Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

This was our first time we booked an entire trip using kimkim. At first we were very skeptical of how this worked, however after reading a variety of reviews by other travelers, different travel blogs we decided to go with it. Clara helped plan a perfect Peru adventure for us. We let her know what our budget was, what kind of hotels we preferred and what kind of itinerary we wanted. In the end, she came up with a plan which worked best for us!
In terms of communication, Clara did a... read more

This was our first time we booked an entire trip using kimkim. At first we were very skeptical of how this worked, however after reading a variety of reviews by other travelers, different travel blogs we decided to go with it. Clara helped plan a perfect Peru adventure for us. We let her know what our budget was, what kind of hotels we preferred and what kind of itinerary we wanted. In the end, she came up with a plan which worked best for us!
In terms of communication, Clara did a magnificent job. We had all the information we needed for our trip from who will be picking us up, contact numbers, what time we had to wake up for a particular activity etc. She also swiftly responded to all our questions and concerns.

I would highly recommend booking your next vacation on kimkim, let them know whatever your requirements are and you will have a wonderful experience like we did.

Trying to plan our trip to Machu Picchu and the sacred valley online was confusing and stressful but Kristy smoothed out everything for us. She arranged transportation and provided us with an extremely knowledgeable guide, David. He was widely read and taught us about so much of the history of the Inca and pre-Incan peoples of the area. Our visit to Peru was much richer than we would have had on our own. We will use the KimKim team again.

I would say that the service received by Jesús Martel was beyond great. He coordinated a fantastic itinerary for our 6-day trip to Peru. Whenever I had a question, he replied immediately. If I needed a change in the plan and no matter how many questions I had, he replied promptly. In addition, he has a pleasant, positive and upbeat outlook and I would definitely recommend him to anyone and everyone. ¡Un millón de gracias, Jesús!
One of the guides who took us to historic downtown Lima and to... read more

I would say that the service received by Jesús Martel was beyond great. He coordinated a fantastic itinerary for our 6-day trip to Peru. Whenever I had a question, he replied immediately. If I needed a change in the plan and no matter how many questions I had, he replied promptly. In addition, he has a pleasant, positive and upbeat outlook and I would definitely recommend him to anyone and everyone. ¡Un millón de gracias, Jesús!
One of the guides who took us to historic downtown Lima and to the horseback riding tour is named Rodrigo. He was very knowledgeable about everything and pointed out many sites and anecdotes.
Diego Zimmerman was with us all the way when we requested a change in hotel. He is also polite and easy-going when confronted with our request!
I love, love, Peruvian Soul and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I wouldn't have known about them if it wasn't for kimkim.
Thank you all!

Our guide Gino and the driver were fabulous. Our tour was for two full days and one night with transfers to and from our cruise ship. We combined every tour the cruise ship offered, added a few stops, had a very clean comfortable private coach and paid a reasonable price. Every aspect of the tour exceeded our expectation. Great job by Kimkim arranging the tour when other companies could not. The selection of driver and guide were nothing short of outstanding. Too many attractions for me to... read more

Our guide Gino and the driver were fabulous. Our tour was for two full days and one night with transfers to and from our cruise ship. We combined every tour the cruise ship offered, added a few stops, had a very clean comfortable private coach and paid a reasonable price. Every aspect of the tour exceeded our expectation. Great job by Kimkim arranging the tour when other companies could not. The selection of driver and guide were nothing short of outstanding. Too many attractions for me to comment on but one that stands out was the Peruvian horse show. The site for this show was beyond words. A suggestion for Clara is to always send guests to this horse farm. Gracias to all!

Great trip organized by Clara. All the tours and guidres were simply amazing and added up to the whole experience!

James was readily available to arrange me a guide for a hike in the mountains just one day in advance. The guide Washington had very good knowledge about the area and nature. Although I paid to have private transfer, we only used public transport. Just something to be aware of when you make your bookings. Other than that; highly suggest KimKim.

Slightly tricky to say who we are reviewing here; all the preliminary bookings, queries etc were expertly handled by Fiama, our KImKim representative in Cusco, but in reality both our trips were organised and run by Andean Lodges, a local company there, and their people were delightful. Especially helpful was that their rep, (Alphonso?) came to our accommodation before the trips to give us a briefing and answer questions, and he looked after the luggage we didn’t need whilst we were in the... read more

Slightly tricky to say who we are reviewing here; all the preliminary bookings, queries etc were expertly handled by Fiama, our KImKim representative in Cusco, but in reality both our trips were organised and run by Andean Lodges, a local company there, and their people were delightful. Especially helpful was that their rep, (Alphonso?) came to our accommodation before the trips to give us a briefing and answer questions, and he looked after the luggage we didn’t need whilst we were in the mountains. Our first trip, to Machu Picchu by minibus/train/bus seemed daunting at first because it required us to juggle several sheets of paper tickets for the various stages of the trip, but everything worked out well and our guide on the day was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was an intense 4 hrs there, though, and with a touch of stomachs-sickness I would have liked to be able to just sit and rest for an hour or so. The included meal afterwards was excellent - but one suggestion from me; it was not explained which part of the menu applied to us, we were lucky that people on the next table had already worked it out.
Next trip - 3 days hike - was great, but let it be noted that altitude sickness made it far tougher than the website hinted at. The Lodges themselves were fabulous, much grander and impressive than the website had suggested. The best aspect of this trip was what I least expected - that the native Indian “road crew” , despite the language barrier, were great fun and good company, whilst staying discreet and not intrusive. Our guides (on different stages), Jeremy and Jacqueline, were excellent and genuinely were enjoying it as much as we did.

Can thoroughly recommend Andean Lodges to anyone looking to do these kind of experiences. One recommendation to the organisers, though - whilst we were totally expecting to give tips to the gang, it was unclear how much, to how many, and when, which could have been a bit awkward (we bluffed our way through) - so a bit more up-front clarity around that would be welcome.

Thanks, everyone!

Stars More than 5
Prompt
Exactly as what is needed
Timely arrivals

I would recommend to anyone.

We recently came back from Peru - we are a family of four (kids are 3 and 5). Kristy was absolutely spectacular. She was responsive and communicating with us throughout our trip. She quickly and efficiently resolved little hiccups along the way. In Lima, our tour guide David was amazing! He was incredibly knowledgeable and more than willing to accommodate variations in our itinerary. From Cuzco to the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, we had the same guide - Flor. I cannot put into words... read more

We recently came back from Peru - we are a family of four (kids are 3 and 5). Kristy was absolutely spectacular. She was responsive and communicating with us throughout our trip. She quickly and efficiently resolved little hiccups along the way. In Lima, our tour guide David was amazing! He was incredibly knowledgeable and more than willing to accommodate variations in our itinerary. From Cuzco to the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu, we had the same guide - Flor. I cannot put into words how wonderful she was. She has a 5 year old daughter, and was able to anticipate the needs of our children to a tee. Not only was she an amazing tour guide, but she was more than willing to act an extra set of hands for our children. Even now, they still ask for Tia Flor! We were nervous travelling with young kids, but thanks to Kristy and her team, everything was well organized and seamless. Thank you so much for an amazing vacation!

Steve was very responsive. Nestor, our guide, Alex and Guido as well as our boat crew were excellent. The trip accommodations were more basic than expected. The definition of our overnight accommodations as lodges was stretching it. Hot water did not exist for the entire trip. The activities were outstanding!

My trek to Ausangate was the trip of a lifetime and Quechua Treks is a first-class company. Quechua was extremely responsive immediately after my first email inquiry and provided me with three great trek options. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the area and their crew couldn't have been better. Rolfi, my guide, was beyond personable, funny, flexible and extremely experienced. Always felt safe and like I was experiencing and learning so much about the area and culture because of... read more

My trek to Ausangate was the trip of a lifetime and Quechua Treks is a first-class company. Quechua was extremely responsive immediately after my first email inquiry and provided me with three great trek options. They are incredibly knowledgeable about the area and their crew couldn't have been better. Rolfi, my guide, was beyond personable, funny, flexible and extremely experienced. Always felt safe and like I was experiencing and learning so much about the area and culture because of his years of experience.

Loved Edgar, our cook. His food was amazing and he's experienced to cater to any dietary needs.

All in all, couldn't have asked for a better experience and I have traveled to many places around the world.

David was excellent would definitely recommend him and the company.

Edy was the best!! Local tour guide made the trip an awesome experience.
Kimkim company meet our needs but there would have been less travel stress with increased communication form the company. More emails, quick call or check in would have been easy to do and made our travels much better.

Kristy was absolutely incredible! From planning the trip, to the level of communication we received during the trip, I felt well taken care of throughout the whole thing. Kristy was able to create a custom experience for a trip to Peru for my friend and I. No matter what we threw her way (new locations, different sights to see), she was able to revise our itenerary quickly each time while giving us real-time feedback on what she would recommend.

During the trip, my friend and I truly felt... read more

Kristy was absolutely incredible! From planning the trip, to the level of communication we received during the trip, I felt well taken care of throughout the whole thing. Kristy was able to create a custom experience for a trip to Peru for my friend and I. No matter what we threw her way (new locations, different sights to see), she was able to revise our itenerary quickly each time while giving us real-time feedback on what she would recommend.

During the trip, my friend and I truly felt like we were VIP. When we arrived at each destination, there would be someone waiting for us to take us to our hotel. It was completely stress-free! The majority of the tours were private, meaning my friend and I could ask all the questions we wanted. We felt like we got the most out of each experience. The tour guides were so friendly and passionate about the history behind each sight or destination.

I would highly recommend traveling through KimKim (as long as all the agents are as incredible as Kristy). It takes the stress out of planning, booking and traveling throughout a foreign country.

5 stars all around :)

Once again another absolutely amazing trip with Quechua Treks. Our guide, Wilson was amazing, as were every single one of our porters (whose names, unfortunately I can't remember). Wilson was a gem, took extra time with my daughter, who has never been to Peru. He got some truly exceptional photos of us along the trek. The planning was seamless and tons of fun thanks to all the hard work from Haley and crew at Quechua Treks. The food was beyond amazing, I always look forward to the food... read more

Once again another absolutely amazing trip with Quechua Treks. Our guide, Wilson was amazing, as were every single one of our porters (whose names, unfortunately I can't remember). Wilson was a gem, took extra time with my daughter, who has never been to Peru. He got some truly exceptional photos of us along the trek. The planning was seamless and tons of fun thanks to all the hard work from Haley and crew at Quechua Treks. The food was beyond amazing, I always look forward to the food on these treks, the chef is a true magician. He even took into account my daughter's crazy stomach and make what she liked and could eat. She liked the avocado disc so well, she got the recipe from him!!! I love love this group of people!!!

I would like to wish everybody that made my trip so memorable a HUGE thank you. Thank you KimKim for the ease of which you made booking and organizing my recent trip to Peru and Bolivia.

I had been wanting to do this trip for a long time but had previously been put off just thinking of all the organisation it would take. One day I happened to type in to google 'Peru and Bolivia' and their 11 day itinerary popped up, which was exactly what I wanted to do and see. Once I contacted KimKim... read more

I would like to wish everybody that made my trip so memorable a HUGE thank you. Thank you KimKim for the ease of which you made booking and organizing my recent trip to Peru and Bolivia.

I had been wanting to do this trip for a long time but had previously been put off just thinking of all the organisation it would take. One day I happened to type in to google 'Peru and Bolivia' and their 11 day itinerary popped up, which was exactly what I wanted to do and see. Once I contacted KimKim they transferred me to the Wonderful Clara who was AMAZING. She was quick to respond to all my questions and happy to swap and change out the Itinerary. When we were there the tour operators, drivers and guides could not have been more helpful. The only time we had to wait was when I was an hour early for a meeting! Seriously they were never late and the trip worked like clockwork. I spoke to some other travelers who were only complaining about their tour company.

Thank you KimKim and a MASSIVE thank you to Clara and her team. You made the holiday so enjoyable. I definitely recommend KimKim and if going to Peru ask for Clara she's wonderful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Jason - London

A little more guidance as to what is needed each day. A better time line ahead of time. Boxed lunches for Manchu Picchu were heavy and unnecessary since they couldn't be eaten while at the ruins. Did a good job knowing time we needed to acclimate. Great trip- we loved our guide, Ruben. Nicole was very helpful in addition details for my trip to Bolivia Well done. We would recommend to my friends

I had the most incredible trip to Peru! Kristy was amazing to work with from the planning stages to preparing for the trip, to every detail during the trip! For planning, Kristy listened to what we wanted to get out of our trip and planned the perfect, custom itinerary. She was quick to respond and listened to our needs and helped us stay realistic when we were trying to cram too much into our time in Peru.

During our trip, everything was seamless and stress free. We had amazing guides the... read more

I had the most incredible trip to Peru! Kristy was amazing to work with from the planning stages to preparing for the trip, to every detail during the trip! For planning, Kristy listened to what we wanted to get out of our trip and planned the perfect, custom itinerary. She was quick to respond and listened to our needs and helped us stay realistic when we were trying to cram too much into our time in Peru.

During our trip, everything was seamless and stress free. We had amazing guides the entire trip! From David & our food tour in Lima, to Lucas & Efrain who took us to the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina and lastly Edwin, who was an expert on all things in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu. Every guide was well-informed, fun and adjusted everything to fit our needs.

Our hotels were are all in great locations, they were all cute & fun to stay in. Transportation was also a breeze, with Kristy doing an amazing job making getting from A to B so easy. Someone was always greeting us with a smiling face.

Kristy was amazing to work with. It was an incredible trip & would 100% recommend working with Kristy to anyone who is traveling to Peru!

We had a fantastic trip, trip of a lifetime really. Everyone was super helpful from the early stages of planning, a number of changes in dates and people right down to the actual trip where everything was organized well and worked out pretty much exactly how I imagined it. Northern Peru was amazing, super interesting and off the beaten path. The guides were amazing and we learned so much. English guides were hard to come by in the North, but all the Peruvians we met were super friendly and... read more

We had a fantastic trip, trip of a lifetime really. Everyone was super helpful from the early stages of planning, a number of changes in dates and people right down to the actual trip where everything was organized well and worked out pretty much exactly how I imagined it. Northern Peru was amazing, super interesting and off the beaten path. The guides were amazing and we learned so much. English guides were hard to come by in the North, but all the Peruvians we met were super friendly and patient with us. The Inca Trail was just a fantastic experience all around. Zac and crew were amazing and we felt like we had the Andes to ourselves. Highly recommended.

Amazing trip! Have not done much traveling outside the U.S., so was a bit nervous. Our travel specialist was James Mackender, and he made us feel very at easy with traveling abroad in Peru. Everything was perfectly planned--flights, pick-ups and drop-offs. Our guide for the Treehouse Lodge/Iquitos was Guido. Very knowledgeable, spoke excellent english, friendly, very personable. The Treehouse Lodge was beautiful, and the day and night excursions were once in a lifetime. Our next part... read more

Amazing trip! Have not done much traveling outside the U.S., so was a bit nervous. Our travel specialist was James Mackender, and he made us feel very at easy with traveling abroad in Peru. Everything was perfectly planned--flights, pick-ups and drop-offs. Our guide for the Treehouse Lodge/Iquitos was Guido. Very knowledgeable, spoke excellent english, friendly, very personable. The Treehouse Lodge was beautiful, and the day and night excursions were once in a lifetime. Our next part of our Journey in Peru was seamless--the guide from the Treehouse took us directly to the river boat. The 7 man crew on the Spondias was amazing. They were so attentive, knowledgable about the amazon and Peru. My favorite part of this portion of the trip was when we spent time with a local family at the river village. They invited us into their home, we shared some food, and discussed the commonalty and differences of our daily lives. Our guide on the Spondias was Charlie, and he likes birds and was very knowledgeable about the different species of birds. Our chef, Francisco, was wonderful and his creations were excellent. Our waiter/purser was Jairo, he was a friendly young man, full of knowledge and we practiced english and spanish together. The only flaw was that we missed our connecting flight in Lima to Cusco. After an hour of being sent to 5 different desks to get our flight rescheduled, one phone call to James and in 10 minutes the whole situation was remedied. It relieved so much stress to know that James was looking after us. The last stretch of our trip was to Cusco and Machu picchu, and Zac was our guide. Zac was, hands down, the best guide I have ever had. He was so knowledgeable about Peru, Cusco, Incan history, Machu Picchu. The way he introduced us to Machu Picchu was perfect, and he even took video of our initial reaction to seeing this Wonder of the World. He was so kind, so enthusiastic, I definitely would do another trip with him as our guide.

This trip was just perfect. James did an amazing job listening to what we wanted to do, and making all of those wishes come true. Will definitely be using James and/or KimKim again when we travel!!

This was a 5 Star trip, very well organised by Clara, it all went so well it even surprised us. All drivers were there on time, every step was very well sorted out.
Just to give a small suggestion for the next time, I would leave a bit more free time as we couldn't relax or have some more time off to just enjoy the places such as Cusco. The tour including Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo was like a rally...we had 7 minutes to explore Pisac- it was either walking around or going to the... read more

This was a 5 Star trip, very well organised by Clara, it all went so well it even surprised us. All drivers were there on time, every step was very well sorted out.
Just to give a small suggestion for the next time, I would leave a bit more free time as we couldn't relax or have some more time off to just enjoy the places such as Cusco. The tour including Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo was like a rally...we had 7 minutes to explore Pisac- it was either walking around or going to the toilet...one choice...and Urubamba was really a road restaurant only. Whereas for Ollantaytambo which was an amazing place, both the ruins and the town we just had some time with the guide and no time to explore and feel the beautiful town. We had to rush to the station to go to Aguas Calientes. It maybe too much for one day...maybe just Ollantaytambo is such a rich experience that there was no need to see the others and to have a lunch at a road restaurant.
Apart from this suggestion, I must say I had a great time, Clara booked us Cicciolina, wich was a great choice of restaurant in Cusco, and also was there for all we needed. I will certainly reccommend the agency and Kim Kim.
Do you have a Brazilian version of the site?
Many thanks
Lorena

Great experience in the Sacred Valley with Nicole and her team...they easily redirected a plan that turned out to be too ambitious, into one that was the highlight of our trip, a hike along an old Inka trail down the mountains through the Pisac ruins. the drivers and guides were wonderful. Scott

I contacted Steve with KimKim travel after striking out with other agencies who were unable to build an "off the beaten path" adventure to Peru. Steve listed and then executed an amazing itinerary which far exceed our expectations.

We had a great time in Peru. We had no issues with transportation and the hotels were great. Clara did a great job and I really enjoyed the tours and Machu Picchu hike and visit. One of my most memorable vacations for sure.

We only had an issue with the amount of events scheduled in our itinerary. By the last two days, we were burned out. Also, prior to booking, we weren't told about the times of the outings. For example, some treks started at 3 am and we were not made aware until it was too... read more

We had a great time in Peru. We had no issues with transportation and the hotels were great. Clara did a great job and I really enjoyed the tours and Machu Picchu hike and visit. One of my most memorable vacations for sure.

We only had an issue with the amount of events scheduled in our itinerary. By the last two days, we were burned out. Also, prior to booking, we weren't told about the times of the outings. For example, some treks started at 3 am and we were not made aware until it was too late. I'd recommend that if you could send the itineraries with the times on it before people book it would make it easier. If I had seen that, I may have changed some of the events or noticed that it may be too many events for me.

We had a truly amazing trip! We spent 16 days in Peru and visited Cusco, the Amazon, Lima, sacred valley and Lake Titicaca. Despite the complexity of the trip, everything was like clock-work! It was a great combination of hiking, exploring, experiencing the local culture and city visits. Nicole did a great job of staying in touch with us throughout the trip and making sure we were well taken care of. Our guides were superb! They were all very knowledgeable and friendly. Especially our sacred valley guide Rubin did an amazing job!

Thank you!
Ayca

From start to finish, this was an incredible experience. Trip planning was super easy. Trekking was super hard and completely worth it. Our guide, Rolfi, was fantastic, the food was fantastic (thanks to Edgar), the landscapes and people are fantastic.

James did an awesome job. Due to bad weather conditions, we had to change to a different route and he met all my needs. The Choquequirao Trek was beautiful, my guide Noé was fit, knowledgeable and always in a good mood. The equipment was brand new and well suited for the trek. I was able to get a special diet during the trek and the food tasted very good. The cook and horseman worked really hard! I thank James for this five star experience in the Andes!

We had an amazing trip, all of our guides made us feel welcome and our experience will be lasting forever. I will highly recommend your services to my friends and will also engage your services again on another trip to South America. The price was right and the level of accommodation was perfect for the trip. Maybe a tent each would of been a little better after a long days hike. We also enjoyed the company of the photo crew, they were amazing. We were promised a copy of the photos and film of the trip, but have not received this. Thank you for your services on behalf of our group.

James is such a wonderful specialist and I had the best experience with him. Before, during, and after the trip, he was thorough in keeping contact and made sure that we were on the same page about all of our treks and events we were planning on doing while in Peru. He gave lots of tips about what to pack for a trip such as this one, a trek through the Andes. He went above and beyond all of my expectations; his encouragement and enthusiasm for planning and following through with this trip... read more

James is such a wonderful specialist and I had the best experience with him. Before, during, and after the trip, he was thorough in keeping contact and made sure that we were on the same page about all of our treks and events we were planning on doing while in Peru. He gave lots of tips about what to pack for a trip such as this one, a trek through the Andes. He went above and beyond all of my expectations; his encouragement and enthusiasm for planning and following through with this trip made the Peru adventure a life-changing experience for the better! He set us up with a tour company named "Peru Expeditions Tours" where we met Edwin and Eric Lliuya. Edwin was our official tour guide in Huaraz and the Cordillera Huayhuash. Edwin is a great tour guide who has lots of expert experience. I felt very safe and had such a fun time. Both hiking throughout the mountains and experiencing Peruvian culture changed my perspective on traveling and living, all due to James and Edwin. Working with James and the group at KimKim was the best option for traveling. I will definitely use KimKim again when I travel.

Everything was so awesome ..I'm so glad I met Kristy. She is did a great job:)

Our family’s trip to Peru was amazing, and a lot of the success is owed to our specialist Kristy. She was fully involved in our trip planning and spoke with my wife multiple times to answer all of our questions and help plan out a custom package. Upon arrival, she met us at the airport and ensured that every step of the way was taken care of. While in Peru, Kristy was always just a phone call away - she went above and beyond multiple times to ensure that our trip was smooth and a success. In... read more

Our family’s trip to Peru was amazing, and a lot of the success is owed to our specialist Kristy. She was fully involved in our trip planning and spoke with my wife multiple times to answer all of our questions and help plan out a custom package. Upon arrival, she met us at the airport and ensured that every step of the way was taken care of. While in Peru, Kristy was always just a phone call away - she went above and beyond multiple times to ensure that our trip was smooth and a success. In several instances, she came to meet us to help and to ensure that our trip was the best. I can’t say enough good about the kimkim experience and our specialist Kristy - I am grateful for our experience.

The whole trip was amazing. Alexandra and Julio were very knowledgeable guides and both went out of their way to make our trip as pleasant and fun as possible. Machu Picchu was amazing and our guide made sure we got the best shots which is priceless taking into account how packed it was. Clara was super helpful and always ready to answer any questions and accommodate changes in our schedule. Thank you guys for making our trip to Peru such a memorable and special experience!!

Steve and Katy and the Aspiring Adventures team did a great job. They helped plan and set up a highly custom tour of Peru for us and really dealt with a lot of added complexity and changes when the weather impacted the original trek we had planned; and then when one of us had some health issues and had to change plans. Really appreciated their hard work and expertise. Very happy with the trip.

Our guides arranged by Aspiring Adventures (Arturo in Lima, Justino in Sacred Valley/Trek/Machu... read more

Steve and Katy and the Aspiring Adventures team did a great job. They helped plan and set up a highly custom tour of Peru for us and really dealt with a lot of added complexity and changes when the weather impacted the original trek we had planned; and then when one of us had some health issues and had to change plans. Really appreciated their hard work and expertise. Very happy with the trip.

Our guides arranged by Aspiring Adventures (Arturo in Lima, Justino in Sacred Valley/Trek/Machu Picchu/Cusco, and Wilhelm for Mt. Biking) were all fantastic. Highlights:

In Lima, Arturo took us to the Central Market and we walked around and tried about 15-20 kinds of fruit that don't exist in North America, and then took us to a local place (we were the only tourists there) for a fantastic lunch. If you are a foodie, don't skip Lima and see if you can book Arturo.

Trekking was great, stunning, but at those altitudes actually quite hard--be aware. Even if you are in good shape hard to catch your breath.

Machu Picchu and the hike from there up Waynapicchu were fantastic. It is amazing that a place as celebrated at Machu Picchu can still exceed expectations. If you aren't trekking in, make sure to get in line for the bus by 4:30 or 5:00 am to miss most of the crowds and see the sunrise. (Our guide made sure we did and it was well worth it.)

We went Mt. Biking in Sacred Valley for a half day followed by a gourmet picnic in the most beautiful setting (all arranged by our guides). First time Mt. Biking for all of us. It was amazing. Route chosen was 90% downhill and exciting but manageable for first timers. Totally recommend (my 15 year old declared this day to be the best thing we have ever done on any trip.)

Aspiring Adventures also arranged for us to have a cooking class in Cusco at Marcelo Batata with Chef Jose. (http://www.cuscocookingworkshop.com/culinary-experiences/cooking-class-or-culinary-experience/) This was fantastic. We have had great experiences with cooking classes on other trips, but this was by far the most fun and interesting chef/teacher we have ever had.

Highly recommend Aspiring Adventures.

Or southern Peru trip was wonderful. The petroglyph field of Toro Muerto was amazing and the weather for the trip could not have been better. Our favorite places were the area surrounding Colca canyon (such as Sumbay Caves, Mollenpunko Caves, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the reserve with the wild vicuñas and all the wildlife, including the wild flamingos) and the canyon itself with the Andean condors. Another favorite was Puerto Inca, staying at the hotel with the private beach... read more

Or southern Peru trip was wonderful. The petroglyph field of Toro Muerto was amazing and the weather for the trip could not have been better. Our favorite places were the area surrounding Colca canyon (such as Sumbay Caves, Mollenpunko Caves, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the reserve with the wild vicuñas and all the wildlife, including the wild flamingos) and the canyon itself with the Andean condors. Another favorite was Puerto Inca, staying at the hotel with the private beach surrounded by beautiful cliffs and lots of Inca and pre-Inca ruins. Our driver, Luis, did a wonderful job driving and taking care of the car and our guide, Alberto, picked fun places to break up the trip, such as olive stands and small churches. Our guide did seem more interested and engaged in the history around Arequipa and Colca Canyon. Towards the end of the trip he was more interested in his phone than the places or sites so we would explore the areas on our own mostly. Alberto did, through a friend, arrange a last minute change for us in our itinerary as we did decide to fly over the Nazca lines, which was very nice of him to offer to do so. Our guide for Lima, Narda, did an excellent job explaining the history, cultures, trends and politics of all of Peru and was very knowledgable on every subject. She did an amazing job and the driver, Juan Carlos, was excellent and very kind. Narda also pegged all of the food we would like to try and brought us to small food markets and food fairs that were amazing. Our itinerary was full of things to see and fairly fast paced so we did see a lot and most of what was on the itinerary. Clara did a good job arranging the trip at the last minute for us and there was only one miscommunication between us that was ironed out fine in the end. She fit in everything that I wanted to see and we ended up seeing almost all of it. There were some delays in communication over Kim-Kim but I realize that I would also go dark for periods when planning this trip because I was traveling during the time. Recommend the dinosaur footprints attraction more for children - but I am from an area with many dinosaur footprints so it is not such a novelty for me. It would have been nice to have more information about who the guides and drivers would be and how the transfers between places would happen but I also realize that I did not expressly ask for this information.

We just took three teenage boys on an adventure in Peru. We used KimKim to start the trip and Quechua Treks. I can not express what an amazing trip this was. James and Haley were amazing at changing details and getting the trip just right, and Quechua Treks were the best. From hotels, to amazing food, great adventures, and the best guides we have had on any trip. They were also extremely accommodating when we had to make a change mid trip. This was such an amazing company. We could not have done what we did without them. Thank you for making such an amazing memory for our family.

Everything was well organized and really personalized as well. I loved every minute of this trip. Thanks to Clara and the team for organizing such a fantastic experience!

Once again, another amazing trip with Quechua Treks. Their attention to detail is just amazing. Haley and James did a fabulous job planning the trip. Zac offered a great alternative route to our like that was spot on. Daniel, our guide, is a gem, took us around the Sacred Valley showing us some of the amazing locations in the Sacred Valley. Our hotel in Lamay, Nunu, was one of the best I have ever stayed at. Hiking Lares was a real joy with Daniel leading the way. The food Quechua... read more

Once again, another amazing trip with Quechua Treks. Their attention to detail is just amazing. Haley and James did a fabulous job planning the trip. Zac offered a great alternative route to our like that was spot on. Daniel, our guide, is a gem, took us around the Sacred Valley showing us some of the amazing locations in the Sacred Valley. Our hotel in Lamay, Nunu, was one of the best I have ever stayed at. Hiking Lares was a real joy with Daniel leading the way. The food Quechua Treks served us was worthy of a 5 star restaurant. I'm not sure how they managed to bake a cake at 14,000 feet without an oven, but that cake was one of the best I've ever had. Hot water bottles for our sleeping bags on the cold night was a great touch! Daniel also took us up to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, with amazing views of Machu Picchu. Many, many thanks to Haley, James, Zac, Daniel, Salvadore, Leo our chef, and the porters for making this such an amazing trip. I love to hike, and brought a friend with me that is a newbie hiker. Because this was such a great experience she wants to hike more and will be returning next year to Peru with her husband! And I'm bringing another friend to hike next July!

Clara and her entire team were outstanding to work with. They went above and beyond expectations to insure our trip unfolded without a hitch. We had an air travel problem that left us stranded, so a team member came and picked us up, and took us to temporary lodging. Behind the scenes, Clara took care of the chain reaction from the problem, so the trip continued along smooth for us--without a wrinkle in our general enjoyment. Her team also fixed a problem that I created. It was a misread of... read more

Clara and her entire team were outstanding to work with. They went above and beyond expectations to insure our trip unfolded without a hitch. We had an air travel problem that left us stranded, so a team member came and picked us up, and took us to temporary lodging. Behind the scenes, Clara took care of the chain reaction from the problem, so the trip continued along smooth for us--without a wrinkle in our general enjoyment. Her team also fixed a problem that I created. It was a misread of the itinerary in which I had wash done that I would have not been able to pick up. Her team picked up the wash and had it ready at a hotel in time for me to avoid losing a significant amount of my clothes. Our experience with Clara as our travel agent was excellent. She picked well thought-out details that enhanced our experience. Most of all, we could count on her to be there when we needed her. Bravo Clara, and thank-you for the stellar planning of a memorable trip to Peru!

I could not have asked for a more amazing experience on the Lares Trek! Our guide Daniel was phenomenal - it felt like traveling with a good friend. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the land, the history, and the people, and he kept the pace of our journey challenging yet rewarding. Our porters were lovely and our camp cook was an absolute artist. I couldn't believe the meals that were being served to us; they were easily worthy of very expensive restaurants in the US, and here he was... read more

I could not have asked for a more amazing experience on the Lares Trek! Our guide Daniel was phenomenal - it felt like traveling with a good friend. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the land, the history, and the people, and he kept the pace of our journey challenging yet rewarding. Our porters were lovely and our camp cook was an absolute artist. I couldn't believe the meals that were being served to us; they were easily worthy of very expensive restaurants in the US, and here he was cooking them up on a camp stove! The accommodations for the nights we weren't camping were also wonderful. I can't speak highly enough of Nunu Hotel in Lamay! Throughout the entire trip, Daniel made sure that we were doing things we wanted to do at the pace we wanted to do them, and he made optional itinerary change suggestions that really improved our experiences as well. I already want to go back and do another trek with this amazing crew!

Marseille in lima was great however she never showed the catacombs.

Alexandra in cusco was fantastic

Jose was a little stiff at first but got better

Amazing trip to Macchu Picchu with incredible history lesson by Luis! Trek around Ausangate was spectacular! Great food and better people!

We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Dantes. They made us feel safe, gave us local insight into the regions we were traveling and taught us a lot about the history and current events of the areas. The sites were diverse and marvelous. Our favorites were Kuélap and Cumbe Mayo but the other sites we saw were not far behind, such as the Sarcophagi of Karajia or Huaca de la Luna. We had a local guide for the Museo Reales de Sipan who did a wonderful job shepherding is through the museum... read more

We had an excellent guide, Jhon, and driver, Dantes. They made us feel safe, gave us local insight into the regions we were traveling and taught us a lot about the history and current events of the areas. The sites were diverse and marvelous. Our favorites were Kuélap and Cumbe Mayo but the other sites we saw were not far behind, such as the Sarcophagi of Karajia or Huaca de la Luna. We had a local guide for the Museo Reales de Sipan who did a wonderful job shepherding is through the museum in the limited time we had. The scenery is beautiful and every meal somehow was better than the last. Phima, Jhon and Dantes went above and beyond in their advice, recommendations and assistance for the trip.

The tours themselves were not bad but the specialist Clara should be avoided at all costs. Slow to respond, repeatedly failed to answer questions (or gave me incorrect information), and provided misleading descriptions (ex. My 2 day "kayak trip" was about an hour alone in a kayak with a guide and no group before being dropped off to travel by motorboat the entire trip). She sent me a list of things I'd need a long time after I'd left home, 2 days before the trek, so I couldn't get any of them. Please, please do not book with Clara.

Kimkim did not reply to emails. This was frustrating. James switched to Haley three weeks before the trip - we were not happy to have our specialist changed at the last minute without warning. We were disappointed in several aspects of the trip - neither James or Haley properly dealt with the following:
1. Informing us of luggage restrictions within Peru and our trip in particular
2. Informing us of the need for extra Peruvian currency in the small towns (and I asked about cash in... read more

Kimkim did not reply to emails. This was frustrating. James switched to Haley three weeks before the trip - we were not happy to have our specialist changed at the last minute without warning. We were disappointed in several aspects of the trip - neither James or Haley properly dealt with the following:
1. Informing us of luggage restrictions within Peru and our trip in particular
2. Informing us of the need for extra Peruvian currency in the small towns (and I asked about cash in advance)
3. Asking for and providing our seating preferences on domestic flights (no one wants a middle seat)
4. Informing us of the schedule/activities available at our resorts so that reservations could be made in advance to include limited enrollment tours and activities
5. The Inca Trail from the 104km point to Machu Picchu. This trail is very difficult - I was completely under-informed about the rigors of this hike (and I called and asked about it). James/Haley should understand their client base and plan accordingly -

Bottom line, I paid Kimkim/Quechua Treks a large sum of money and neither company met expectations.

Rolfi (Guide) was exceptional. His knowledge of the places we visited and his personality made for a memorable experience. He is easygoing, has a great sense of humor and was extremely flexible when we needed/wanted to make adjustments to the schedule. He was our guide when we arrived July 1st and our friend when we left July 7th.

Juan Carlos (driver) also took great care to make sure we got everywhere safely and even though his english is limited, we were able to have some good... read more

Rolfi (Guide) was exceptional. His knowledge of the places we visited and his personality made for a memorable experience. He is easygoing, has a great sense of humor and was extremely flexible when we needed/wanted to make adjustments to the schedule. He was our guide when we arrived July 1st and our friend when we left July 7th.

Juan Carlos (driver) also took great care to make sure we got everywhere safely and even though his english is limited, we were able to have some good laughs.

Of course, we enjoyed the major sites/cities Rolfi took us to: Machu Picchu, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, etc. What we enjoyed most with Rolfi was when he took us off the "traditional tourist path" to local food and goods markets, restaurants, street food vendors, etc.

I would recommend anyone traveling to Peru to make sure Rolfi is their guide!

Where we do have issue is with the Kimkim - Quechua Treks relationship. We feel there are some areas where the trip could be enhanced - some of the little things that separate the good tour companies from the great tour companies. We paid Kimkim to connect us with a tour company and expected that company to be thorough in communicating all options, opportunities, etc. Naturally, these are issues specific to us and our travel experiences but I am certain many would have similar comments, namely:

1. When arranging the intra-country flights and train schedules, you should ask if travelers have a seating preference. On all internal flights, one of the seats was always a middle seat - very uncomfortable. You should have asked our seat preferences

2. Additional with number 1 above, you should advise price difference for various travel classes. Most people would not be opposed to a minimal upcharge for an upgraded, more comfortable class of travel

3. For meals that were included (we had 2 lunches at restaurants with Rolfi), we understand that alcoholic drinks are extra. However, you could include in the package pricing non-alcoholic drinks. It is one of those "little things" - if you charged me $5 - $10 more a day when we had a restaurant included meal and we could get water, tea, coffee, soda and not have to pay out of pocket, just makes sense. For the amount we paid for the trip, another $10 - $20 would not have been the difference between going and not going

4. With hotels you recommend, you should include an activity sheet for that property. We would have liked to know in advance all the available excursions @ Inketerra Pueblo Machu Picchu and Inketerra Amazonica, especially about the bear project excursion or at the Inketerra Pueblo. We missed out on a couple things we would have included. Knowing in advance helps planning for stays at the properties.

5. You should provide more specifics about baggage limitations for certain internal flights and limitations (train) for going from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu. Had we both done the hike from 104KM, there was no arrangement for bags to get to the hotel

6. We were advised we did not need much local currency almost everything was included. There were many places that took neither US dollars or credit cards so you need to review how you communicate the issue of cash needs.

Hoping these suggestions are helpful in improving your communications with future travelers. Overall, it was a fabulous experience. Rolfi is a tremendous asset to the company!

Please feel free to email or call if you would like to discuss any of these points further.

Fantastic travel planning by Clara and her team on our 15-day trip to Peru. They went above and beyond by helping us rearrange and rebook our schedule when our flight from Cuzco to Puerto Moldonado was cancelled because of weather conditions. They even helped up pick up our laundry and have it delivered to our hotel! I can't say enough good things about them. They helped make our trip to Peru amazing in every way.
We highly recommend them.

Clara planned a perfect getaway for the few days that we were there. A sightseeing excursion that included lunch and a Pisco sour tasting, a bike ride through the city and then a ride to an ancient ruins sight. It was perfect for our time there.

We were in great hands with our guides Aldo (Sacred Valley) and Yuri (Jungle)! We enjoyed their knowledge of the history, animals as well as what was likely to change given current environmental threats. Since our teenage boys moved quite a bit faster than their parents, they spent a lot of time ahead with the guides on some hikes. The notorious hard-to-please teens were also thrilled with this trip. They really enjoyed the mountain biking and the bits of knowledge they gained along the way in both parts of the trip. We'll be back to Peru!

Our guides, Aldo and Yuri, were absolutely awesome. They were both very focused on giving us a good experience and sharing the best of their country with us. All of the food we had on the trip was either very good or excellent. Peruvians definitely care about the quality of their food. Yum!

The one area for improvement would have been a little better information on appropriate clothing and expected whether. Our packing list suggested 3 pair of shorts and 2 pair of long pants. We never wore... read more

Our guides, Aldo and Yuri, were absolutely awesome. They were both very focused on giving us a good experience and sharing the best of their country with us. All of the food we had on the trip was either very good or excellent. Peruvians definitely care about the quality of their food. Yum!

The one area for improvement would have been a little better information on appropriate clothing and expected whether. Our packing list suggested 3 pair of shorts and 2 pair of long pants. We never wore shorts in the Sacred Valley and even though it was warm enough in the jungle for shorts, we chose long pants much of the time because of the bugs. So, we definitely would have been better prepared with more long pants and less shorts.

I highly recommend using this site to plan your trip. It saves a lot of headache and hassle and definitely worth the extra free for some piece of mind. They picked really authentic places that were very high quality, but not crowded by typical tourists. The Lares Trek + Machu Picchu plan was a very good combination for us since it provided a nice challenge through the trek and an amazing experience with the historic world wonder. If you are hesitating, look no further for an easy to use method of booking your next trip.

Aldo, our local guide, was a wonderful, knowledgeable leader and kept the many pieces of our trip in order while also making sure we were all safe and comfortable and that we learned about Peruvian history, culture and natural resources. I cannot speak highly enough of his skills and what a special person he is.
Our chef, Jonah and his assistant Eduardo, also made this trip memorable. The food that they provided for us could have been served at any top-rated restaurant in the world. This was... read more

Aldo, our local guide, was a wonderful, knowledgeable leader and kept the many pieces of our trip in order while also making sure we were all safe and comfortable and that we learned about Peruvian history, culture and natural resources. I cannot speak highly enough of his skills and what a special person he is.
Our chef, Jonah and his assistant Eduardo, also made this trip memorable. The food that they provided for us could have been served at any top-rated restaurant in the world. This was such a delightful and unexpected part of the trip - and they managed to do this three times a day using a kitchen that had to be transported by horseback!
The hiking was strenuous, especially the uphill portions climbing to over 15,000 feet. It challenged all of us on the trip but with Aldo’s help and support from each one of the six people in our tour family, we all conquered the difficulties and were exhilarated by the adventure.

This was a great trip from start to finish. Aldo, the guide, was a pure delight to spend 4 nights and 5 days with. He covered every detail and more; bring hot water bottles to each of us as we were sleeping at 14,000 feet in the Andes to stay warm, bringing coffee or tea to each of us before we got out of bed. The highlights for us were to reach the summit of the Salkantay trail at 15,200 feet, the coffee plantation where we picked the coffee beans, roasted, ground and made coffee and... read more

This was a great trip from start to finish. Aldo, the guide, was a pure delight to spend 4 nights and 5 days with. He covered every detail and more; bring hot water bottles to each of us as we were sleeping at 14,000 feet in the Andes to stay warm, bringing coffee or tea to each of us before we got out of bed. The highlights for us were to reach the summit of the Salkantay trail at 15,200 feet, the coffee plantation where we picked the coffee beans, roasted, ground and made coffee and camping by the mineral hot springs, soaking our tired bodies. The food was gourmet dining, the two cooks were splendid. Manchu Picchu was a day to remember with Aldo providing a tour. I would recommend this trip to anyone, I still have that vacation glow!!!!!

My entire trip to Peru was incredible thanks to the help of Kristy and the rest of the Miski Travels team.

Kristy is an incredibly organized and smart professional. Her deep relationships with the local vendors in the area is an immediate value-add for her clients. In addition, her english/spanish translation is invaluable for english-speaking travelers. She was able to organize everything from travel, entertainment and restaurants to trips outside of Lima such as the famous Manchu Picchu... read more

My entire trip to Peru was incredible thanks to the help of Kristy and the rest of the Miski Travels team.

Kristy is an incredibly organized and smart professional. Her deep relationships with the local vendors in the area is an immediate value-add for her clients. In addition, her english/spanish translation is invaluable for english-speaking travelers. She was able to organize everything from travel, entertainment and restaurants to trips outside of Lima such as the famous Manchu Picchu tour and Paracas.

I highly recommend those traveling to Peru to leverage the expertise of Kristy and the Miski Travel team. Their high-touch service is worth every penny.

I truly cannot say enough good things about this trip and the people involved in the experience. Before the trip, we coordinated with Steve and Katy and our questions were answered and last minute additions handled promptly and easily. I definitely recommend reading all of the information sent carefully and sticking to the packing recommendations. If you are a high information person, definitely call to get the scoop on when meals are, when you are stopping, etc, if you like that kind of... read more

I truly cannot say enough good things about this trip and the people involved in the experience. Before the trip, we coordinated with Steve and Katy and our questions were answered and last minute additions handled promptly and easily. I definitely recommend reading all of the information sent carefully and sticking to the packing recommendations. If you are a high information person, definitely call to get the scoop on when meals are, when you are stopping, etc, if you like that kind of detail.

The trek itself was incredible. We had the amazing Aldo as our guide and he is such an incredible guide and person. He answered our endless questions, had solutions for any issues that came up (altitude sickness, cold temps, fatigue, etc) and kept an endlessly positive attitude throughout. Our chefs, Johan and Eduardo could not have been nicer or more helpful, and the food was beyond expectations. I kept saying that they need to write a cookbook to sell! And they worked with my food allergies too, so I knew I was in good hands. We even had two horsemen who managed the pack horses, the luggage, and the emergency horse for the times when altitude, fatigue, and body injuries were a little too much. Having them there was great peace of mind. Everyone worked so hard and with smiles on their faces and jokes for all.

The trek is certainly challenging physically, especially with the altitude, so I recommend altitude sickness pills ahead of time, a few days in Cusco to acclimate, LOTS of water, and training! It also got to negative temps on the first night beneath the Salkantay mountain (holy gorgeous stars - we saw the Southern Cross!!!) and recommend warm clothing and even hand and toe warmers since they are easy to pack. Our wonderful team had hot water bottles for us for that night which made such a difference! Having a small day pack for rain gear, gloves, snacks (which were often provided) is very helpful as you are not with your bags generally during the day. I had a fanny pack and ended up putting most of my stuff in my mom's day pack. Renting the sleeping bags and mats was also nice since we didn't have to lug those around the airport. It is hard to imagine carrying all of my belongings on my back, so renting a mule was well worth it!

We kept joking that we would almost forget that the end of the trek was Machu Picchu, because honestly if we hadn't done that piece, it still would have been a memorable trip. It was certainly the icing on the cake!

The journey of the trek itself - from the Humantay Lake hike in the beginning to get our "sea legs", to summiting at 15,500 ft, to descending through plantations and jungles and small villages, to eating wild fruit (strawberries, passion fruit, limes) along the way, to the Cocalmayo hot springs, to the coffee plantation, to Machu Picchu (and Wayna Picchu if you are up for an extra 45 min steep ascent that is beautiful!), everything exceeded expectations, especially for the price. Aldo and his team at Aspiring Adventures truly made it easy to enjoy every moment and treated us to a luxurious camping experience. My mother and I carry with us memories of a lifetime and we will never forget it. Thank you to all, especially Aldo, from the bottom of our grateful hearts!

This my second trip as a solo female traveler using kimkim (last year was Nepal) and I have been astounded both times. I will definitely keep using their services for my big trips. I spent 99% of my time in the Sacred Valley - and the trip offered an amazing look into the culture, history and nature of the area.

First, James and I ironed out the basics... what is my general itinerary and where do I want to stay. He was great at making modifications and giving me a series of possible... read more

This my second trip as a solo female traveler using kimkim (last year was Nepal) and I have been astounded both times. I will definitely keep using their services for my big trips. I spent 99% of my time in the Sacred Valley - and the trip offered an amazing look into the culture, history and nature of the area.

First, James and I ironed out the basics... what is my general itinerary and where do I want to stay. He was great at making modifications and giving me a series of possible options throughout the country. Although I originally chose Peru to do a spiritual retreat, James was able to make sure everything around that experience made me comfortable - as well as confirmed with locals that the retreat I had chosen was reputable.

The number one resource they had for me was Rolfi, my guide that did everything from meeting me at the airport with Mario (another amazing human who drove us all around the valley). He made my travels unforgettable. It wasn't just his understanding of the Valley, but his passion for the history. My questions were his fuel and he made me feel always welcome. He even taught me a bit of Spanish which I worked on throughout the trip. I am forever grateful to Rolfi.

We built in the 3 day Lores Trek which blew me away - the views, Rolfi's love of local plants and flowers, the beautiful happy staff of cooks and muleteers... while not easy I was emotional many times overcome by the beauty. At summit, nearly 16,000 feet... I was exhausted, elated and overwhelmed by the experience. Although a shorter trek, I still recommend training for this - especially with lung capacity, balance and leg strength. I absolutely recommend doing it - not touristy at all, so it becomes a very intimate time with you, your thoughts and nature (I believe we crossed the path of another group only twice the entire trek).

Another thing to mention, as a solo female traveler, I was blown away at Quechua Treks desire to check in on me and make sure I was happy. At one point, I found myself feeling alone in a location they put me in. I was embarrassed to admit my discomfort (wanting to be strong and independent), but James, Rolfi and Mayra jumped on helping me change my itinerary and actually put me back in a place I LOVED called Nunus. If you can fit Nunus into your budget... you MUST go there - it's family-owned boutique casitas tucked in the base of the valley in Lamay. It's easy to go to the other local towns like Pisac (only one sole). I spent many hours relaxing there in the sun, reading in a hammock and taking in the fresh Andes air.

What else? There were so many things like going to Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo, rock climbing, day hikes, town visits, celebrations... its a beautiful colorful culture with a love for music, dancing and color. I'm glad I stayed the entire time in that region. And it gives me incentive to come back to explore Lima, the Jungle and more of Cusco. Tell James or your guide what types of things interest you because the options are limitless in Peru.

Also, packing... I know you'll read it elsewhere. I packed light and purchased clothes (and two souvenir duffle bags) at the local markets, mainly in Pisac. Just know that you'll need everything from shorts to thermals. So, you should definitely bring camping items and clothing - because they aren't available in the Valley (outside the city of Cusco), and use the local markets to buy their colorful pants, tops and ponchos. If you like shopping, ask Rolfi about Chinchero - he showed me quite the find there where the ladies taught me about how they make their textiles and then I went crazy snatching up things for my friends and family back home.

You can find photos of my experience on IG @kknape

Aldo was an amazing guide who went above and beyond all expectations!

We hiked the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in mid-May, 2018. Our guide, Ruben, was really wonderful - very friendly, enthusiastic, and kind, good English, a font of information about local cultures and the natural world, and just great company. Nicole was patient, helpful, and responsive in the trip selection and preparation. The trek itself was really beautiful and rewarding - it turned out to be a great choice and we're really glad we did it. We LOVED the small-group format (max. 5... read more

We hiked the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in mid-May, 2018. Our guide, Ruben, was really wonderful - very friendly, enthusiastic, and kind, good English, a font of information about local cultures and the natural world, and just great company. Nicole was patient, helpful, and responsive in the trip selection and preparation. The trek itself was really beautiful and rewarding - it turned out to be a great choice and we're really glad we did it. We LOVED the small-group format (max. 5 people) - and ended up being the only ones on the trip so Ruben was our private guide! We were very appreciate of having warm beds to sleep in (in modest lodging) because it got REALLY cold at night, below freezing at the highest elevation (bring many layers!!!). The food was quite yummy, sufficient, and we appreciated the local flavors. And in case you're wondering, the trip is a great value - you definitely get your money's worth!

A few caveats: we are in our 50's/60's and in good shape (we hike/work out regularly but are not "hard core fitness buffs". This hike was the hardest physical endeavor we've done - thank goodness we had beautiful, sunny, dry weather! We heard tales of misery about doing the hike in the rain (very muddy and slippery trails) and overcast skies - so I'd advise avoiding this trip during the rainy season November - April. There are a lot of loose rocks in many sections of the trail (though few steps, which we were thankful for) and several steep inclines/descents so hiking poles are a must! We had originally thought of also doing a bike trip, but are REALLY glad we decided not to, because we were worn out after the trek (diarrhea/sore bodies happen!) - we opted for cultural/historical tours through another great outfit, Unique Peru Tours. Oh, and make SURE you acclimate to the high altitude for at least 3 days before you attempt the hike, no matter how young and fit you are!

Thank you, Nicole and Ruben, for making this a wonderful, memorable trip!

so this wasn’t just you’re average planned trip, I was in a bind from a last minute trip because i had broken up with my ex girlfriend, flights were paid for. looking online i discovered kimkim, so i thought i’d give it a shot. I was referred to james on kimkim, was the best trip planner i could ask for, he was very accomadating to my needs, even helped me out when i got to cusco for my shortened trek, trip to machu picchu, day tour to salt mines, moray and sacred valley! His team are very... read more

so this wasn’t just you’re average planned trip, I was in a bind from a last minute trip because i had broken up with my ex girlfriend, flights were paid for. looking online i discovered kimkim, so i thought i’d give it a shot. I was referred to james on kimkim, was the best trip planner i could ask for, he was very accomadating to my needs, even helped me out when i got to cusco for my shortened trek, trip to machu picchu, day tour to salt mines, moray and sacred valley! His team are very professional and handle everyone to their needs and wants in treks and tours around peru! also had met james personally as i was travelling alone, he’s a great planner as well now a great friend! i plan on returning soon and meeting up again with james!

The trip was just spectacular !!!! Since day 1, everyone was just amazing. Incredible knowledge from the guides in the Amazon and in Peru. We had as our guides Juan Carlos with Rainforest Expeditions in the Amazon and Mayra from Quechua Treks on the Inca Trail. Both guides were really fantastic and were essential in making our trip so great. KimKim took really good care of us, always communicated promptly, and connected us with some amazing locals. They were able to help us plan our trip with... read more

The trip was just spectacular !!!! Since day 1, everyone was just amazing. Incredible knowledge from the guides in the Amazon and in Peru. We had as our guides Juan Carlos with Rainforest Expeditions in the Amazon and Mayra from Quechua Treks on the Inca Trail. Both guides were really fantastic and were essential in making our trip so great. KimKim took really good care of us, always communicated promptly, and connected us with some amazing locals. They were able to help us plan our trip with everything we wanted and they made our trip extremely enjoyable. We were very impressed and will definitely use KimKim again in the future.

Christy did a super good job accommodating all my special requests and last minute changes. We were supposed to fly into Lima but a delayed United flight caused us to miss our connection in Houston. I found a flight into Quito that put us there two days earlier than we planned to visit this city. Christy quickly fixed things, had a pick-up waiting for us at that new airport and had a hotel room waiting for us. Another memorable person was David who took us on an all-day food tour in Lima. He... read more

Christy did a super good job accommodating all my special requests and last minute changes. We were supposed to fly into Lima but a delayed United flight caused us to miss our connection in Houston. I found a flight into Quito that put us there two days earlier than we planned to visit this city. Christy quickly fixed things, had a pick-up waiting for us at that new airport and had a hotel room waiting for us. Another memorable person was David who took us on an all-day food tour in Lima. He has a great fun loving personality for a tour guide. He will teach you how to make a Pisco Sour and Ceviche, tour a market and have lunch with a great view of the ocean. Other tour guides in Equador and Peru seemed to want to tell us lots of details about each city, suburbs, and counties. Things like population and square meters. I'm not sure maybe they need to know such information to pass their Tour Guide Exam. We finally mentioned to one that we were more interested in learning about the culture, history, flora, and fauna. The tour got a little more interesting at that point.

We were 7 members of one family , all over 55, who wished to go on a birding adventure in Peru. Katy Shorthouse of Aspiring Adventures listened carefully to our requests . She did an amazing job of meeting our needs and desires so in the end we had an exceptional trip. Our guides Nestor and Luis were wonderful, the food provided by chef Alex was fantastic, the accomodations were comfortable and the tour ran like clockwork. Katy provided personalised service at every stage of our trip. Both... read more

We were 7 members of one family , all over 55, who wished to go on a birding adventure in Peru. Katy Shorthouse of Aspiring Adventures listened carefully to our requests . She did an amazing job of meeting our needs and desires so in the end we had an exceptional trip. Our guides Nestor and Luis were wonderful, the food provided by chef Alex was fantastic, the accomodations were comfortable and the tour ran like clockwork. Katy provided personalised service at every stage of our trip. Both Manu National Park and Machu Picchu blew our minds.The Inca heritage in Cuzco was fascinating. If you are considering a guided tour to Peru, Aspiring Adventures will surpass your expectations.

We had already booked our flights to Peru, so we had very specific dates to plan our trip to Machu Picchu around. Nicole asked us what we wanted to do and worked around our dates to create a great itinerary. Each day of our trip was planned out for us, including accommodations and most meals. We were able to see Machu Picchu and even got to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu!

Nicole made sure that all of our last minute needs were met and even gave us recommendations for our time in Lima after our tour with KimKim.

They were extremely helpful when any traveling issues arose such as forgetting my passport or extending my stay in ollantaytambo and our guide was very knowledgeable about the Incan civilization and was able to tell us all about the places we were hiking through. The only thing I would have wished was different was that we could have spent more time touring macho picchu with the guide before getting to hike up the mountains.

We had an amazing trip to Peru thanks to Fiama and Andean Lodges! We did a 4-day trek through the Ausangate Region with guides Luis and Bruno who were very knowledgeable about the local area and culture and made sure we were well taken care of. The lodges were comfortable and clean and the staff were very accommodating. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, a trek in the Ausangate region with Andean Lodges is it! Thank you!

Quechua Treks did not disappoint! James, Mayra and Zac did an amazing job organizing our trip! This truly was a customized trip and they made it happen for us without any issues along the way. Accommodation, food, staff...all fantastic! Rolfi and Felix were our guides and both made our trip that much better! Everybody at Quechua Treks went above and beyond and made our trip that much more memorable. Thank you!

I'm a traveler success manager at kimkim, and I booked part of my recent trip to Peru with James at Unu Raymi.

I had been itching to check out the Amazon rainforest, but knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to explore during my recent trip to South America. James helped me plan a great 3-day trip to Huitoto Lodge; a beautiful, family-owned, remote lodge in the Tambopata region of the Peruvian Amazon.

Huitoto Lodge is situated on the bank of its very own oxbow lake, slightly removed... read more

I'm a traveler success manager at kimkim, and I booked part of my recent trip to Peru with James at Unu Raymi.

I had been itching to check out the Amazon rainforest, but knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to explore during my recent trip to South America. James helped me plan a great 3-day trip to Huitoto Lodge; a beautiful, family-owned, remote lodge in the Tambopata region of the Peruvian Amazon.

Huitoto Lodge is situated on the bank of its very own oxbow lake, slightly removed from the powerful Madre de Dios river. This location affords the lodge a great amount of privacy, peace, and access to pristine jungle areas.

Each day, I had the opportunity to participate in different excursions with my guide, Efrain, including jungle walks, birding, fishing, and caiman-watching. In the downtime between activities, I enjoyed reading and relaxing in the peace and quiet of the lodge.

During my stay, I also had the pleasure of meeting the owners of the lodge, Flor and Gilberto. The two built the lodge together to share the beauty of the region with travelers, and to protect the land and its inhabitants in perpetuity. They take pride in providing great experiences for all of their guests. I should mention, Flor also helps out in the kitchen and is an excellent cook.

My favorite memory from my stay is of the boat trip I took around the island located in the middle of the oxbow lake. Efrain, Elmer (the boat driver), and I had the lake all to ourselves, so we had the opportunity to see an incredible amount of flora and fauna without interruption. On our way around the island, Efrain pointed out one spider monkey and two howler monkeys. He said that Flor and Gilberto had rescued these monkeys from illegal trafficking, and had given them a home on this island where they could remain free, but also protected from territorial monkeys in the mainland jungle areas. I loved seeing these monkeys playing in the wild!

I feel very fortunate that I had the opportunity to experience this unique lodge, and meet some of the passionate people behind its success.

My husband and I have travelled much of the world and we would put this as one of our top trips. The country was beautiful, the people were amazing.
Nicole helped arrange everything for us and it was a perfect combination of trekking and learning about the local people and their cultures.
Our guide Ruben was fantastic!! He catered to us and went above and beyond to help us and to make our experience as memorable as possible. As an experienced guide, we slowed him down but he waited... read more

My husband and I have travelled much of the world and we would put this as one of our top trips. The country was beautiful, the people were amazing.
Nicole helped arrange everything for us and it was a perfect combination of trekking and learning about the local people and their cultures.
Our guide Ruben was fantastic!! He catered to us and went above and beyond to help us and to make our experience as memorable as possible. As an experienced guide, we slowed him down but he waited patiently for us with a smile! All of the people we met along the way seemed very comfortable with Ruben and were very welcoming to us.
When we left Toronto to head to Peru both of us were a bit scared as to what was ahead of us for a trek, but we made it and Ruben helped us every step of the way.

I have suggested to my friends and family to do the same trek, it is a trip we will always remember and cherish.
thanks to Nicole and Ruben!!

I and my wife joined my sister and her fiance on a visit to Peru 4/2018.

From the start, James at KimKim was always available to answers questions and helped us get set up with the travel plan and trek we wanted. He was in touch with us from beginning via phone even to make sure we were able to coordinate with Quechua Treks for what was needed: from contacts, to prices, to dietary restrictions! Thanks so much, James!

On the night before our trek, our guide Rolfi met with us to provide our... read more

I and my wife joined my sister and her fiance on a visit to Peru 4/2018.

From the start, James at KimKim was always available to answers questions and helped us get set up with the travel plan and trek we wanted. He was in touch with us from beginning via phone even to make sure we were able to coordinate with Quechua Treks for what was needed: from contacts, to prices, to dietary restrictions! Thanks so much, James!

On the night before our trek, our guide Rolfi met with us to provide our briefing for the trip. We immediately felt at ease with him and with the entire crew, whom we were introduced to the next morning (muleteers/porters/tent men Americo and Huaman, chef Edgar, assistant cook Donato, and Ronaldino our driver). The men were all very professional but down to earth. We all came to enjoy each other's company quickly and since my wife speaks fluent Spanish, there were no problems there. However, our guide, Rolfi, was fluent in English as well, and there were no communication barriers whatsoever. We were such a small group that everyone had a blast.

The food prepared by our chefs, Edgar and assistant Donato, was out of this world, fresh, filling, healthy, and so good; there were hot drinks, fresh fruits, jams, vegetables, quinoa, bean bread, an abundance of tasty gluten free foods and snacks due to dietary restrictions, salads, potatoes of course, chicken, hearty soups, stir-fry’s, desserts, even a cupcake for my birthday made last minute; we agreed that we enjoyed our meals on the trek much more than the delicious food we tried later in Lima, said to be THE food capital. We got hot water and tea in the morning! Being used to “roughing it” on camping and backpacking trips, when I saw pictures of how our meals would be served at tables with nice table cloth, napkins, utensils, and camping chairs in a tent I thought we were going to be over-pampered but wow was I grateful for the comfort of a space like that after a long day’s trek. Edgar and Donato were with us during days 1-3 of our trek.

Ronaldino was a skilled driver, negotiating rough and narrow roads expertly, getting us to our starting point and meeting us later at different points of our adventure on day 3 and at the end on our last day to get us back to Cusco from the train. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and loved getting to know him a little! A very sweet guy!

Americo and Huaman were our muleteers and the entire crew helped quickly and efficiently set up and break down our camps. We typically started ahead of them on our treks while they finished packing up the horses and mules but before we knew it, they were passing us up, running ahead to meet us at lunch and the end of the days. Americo and Huaman were with us during days 1-2 of our trek. They were wonderful.

Rolfi our guide was the heart of the entire group, bringing everyone together. He never stopped cracking jokes, was a wealth of history and information to our million questions, constantly pointing out things to us as we trekked, and always had the best stories to share. Our group was interested in just about everything on the trek (fauna, history, culture, etc.), and Rolfi had something to each about everything we asked about. He was unendingly patient with us as we were perpetually, “National Geographic,” stopping to take photos of the beauty around us and as we huffed and puffed during our ascents. Rolfi was nothing but encouraging and great fun. I don’t think we ever ran out of good conversation. He was there with us from start to finish, ensuring that each of us were feeling well and enjoying ourselves, extremely astute to each of our interests, and we all learned a lot from one another. We loved him and could not have asked for a better guide! It was hard for us all to say farewell to everyone in our crew and especially to Rolfi.

The sights were unforgettable. Incredible microclimates with endless kinds of flora and fauna, butterflies, waterfalls, wild strawberries, racing clouds, tree canopies. Thousands of years old aqueducts and ancient Incan ruins, meeting local people along the way. We were awed by the numerous valleys, towering mountain ranges, glaciers, and our summit views. On our 1st night of camp, our bright view of the milky-way galaxy was incredible. We loved touring the coffee plantation, zip-lining and very much enjoyed the hot springs on our 3rd day. Our camping tents were perfectly comfortable. Our train ride on Peru Rail and accommodations in Cola de Mono and Aguas Calientes were also very nice. Machu Picchu and its history was unreal and climbing Huayna Picchu was totally worth it!

Salkantay Trek with Quechua Treks Peru to Machu Picchu, 5 Days, 4 Nights

After a couple years saving up for our dream adventure to Peru and Machu Picchu, my fiancé and I were finally able to take the time to plan our trip for the end of the rainy season in early April. My brother and his wife joined us as well and the four of us had an absolutely amazing visit to Peru! After a lot of research, we decided on booking a guided trek through KimKim with Quechua Treks Peru; this turned out to be... read more

Salkantay Trek with Quechua Treks Peru to Machu Picchu, 5 Days, 4 Nights

After a couple years saving up for our dream adventure to Peru and Machu Picchu, my fiancé and I were finally able to take the time to plan our trip for the end of the rainy season in early April. My brother and his wife joined us as well and the four of us had an absolutely amazing visit to Peru! After a lot of research, we decided on booking a guided trek through KimKim with Quechua Treks Peru; this turned out to be an experience of a lifetime, one to be so fondly remembered and that cannot be fully shared with others in words and photos. You simply had to be there.

From the start, James at KimKim was always available to answers questions and helped us get set up with the travel plan and trek we wanted. He was in touch with us from beginning to end and made sure we were able to coordinate with Quechua Treks for what was needed, from contacts, to prices, to dietary restrictions! Thanks so much, James! Mayra was also in touch with us from Quechua Treks and helped us along the way.

We arrived in Cusco in order to acclimate to the altitude for about 2 days before our trek. Cusco is located at over 11,000 ft and our Salkantay Trek would take us to almost 15,000 ft. On the night before our trek, our guide Rolfi met with us to provide our briefing for the trip. We immediately felt at ease with him and with the entire crew, whom we were introduced to the next morning (muleteers/porters/tent men Americo and Huaman, chef Edgar, assistant cook Donato, and Ronaldino our driver). As two women, my sister-in-law and I felt respected and never uncomfortable in a group of otherwise all men. My sister-in-law was the only one among us four who really spoke Spanish and while Rolfi our guide was very fluent in English, no part of the language barriers between us prevented us all from enjoying each other, constantly laughing, gesturing, translating for each other, cracking jokes, and learning from each other. I felt that everyone became family and I will never forget each of the wonderful crew members and the warmth they showed us. They took such good care of us.

The food prepared by our chefs, Edgar and assistant Donato, was out of this world, fresh, filling, healthy, and so good; there were hot drinks, fresh fruits, jams, vegetables, quinoa, bean bread, an abundance of tasty gluten free foods and snacks due to dietary restrictions, salads, potatoes of course, chicken, hearty soups, stir-fry’s, desserts, even a cupcake for my birthday made last minute; we agreed that we enjoyed our meals on the trek much more than the delicious food we tried later in Lima, said to be THE food capital. Hot water and tea in the morning! Being used to “roughing it” on camping and backpacking trips, when I saw pictures of how our meals would be served at tables with nice table cloth, napkins, utensils, and camping chairs in a tent I thought we were going to be over-pampered but wow was I grateful for the comfort of a space like that after a long day’s trek. Edgar and Donato were with us during days 1-3 of our trek.

Ronaldino was an excellent driver, negotiating rough and narrow roads expertly, getting us to our starting point and meeting us later at different points of our adventure on day 3 and at the end on our last day to get us back to Cusco from the train. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with him and loved getting to know him a little!

Americo and Huaman were our muleteers and the entire crew helped quickly and efficiently set up and break down our camps. We typically started ahead of them on our treks while they finished packing up the horses and mules but before we knew it, they were passing us up, running ahead to meet us at lunch and the end of the days. Americo and Huaman were with us during days 1-2 of our trek. They were wonderful.

Rolfi :) our guide was the heart of the entire group, bringing everyone together. He never stopped cracking jokes, was a wealth of history and information to our million questions, constantly pointing out things to us as we trekked, and always had the best stories to share. He was unendingly patient with us as we were perpetually, “National Geographic,” stopping to take photos of the beauty around us and as we huffed and puffed during our ascents. Rolfi was nothing but encouraging and great fun. I don’t think we ever ran out of good conversation. He was there with us from start to finish, ensuring that each of us were feeling well and enjoying ourselves, extremely astute to each of our interests, and we all learned a lot from one another. We loved him and could not have asked for a better guide! It was hard for us all to say farewell to everyone in our crew and especially to Rolfi.

The sights were unforgettable. Incredible microclimates with endless kinds of flora and fauna, butterflies, waterfalls, wild strawberries, racing clouds, tree canopies. Thousands of years old aqueducts and ancient Incan ruins, meeting local people along the way. We were awed by the numerous valleys, towering mountain ranges, glaciers, and our summit views. On our 1st night of camp, our bright view of the milky-way galaxy was incredible. We loved touring the coffee plantation, zip-lining and very much enjoyed the hot springs on our 3rd day. Our camping tents were perfectly comfortable. Our train ride on Peru Rail and accommodations in Cola de Mono and Aguas Calientes were also very nice. Machu Picchu and its history was unreal and climbing Huayna Picchu was totally worth it!

After this extraordinary trek, I felt changed, refreshed, and encouraged in many ways related to my personal life. I returned home feeling better about myself, the extreme physical challenges I faced, and my motivation to take the time to eat healthier and take kinder care of myself re-emerged. I left Peru gaining new perspective and new friends I felt sorry to part with. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Quechua Treks Peru and KimKim family.

Tips about this trek, during the end of the rainy season in early April:
The weather for us ranged from 30’sF at highest altitudes to 60’sF. Obviously, the weather will vary from year to year but during the trek, there are MANY difference microclimates you will travel through, with weather changes occurring even from minute to minute, from rainy, windy, sunny, freezing, very comfortable temperate, to humid and hot. You will always feel different based on whether you are moving or sitting still.

Our guide provided us each with a duffel bag the day before our trek that would mostly be carried on the mules to hold our belongings that we could mostly access at the end of each day only, until the next morning when we were back on our way; at times later during the trip, we were also responsible for hanging on to our duffels ourselves (carrying them to our hotels, the train, etc). The bags are meant to hold 7kg of your belongings maximum, which is completely manageable.

- General packing: while you are away on a trek, many people find that they are able to leave some things with their hotel/air bnb in cusco. I ended up leaving my main 42 L hiking backpack and souveniers I had picked up in Cusco to this purpose and taking just my 22L REI flashpack as my day pack, the rest stored in the duffel bag that was provided. They do keep your bags covered on the mules but it was advised to store the belongings inside the duffel in a trash bag or dry sacks just in case of heavy rains, so we did so.
- Clothes: clothes with merino wool mixed or tanks of polyester fabric are the way to go to prolong your laundry and to temperature regulate. For our trek, I did fine with 2 pairs of trekking pants, 1 pair of shorts, a merino base layer top and bottom for the cold evening/days, 3 tshirts/tanks, 1 merino bra, swim suit, 2 merino toe socks, 1 regular merino pair of socks. Toe socks are amazing, I did not get one blister. Merino wool socks are double-amazing, you really can wear them for many days without developing odor. I brought extra changes of things in case of dirt and/or getting wet from rain.
- Outerwear/Raingear: Umbrella. Genius Rolfi. He gave credit to a group of Japanese trekkers he led about 15 years ago. I did not have one and being a bit of a Seattle snob about umbrellas, wish I had. The weather changes are fast and often on the trek and there already is a lot of stopping to un-layer and re-layer jackets, hats, hoods, rain covers, etc. Having an umbrella would have reduced some of that :) My trekking pants dried very quickly from body heat even after getting soaked several times, and while moving I was not cold. Others in my group brought outer rain pants and that was helpful to them as well. I had one ultralight down and one fleece in addition to a base layer if needed for warmth and that was plenty. A headband to go over the ears, beanie, and a water-proof hat for sun and rain in addition to my light rain jacket/wind breaker. Sunglasses, of course. Rain cover for my day pack. Gloves. Small dry sacks and sandwich/freezer bags for some things just in case to extra protect some items in my pack.
- Shoes: To lighten weight, I was happy I went with Saucony Peregrine trail runners; these are not water proof but dry quickly while wearing from body heat and whenever I expected rainy weather, particularly the first 2 days, I went ahead and wore water-proof Sealskinz socks. For the most part, the peregrines stayed dry anyway. I also brought a pair of LL Bean Maine Hunting Shoes and a pair of flip flops to wear around camp and also at the hot springs for the flip flops.
- Other Equipment: I brought one trekking pole and this was helpful to me during steep ascents and especially descents. At Machu Picchu itself, they may or may not let you in with a trekking pole but if so you will definitely require rubber caps. Power adapter for when there was access. My 5000mAh external battery was perfect for keeping my phone charged for photos. Headlamp.
- Snacks: snacks were actually provided to us for the trail every day but we did bring some of our own such as jerky, chocolate/candy, peanut butter.
- Backpacks: My day pack was under 10 lbs not including water, while my porter pack was about 12 lbs. In my day pack/on me, I kept personal valuables like my passport, an extra pair of socks, my baselayer top, hats, gloves, sometimes my camp towel, snacks for the day, water, external battery for my phone, jackets and fleece, rain cover, some toilet paper, pain relievers like advil, first aid basics, insect repellant, sunscreen, sunglasses, trekking pole.
- Water: Camelback pouch, 2 to 3 liters size is plenty. You will get clean water refills every evening and morning. No need to bring water purifiers.
- Altitude prophylaxis/meds: acetazolamide is essential to help protect you from altitude sickness. Start 24 hours before you arrive to Cusco and continue for 1-2 days after your highest elevation. I also acquired the typhoid vaccine.
- First aid/bug repellant/sunscreen: lip balm, sunscreen, insect repellant (we really liked the Picaridin instead of DEET; it doesn’t leave a residue and a little bit goes a long way). Quechua Treks carries a first aid kit and oxygen tank if needed but I brought my own kit as well, including ace wrap, Zofran, some basic antibiotics in case of bacterial diarrhea, bandaids, advil/Tylenol/Benadryl/antibiotic ointment, leukotape in case of blisters, among other first aid basics of choice.
- Sleeping: My thin sleeping liner plus down quilt for 20 degrees F was plenty warm for the purpose of this hike. Quechua Treks provides the inflatable sleeping pads and for the first night or two comfy sleeping liners and pillow were also provided; however, I believe these got wet during a heavy rain and so I was glad to have brought my own liner. Earplugs were very nice to have.
- Toiletries/laundry: you may laugh, but having the Pstyle for the ladies was perfect, especially when we had to use that “Incan toilet” on the trail. At camp and at rest-stops on the trail, there were toilets. Bring your own toilet paper just in case. Aside from your personal toiletries, wet wipes were nice to have for extra clean up if needed and Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap (2 oz) was perfect for hand-washing a couple things along the way. I found that bringing a couple clamps/clothespins was helpful for drying out some clothes on the trail (hooked onto outside of my pack) or overnight. Camping towel.
- Money: If you have a debt card with no foreign transaction fee, withdraw money in soles at an ATM such as at the airport when you arrive in Cusco. In Cusco, while restaurants generally accepted mastercard or visa, pretty much everywhere else except for fancy stores only take soles. In Aguas Calientes, most of the shops in the market will take a credit card as well and will often accept small denominations of USD. Best to have denominations of 50 or less in soles while you are on the road and keep some 1 sole coins to use toilets at rest-stops along the trail. Set aside some soles ahead of time for tipping your crew.

Tom and I had a wonderful experience in Peru. Every detail was taken care on so we could just relax and enjoy. Luis was very knowledgeable and so easy to be around. He spoiled us! Paul was our driver and he too was very helpful. Aspiring Adventures had every detail planned so that our trip was seamless. Love the bike ride down the Andes and this special group did a great job of making us feel comfortable. The value was terrific! Two recommendations. Try another accommodation in... read more

Tom and I had a wonderful experience in Peru. Every detail was taken care on so we could just relax and enjoy. Luis was very knowledgeable and so easy to be around. He spoiled us! Paul was our driver and he too was very helpful. Aspiring Adventures had every detail planned so that our trip was seamless. Love the bike ride down the Andes and this special group did a great job of making us feel comfortable. The value was terrific! Two recommendations. Try another accommodation in Olyamtamba and make sure local drivers in Santa Teresa have seat belts. That's picky so as you can see the entire trip was wonderful and we will definitely use this group again. Their planning let us VACATiON!
Tom andDonna

This was a bucket list trip for myself and my family and James made sure it delivered.
James is quick to respond and quick to understand the style of trip you're trying to attain.
He helped us customize our trip to our exact specifications and delivered on experiences and accommodations that helped us feel like we were having a customized experience rather than a generic one.

The highlights of our trip were the rock climbing in the Sacred Valley and our hike into Macchu Picchu. Our guide... read more

This was a bucket list trip for myself and my family and James made sure it delivered.
James is quick to respond and quick to understand the style of trip you're trying to attain.
He helped us customize our trip to our exact specifications and delivered on experiences and accommodations that helped us feel like we were having a customized experience rather than a generic one.

The highlights of our trip were the rock climbing in the Sacred Valley and our hike into Macchu Picchu. Our guide Zacarias was incredible - knowledgeable, accommodating and fun, he made sure our kids were constantly engaged while they were learning about this incredible country. Zac quickly became a part of our family.

What made this trip extra special were the unexpected touches - a gourmet picnic overlooking Cusco when we landed, a picnic lunch on our bike riding trip through the valley, reaching out to the hotel when my son got altitude sickness to ensure he got the care he needed - in short, personal service every step of the way. We also appreciated their commitment to making every part of our trip as eco-friendly as possible ensuring our impact on the environments around us was minimal - from providing litter-free lunches to personal water bottles we could refill.

When weather issues forced us to change plans due to safety issues, both James and Zac were on it with great suggestions, helping us make decisions and being flexible with their time and services.

My only constructive feedback would be that we felt 3 days was too long to spend in Huacacchina as we exhausted the activities there pretty quickly. While we loved the pool at the hotel, our hotel room was a little generic and bare bones for our taste.
As well, when our day trip to the Lost Canyon was cancelled due to safety concerns, the replacement trip to Laguna de Moron was pretty boring and uninteresting. I would not recommend this day trip as there is very little to do for a family of four. Trekking into the desert to see a lagoon that is less impressive than the oasis at Huacacchina seemed like a poor use of our time.

All in all, KimKim delivered an unforgettable trip and am looking forward to planning another trip with them in the future. Thank you!

I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were... read more

I would like to say thank you to Martina. She put an incredible tour together in a very short amount of time. She always responded immediately to any question i had. She was a real pleasure to work with.
Our guide John was great. He was very friendly and always upbeat and helpful.
Our stay at Casa Hacienda Milpuj was great. The freandly conversations were nice and the food there was best of the entire trip. I could have stayed the entire trip in Hotel Achamaqui. The service and food were very good and the scenery was amazing. I loved the quiet peacefulness.
All the day trips were great but I think the waterfalls of Gocta was the best. Riding horseback provided some great photo opportunities. I have traveled extensively in the past and this was the most organized and well planned tour i have ever been on. Thank you Martina and Kimkim.

My time on this hike was memorably concerning. The hike did not have enough guides. There were initially two guides and one person in the group paid for a private two day hike and so the second guide left the group. As a result there were five of us with one guide. Since I hiked at a slower pace than the others, the guide had to somehow make it work so that we all had support. Often times I was hiking several miles without any of my group members. This was quiet concerning -especially on... read more

My time on this hike was memorably concerning. The hike did not have enough guides. There were initially two guides and one person in the group paid for a private two day hike and so the second guide left the group. As a result there were five of us with one guide. Since I hiked at a slower pace than the others, the guide had to somehow make it work so that we all had support. Often times I was hiking several miles without any of my group members. This was quiet concerning -especially on the second day when it was rainy, and difficult to see anything and I was completely drenched in rain and shivering. It was a miracle that I made it to the group at some point-especially since I had to cross difficult terrain alone and without a guide a various points. Times that the guide did assist, he would insist that I could walk through raging rivers without assistance-which I could not and told him I could not. I argued several times with him about this. Additionally, when I was uncomfortable with cross the river by the use of a rickety zipline due to the landslide, I was told to shut up.

Additionally, I was told I had not paid for the emergency horse by the guide, however in this package it said this horse was already paid for. At the beginning of the hike, I had to pay money to get into the the park and according to this package I had already paid for everything. I also had to pay for breakfast. I don't understand why I had to pay additional fees throughout. It appears that KimKim and the hiking group that had been contracted failed to communicate information about the packages. Based off of information from the guide-it sounded as though I paid for the basic package not the full package inclusive of what is listed by KimKim.

Overall, this experience was not a good one. I would definitely not recommend this company to others as there were issues throughout and I had several dangerous issues during this hike without support and was treated rudely.

I am so thankful to have used KimKim for my trip to Peru and have Stephanie as my local specialist. We had only 7 days to explore Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu and Stephanie made it all fit perfectly. Every detail was figured out, which was such a relief because travel between these sites requires multiple forms of transport -- from arrival at the airport to departure from the trip we had train tickets or buses tickets or private drivers waiting for us at each leg. She made... read more

I am so thankful to have used KimKim for my trip to Peru and have Stephanie as my local specialist. We had only 7 days to explore Lima, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu and Stephanie made it all fit perfectly. Every detail was figured out, which was such a relief because travel between these sites requires multiple forms of transport -- from arrival at the airport to departure from the trip we had train tickets or buses tickets or private drivers waiting for us at each leg. She made sure all of our tours had excellent English speakers (on later legs of my travel that I planned on my own, I quickly learned how varied English capabilities can be and how difficult it can be to determine the quality of English of the guides without local knowledge of the companies). Every tour/driver/guide we worked with were incredibly professional, punctual, polite, kind and helpful. Stephanie was readily available when we had a minor payment issue at one hotel and took care of it. I can't say enough about our experience traveling with KimKim and Stephanie! Thank you! You truly took the stress out of travel and made a wonderful, memorable experience for me and my brother!

My husband and I just came back from our trip to Peru and it was amazing. Stephanie was great to work with and always went the extra mile in helping us out when we had last minute plans or changes. Although it was hard to get ahold of her in country, we were glad to meet her the first day and to be able to still communicate while on vacation some way or another.

Our transportation included terrific drivers, nice vehicles, and great views. The staff was on time and always helped us with our... read more

My husband and I just came back from our trip to Peru and it was amazing. Stephanie was great to work with and always went the extra mile in helping us out when we had last minute plans or changes. Although it was hard to get ahold of her in country, we were glad to meet her the first day and to be able to still communicate while on vacation some way or another.

Our transportation included terrific drivers, nice vehicles, and great views. The staff was on time and always helped us with our luggage. Likewise, the drivers ensured we were safe during the festivities of Carnival.

Our guides were amazing and we were pleased to have one on one private tours the entire time. We especially loved Juan in Machu Picchu because he gave us the freedom to explore while still receiving information about the magical sites. Although we cannot remember the guides name we had for Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we adored her! She was enthusiastic and always was concerned about our health especially with the altitude change. For example, the first day she let us cut part of our tour short because I was not feeling well! She was very knowledgable as well with the area! She even suggested great places to eat and things to do for the rest of our trip.

As for hotels go, not all of them were excellent and we did run into a couple of problems with room arrangements. Nevertheless, the hotels upgraded us twice and made us feel very welcomed and we were grateful for that! Meals were never too much of an issue, except towards the end of the trip. We wish we would have had the chance to know of places to eat that "won't get you sick" because we ate on the streets towards the end and we ended our last two days of our itinerary in bed instead of out and doing what we had originally planned.

Overall this was a great trip and I would definitely book again with this company! The only suggestions are to include more about packing tips or essentials, money exchange, and popular foods or restaurants to try! We were very satisfied though despite our hiccups here and there.

Hi there, I am catching up on sleep and starting to feel more normal. I even cooked a Peruvian dish, tacu tacu, last night! My husband is on an alternating vegetarian diet. Loved the food, especially on the Phima portion of the trip. Remember we did an Intrepid trip to Machu Picchu before. All in all the trip was very good. The sites we visited were all very interesting and the meals that were arranged for us were fantastic. The only thing we were unsure of was tipping as we didn't... read more

Hi there, I am catching up on sleep and starting to feel more normal. I even cooked a Peruvian dish, tacu tacu, last night! My husband is on an alternating vegetarian diet. Loved the food, especially on the Phima portion of the trip. Remember we did an Intrepid trip to Machu Picchu before. All in all the trip was very good. The sites we visited were all very interesting and the meals that were arranged for us were fantastic. The only thing we were unsure of was tipping as we didn't know the price of the meals.
Our hotel room, for Trish and I, in Trujillo was quite disappointing.
I don’t think Bev and Amy’s room was as drab as ours. Unfortunately, there was a stain on the carpet, mildew in the shower and some windows opened into the hotel lobby and the others fronted onto the street, so it was very noisy.
I did feel that the reception and breakfast areas of the hotel were clean and modern looking and I do want to emphasize that the staff were very kind and helpful. I checked the hotel on line and some of the comments said that the owners were going to have to step up the quality of the rooms, but otherwise good value.
The itinerary was good . I thought the pace was pretty good and we really loved everything we saw. On day 4 we couldn’t go to Ventarron as there had been a fire, we went to Huaca Rajada museum and site, were supposed to go to the Bruning Museum , but opted to go to Tumbas Reales as we really only had a couple of hours after lunch and Jhon told us the museum closed at 4. The museum guide told us that it was open until 5 p.m. and you could stay in longer. If we had known that we might have taken in the Bruning museum. We really enjoyed what we saw in any event!
Just looking at the Itinerary now, We did not see all the destinations on Day 5, We went to the Bosque Pomac, there were a couple of pyramids in the distance,. I think they were Ventanas and Loro, but I am not sure that we went to the valley of the Pyramids in Tucume/ We drove through Ferranafe but did not visit the museum. We had lunch after going to the museum in Tucume though. I believe that driver Jhon had said that there was construction or some other obstruction on the road and he felt we should leave earlier to get to the airport so we could get our flight back to Lima. I think the itinerary was a bit too ambitious for that day.

One thing I might tell you, after going to the Sipan museum at the site of Huaca Rajada, we might not have seen the actual site with the Huaca and where the tombs of el Senor de Sipan y El Viejo were found if the local guide hadn’t taken one of our group there. This is a very important site and am so glad we saw it. It should be compulsory on the tour. It all fits in with what we saw at Tumbas Reales.
Regarding our guide Jhon’s English, I thought his knowlege was very good, but when you asked him a specific question, he either didn’t understand the question, or didn’t know the answer. His pronunciation could be improved, but he was fine to chat to. He tried very hard and was very pleasant and kind.

For future tours, it would be good for the Phima guide to know when Tumbas Reales closes. The museum guide, Orlando, said it closed at 5, but you could stay later.....we might have been able to squeeze in the Bruning museum. We were happy with what we saw that day.
Just to be clear, I didn’t think there were too many excursions in our itinerary, the pace was pretty good for day two and three. Day four, we didn’t go to Ventarron because of the fire, but really enjoyed the Museum at Sipan and Huaca Rajada. After lunch we didn’t have time to see both the Bruning Museum and Tumbas REales, so we opted to see Tumbas Reales which was fantastic.
I think I might be repeating myself. Sorry, still have a bit of jet lag. If you need any clarifications, just let me know. Gracias,

I loved all of the information provided to us in preparation for our trip (Lists 1-3) and the detailed itinerary that was provided. Everything that we had requested was on the itinerary and we were pleased to have some of the added items, such as the Garcia brothers who played and sang some of the traditional music using some of the instruments that date back over the years. I also enjoyed the Forest of Pomac as it was different from the other temples we saw. We didn't see everything that... read more

I loved all of the information provided to us in preparation for our trip (Lists 1-3) and the detailed itinerary that was provided. Everything that we had requested was on the itinerary and we were pleased to have some of the added items, such as the Garcia brothers who played and sang some of the traditional music using some of the instruments that date back over the years. I also enjoyed the Forest of Pomac as it was different from the other temples we saw. We didn't see everything that was on the itinerary - the Ventarron site was closed because there had been a fire. On day 4 we did not go to the Bruning Museum as we were running out of time and we all wanted to see the Tumbas Reales. On Day 5, I don't think we went to the Valley of the Pyramids but we did go to a museum in Tucume that had interactive displays. In hindsight, I think we tried to get too much into each day. It was great to finish our day around 5:30. The other consideration is that we were nearing the end of our vacation, so may have wanted the additional sites if we had started in the north and then done the south after. As it was, for me, I liked what we did in a day.

It was nice to have John the guide (Yeltsin), and John the driver meet us at the airport on our arrival and get us settled into our hotel. Definitely enjoyed the night tour of Trujillo, but may not have given Yeltsin my full attention because I was tired from the travel.

All of the meals provided in the tour were excellent. In hindsight we figure we may have been a bit cheap on our tips as we did not know what the actual meal cost so went on a similar formula used on the southern tour. I would recommend that one of your lists include some suggestions around tipping valets, waiters, hotel housekeepers, and for breakfast.

Our hotels were basic but clean. Staff were very helpful even if we spoke minimal Spanish and they spoke minimal English. it is amazing how much you can understand with a smile and sign language and a few key words.

John, our guide, had great knowledge of the history and particular features of the sites we visited. He was willing to respond to any questions we had but at times may have had some difficulty in understanding what we were asking him. He had a great personality and great humour. He was a good guide.

John, our driver, was also very friendly and willing to help. He was a very competent, professional, and calm driver. He also pointed out things along the way - such as the tree where the egrets were nesting. He pulled over and made sure we were safe when taking pictures.

It was really nice to have the same guide, driver and van for the whole tour. It was also nice have the bottle of water (some days 2)/day.

I have and will definitely continue to recommend KimKim Tours and PHima Voyages to others.

Bev

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly... read more

Martina was very helpful regarding our pre-trip planning. We had planned all facets of our trip to Peru prior to contacting Martina. We decided to do so because we wanted to go to the area and found it somewhat difficult to research travel options there. Our tour stated that we would have an English speaking guide.
Day 1 we were met by Joan/John and Carlos @ Cajamarca airport. After dropping our bags we visited Cumbe Mayo. This was a wonderful place. Our guide was clearly enthusiastic but, not fluent enough (in English) to convey much of his knowledge. As became clear at that point, Anna often needed to translate for my benefit. ( I sensed the visit was the short version. ). We learned that J was a guide-in-training. He had to train for some 900 hours before receiving license.
We returned to Cajamarca. Having risen @ 3 in the morning for our 7:30 flight we were hungry at that point and asked J for recommendations. He dropped us at a lunchroom on the square. A fairly grim experience. I mention this only because perfunctory drop-offs became the norm. I think this is an issue of manners. We are outsiders, the guide the insider. This in addition to the fact that the Hostal had no heat — it was cold and mercilessly rainy,— or WiFi. There was no way not to hear our next door neighbor’s TV. If we had foreknowledge of the lack of heat, we would not have agreed to stay there. How hard is it to recommend a few places to eat?
Driver Carlos was excellent throughout. No fruit or water in car throughout our tour.

Day2 7 hr drive to Leymebamba. Prompt pickup. J asks if we want to stop @ a grocery store. Having stocked up on snacks at the Cajamarca market, we only needed more water and stopped at bodega. We naively assumed that there would be a plan to eat along the way. We chatted for about 1 hour as we left the city and headed in the direction of Leymebamba. We stopped for lunch and J suggested we take our food and eat on the little square. Another point of confusion. We hadn’t packed a lunch. Meanwhile J & C headed into a little restaurant for lunch. Since it was clearly the only place to eat in this locale, I joined them.
We stopped only once thereafter for a photo op. For the remaining 6 hours there was an abundantly obvious silence. Our questions like, ‘what river is that?’ were answered but, no comments/ info from guide.
Then a stop at woodworker’s place. This was kind of crazy. After 7 hours in a car we did not feel like doing this but, felt obliged to do so.
We reached Leymebamba and checked into our Hostal. This proved to be a far nicer stay. A lovely well maintained Hostal and it was fortunately warmer than Cajamarca. Great family, delicious breakfast. Again though, after that very long drive, no food recommendations. We made the wrong choice. Ironically, the next day after visiting the Museum we had a great lunch, in plaza. The restaurant owner, a relative of Carlos’, was a delightful woman who really knew how to cook!

Day 3
Visit to Leymebamba museum. Wonderful visit. Felt a bit rushed as we followed J through. This seems to be an occupational hazard for tour leaders. One though that they surely need to develop the flexibility to allow for. It seems to me that a tour guide to be really good, needs to get to know his clients. Perhaps J is too young? Not curious? ( He might have heard that one of our reasons for visiting Peru was our interest in its cuisine. )
After a terrific lunch we set out to visit Revash. Sadly rained out. Roads in dangerous conditions. We were dropped off at Lola’s and Perico’s. Heaven. Spent an afternoon at their wonderful place with our consummate hosts. We loved each other’s company. Nine hundred stars!

Day 4
Kuelap Visit. Terrific.
Lunch @ Shubet also good. Again Carlos’s friends/relatives..
Drive to Gocta. Rafael not there but, his in village helper arrived promptly to let us in. Somewhat unsure how to interpret Rafael’s absence but, made ourselves comfortable. (Footnote hot water unavailable.)
Had a wonderful afternoon enjoying Rafael’s place. Also later when another guest arrived.

Day 5
Hike to Gocta Waterfall. Strenuously wonderful. Took horses half way back down.
Arrived back to Rafael’s hot and tired....wanting to clean-up and relax. J announced we were to go next door for lunch. We went. When one is staying at Rafael’s, the setting isn’t really impressive.
The food is mediocre. J had told us that C would be driving us to Jaen the following morning; a gesture we very much appreciated. Carlos happened to be dining @ same time we were (next door) with his family. We confirmed that we would see him tomorrow.

Day 6
Instead of Carlos, his young relative ( no more than 18?) w/ his friend to airport in Jaen.
Nice person. Friendly but, not a mature driver. Thought we would be seeing C and planned to give him a tip then. Plz send info regarding how we can do so.

My advice to Trip planner. Suggest visitors to this region—-@ least @ this time of the year— come and go via Jaen. Spend time in Chachapoyas and environs.

Thank you for arranging this amazing trip! We have a really big party so there were a lot of times we had to change the reservations but Stephanie really handled all the situations well which I feel really thankful. She is also very informative whenever we asked her questions. During the trip, everything was prepared really well and we really like all the tour guides as they are very friendly, knowledgable and are really helpful to us. Overall, it had been a fun and memorable trip. Thank you again for your help and also for the chocolate!

Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.

Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake... read more

Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.

Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake Humantay which was spectacular. We were welcomed back with a delicious dinner cooked by the gentleman who ran the lodge.

The day 2 hike over the Salkantay pass to Chalullay was grueling but satisfying. We arrived at Chalullay in the late afternoon. Accommodations were a bit chilly but beds were comfortable. Day 3 we hiked through rainforest cloud, a more gentle up and down hike with lush vegetation and views of the river. The evening at the Coffee plantation was a highlight. Fredy the owner and his family were wonderful hosts and the accommodations were very nice. We enjoyed the warmer climate at this elevation. With our guide translating, Fredy showed us the step by step process from growing and harvesting the coffee beans to roasting them for our breakfast. From here we started on an Inca trail with a long but not as challenging hike.

Highlights were the ruins of Llactapata and lunch with views to Machu Picchu. At the end, we took a short train ride to Aquas Caliente and Macchu Picchu. We were very glad to have the opportunity to climb Huayna Picchu on our visit to Macchu Picchu. At Nicole's recommendation, we added an evening in Ollantaytambo where we enjoyed the lively town square, local activity, and the ruins. On our return trip to Cusco by car, we explored the salt mines and a village were weaving and knitted goods were produced and sold. The knitted goods in Peru are beautiful.

We also booked 3 days in the Amazon rainforest in Puerto Maldonado, also arranged by Nicole and Haku. Our guide Efraim was excellent-- extremely knowledgeable and helpful. And Freddy, the local contact who picked us up by boat, cooked us lunch and carried our luggage through the jungle had endless energy. Our stay at Lake Sandoval lodge was memorable. Great food and service and the setting, overlooking the lake was memorable. The lake was full of otters, caiman, and fish, and at the water's edge, we enjoyed the monkeys and variety of birds.

We would highly recommend Haku to plan a custom itinerary for a Cusco based travel adventure.

Initial planning process was great - Stephanie was knowledgeable, assisting, and patient. However, the service "during" the trip was a bit inconvenient. Stephanie was hard to contact and in the moment we couldn't reach out to anyone, like the time we arrived at Uyuni but no one was there to pick us up, we waiting til 10 am local time Peru to call Stephanie, but still we couldn't reach her.

Other than that the trip was well organized with great guides in every stop. Especially our Macchu Picchu guide and Norma from Puno. Our Uyuni guides were great too.

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very... read more

Our trip was full of activity and adventure in Northern Peru for 2-1/2 weeks. Our guide Jhon was young and full of energy and our driver Carlos was an attentive, safe driver. In Trujillo, we thoroughly enjoyed the Sun and Moon Temples and Chan Chan. The demonstration of the straw boats and cooking class in Huanchaco was fantastic.

Heading into the Andes is spectacular. Outside Cajamarca, we loved our hike through Cumbemayo to see the remarkable Andean water works. The Revash was very interesting and we enjoyed our horse ride to the site. Visiting Miguel in his workshop and painting our own Sarcophagus was a lot of fun. Perico and Lola's private conservation property in the Utcubamba Valley was so beautiful and was a favourite of ours. It was hard to say goodbye to them and the family they had visiting at the time. Then off to Kuelap by cable car and another hike to the site...fantastic!

The biggest surprise and highlight for us was our stay at Villa del Monte in the coffee country of Rodriguez de Mendoza. We have a coffee roasting business and requested some time with coffee growers. The home we stayed at in the area was really great and the caretakers living next to the home were warm and friendly. We did an afternoon at an underground cave that was pretty cool although fitting through a small hole to start was a little scary but worth the effort. The best part for us was spending our time with the coffee farmers (owners of Cafe Monteverde) who provided us with such a detailed education of their business from the growing of the coffee at their farm (tasting included) to going to their laboratory in town to watch and participate in grading and cupping of the coffee. This was fantastic for us.

The Gocta Falls is another favourite. The hike is fairly difficult so the horses came in handy. Lunch at the Gocta Lodge is outstanding and so is the view. Our last stop on the coast was the Pyramids of Tucume and Museum Tumbas Reales with the latter being our favourite museum.

With a little more time, Jhon will get better at his English. It's good but sometimes we had translation difficulties. He is a great guide and really cares about what he does. Both him and Carlos were always available and willing to make things work for us.

Thank you Phima Voyages for a great adventure in Northern Peru!
Darlene & Gary Carlton

Miguel is friendly and helpful. 1 of the best i have met. Carlos is nice too altho' due to language barrier, we didn't interact much.

i guess the best part of Miguel is he can take great pictures! now I have headaches with so many potential IG post-able photos!

As for Lima, Arturo definitely knows where the good local food is. we had a great time of food sampling.

thanks again.

James, Mayra and the entire Quechua Trek team were incredibly helpful, responsive, and professional in setting up a trip customized to our needs. Everything went off without a hitch, in spite of very short notice and some real time adjustments. Our guide, Yilbert, and driver, Paul, were both the ultimate in professionalism and tailored the entire experience to our desires. In addition, Yilbert's historical knowledge, and deep cultural engagement made all the difference in our experience!

James and Mayra have been great throughout the itinerary planning process. Responsive and flexible, and they give very sensible suggestions. Our guide in Cusco Miguel was great too - he knows the area in and out and is quite resourceful in accommodating our requests (dinner choices, getting local SIM card, etc.)

Special touches were much appreciated, such as picnic lunch prepared by Quechua's private chef when we arrived, off the beaten path hikes in Yucay, great recommendations on dinner... read more

James and Mayra have been great throughout the itinerary planning process. Responsive and flexible, and they give very sensible suggestions. Our guide in Cusco Miguel was great too - he knows the area in and out and is quite resourceful in accommodating our requests (dinner choices, getting local SIM card, etc.)

Special touches were much appreciated, such as picnic lunch prepared by Quechua's private chef when we arrived, off the beaten path hikes in Yucay, great recommendations on dinner restaurants in Sacred Valley, to name a few.

BTW we compared Quechua Treks with other providers such as Jacada, Audley, andBeyond, etc., and found Quechua (on Kimkim platform) to be the easiest to work with, most reasonable in price, and with the most approachable folks. Perfect for us, travelers who want something in between "roughing it" and "absolute luxury". The other providers might offer additional concierge service e.g. booking great restaurants, but it may not be guaranteed and you definitely pay for it.

Net net, Quechua is legit and good people, work with them!

Everything was splendid before , during, and after the trip. The only thing that was REALLY hard was the hike to the lodging at Keulap.

Very professional and high-quality service from Martina, accommodating all of our requests and needs during the trip.

The North part of Peru is not very well advertised and there are not too many tourists in this area (good for people like us, who really enjoyed the real Peru experience, not overtaken by tourism industry yet.) We were nicely surprised and definitely I would suggest using this as a key point in the advertisement of this region. So thank you, Martina, for pointing to us these... read more

Very professional and high-quality service from Martina, accommodating all of our requests and needs during the trip.

The North part of Peru is not very well advertised and there are not too many tourists in this area (good for people like us, who really enjoyed the real Peru experience, not overtaken by tourism industry yet.) We were nicely surprised and definitely I would suggest using this as a key point in the advertisement of this region. So thank you, Martina, for pointing to us these incredible places to see and stay.

Kuelep, Mausoleum of Revish, Sarcophagi of Karajia - amazing sites. Getting to these places through the real Peruvian villages is an attraction on its own. Chachapoyas and Cajamarca - very authentic Peruvian towns with beautiful main squares and beautiful architecture (a little bit disappointing was the fact that there was a major renovation of the main square in Chachapoyas - which we did not expect).

Also, the drive from Cajamarca through the valleys, mountains, and an incredible one-line road was amazing: the views, the trill passing another vehicles and change of sceneries were unforgettable.

Two amazing places we have stayed I would like to mention. Perico and Lola house in Nogalcucho: quiet and isolated house with beautiful private accommodations. Great homemade dinner and breakfast. Lots of options for walks or areas to sit and enjoy the beauty of their place.
Another is in Cocachimba hostel Sacha Puyo (best view on Gocta falls). The views and quietness of this place are out of this world.

Even though we did not have a guide, our driver Beto was able to give us enough info so we did not feel lost without knowledge of Spanish. But the knowledge of a minimum of Spanish language is a must when traveling in this region so I would recommend to always let people know about this fact. In general people in Northern Peru do not know English.

Very well organized! Had a great time without having to worry about details! Thank you!

Evelyn was very quick to answer questions and make the perfect itinerary for us!

Wonderful, wonderful experience, booking was seamless and easy. The entire trip was absolutely just amazing. The service was top notch, the equipment was top notch and I have made new friends. There truly is not enough nice things I can say about Quechua Treks and James. This was an amazing trip. The food was excellent as well. I am already in the process of booking several other trips through kimkim and Quechua Treks.

James is amazing. Perfect communication and kept in contact. I'm actually not sure he ever sleeps because he answered every question I had promptly and I work nights!!!!

The trek was the highlight of our 3 week trip to Peru. Food, cooks, overall trekking experience was great. All places we stayed were great, especially the overnight at the hot springs. There was an issue with my sleeping bag: The zipper in my $40 rental sleeping bag was broken from day one. I had to put extra layers on to keep warm on the 1st night. In the afternoon the guide was nowhere to be found and I told him at dinner. Someone went to fix it, but they didn't try the zipper and I went to bed and the clasp fell off so the zipper was broken.

Nicole was incredible, and took the time to figure out what kind of trip I wanted, then helped me adjust last-minute when I needed to make some emergency changes.

I plan to recommend Nicole to anyone I hear is going to Peru—whether they ask for recommendations or not :)
She was available, helpful, knowledge, and lovely.

Great trip that more than exceeded my expectations. The guides, activities, and accommodations were fantastic. The only thing that I could have improved would have been to do more research myself and request more days hiking.

Having the opportunity to chat with James on the phone could have sparked a discussion of the pace of the trip and whether a more aggressive itinerary made sense for us.

It was the most amazing hike we ever did and Stephanie was of great help from the day we arrived in Cusco until the time we left. The hotels were really nice and all the people were very nice and friendly. One suggestion would be if you will be able to pair the hikers in the group based on abilities; our group was small and that was perfect. Thanks again for the wonderful trip!

Again, Stephanie went above and beyond to customized our trip based on our needs and she helped us from the time we arrived in Cusco until the day we left. Thanks Stephanie! It was a great pleasure to meet you!

We had a good guide, Joise. To improve, it would have been great if we had more communication from the travel agent.

Everything was good. Had a good driver and perfect guide. Would have liked to have more communication