It was a cool opportunity to get a bit of insight into their lives and to simply get to know them a little. We had a very good guide, Luis (forgive me, I lost his last name), who shared the history of the area and the customs of the people on the penisula.
- El Alberque, Ollantaytambo - in one place we were able to enjoy a Panchamanca lunch; learn about and roast a batch of coffee; and then create our own botanical liquor in their distillery. We had a fun and insightful afternoon.
- Misminay Community, Sacred Valley - We spent several hours in Misminay with were our local hosts showed us about their weaving; demonstrating the process and showing us how they create their colors with plants and minerals. Then we had a short lesson, trying to learn the local language, Quechua. From their compound, we were able to take a short hike to see the Moray terraces.
- Market visit and cooking glass in Cusco - Anne set us up with the restaurant Mama Seledonia to get a educational (and tasting) tour of 2 Cusco markets. From there, we took the purchases back to the restaurant to make our own lunch, cocktails and then to try a variety of fruits we purchased. The chef (Gustavo) was great and it was a wonderful experience.
- Not surprisingly, Cuscuo, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu were trip highlights. But what made it excellent was our guide, Luis Caceres. The poor guy was stuck with us for almost 5 days :) He truly made the trip excellent for us. It was more like travelling with a friend than a guide. (But a friend who knew a ton!)

I enthusiastically recommend kimkim and Peruvian Soul. Anne sincerely created an amazing experience for us and they all (Jesus, our guides and drivers) made it go great. They really took care of us.

Trip of a lifetime!
The organization was very good, the activities were well planned and Jesus' daily updates including with boarding passes for internal flights were excellent. It did not seem to me that Jesus went to sleep.
I thought the guides were very well chosen - Fernando in Quito was an amazing fount of information about Quito, its history and the area. Our guides in the Galapagos, Justin in Santa Cruz and Oswaldo in San Cristobal, were very well-informed and good hike guides, though they was not with us all the time owing to boat trips and island changes. I would like to mention our transport driver (Arturo?) in San Cristobal - he was very courteous and prompt.
In the Galapagos, I would only change our hotel - the Golden Galapagos. It did not meet the standards of our other hotels.
The Indigo seemed much more organized.

In Lima, Nancy was an excellent guide with lots of historical details that we learned from her. However, our guide in Cusco was exceptionally way above the guides we had on this trip (Julio and the driver Robert) were above and beyond. Partly it was due to the elevation and related issues, but they also had really detailed knowledge and insights that were very interesting to hear.

We had a great time!

What could you improve - ditch the Golden Galapagos. Also, I noticed that the company always picked the cheapest room in the hotels. Can you manage to upgrade it a bit, to the second lowest level? At least ask the question!

This trip was a dream every step of the way. I had a lot of questions which were always answered quickly in detail, and with patience. Peru has so many amazing locations and experiences but we were able to narrow them down to a perfect trip, customized to our exact preferences, budget and interests.

Once we got there Anne sent thoughtful notes to our room and checked in periodically to make sure everything was going well.

Everyone we met in Peru was so kind, accommodating and friendly. We spent time with several guides who were very knowledgeable and personable, but I’d give a special shout-out to our Cusco guide, EJ. His background in archaeology made every historical site even more interesting. We saw so many amazing things but wouldn’t have fully appreciated them without EJ’s insights and his photography skills left us with so many great photos and memories to take home with us.

Lima: First day is listed as "Free Day in Lima". We arrived at 10:00 pm, so to claim the day was available to us was false.
Street Food Tour in Historic Center - Excellent. Guide Shaila was informative and knowledgeable.
Cooking Class, Urban art and history - did not take place in Barranco, as promised. Market and restaurant were in Miraflores. Not particularly elucidating.

Ollantaytambo: Wonderful accomodations.
Sacred Valley Tour - Excellent guide, Esmeralda. She was knowledgeable and helpful.
Pachamanca Lunch at El Albergue - delicious and informative.
Machu Picchu - train/bus tickets were not provided to us by Miski Travel until we brought it to their attention. Caused us to worry that our travel was not reserved and panicky messages were exchanged.

Cusco:
Half Day Cusco Tour - Edwin was an excellent guide. The timing of the tour was confusing and the description of it not clear about start and end times.
We also discovered a HUGE mistake - our train ride from Cusco to Puno, scheduled for the next day, May 13, was never reserved. This train ride was going to be a highlight of the trip, after reading so much about it, and traveling in vans over rough roads for so many days. In short, we were looking forward to a change of pace and a relaxing experience.
It took many hours for us to deal with our extreme disappointment and is the main reason for the low rating given to the local specialist. The lack of communication was particularly disappointing. We should not have to concern ourselves with logistics that we were told were all set and that we had paid for.
We were given a large, comfortable van for the long drive to Puno, with an archaeological stop and comfort stops and lunch. This at least got us to Puno without anymore problems.

Lake Titicaca Tour
Wonderful guide, Jose Luis, and experience there.

Hotel Review

Las Qolqas EcoResort Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

Simple accomodations in a stunning setting.

Activity Review

Arrival to Lima: Free Day to Explore

Lima

We arrived at 10 pm; no "free day" available

Our trip to Peru was incredible from start to finish. The overall planning and booking experience with kimkim was smooth, thoughtful, and very personalized. Our local specialist, Liz Karen, was fantastic and went above and beyond to make the trip special. She was even willing to help organize a photographer and location so I could plan a proposal, which meant so much and made the experience unforgettable.

Our guide Juan and driver William were amazing as well. They were professional, kind, knowledgeable, and made us feel comfortable throughout the trip. The places we visited were memorable, but the people who helped us along the way made the experience truly exceptional.

I would highly recommend kimkim, Liz Karen, Juan, and William to anyone planning a trip to Peru.

The organization of the trip and constant monitoring of location and help by Jimena and Jesus was quite amazing. Someone was always there to help, offer advice, and make suggestions while en route. My husband, 80 years, was not feeling well at 12,000 feet altitude and they were quick to offer help and solutions. We were very grateful.

Our guides were exceptional with their knowledge, especially our guide the second day in Lima. I can’t remember his name, maybe Jose. We had Martin in Sacred Valley and Cusco who not only was extremely well informed but full of fun , knowledge, and personal information. He was outstanding!

Eddy was able to get us into Machu Picchu when the tickets were sold out for the day and he kindly helped my husband navigate the terrain. Luis, in Puno, was also very helpful in assisting my husband through the climbing.

The guides were all excellent and helpful.

Lake Titicaca at the island of Uros was absolutely amazing and my favorite area.

For us being near or at 80 years and coming from sea level, we found the schedules very tiring with early departures and constant activity at difficult altitudes. However, we enjoyed the trip very much . If I went again, I would go at a slower pace.

All in all, Kim Kim, Peruvian Soul, did a great job.

Developing my trip itinerary was a combination of personal travel guide and online research, as well as feedback from Io per her personal knowledge of Peru’s destinations and travel logistics. We ultimately created an agenda that stepped us up gradually in elevation over 10 days with two 14,000’ day hikes that set us up comfortably for trekking the Salkantay and crossing that 15,150’ pass. The kimkim partnerships for drivers, guides and hotels was pretty flawless - only one driver never showed up for our Cusco airport return trip and we hailed a local taxi on our own.
Our guides Ronji, Octavio and Henry were outstanding. Our guide Nikolai was enthusiastic but his English was challenging to understand as he tried to inform us about Ollantaytambo.
The selected hotels were all quite comfortable - very solid beds overall and typically diverse breakfast buffets included. The one hotel issue we had was in Arequipa; the hotel comforts were fine but those of us with street-side rooms heard traffic all night long so slept poorly; the room not facing the main street was above the dining room and its occupants were woken at 4 AM by the breakfast preparations - an alternate hotel is suggested for this city.
We largely enjoyed our entire trip with the trek and Machu Picchu as the most satisfying goals at the end. Thank you for having Lisbeth available for last minute detail coordination - she was a frequently used resource by several in our party.

Activity Reviews

Shared 05-Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 5/5 - Cusco

Peru

We had spectacular weather for this visit so our photo memories are spectacular. Despite a bit of confusion connecting with our guide at the start of our tour, he proved to be extremely informative and a good English speaker.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared 05-Days Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu 1/5

Peru

Outstanding! Tough hiking but the spectacular scenery was worth the hard work. The second day is ridiculously long and includes strenuous uphills to the pass along with unnecessarily long downhill to the dome campsite at end of day. But we survived and slept well that night.

Quality of Experience

Food

We were very surprised at the variety of foods prepared by our trek cook at every meal. Quinoa soups, potatoes, pasta, ceviches, Lomo Saltado, etc. Lots of hot water for tea and the morning quinoa gruel was amazingly satisfying!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Henry was an outstanding guide. He was an excellent communicator, was very adept at multi tasking our logistics, plus provided meaningful Quechua ceremonies for our successful mountain trek.

Transport

Private Full-Day Tour to the Titinos Uros Islands

Puno

Fascinating look at tourist-dependent Uros floating reed island dwellers lifestyle. Taquile island’s communal decision making for maintaining their beautiful natural environment while also encouraging tourism was excellent as well. Our private Peruvian lunch overlooking a beach with textile lesson was very special.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colca Canyon - Chimpa Fortress: Transfer 3/3: Transfer to Puno

Peru

Another fabulous 14,000’ day hike with almost no other hikers. We saw 5 condors repeatedly circling above our trail - no need to go to the crowded Condor Canyon site!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Colca Canyon Transfer - Pumunuta Caves 2/3

Colca

Exceptional hike to an infrequently visited destination. Loved having the trail to ourselves all day. Was a great first challenge to climb to 14,000’.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ronji was very knowledgeable about the plants in the area - he provided a lot of Quechua lore.

Transport

Private Colca Canyon +Transfer to Puno 1/3

Peru

Despite the very long day of driving, the 4 stops were enjoyable, especially the highest point in the nature preserve. We saw many llamas and vicuñas plus had fun at the condor sculpture.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Lima City Tour - San Francisco Catacombs - Barranco

Lima

We created our own leisurely walking tour of the waterfront path from Miraflores to Barranco, had lunch in Barranco and took another route thru the neighborhood back to the hotel. Separately we taxied to Plaza de Armas and Museo Larco - both equally easy to self navigate and explore at our own pace. Each taxi ride took 25-30 minutes to get thru the dense city but was very affordable.

Transport

Easy taxi rides

The accommodations were great but the daily events were not well planned and the communication was poor. We had to frequently text our contact and ask where are our train tickets, or what is the plan tomorrow. Kimkim failed to get us the tour we wanted at Machu Pichu - we were able to get our guide to change it - thank goodness. One of the highlights for me was the train across the Andes which KimKim failed to book for the right day so we took a van and although we made some stops, our guide did not speak English and knew little about the sites we stopped at - clearly a last minute plan. I am 72 and will never return to Peru and will never have the opportunity to take that train.

Our trip was magnificent! Our guides, Rony Nikolai Henry Wilbur Franco were informative, fun and made our adventure the trip of a lifetime !

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Northern Peru. The places we visited were fascinating and the local guides/drivers selected by KimKim were top-notch. Yelsin and Carlos in Chachapoyas, Grace and Alberto in Chiclayo, and Cinthia and again Alberto in Trujillo. Our ride over the Andes was memorable but our driver Elvis got us to our destination safe and sound.

We did have some logistics challenges and overall, Anne and her team were available to help us sort them out. Our main critique is how the Keulap portion of the trip was organized. As it turns out, the cable cars up to Keulap are closed the month of May which resulted in a longer drive for us from Leymebamba. In fact, on the day we visited Keulap, we left Leymebamba in the morning, visited Keulap and then continued our drive to Cocochimba which ended up being a very, very long day. A better itinerary would have guests staying in a lodge closer to Keulap (for example one called Amazilila) and then doing Leymebamba as a day trip from there.

The lodging at Leymebamba leaves a few things to be desired. While the room and the property are lovely, and the staff very accommodating, during this time of year, the room was freezing at night and no amount of blankets helped. The property could consider adding propane heaters during the cold season. Also, the stairway between our cabin and the restaurant was steep, slippery, and dark, and there were no handrails since they are replacing them. But they could add some rope as a temporary measure and install some solar lights to operate at night to improve safety. We were honestly afraid of falling down those stairs.

We really wanted to explore the town of Cocochimba, but the town had a general strike. We decided to leave a day early but this was no reflection on the lodge we stayed in. That said, they too could benefit from some solar lighting along their pathway. When we contacted Anne's team, they didn't readily have the number of the driver assigned to us - we had received that from Yelsin ourselves.

Which is actually another suggestion is to provide guests with the directly numbers of the guides ahead of time. In case of a sudden change of plans it is important for us to be able to contact the guides/ drivers and not wait for KimKim to provide us with contact information.

During our time in Chiclayo, there was a mix-up in the sites that we visited. Our itinerary showed that we were supposed to visit the pyramids of Tucume in the morning and then right after, visit the Royal Tomb Museum of Sipan. However, what we did instead was visit the town of Sipan to see the site were the original tombs are and then we went to the museum. That is actually a better trip and we were happy to do that. However, our guide and driver had no idea of the previous itinerary and also, there was no lunch break built in to that day, which cut short our time at the museum because we were getting faint from hunger.

Everything worked great in Trujillo and we appreciated the transfer back to the airport because we had forgotten about that.

Hotel Reviews

Costa del Sol Wyndham Trujillo Centro

Trujillo

A lovely hotel right on the main square in Trujillo. Friendly staff and great facilities.

Authenticity & Character

It is a lovely old building nicely restored.

Location

Right on the main square.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Whyndam Chiclayo

Chiclayo

A modern hotel with all the amenities. A nice change after staying in more rustic hotels.

Authenticity & Character

It is a corporate hotel in a bland building.

Location

Very centrally located

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything worked!

Mamaq Tambo Lodge

Cocachimba

Comfortable room in a nice location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It is a nice location, but a bit far from town.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rangra Wasi

Leymebamba

It's a lovely hotel, but the rooms have no heat. Depending on the time of year, it could be freezing. Also, there was no hot water in the shower. The property is lovely, but dark in places - be sure to bring a flashlight. Staff is great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely garden and nice view.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to add a little heater in the room, improve hot water to the shower, add lights to the property and a handrail for the outside stairway.

Activity Reviews

Chan Chan & Huaca de la Luna

Trujillo

Fabulous visit to the ruins of Chan Chan, followed by a lovely lunch by the sea and then a visit to see the murals at Huaca de la Luna. Our guide Cinthia was great and we learned a lot about this fascinating pre-Inc site.

Journey to {{end_location}}, visiting El Brujo

Peru

Great museum and burial site that shows that there were female rulers among the Moche people. First go to the museum to learn more about the burial site and what was found there and then go visit the actual site near by

Tucume Pyramids & Tumbas Reales Museum

Chiclayo

We did not go to the Tucume Pyramids. Our itinerary was changed and we went first to the town of Sipan which is where the royal tombs were found and then to the Royal Tombs museum. This is the best way to truly appreciate the scope of of this archeological discovery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our local guide Grace was great!

Hummingbird Sanctuary

Cocachimba

This is a small eco-tourism project designed to protect a rare type of hummingbird. You walk down many stairs and then sit down to wait for hummingbirds to come to the feeders. They may or may not come.

Quality of Experience

Nothing - it just not what we expected

Journey to Cocachimba: Kuelap Fortress

Peru

If you've come to this isolated pat of the world, you're probably here to see Kuelap! Our guide and driver from KimKim were excellent. 4 stars instead of 5 because that day should have been planned with less driving (see suggestions).

Quality of Experience

Kuelap is incredible. The drive is HARD.

Quality of Experience

Kuelap is incredible. The drive is HARD.

Food

We didn't have any food at Kuelap.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an excellent local guide, Yeslin.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had an excellent local guide, Yeslin.

Transport

Carlos was a great driver

Transport

Leymebamba: Workshops & Museum

Peru

Fabulous museum in a great location. This was a highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Excellent local museum

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Yelsin is a great guide who explained what we were seeing.

Transport

Our driver was Carlos - very safe and courteous.

We had a great experience in Peru with KimKim and the local tour company Peruvian Soul. Jimena worked with our preferences in setting up our trip, made great suggestions, and patiently helped us to make changes and add ons as we finalized our plans. She helpfully answered many questions that we had prior to our trip.
We did a city tour in Lima with Nancy as our guide. She was great and was willing to tailor the tour to our interests
After Lima, we flew to Cusco and won the lottery with our amazing guide Julio who we were fortunate to be with for the next 8 days. I would give Julio a 15 rating out of 5 if that was possible. Super knowledgeable about every area that we toured and able to answer our numerous questions but also amazingly patient, kind and friendly. KimKim is lucky to have Peruvian Soul as their local travel company (maybe they contract with others as well?) and Peruvian Soul has a gem in Julio as their customer facing employee. Julio went the extra mile daily and we couldn't be more grateful for the time that we had with him.
Guido was our driver and was also great; friendly and kind with a great smile and also able to handle many narrow roads, switchbacks, and hairpin turns in our travels with ease. We were returning from the Rainbow Mountains and came to an area that was under construction: Guido got out and helped to shovel so that we could continue on our way back to Cusco.
We had such a good experience with Julio and Guido that all six of us (including my 20 something kids and their significant others) had tears when we had to say goodbye at the airport.

Hotel Reviews

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

This hotel is right on the river and we were lucky to get rooms on the riverside. Very spacious rooms with a lot of character. A window in our shower opened up to the river which was fun and unique. We only spent one night here and all felt it would have been nice to have a second night as it was such a great location with fun rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de Yucay

Ollantaytambo Urubamba

We overall loved this hotel; beautiful setting with an amazing green space surrounded by mountains. We read somewhere else that the rooms were dated, but the place was built in 1810, so I'm not sure why people would expect a modern look. The hotel was clean and staff was gracious. We had several hours free one afternoon and were able to enjoy some relaxation time by the pool with the mountain views

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Nice location in Miraflores. We got to our hotel around 6:30 in the morning and allowed all of us to check into our rooms immediately which was very much appreciated after a long night of travel. I'ms sure this is based on availability. Rooms were clean and the breakfast included a great selection of foods. The rooftop bar is cute and a free welcome drink was included.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain Tour

Cusco

Beautiful hike in the Rainbow Mountains followed by a delicious lunch near a river. Another remarkable experience on our last full day in Peru. This area has been another bucket list item for us and we are glad we were able to experience it

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio and Guido picked us up a little after 4 in the morning to get us to the trail before the crowds. They had pillows and blankets in the van for us so that we could nap on the way; this was much appreciated. We were the first people there which made this even more of a special hike. We again are so thankful for the dedication of both Julio and Guido as well as for their selflessness and kindness.

Transport

Exploring Cusco & Sacsayhuaman

Cusco

Fun tour of historical Cusco including Sacsayhuaman, Cristi Blanco, the San Francisco Convent and the San Pedro Market as well as the main square

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Short Inca Trail: Morning at Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Today, we returned to the Machu Picchu site by bus and toured the actual site (rather than the overview following the hike the day before). Again, so much history here and in Peru in general. We felt lucky to get a second day at the site with good weather on both days. What an incredible experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: Ollantaytambo - Km 104 - Aguas Calientes

Peru

We had to start at marker 106 instead of 104 as part of the Inca trail was washed out which meant we missed the first archeological site of Chachabamba which was a bummer but also could not be helped. It also meant that we had to use the very steep switchback trail that is used by the porters. This was a touch trail, but we are so glad that we experienced it and were quite impressed with the fitness level of the porters running up and down the steep trail with heavy packs. We had a nice lunch at the mid point and visited the site of Winay Wayna which was an amazing site on a very steep hillside The second half of the hike was less grueling but still physical. Getting to the Sun Gate to our first view of Machu Picchu was spectacular. An emotional and somewhat spiritual moment as this is a trip that we haven't wanted to take for several years. The mountains and ruins of Machu Picchu are everything but also much more than what was expected. It is hard to describe the beauty of the site in words. Completing the difficult hike first, made getting to the site so much more rewarding

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We can't thank Julio enough for his patience and kindness on this hike. Breathing was difficult for a couple of us and he always stayed behind with whoever was struggling a bit. He is full of great Peru facts and legends and this was definitely appreciated for the information as well as for the distraction as we climbed. He was so encouraging the entire time. We also appreciate all the pictures he patiently took of all of us.

Transport

Guido had a lot to do today with driving us to the train, getting out overnight packs on the train and then getting our main luggage to our next hotel in Cusco which was in San Blas on the hill of which he could not drive fully to the door meaning, he had to carry luggage for 6 people up a long steep set of stairs and then down a street to get our luggage in storage until the next day. He is also such a nice and kind man. And obviously very strong.

Morning Visit to Ollantaytambo

Peru

Very interesting Inca site that we were not aware of until planning this trip. Another beautiful area with so much history. The town was also very cute.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio had restaurant suggestions for us throughout the trip and we can honestly day that everywhere we ate had excellent food

Transport

Discover Traditional Farming in the Andes: Amaru & Pisac arqueological site

Peru

We started the day with a hike around the archaeological site of Pisac; another amazingly beautiful setting with Inca ruins and so much interesting information shared by Julio. We were also lucky to have some of the local llamas and alpacas on the trail so were able to get some great photos next to them. We then headed to Amaru to have lunch with a local family. They were all kind and welcoming. They taught us about their farming and we were able to cut down some of our food and also able to help prepare the food a bit. We saw how the women made some of their crafts; it was a group of highly talented people and the food was delicious

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As stated in the trip summary, Julio and Guido were both such great people. We so appreciated both of them

Transport

Maras & Moray

Peru

Both of these areas are a must see. We were at the salt flats of Maras near sunset which made for a beautiful setting. Julio also took us to a nice shop where we were able to buy some of the salts. The chocolate at the same shop was amazing The "experimental laboratory" of Moray was also a great experience. Amazing the knowledge that people had so many years ago and the setting was gorgeous

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at the Shores of Piuray Lake

Peru

Absolutely gorgeous setting with amazing food. We all agreed that this was some of our favorite food on the entire trip

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Must sees in Lima

Peru

We started the Lima tour with a visit to the Huaca Pucllana archaeological site and were surprised that we didn't go in. We just stood outside for some information. We should have asked about it, but just assumed that it was not allowed. We looked it up later, and you are able to go in with a guide. We then went to the Larco Museum which was super interesting This was followed by a visit to the El Centro district with historical buildings and churches as well as a visit to Chinatown with lunch at a Chifa restaurant Nancy was our guide and was great

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Peru and Lima

Peru

Basically, this was the pick up at the airport which was seamless. Our daughter and her boyfriend arrived late the night before and four of us arrived at 5AM. We appreciated that someone was there for two different transports at odd hours

All guides were excellent. But KimKim local coordinators totally failed! We never were booked for our train ride to Puno. Had to take 10hour van ride. And we had to call contacts to get our tickets throughout trip. The contractors KimKim uses are terrible in Peru. We will not trust KimKim again.