Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

We had an amazing trip to Peru. The KimKim team planned an adventure that touched on many different activities including a food tour in Lima, a Hacienda luncheon in the Sacred Valley, 4 wheeling to salt mines, the rainbow mountains, a luxury train ride to Punta, a boat trip to the floating villages with a luncheon at a private residence. Then, there was the Inca Trail hike which was both challenging and amazing with a culminating visit to Machu Picchu. We were impacted by altitude and could have benefitted by an additional day acclimating so that should be a consideration for anyone visiting Peru. And this is an early to bed, early to rise trip as most of the tours start early to beat the traffic and because some locations take longer to get to than the distance implies. Our hotels, particularly in the smaller towns, were quaint with impeccable service. Guides were generally knowledgeable and easy to understand. Everything went pretty smoothly; pickups were as scheduled and there was a lot of coordination between our guides and our drivers. Highly recommended!

Perfect trip, very well executed by local team! Highly recommended Kim Kim!

We had an amazing trip to Peru. The KimKim team planned an adventure that touched on many different activities including a food tour in Lima, a Hacienda luncheon in the Sacred Valley, 4 wheeling to salt mines, the rainbow mountains, a luxury train ride to Punta, a boat trip to the floating villages with a luncheon at a private residence. Then, there was the Inca Trail hike which was both challenging and amazing with a culminating visit to Machu Picchu. We were impacted by altitude and could have benefitted by an additional day acclimating so that should be a consideration for anyone visiting Peru. And this is an early to bed, early to rise trip as most of the tours start early to beat the traffic and because some locations take longer to get to than the distance implies. Our hotels, particularly in the smaller towns, were quaint with impeccable service. Guides were generally knowledgeable and easy to understand. Everything went pretty smoothly; pickups were as scheduled and there was a lot of coordination between our guides and our drivers. Highly recommended!

This was our first time using kimkim.com to plan our vacation (Peru). We were paired with Andean Travel and Lo assisted us in our planning. She was great to work with and very flexible to our wants. Then once we were in Peru, Lisbeth took over and was in constant communication with us to ensure everything went smoothly, and it did! It was great to have private drivers to/from the airport, for taking us to needed spots, etc.

Our guides were wonderful! Oscar was very knowledgeable about the Sacred Valley and we learned so much about the history and people. Javier guided us through Machu Picchu and it meant so much more to understand this special place. The Amazon and the Corto Maltes Lodge did not disappoint and we saw so much wildlife! We ended back in Lima for a day before catching our flight home and the Lima Food Tour with Amy was a great way to wrap up our time in Peru.

We will definately use this service again. Made it so simple and took away the stress of planning!

Hotel Reviews

Corto Maltes Amazon Lodge

Puerto Maldonado

Highly recommended! The programs and guides were great and the experience is something we will never forget.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

San Augustin Plaza

Cusco

Right in the middle of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de Yucay

Cusco

Loved the grounds and views from this place!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Estelar Miraflores

Lima

Nice hotel in middle of Miraflores made walking and getting to places very easy!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Interactive City & Gourmet Lima Food Tour (AM)

Lima

WOW! Food, food and more food! Our guide Amy was very delightful and we experienced such great food that Peru has to offer. The places we visited to eat were an added plus to our trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight to {{end_location}} & Corto Maltes 3/3 (Sandoval Program)

Peru

Spent the early morning at the salt lick watching different birds. So colorful! I would highly recommend staying here and experience their programs. It was nice to have downtime and the food was great!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Corto Maltes Lodge 2/3 (Sandoval Lake Program)

Puerto Maldonado

We spent day 2 with our guide Franklin on Lake Sandoval. We saw otters, caiman, monkeys, and tons of different birds. It was a special day.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight to Puerto Maldonado & Corto Maltes 1/3 (Sandoval Program)

Peru

First day in the Amazon and it was amazing! Our guide Franklin gave us a simple overview of the jungle and then we headed out at night looking for wildlife and boy did we get to see it!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Ollantaytambo town, Shared Pachamanca & Transfer to {{end_location}}

Peru

We explored Ollantaytambo on our own and it was nice to have some free time. The Shared Pachamanca was a complete surprise and we enjoyed the experience very much.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Machu Picchu (Private guided tour in Machu Picchu)

Peru

Once in a lifetime trip! Our guide, Javier, was from here and provided so much history of this special place and people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to Moray, Maras & Chinchero

Sacred Valley

We had Oscar as our tour guide again this day and it was great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flight to Cusco & Private tour to Awanakancha, Pisac Sites, Market & Inkary Museum

Peru

Our guide Oscar was wonderful and we learned so much about the history and people. Highly recommend Oscar for tours!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jimena and Jesus recently organized our vacation in Cusco and were outstanding! They were responsive, clear in their communication and incredibly helpful in planning. In addition, they lined up local guides who were also outstanding! Our local guide, Ceasar, and driver, Ollidon, took extremely good care of us and more importantly, we kind and nice to be with.

Everyone explained what was needed, what to expect and plan for, and how to best navigate our short time in Cusco. Highly recommend them and Peruvian Sol if you are looking to book a trip to Peru.

Hotel Review

Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco

Cusco

The hotel TV and aircon didn't work well. Room was basic and had a slight moldy smell. Would have also liked a hotel with a fitness center. Although they advertised one they didn't have one. Service in the bar was not as friendly as reception and the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

lots of peruvian character in design

Location

very easy to walk to restaurants and shopping

Staff

Bar staff could be more friendly like reception and restuarant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

air con and tv should work and rooms shouldn't smell moldy

Activity Reviews

Join us to Palccoyo Rainbow Mountain

Cusco

Highlight of the whole trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Our driver, Ollidon, arranged a lovely picnic with flowers and excellent food from Cicciolina. Highly recommend this restaurant! So thoughtful of our driver and he took care of every detail for the picnic.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

Extremely well organized by Peruvian Sol and our guide and driver. Train travel was ok and worth paying for the upgraded experience. Bus travel to and from Machu Picchu was rough, scary, and seemed dangerous. Unfortunately, it's the only way to the site unless you want to hike up the hill which requires a lot of time and to be in good shape. Overall the site was crowded and so many people taking social media pictures it wasn't the best experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

transport to and from Macchu Picchu was great and the trains were great. Bus travel to and from the site was horrible.

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cesar was so informative, kind and has a fun sense of humor. He was a treat to spend time with during our stay. If we do another trip, will definitely ask for Cesar!

Transport

My daughter and I get motion sickness easily. However, even with the winding roads and traffic, our driver, Ollidon, didn't make us sick while driving and was an exceptional navigator. We felt very safe and cared for and would use Ollidon again and again.

I am going to be as fair and balanced with this review as possible.

Kimkim connected us with Miski Travel for our trip to Peru. Here are the things Miski did really well. The hotels, restaurants, and tour guides they set us up with were really superb and top notch for our budget. Cusco and Lima were amazing times. They upgraded my 2-day Lares hike to a private tour (more on this later); which was a wonderful experience. 5 stars for Cusi Travels. 5 stars for my driver, Alex. 5 stars for my Cusco and trekking guide, Sonia. 5 stars for my Lima guide, Valeria. The biggest thing: when local protests shut down the route to Machu Picchu, they went above and beyond and did everything they could to find an alternate route for me and even covered the additional costs, which were substantial for me.

Where they came up short; and this is something I unfortunately and absolutely cannot overlook or understate... I came to them last NOVEMBER. My very explicit and primary objective for this trip was to hike the FULL INCA TRAIL and see Inca ruins (especially The Sun Gate). They told me this was something they could book for me. So I put a down payment and officially booked with them in FEBRUARY, for a trip in SEPTEMBER.

Come JUNE, 3 months before our trip; they tell me they failed to book the Full Inca Trail for me and that it is now sold out and impossible to join. As I understand it, 7 months is more than sufficient time to book the trail and double-triple check it's been secured. I would be fired for a mistake of this magnitude anywhere I've worked. What I found especially infuriating was they initially downplayed it as a simple mistake and "inconvenience".

At this point in time, there are too many things set in motion for me to simply cancel my trip. This is when they offer to put me on an upgraded Lares trail for 2 days and then do 1 day on the final leg of the Inca Trail. Not at all what I want. Not at all ideal. But my only option.

To be fair, the Lares trail was lovely. I had a great time on it. But still, it wasn't what I wanted. There were NO Inca Ruins on that trail. I do love hiking, but I didn't come to Peru to hike for the sake of hiking. The goal from the very beginning was to hike to SEE RUINS.

After Lares, local protests made it impossible to transfer to the part of the Inca Trail I was supposed to do and cut short the time I could spend at Machu Picchu. The big frustration was I did not get to visit the Sun Gate as I was very heavily and excitedly anticipating. Now of course, I'm not blaming Miski for the protests; and I absolutely give them credit for navigating the situation and finding a way for me to get to Machu Picchu. However, you can't ignore the fact that had they put me on the Full Inca Trail, as originally planned and paid for; my time at Machu Picchu would not have been cut as short and I would've seen the Sun Gate.

So my experienced is mixed, and that's honestly the best I can say about it. I did have a good time. But it also was not what I wanted. I did have a good trip, but I cannot say that I am 100% satisfied. And I definitely cannot say Kimkim can guarantee 100% satisfaction as they state. My 3 stars are generous. The one big failing was really threatening a 1 star.

Because of everything Miski did manage to get right, I imagine had they actually booked the Full Inca Trail for me, this trip would've exceeded perfection. And I see that they do get really good reviews, so maybe my experience with them was a fluke? They tried, but unfortunately, I'm left feeling really iffy about them and Kimkim as well. Your mileage may vary. Maybe I'll peruse Kimkim again? I don't know. I had booked another trip through Kimkim years ago (Nepal/Bhutan) that was absolutely perfect; but this one fell quite short. I'll definitely be exploring other options for my next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lares Valley Camping

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lares Trek Day 1: Sacred Valley to Lares Hot Springs & Wacawasi

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lares Trek Day 3: Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu via Sun Gate

Peru

Was supposed to do it but didn't get to!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lares Trek Day 2: Ipsayjassa Pass, Patacancha Village & Pumamarca Ruins

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip itself was amazing. Praise needs to be given to Sonia and Yovena from Cusi Travel , Mauricio from Cusco Culinary, and Flor from Curious Monkey Food Tours for providing unforgettable private experiences for their individual tours and classes. Their knowledge and friendliness made them more fun and memorable. My friend and I stayed for approximately 10 days in Peru, staying in Cusco and Lima. The trip was not without its hiccups. We were in the middle of the protests in Cusco which blocked many tourists from going to Machu Picchu by train. However, Cusi Travel offered an alternative option to get us to Machu Picchu. I chose to remain in Cusco but my friend was able to get his time in Machu Picchu thanks to this alternative option. Kristy from kimkim helped us navigate these difficult waters during this time and we were able to enjoy our trip safely.
Kristy put up with a lot of our last minute requests and changes, not only due to the protests, but also with how we ended up doing some last minute changes with the travel plans due to our own personal needs. While unprecedented, she adapted and pivoted professionally and did her best to accommodate us. Because of this, I will use kimkim again to plan another trip (and even a 2nd trip to Peru). For that 2nd trip to Peru, I will go in more experienced and having made contacts with Cusi Travel and Curious Monkey.

Javier at Machu Pichu was amazing
Mateo driver for Rainbow Mountain was also excellent as well as our tour guide I believe Judith

Activity Reviews

Shared Palcoyo Trek: Small group

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hiram Bingham Belmond train to Machu Picchu

Cusco

great staff and attention to detail!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Tour to Moray & Maras: Lunch with Views

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer from Paracas to Lima: Ballestas Islands & Nasca Lines

Peru

the tour itself in the air is very long and was a bit too much with all the flying back and forth for each side

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer to {{end_location}} +Lunch+Tacama+Winery+Tasting+Huacachina Adventure

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our Cusco and Machu Picchu guide - Edy - was amazing. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about all things Inca. He was extremely respectful and enhanced our experience in every way!

The hotel, logistics and tours were all great. The hotel (Antigua Miraflores) was charming, had great food for all meals, lovely staff and great location. Our tour guide, Carlos, for both the historic and foodie tours was informative and gracious. Kristy was an excellent communicator. Thank you.

Hotel Review

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer from Miraflores to Lima Airport

Peru

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Again, Carlos was an excellent tour guide.

Historic Center

Lima

Carlos was a great tour guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores

Peru

Arrival to Lima: Free Day to Explore

Lima

The Salkantay Trekking organization was terrific. Our guide, Yuri and the team went above and beyond anything we expected. They were thrown a powerful curveball with a train strike in Aguas Calientes which upended their carefully planned logistics. They helped to navigate the evacuation all while ensuring that we were still able to get to and enjoy Machu Picchu. They did it with enthusiasm and endless patience. We loved this trip, the trekking outfit and guide

We booked a bucket list trip with Kim Kim to Peru. They asked what kind of trip we were looking for, e.g., hiking, city, relaxing adventure. We told them we wanted to reconnect with nature and boy did they deliver! The literary was everything we'd hoped for and more! Everything was seamless from our drivers-Willy was awesome! to our guides- hugh shout out the Edwar! to even solving a few bumps along the way. The Kim Kim team is amazing and we will definitely be using their service again for a safe and fun vacation!

Peru Trip: All the guides (Tino, Sonya and Vanessa) were great. Very Knowledgeable and friendly. The entire trip was amazing. From the jungle of Puerto Maldonado, to Scared Valley, mountains of Mach Picchu, Cusco and coastal city of Lima. Food was delicious (except for most of the desserts - texture was too different for me). All the accommodations where different (which I liked) and very nice. Probably my most memorable places were the jungle tours and gorgeous canbanas. The yummy lunch at Mountain View with the beautiful views and adorable alpacas and llamas. The scenic train ride to Aguas Calientes and delicious authentic lunch in the beautiful garden of El Alberque along with demonstration were great. Breathtaking views and excitement of climbing Mach Picchu. City sites, tours and cooking class in Cusco were so much fun. While Lima was nice, it was my least favorite place. Just another big city. However, the museum and garden tour was a hidden gem. Definitely will use KimKim again.

Hotel Reviews

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Very modern design. Great selections and spread for breakfast. Fun rooftop bar. Bartender was great!!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

We arrived earlier then check in, but the person that helped us, was able to get us rooms. Sorry, don't remember her name.

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

A staff member was suppose to meet us and guide us to the hotel, but no one showed up. The hotel wasn't that far, so we were able to Google it and walk there. So not that big of a deal. Thought I'd mention it sice our instructions said someone would be there.

Staff

Nice and polite, but not friendly - if that makes sense

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Villas

Urubamba

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado

Beautiful place and location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels

Cusco

Place was pretty, staff nice and breakfast good. However, the bed and pillows were hard and not comfortable.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and pillows were too hard

Activity Reviews

Departure day - Adios Peru!

Peru

There was a mix- up in our departure time. We contacted KimKim about it and they made appropriate arrangements within minutes.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

This is a hidden gem! Garden is beautiful. Museum was cool. Make sure you go into the erotic select. Pretty entertaining.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Cusco to Lima - Free day in Lima

Peru

Lima is a big coastal city. Busy and on the cool side. It was our least favorite place, but still enjoyed our stay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vanessa was great!

Transport

Full Day Cusco & San Pedro Market Tour

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sonya was great!!

Transport

Scenic Train Journey to Aguas Calientes from the Sacred Valley

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pachamanca Lunch at El Albergue Farm in Ollantaytambo

Peru

Very cool place!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Journey from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco and transfer to the Sacred Valley

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour: Pisac, Maras and Moray & Lunch at Mountain View

Peru

Beautiful place

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tino was the BEST!!

Transport

Into the Amazon: Lima - Puerto Maldonado - Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Peru

Beautiful cabanas. Gorgeous place.

Quality of Experience

Food

Overall very tasty. Liked that the food was authentic. The texture of the desserts were a like to different for me.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were equally impressed with each new adventure that came along. Although there were a couple of hiccups, none of which were Kimkim's fault, Kristy quickly resolved the issues and each and every meet up and transfer went off at planned. The accommodations were perfect and the did was very good. What a great trip we had!!

We had a wonderful trip thanks to KimKim and the Peruvian Soul team! They helped guide our itinerary to make the most of our 10 days in country and saved us from activities that would likely have been disappointing.

Once we were in Peru, we had a local guide in each town who picked us up/took us to the airport and around to our tours which made it so much easier for us. We got to stay in vacation mode the whole time we were there despite several transfers and activities.

The team went above and beyond when flights we booked separately were canceled helping us to find alternatives.

The team was super responsive and made sure we had the best time! Thank you!!

Where to begin-Jimena was AMAZING in helping my friend and I plan our Peru trip!!! We were not very familiar with the country and felt a travel advisor would be the best way to nail down an itinerary that would suit what we were looking for. She was so thorough and quick in putting a schedule together, helping with any changes, and most importantly, she and Jesus (also equally as helpful and responsive) were so accessible WHILE we were in Peru. We had a contact in each city, who were the best-shoutout Bosco in Lima who did everything from give us recos, take us through the airport all the way to security, and ensure we got to where we needed to go efficiently, Robinzon in Cusco who helped us navigate the town and translate during our cooking class, and Alverro who drove us from Lima to Paracus, stopping in his home town for a local brunch, and giving the best energy as we had fun on the sand dunes. Not only were everyone great, but we were also able to easily contact them easily on WhatsApp to coordinate. KimKim just made is SO EASY that we could show up and have fun. We had a lot of transportation needs, and that would have been so stressful to navigate by ourselves. I've raved about our trip and told them one of the best things we did was use KimKim to book an amazing Peru trip. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our first trip to South America great!!!

We had an amazing trip to Peru from the organization by Shawna to all the visits we did. Special mention to our guide Juan who was super friendly and knowledgeable and made us discover the incredible Inca culture.

Our trip to Peru was a fabulous and unforgettable experience. Kim Kim matched us with Johanna from Miski Travels in Peru. She meticulously planned a trip that suited us perfectly. It was a very busy two weeks with a lot of tours, excursions and travel, everything was absolutely flawless. The timings were spot on, instructions were clear and the local guides were friendly and knowledgeable. I was extremely impressed with both Johanna and her colleague Kristy, they built the ideal trip for our family of 4. The excursions were varied and interesting and we really feel like we made the most of our trip. It is the first time we have used a travel company, we usually plan the whole trip ourselves, but after such a positive experience we would definitely use them again.

Hotel Review

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

We absolutely loved this hotel. The staff were so welcoming and it was extremely comfortable and cosy. The restaurant was excellent, the beds were extremely comfortable and the decor was beautiful. We will be recommending this hotel to any friends who are planning a trip to Cusco.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved that they came round with tea and hot water bottles in the evening!

Activity Reviews

PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno

Peru

The 10 hour duration of this train journey was a little daunting but it flew by. The seats were comfortable, the food was excellent and we loved the added touches of the dances and music in the lounge car. The observation deck was fantastic and we felt really looked after.

Quality of Experience

Food

The food was beautifully presented and well cooked

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities-a-la-carte - Refugio Amazonas

Peru

We had a wonderful stay at Refugio Amazonas. We were there for three nights and took part in a variety of activities. The lodge was fantastic, we really enjoyed our stay, you really felt part of nature whilst still being comfortable. Highlights of the activities were the trip to see the macaws at the clay lick, the oxbow lake, sunset cruise, night walk and mountain biking. We also really enjoyed the pre-dinner Wired Amazon talks. We are a family with two boys aged 14 and 15 and it was the ideal location for us.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide Alan was superb, he was friendly, fun and knowledgeable, he really added to the experience.

Transport

The visit to the lodge really started on the boat trip there - what a way to arrive!

Edy was terrific! Carlos our driver was also terrific! Pachamancha was amazing and an amazing location. We loved Casa Andina.

Hotel Reviews

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Villas

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Train Journey to Aguas Calientes from the Sacred Valley

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pachamanca Lunch at El Albergue Farm in Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First time users who highly recommend Kim Kim! We took a complete flier on this with no personal recommendations and just a little bit of research and we feel like we hit the jackpot! Started right off the bat with planning the trip with Johannna - a US based Peruvian native who learned about our family needs and likes and matched it to her knowledge of the country to work with us to plan a vacation that perfectly suited us. Then then the local travel company, CusiTravel, was incredibly attentive to any small thing that arose - they answered the phone immediately, knew who i was, wanted to ensure we were having a good time and worked to make any adjustments we requested. Our local guide, Edwin, was exceptional and our driver, David, was terrific. Edwin really made our trip special - his native Quechuan language and history and pride in his country was infectious. He was deeply knowledgeable, attentive to all of our likes/dislikes/interests and tailored the tours and days around it. And he was unflappable when we had forgotten some passports back in Cusco. Easy going, nothing ever a problem. we enjoyed sharing some meals with him and learning a bit more about him and his family. The tours and sites we planned were perfect, the hotels and restaurants for the most part were great and what could have been a very complicated trip with different hotels/transports/connections/permits was all seamless to us. Not a care in the world! We will use KimKim again for our more complicated/adventurous trips and can't recommend them enough!

Hotel Reviews

Taypikala Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

The hotel was fine. located all the way at the top of the hill so quite a hike up but near the thermal pools which was convenient. and a bit quieter up there. The hotel was very basic. could be a little more updated and more comfort. breakfast was basic. rooms were average. would opt for a different hotel with upgraded rooms and amenities in agua calientes.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Qolqas EcoResort Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

this was an amazing resort in an extremely remote location. The accommodations were special and lovely. we had a warm and personal greeting and reception with a pisco punch when we arrived that really set a nice mood of specialized comfort. the main restaurant/bar etc was absolutely beautiful. the food was average. we unfortunately had a later-than-expected arrival so we missed truly taking advantage of the whole resort. the spa/sauna was already booked when we got there which my adult kids were looking forward to. We left at the crack of pre-dawn for machu picchu so missed really enjoying the place. Got a great view of the milky way before we put our heads down! and we had a lovely boxed breakfast waiting for us to take on our early early train. Lovely service and lovely resort. spend more time there. FYI Ollantaytambo looks VERY touristy and almost honky tonky.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza

Cusco

a bit more of a budget hotel but good location. we stayed, left to sacred valley, and stayed on our way back. first room was small and incredibly noisy all night on the plaza. the second time we had a much bigger room in the back of the hotel and much less noisy. The breakfast oddly on the top floor was good, basic. the bellhops/porters and cleaning staff and breakfast staff were all extremely friendly and helpful. oddly the front desk staff was less so. they did not go out of their way to be helpful but were fine. the location is great and central. and they do a great job of taking care of your bags while you're in between coming/going. Might have looked for a bit more luxury but great location and served our needs at a great price.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Premium Miraflores

Lima

Solid, comfortable hotel in the heart of miraflores. Not a beautiful part of Lima but accessible. The hotel had a nice lobby and bar and a very extensive breakfast spread. The rooms were fine, small, serviceable. Nice service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

Short Inca Trail Day 2: Machu Picchu Guided Tour and Return to Cusco

Peru

We did Circuit 3 i believe and it was extensive! we got a great view of how MP worked as a city and educational and cultural center. Again Edwin was an amazing guide loaded with even more insights and facts and history. He made MP come alive. Edwin met us early in the morning at a time we all agreed upon - the hotel did a great job of getting our bags to the train later. Edwin knew to hurry is to the very long, waiting morning bus line - went up by bus (made us appreciate how special the hike was the day before) and came down by bus. had lunch in town with Edwin before catching the train to Ollantaytambo where David was waiting with the rest of our luggage and the van back to Cusco. Again would NOT have wanted to manage logistics on this trip without KimKim/Cusi Travel. Made it absolutely stress free and delightful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Inca Trail Day 1: Hiking to Machu Picchu via Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna

Peru

My family of adult kids were ready for this from the get go. My husband (2 total knees) was upbeat and optimistic. Me, with an 8 month old total knee was optimistic but nervous - would i make it? would i hold everyone back? could i still do this at 62? well the answer was a resounding SO GLAD WE DID IT! not for the faint of heart for sure but you don't need to be an endurance athlete to make it. And there's something special about CLIMBING your way to Macchu Picchu. It was challenging for sure but the views are great and making it to the spectacular but less visited Winya Wayna ruins made it all worth it. Breathtaking! And coming through the Sun Gate and seeing MP from on high was also a real treat. It was long, the steps are hard, listen to your guide and when he tells you to pack and carry 3 liters of water - do it! we started the day on a very early train - lovely ride - a boxed breakfast from the hotel and a little pre-hike snooze. was so glad we had Kim Kim book everything ahead - transport, train, hiking permits. would not have wanted to arrange everything myself. Edwin made sure we got everywhere we needed to be. Again, Edwin was an amazing guide and, on this trip, cheerleader! He never peeped when i needed to stop and catch my breath. he never pushed, only encouraged and distracted with interesting asides about local flora and fauna and history. The team packed a phenomenal travel lunch for us that was enormous and delicious! And Edwin made it a point to take lots of picture for us, even when we were wondering if we'd make it. So glad we did it and proud that we accomplished it. The target is 6-8 hours, we took 7.5, my kids could have done it in 5.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Moray - Lunch at MV

Peru

Without a doubt one of the highlights of our trip. Everything we put into the itinerary was spectacular and we had a nice mix of Incan sites, markets, llama and alpaca "farms", textile demonstrations (not touristy, felt authentic, spent time with wonderful and interesting local weavers) and lunch in the middle of nowhere in a gorgeous eco-restaurant with amazing vistas and llamas and alpacas to visit with freely roaming the place. The salt mines and moray were our favorites and not to be missed. And extra kudos to Edwin and David who were cool, calm and collected when we realized we had left passports in Cusco and had to retrieve them. They made up the time and we still got to pack everything in without a worry. They could not have been nicer.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

We had the extreme pleasure of having Edwin as our guide from Cusi Travel. He is a proud Quechuan who loves his history and culture and language and added so much to our trip. The half day tour was great after we had already spent a day in Cusco and found the market and some restaurants and some shops. he delved into some of the more notable historic sites in town and then we went just outside town to some near by ruins where we started to get immersed in the Incan culture. Edwin is informative and goes at the right pace. He is knowledgeable and was great connecting the dots for some of my family who had done some studying on the Incas in preparation for our trip. He was kind in letting us practice our spanish and filling in some gaps. A great afternoon!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Fantastic intro to the city and to Peruvian foodie culture. We had Amy who was SPECTACULAR! loads of energy, attentive to everyone, loaded with history and current events in Peru. The places they took us were each so different from the lucuma milkshake shack to the market with a box of fresh produce to Limana Bar which was a fantastic high end restaurant to the restaurant inside the ruins - it was top notch and interesting and FUN! Do NOT eat breakfast if you're doing a morning tour! Can't recommend the tour and AMY enough!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

AMY Rules!!!

Transport