Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

South America Journey 2025

We are back in California after our two month journey in South America. Kimkim and Marcela assisted us during our first segment of the trip, Patagonia, and during our last segment of the trip, Peru. In between Patagonia and Peru, my wife and I completed a 30-day self drive trip from Puerto Natales to Santiago ..... 5,000 km. The entire experience was stunning, our weather was fantastic and we have returned with a lifetime of memories.

Marcella organized great adventures and accommodations for us during the 14-day Patagonia segment. We collaborated with her easily prior to this trip so that our plan was suited to our travel standards. She was most patient, knowledgeable and available during the planning process. There were no glitzes in this self-drive Patagonia excursion which included Torres de Paine, the El Calafate area and the El Chalten region. The glaciers, trekking, boat excursions and accommodations were wonderful. Marcela made it happen!

Our 30-day driving trip through Argentina and Chile was exciting. Though we planned and executed this part of our journey independently, Marcela was available to provide ideas for our "Carratera Austral" road trip. Additionally, we had the pleasure of having a rendezvous with Marcela in Puerto Varas and enjoyed a coffee together before we continued our journey to Constitucion and Santiago. She was very nice to meet after soooooo many planning communications.

Janice and I added Peru to our South American trip rather late during the planning stages. Marcela stepped up and did an awesome job at organizing our trip. The Cusco experience was epic and our guide, Mega, during those days was most wonderful. Her knowledge, organization, patience and grasp of Inca / Quechua history was so very impressive. We also just fell in love with her care for us as we traveled around Cusco, Machu Picchu and Sacred Valley. Our guide at Machu Picchu was Darcy and he really took care of us on that trip and had a wealth of knowledge regarding the site.

Iquitos and our stay at Pacaya Samiria Lodge was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us. Again the weather was beautiful ... we were very fortunate for our 2-months of good weather! We were picked up in Iquitos by Josiah and he was our guide for three memorable days at the lodge and on the water. We felt very fortunate to have such a scholar of wildlife as our guide. Josiah knows the birds and and environment ... and we felt very comfortable with him. The lodge was beautiful.

Our last segment in Peru was in Lima and again we had a very complete city tour with Lily (sp). Our free day in Lima was filled with many sights and again .... food.

The entire Peru experience assisted with great communications from Manuel, Ximena and Jennifer. Manuel Gordillo was particularly helpful with communicating our daily activities, planning for the next day and confirming our transportation.

Another big thank you to Marcela for helping us while we explored Argentina, Chile and Peru!

THANK YOU KIMKIM!

Bill and Janice Rolfing
South America 2025 Trip

Hotel Reviews

Sueños del Inka Hotel

Cusco

Hatun Inti Classic Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Ava Spot Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Ikonik Miraflores

Lima

Casa Morey

Pacaya Samiria Lodge

Activity Reviews

Cultural City Tour in Lima

Lima

City Tour

Cusco

Iquitos Adventure Day 2

Iquitos

Sacred Valley Tour: Cusco - Chinchero - Ollantaytambo

Peru

Machu Picchu Excursion: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Peru

Iquitos Adventure Day 3

Peru

Pisac Market & Surrounding Ruins

Peru

Iquitos Adventure Day 4

Peru

Iquitos Adventure Day 1

Iquitos

One of the best trip of my life. Everything was perfectly planned. In 10 days we were able to explore the amazon, climb the andes, and even sandsurf in the desert. Lima is such a vibrant city. Peruvians are extremely nice, and their culture is very fascinating. A special mention for the food, which was simply amazing.
Highly recommended!

We really enjoyed the trip. Excited about what we saw, and in general, the amount of time that was allotted to each place.

I'd say a couple of adjustments that we might have made would be to make better use of the full day that we had in Lima. It was good that the kids were able to kind of chill out in the afternoon while I walked around, but it feels like there were some key things that we maybe could've seen or done while we were there. I didn't realize about the Lima catacombs and that was something that was spectacular until we had left. Should've done more research on that.

Also, for the Cusco leg of the trip, we spent probably too much time traversing substantial sections of the Sacred Valley. It seems like we spent 1.5-2 hours on that road four times, and that there probably was some other way that that could've been reduced if the planning were to be adjusted.

Lastly, I think we would've preferred to have another day in Arequipa, perhaps reducing one of the days in the middle on the Cusco leg as necessary. Perhaps visiting the Salt Lake or taking a rafting trip down the river would have ben nice, given the effort to reach Arequipa by air travel.

These are really just nitpicks as we did have a wonderful time, but just wanted to mention a few things it could be improved if you were planning a similar trip for another family in the future. Thank thank you again for your planning efforts!

Our trip to Peru was absolutely amazing. Kimkim / Jimena did a WONDERFUL job with our itinerary. We saw so much in only 9 days, she really maximized our time in this country. We saw the Amazon, cities, archeological /historical sites, animals, had amazing food and took great pictures. Jimena incorporated everything we asked for and even arranged for special surprises for mine and my partner’s birthdays. She was also always available for questions. It was fantastic. Could not recommend it more.

Activity Review

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

Wonderful, amazing place, including the vistadome train ride (complete with musicians and dancing!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our recent trip was truly unforgettable, thanks to the exceptional service and attention to detail provided by everyone involved. Amelia from Cusi Travel was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also genuinely caring—her passion for sharing the culture and history of the region made every part of our journey more meaningful. Our driver, Alex, was equally impressive. He was always courteous, punctual, and attentive to our comfort and needs, ensuring we traveled safely and stress-free throughout.

We’re also deeply grateful to KimKim and their wonderful team, especially Johanna and Kristy, who handled all of our hotel and airfare arrangements with remarkable precision. Their meticulous planning and responsiveness made the entire experience seamless and enjoyable. Every detail, from accommodations to logistics, was perfectly executed.

We wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone looking for a well-organized, enriching, and personalized travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

Refugio Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Amazing staff, wonderful location and extremely clean.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

We enjoyed the location and the beautiful decor of this hotel. This hotel is walkable to many sightseeing and nice restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

This hotel is basic in every angles. Nothing to brag about and nothing to complain about.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

This hotel has beautiful architecture and decor however, due to its design and structure, the rooms are noisy. Most tourist have to leave early in the morning for their tours and you will definitely will hear their departure in early hours of the morning like 4 AM.The staff are amazing and they accommodate everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Amazing Hotel for restfulness and meditation. Our Rooms was dark even during daytime. Beautiful gardens and plant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Excellent choice of restaurants and foods with knowledgeable guides.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guido was an amazing guide, he gave us so much value able information and excellent recommendations!!! He had so much knowledge about everything!!! The whole family loved him! We all had a great experience with the travel agency and all the communications!!!

Andes Travel planned a great trip for us. We had excellent guides, cars and support while traveling. There were a few of hiccups (confusion of breakfast inclusion at our first hotel, a flight schedule change - not their fault but some communication would have been useful, and an unnecessary baggage fee), all other aspects of the trip were wonderful.

The KimKim Team were all very good. Everyone showed up on time and took good care to make sure everything was right and I enjoyed my time. I did get very sick, however, but the KimKim Team took care of me and got me to appropriate medical care etc. I needed that as I would not have been able to navigate on my own.

I would use KimKim again in a minute for another trip. Hopefully one where I do not become ill. Well worth the $$ to use them as they coordinated everything! Special thanks to Eddy my guide in Cisco and Machu Picchu. He was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Our adventure in Peru was absolutely AMAZING! Every site, city, trek, hotel, and delicious meal was expertly crafted by KimKim. We cherished every single moment of this incredible journey with our closest friends. Our agent, Kristy, was an absolute rock star! She was there for us at every turn, handling any challenges that came our way with lightning speed and efficiency. Thanks to her, our experience was completely seamless and unforgettable. We can’t wait to plan our next trip with KimKim! Huge thank you!!

From beginning to end, our trip to Peru was an incredible experience and one of the best trips of our lives!

We started with just the idea of hiking the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu and the number of days we wanted to spend on our trip. KimKim connected us to the incredible Kristy, who put together an amazing itinerary of places that I didn’t know that I would love.. but I did!

What’s more is that when the trail was closed due to mudslides (which we found out at the airport waiting for our flight), Kristy was on it and booked us on the Lares Trail, which was phenomenal. In many ways, better than I expected, as it took us over a mountain and through tiny villages, where we could experience the Peruvian culture.

Highlights of our trip included Rainbow Mountain (a must), the train from Cusco to Puno (a blast!!), Lake Titicaca (such a neat place), Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu.

All of our accommodations were great (Antiguay in Cusco and Inkaterra at Machu Picchu being particular amazing) and we would recommend to others. Perhaps best of all were all the guides and transfers Kristy arranged to make it easy and seamless. Valario in the Sacred Valley and Jose in Puno were really awesome!

We had another change at the end of our trip and we ended up skipping Lima due to some political unrest there. With Kristy’s help we discovered Mancora, a beach town on the Pacific coast of Peru. We stayed in a resort there called Arennas and it turned out to be the perfect relaxing end to such a memorable trip!

We had a wonderful trip. Johanna was professional and responsive. Every detail of our trip was well planned out. Our guide, Jose, was knowledgeable, friendly, and made our trip truly memorable. We would highly recommend him as a guide!

This trip was amazing! Planning it through Kimkim was so worth it! The only part that was difficult was the day we were in the Sacred Valley. We did not feel like we had enough time there, so I definitely recommend setting aside a full day for that. Otherwise, it will feel rushed. We saw so many awesome animals during our trip! We went to the Amazon rainforest which was a dream! Machu Picchu was the best part by far. It was gorgeous! We also made it all the way to Lake Titicaca! My suggestion for altitude is definitely to do as the locals do! I would recommend this trip to anyone! It’s a once in a lifetime experience. Thank you Kimkim, Liz, and everyone we met along the way that helped make this journey so special!

Hotel Reviews

Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites

Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes

Small rooms. Lamp was broken. Needs a little work but it was fine for one night. We hardly stayed in the hotel much anyways. It served its purpose. The location is awesome though! Close to the train and buses.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dazzler Miraflores by Wyndham

Lima

They didn’t warn us ahead that they charge for coffee in the room. However, their breakfast was awesome! The location was also great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco

Cusco

Favorite hotel of the trip! Grab some emolliente from the cart in the courtyard! Highly recommend this hotel, it’s gorgeous! Loved how comfortable and luxurious it was here!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eco Amazonia Lodge

Las Piedras

We love Tino! Had the best experience here! The food and bar were awesome! Thank you for such an amazing time! Glad we got to see so many exotic birds and animals!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lake Titicaca Hotel

The restaurant downstairs was delicious! The hotel is simple. It wasn’t close to town but we were too tired to explore anyways. This hotel also served its purpose. Rest and food were our main needs especially at that elevation! Overall it was a good time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flight to Puerto Maldonado: EcoLogic 1/3

Peru

The first night we did a night walk with Tino and it was awesome! Loved our rooms! An absolutely gorgeous place! Dinner was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Lima Dining Experience: Culture, Flavor & Style (PM)

Lima

This made our time in Lima special! 100 percent would do again!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

EcoLogic 3/3: Flight to {{end_location}}

Peru

Last day was great. Had lots of time to pack up and head out. Overall a smooth travel day to Cusco.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ecologic 2/3

Puerto Maldonado

The full day here was awesome! We started our day with bird watching! Then, we got to do the canopy walk. Later we went canoeing around a lake and saw so much wildlife. On the way back to the lodge we even saw wild capybaras! All the food was delicious that day too! Truly an amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

*Private tour to The Sacred Valley: Pachamanca & Train to Machu Picchu

Peru

This day felt very rushed, unfortunately. We did not get to spend enough time in the Sacred Valley and had to rush to make it to the Panchamanca on time. Other than that we had an awesome time. Our guide and driver were so awesome that day making sure we still made it to everything! I recommend spending a full day in the Sacred Valley.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Route of The Sun: {{start_location}} - {{end_location}}

Peru

I slept through most of this! Overall, it was great. We made some great stops and even saw some monolithic structures! We tried Coati coffee which was tasty. We got some good souvenirs during this journey! We also visited the Church of San Pedro. It was a fun time and got us to Lake Titicaca!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

One of the tours I needed to use the restroom first before we continued so I missed most of the tour.

Transport

Shared Uros & Taquile Floating Islands tour

Puno

This was so cool! It felt other-worldly going here and seeing how the people live! Awesome day on the beautiful Lake Titicaca! It’s a journey but definitely worth it! We really were able to immerse ourselves in the culture!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

Obviously our favorite part of the trip! Cusco is one of the most beautiful cities my husband and I have ever been to! Machu Picchu was picturesque and I got emotional seeing it! Definitely, the highlight of the whole trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We wrote a detailed review already but to recap: we had an excellent experience. Logistically, everything was perfect. All the guides or transportation reps always arrived early and were very accommodating. We never had to stress the whole time. Liz, our local specialist, did a great job of making adjustments when conditions weren't appropriate for rafting.
Overall we loved our accommodations. Particularly, Palacio del Inka in Cusco due to its historic nature, luxury style and on site activities (tour of historic hotel, Pisco Sour class, performances, excellent spa). Our least favorite hotel was Casa Andina in Lima. The rooms were very dated and in need of repair.
To any families traveling, our favorite activity was the cooking class in Lima at Urban Kitchen and we really appreciated the additional Machu Picchu guide just for the kids. I could tell they were far more interested in what she was telling them than they would have been in the detailed perspective we were receiving. Also the bike ride in the sacred valley was lovely.
Overall great experience and we're glad we used Kim Kim and their local agents.

My family and I had an incredible 9-day trip introducing us to Peru -- what an amazing time. We spent several nights in Lima with a focus on food -- we did a street food tour, a cooking class and an evening dinner at the Larco museum. Then we moved onto the Sacred Valley and Cuzco, where we toured the magnificent sites [including Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Moray] and went to a small village where we were hosted by the villagers. We had several guides in Lima [David, Andy and Aura] and one guide [Miguel] during the second part of the trip -- all were very personable and very good -- incredibly knowledgable about Peruvian history and culture and it was a pleasure being with them. We spent 4 days with Miguel and he led us seamlessly. He was a complete wealth of knowledge about the area and was fantastic to deal with. After the trip ended, we all realized that we had a special experience.

Hotel Reviews

Aloft Lima Miraflores, a Marriott Hotel

Lima

Modern good-sized rooms and very well located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de Yucay

Cusco

Beautiful charming facility -- wish we had spent more time there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terra Andina Mansion Colonial

Cusco

In a good location -- the facility is nice enough although we had to switch both rooms when the first ones were unacceptable. The staff however was very accommodating with our requests and the replacement rooms were nice. Check out time is 10 am which I find to be fairly early [they did extend us to 11 am but no longer]

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Complexes and Larco Museum by night with dinner

Lima

We loved this experience -- our guide was very good and the museum and dinner were lovely. My only suggestion was we needed more time to fully enjoy the dinner and wound up extending the time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands on Cooking Class at a Chef's house

Lima

We made three traditional Peruvian dishes -- ceviche, causa and a Pisco sour and really enjoyed the experience. The staff in the restaurant and the guide were really great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pisac Archaeological Site

Peru

A very special place -- beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

A very comprehensive walk around the central district. The desserts sampled were the highlight of the tour. Our guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning visit of Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Misminay Community, lunch and hike to Moray

Sacred Valley

We were shown local customs and crafts and were served lunch. A very informative look into local life.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

A full day experience that was managed by our guide seamlessly -- the Vistadome train was so beautiful and there was a special bus I think for guided tours that simplified the process getting to the site. The site itself of course is spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Miguel was the highlight of our trip! He was so knowledgeable, great energy, and took such good care of our family during the trip and our adventures in Cusco and Machu Picchu

Our Peru trip was INCREDIBLE! It had a wonderful mix of history, hiking, food, and culture. We had some unguided time in the cities (Lima and Cusco) to explore the city, but had a guide with us to travel to different historical sites. I definitely recommend booking a trip as it saved us SO much time and effort especially with transportation. We had a dedicated driver pretty much the entire time (minus to machu picchu + the amazon) and got to explore areas off the main path. I loved hanging out with the alpacas and getting to see the incredible views. If you are also planning on going to the amazon, get ready to be full off grid and full sweaty. It was definitely worth it but boy is it HOT.

Hotel Reviews

Tierra Viva Miraflores Centro

Miraflores

small but staff was very friendly and it was in a great location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Agustin Paracas

Paracas

We went when it was pretty cold so we did not get full use of the amenities but it was beautiful. The walls were THIN though so be warned

Amaru

Cusco

LOVE this hotel. Great location, great rooms, great environment.

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

This hotel is amazing! Very beautiful and convenient. We even got a bagged lunch from them that was tasty

Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Hotel not the best location but not bad. Was clean and comfortable.

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion

Puerto Maldonado

BEAUTIFUL place. If I were to come back I would love to stay at a place like this again. Food was delicious and the staff was beyond incredible. One even saved me when a bullet ant was on my leg. Be prepared to be sweaty and DO NOT go if you are scared of bugs.

Activity Reviews

Lima Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour

Lima

Totally recommend the food tour. It was a wonderful way to explore the city and get a taste of DELICIOUS food. Best food we had on our trip by far

National Reserve & Huacachina: Wildlife & Dune Buggy Adventure

Peru

So fun!!! Definitely worth it even though I was terrible at sandboarding haha.

Ballestas Islands Tour & Return to Lima

Paracas

If you are in the area I definitely recommend. We got to see penguins and sea lions on the boat tour.

Moray and Maras Tour

Peru

Loved seeing the salt mine, and the different Incan historial sites. A must do

Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain

Cusco

In my opinion, this is so much better than the main Rainbow mountain. Not only did you get to see a rainbow mountain, but an incredible view of the andean glaciers behind it. Not to mention being slightly lower in elevation, a shorter hike, and MUCH less busy.

Lunch at Mountainview

Peru

I live laugh love alpacas so this was a dream come true. I would live here forever if I could.

Richard was pleasant but only received and accompanied us to the Lake Titikaka hotel. Willie was well informed and helped us physically to walk safely. Jesus negotiated a discount so we could enter a VIP waiting area since our flight out was delayed 5hours. Excellent service even on the weekend. Thanks for your excellent recommendations and addressing our concerns. I will recommend Kimkim.

Hotel Review

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Puno

Puno

Lakeside view, clean & comfortable room. Very good food and friendly service.

Authenticity & Character

Well Maine’s with remodeled bathrooms. Not particularly filled with character but who cares with a view like that?

Location

View & easy access to boat tours

Staff

Wendy was wonderful waitress & served us in both English & Spanish. Front desk clerk wanted us to pay without presenting a detailed bill, but ultimately he read off the charges which were correct.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was clean & warm. Grazing Llamas provided entertainment.

Activity Reviews

Nazca Lines: Lima - Nazca Lines - Lima

Peru

Difficult to see many of the lines. Some were visible only from one side of the plane. Co-pilot’s microphone had static so her directional advice was not helpful. Single prop engine got us there and back

Quality of Experience

Happy to see even only a few of the lines

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Got us there and back.

Transport

12-seater was bigger than I expected.

Paracas Reserve Exploration

Paracas

Beautiful area. Museum was well done & fascinating.

Quality of Experience

Views are remarkable

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blanca was very well informed and friendly. Andre’s’ driving made us nervous. Compared to US drivers he was following too close & making unsafe lane changes. Welcome to Peru!

Transport

I believe we had WiFi in the vehicle

Sailing in Lake Titicaca: Taquile, Luquina & the Uros floating Islands

Puno

So sad to see such poverty. We heard from other tourists that Uros residents don’t live on the islands anymore. They just pretend to live there. Being invited into a home was special but we were saddened to see the daughters “perform” by chewing Totoro reeds on cue then singing a song. Fascinating way of life even if it is a recreation.

Quality of Experience

Guide on board (William) who was hosting a dozen other people was also well informed and spoke excellent English.

Food

Excellent experience on Taquille island meeting several acquaintances of our guide, Willie. Also tasty lunch in a warm environment on a cold & windy day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Willie was very accommodating of our recent injury impacting our locomotion.

Transport

Safe driver Francisco

Sillustani tombs

Puno

Beautiful surrounding valley. Fascinating structures. Guide Willie was well informed.

Quality of Experience

Good narrative by guide Willie

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great command of English

Transport

Clean & efficient

Our 3-week trip to Peru in January (rainy season!) was spectacular from beginning to end because of the care and attention from Ann Godoy at Peruvian Soul.

We found Ann on the kimkim.com platform for the complexity of trip planning because we wanted to visit so many places. She worked closely with John to tailor the trip to what we wanted to do. She gathered a lot of info about our choice of a daily schedule, hotel types/levels, and much more.

The itinerary was perfect for us!

-2 days in Lima (met by Ann and Andres) with 1 full day of touring with Blanca who was a great guide.

-Abraham took us back to Lima airport for our flight to Puerto Maldonado.

-Met at the airport by Oscar (guide from River Expeditions) who helped us shift our luggage for the boat trip to Tambopata (Amazon basin) for 4 days at the Posada Amazonas. Oscar was an excellent guide and John, a birder, was thrilled to see so many new bird species. We did have one full day of heavy rainstorms, but other days were short rain showers that didn’t affect our expedition plans. [Note that the lodge’s website isn’t updated to state that it now has electricity 24/7 in the guest rooms, and its internet (in the common area) was quite good but occasionally went off because of storms.]

From Puerto Maldonado airport, we flew to Cusco and were met by Miguel and driver, Ronald who took us to the Sacred Valley and the first of the 3 Casa Andina hotels (excellent) we stayed in. We had very good weather and not much rain. Miguel was an excellent guide and easily sensed what level of activities we could do as we were adjusting to altitude. And gave us history and cultural info on the Inca and Spanish eras in small chunks, which was helpful and made it easier to absorb.

After 3 days in the Sacred Valley, we spent an overnight in Machu Picchu (taking the train with Miguel who was our guide there too) with bright sunshine (despite predictions of rainstorms) for our 1600-step climb up to MP and the tour there. And then back to Cusco (and Casa Andina hotel in an historic building) for 3 days of touring with Miguel. Ronald’s driving was masterful, and he was very attentive to us.

We then flew from Cusco to Arequipa, met by Gerber and driver Diego. Our 3rd Casa Andina hotel was in the old mint (historic) building. Just lovely. We had a walking tour of Arequipa with Gerber, and it gave us so much perspective on why Arequipa is known for its architecture and is considered to be a European city.

Sergio and river Benigno collected us from the hotel for a drive to Colca Canyon with amazing tours stops along the way. (John got to see even more birds and we saw vicuna and guanacos in the wild.) We stayed 2 nights and mostly had no rain and quite a bit of sun. The highlight was driving to the lookout point for the condors – and arriving to see 7 condors soaring over the space of an hour (rare for the rainy season).

From there, we made our return to Lima and back to the US.

Ann gave us individual care and attention before we left the USA. And the in-country service was what we needed. We were met at every location (primarily flights) by the guide (and often, a driver), and they also delivered us to the airports when we were departing

We set up a Whatsapp group before we departed the US connecting us to Ann and Jesus (our emergency contact) who answered our weekend questions. That was invaluable as we needed boarding passes and guide contact info.

The full trip details were on the kimkim platform which was pretty easy to use and had most of the details we needed.

An amazing trip that exceeded our expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Posada Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios

Posada Amazonas Lodge offered a truly authentic Amazon experience. Our room had one wall completely open to the jungle, allowing us to hear monkeys and birds while being surrounded by nature. We loved the natural setting, but be careful about water consumption!

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado was perfect for bird lovers like us. The expansive property offered plenty of space for bird watching and exploring, and we enjoyed the serene environment. It was a great retreat away from the hustle of travel, and the setting was simply beautiful.

Casa Andina Premium Arequipa

Arequipa

Casa Andina Premium Arequipa was conveniently located in the middle of the city but provided a unique rooftop view of snow-capped volcanoes. The city setting was central for sightseeing, and discovering the rooftop views was an unexpected highlight.

Colca Lodge

Cercado, Yanque

Colca Lodge was delightful with its natural surroundings and the rushing river. We really enjoyed the onsite hot springs and the tranquility of having them mostly to ourselves. It was a serene and rejuvenating part of our trip.

Activity Review

Andean Textiles with Parobamba Community

Peru

The visit to the Parobamba Community for the Andean textiles experience was fantastic. We got to see a demonstration of how textiles are made, and enjoyed interacting with the local community. The villagers even performed a traditional dance for us, which was a delightful surprise. It was a fantastic way to connect with the culture and meet locals.

It was a good trip. There were a couple of things that I would have changed but the hotels were nice, and the rides were on time and reliable.

We have been very impressed with kimkim as a whole. With all our flight interruptions and delays you were able to get us back on track. Having contact people in Peru was exceptional. My only 2 star would be our guide to Machu Picchu. He was very hard to understand and pretty hyper. Everything else was excellent!

Hotel Reviews

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to our excursion

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the activities we were doing

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stunning scenery in the Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Excursion: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide hard to understand and we felt rushed at times

Transport