Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

We loved visiting Peru and learning about the country and culture! Our favorite places were Tahauyo Lodge in the Amazon rain forest, Cusco and Lake Titicaca in Puno. Our guide in the rain forest was Juan. He was so knowledgeable about all the plants and animals in and around the rain forest. We saw so many amazing animals including: pink dolphins, pigmy marmosets, emerald tree boa, sloth, river otter, peacock bass, caiman and LOTS of awesome birds. Juan was amazing and taught us so much! Cusco was our favorite city. The people were so kind and genuine in and around town. We especially loved spending Halloween with all the sweet children around the city square. They were so lovely in their costumes and so polite when we were handing out candy. Great Halloween in Cusco! Our guide in Puno, Willie, was fantastic! I especially liked how he would tell us things in English and Spanish to help us learn. His passion for his country and culture were contagious. He taughus a lot about the local people and history. We especially enjoyed our trip on Lake Titicaca and exploring the islands. Such a beautiful place! Overall, we were very happy with our travel and accommodations. When we did have some minor challenges, Anne was responsive and helpful in getting things sorted. We would highly recommend a trip to Peru and the use of Peruvian Soul to coordinate it.

Hotel Reviews

Intiqa

Puno

Lovely, helpful staff. Comfortable room. Nice breakfast and common areas. Convenient to lots of restaurants and shops.

Authenticity & Character

Cute decor

Location

Close to restaurants and shops

Staff

Super friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Beautiful hotel, nice location. Comfortable room, nice restaurant and common areas.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor

Location

Close to train station, shopping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable

Los Portales Cusco

Cusco

Lovely, friendly staff. Comfortable room and common areas. Excellent food and service in the restaurant. Super close to the square with lots of shopping and restaurants. Nice place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Lovely decor

Location

Close to the square

Staff

Friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfortable room and common areas

Inotawa Lodge

Nice staff and good food. The lodge itself needs repairs and upgrades. There was no warm water or shampoo in the bathroom. The mosquitoes were horrific and the room had so many openings in the walls and floors, that they (and other bugs) came right in. The common areas need to be screened in, so you can eat and relax without cockroaches and mosquitoes intruding. The stairs up to the lodge and pathways were in need of repair and were difficult to walk on. The guide, Joaquim, was great. The boat excursions were enjoyable, but the forest excursions were difficult to enjoy because of the swarms of mosquitoes. We liked the people and loved seeing the animals, but the lodge needs some improvements.

Authenticity & Character

Lodge needs some work

Location

Away from civilization

Staff

Friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Add screened in areas, make repairs, offer warm water and shampoo in rooms

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Nice, comfortable hotel. Great bed and linens. Nice breakfast. Helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Nice decor

Location

Near shopping and restaurants

Staff

Helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lovely, comfortable room

Tahuayo Lodge

Lovely staff and a lodge with basic comforts. The staff was very friendly and flexible. Great food and beverage options. The rooms were comfortable with nice linens, hot and cold water and lights. Nice common areas. Excellent guide (Juan) and lots of great options for excursions. Clean and basic, perfect for exploring the Amazon rain forest.

Authenticity & Character

Great, basic lodge

Location

Away from civilization

Staff

Super friendly and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable room

Double Tree Iquitos

Iquitos

Comfortable hotel, excellent service! Our room was well appointed and comfortable. The staff was helpful and professional. The restaurant staff was very accommodating with my vegetarian requirements. We enjoyed our stay.

Authenticity & Character

Local decor

Location

Near the square

Staff

Accommodating and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable room

Activity Reviews

Sillustani tombs

Puno

Fascinating ruins! We enjoyed learning about the history and meeting the local people.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Puno

Wow! What an amazing day. This was one of our favorite things about the trip. The floating islands are incredible. We enjoyed meeting the people and seeing how they live. Taquile was absolutely stunning. We enjoyed visiting and meeting the folks there. Lovely lunch experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Journey to from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Peru

The day with stops ended up being 12-1/2 hours. WAY too long in a car. Our guide, Willie, was awesome and we really enjoyed all of the stops along the way, it was just a really long day.

Quality of Experience

Food

They weren’t prepared for a vegetarian.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Wish we would have had the whole day, because the weather was wet and foggy in the morning and we couldn’t see the ruins very well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The train on the way back was MUCH nicer than the one on the way there. I would use the nicer train both ways.

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Beautiful ruins and valley.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pisac Archaeological Site

Peru

Beautiful ruins and valley. We loved the cultural stop with the painting and music. Loved learning about the different instruments and uses. Very nice family and environment.

Quality of Experience

Painting

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Chuncho Restaurant

Peru

Nice restaurant! Great staff and food. Enjoyed watching them make the Uchucuta dip.

Quality of Experience

Food

Uchucuta dip was awesome!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Loved the visit to the ruins and the textile place. Beautiful experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Welcome to Cusco City

Cusco

Missed our connection to Cusco, so arrived later than anticipated. Our guide, Cesar, was very friendly and helpful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inotawa Lodge 2/3: Las Torres Claylick & Tres Chimbadas Lake

Tambopata

Loved the trip to the lake! We saw monkeys, river otters and beautiful birds. Best part of the lodge experience.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inotawa Lodge 3/3: Leaving Tambopata

Tambopata

Comfortable ride.

Quality of Experience

Food

No food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

Great overview of Lima. Tough tour for a vegetarian, not many options.

Quality of Experience

Food

More vegetarian options

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledge and friendly

Transport

Comfortable

Endless possibilities in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve

Iquitos

Amazing excursions tailored to our needs. Our guide, Juan, was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, professional and friendly.

Quality of Experience

Excursions, staff and food

Food

Great vegetarian options, lots of fresh fruit and veg

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and helpful

Transport

Journey to Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve from Iquitos City

Iquitos

Pleasant ride, nice staff. We got to see the pink dolphins on the way…added bonus!

Quality of Experience

Pleasant ride

Food

No food provided

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Professional staff

Transport

Inotawa Lodge 1/3: Boat Journey to your lodge & Nightwalk

Tambopata

Pleasant, comfortable ride. Nice lunch on the way to the lodge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Awesome, local lunch!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly staff

Transport

Everything was good except the driver who drove me and other 8 passengers . First the driver didn't wait us at the train station with our names flags. I had to call Dario for assistance. It was a TERRIBLE ARRANGEMENT every passengers felt. We all felt being SYSTEMATICALLY AND INTENTIONALLY CHEATED, almost !

Then he refused to take us back to our hotel. He didn't speak English, or pretend he doesn't know any phone number to call. What a lie. How he knew we were waiting for being picked up at the train station !! We had to insist to bring us to the hotel and SIT in the van for 10 minutes. Finally he drove me to my hotel. He knew which Marriott ( out of three in Cusco) he supposed to go ? He knew it to begin with !!

I am SERIOUSLY worry about other passenger ( all young girls from Denmark). I have considered to call the local police.

Kimkim is ultimately responsible for my case at least. I will post this experience to public to aware !!

Hotel Reviews

Camping

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

Wonderful place and wonderful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Conveniently licaat near tge center of Cusco

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shared Classic Inca Trail 4/4: Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Classic Inca Trail 3/4

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

T

Transport

Shared Classic Inca Trail 2/4

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Classic Inca Trail 1/4 w/ extra Porter Service

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Wonderful

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I thought Dario was my guide. Roberto was ok but I don't like to being switched to ther guide without any prior notice

Transport

Jesus was a good coordinator: responsive and easy to communicate with. In Lima, Johanna gave us a great gastronomic tour that was really an overall cultural tour. We enjoyed the food, the sights, and the company. Our Sacred Valley guide, Daniel (Danny), was excellent. He really knows a lot about the area. He was always on time, took us on some unplanned side trips that were so fun, and made everything easy and interesting. He was good with explaining our schedule and never left us wondering what was next. When we were just too tired, he changed gears and gave us some downtime. He was able to make the trip fun and still be professional and get us where we needed to be on time.

Hotel Review

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción

Puerto Maldonado

Wow!!! Excellent food, friendly staff, comfortable accommodations with amazing jungle views and sounds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Daniel knows just everything about Cusco. He is happy to tell you about it, or he is happy to let you look on your own. Perfect guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel and Wilbur made everything interesting, fun and safe

Transport

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Hard to describe how wonderful this was!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train was fun

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Peru

Come hungry!!! Very good food!!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wilbur - best driver

Moray Terraces

Peru

Don't miss this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel and Wilbur - perfect team

Transport

First afternoon at Hacienda Concepcion

Peru

Beautiful everywhere, everything

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at the Skylodge, Via Ferrata & Zip Lining

Sacred Valley

Julio and Daniel were perfect guides. We had a blast!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Julio and Daniel best guides on the trail!

Transport

Wilbur - amazing driver!

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

Johanna did an excellent job and went beyond our expectations.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jesus was good. We didn't actually have any interaction with him other than meeting him at the very end of the trip. Daniel was our rockstar. He hosted the brunt of the trip and was incredible. Knowledgable and kind.

Where to begin. I'll start with Jesus, since we spent almost two years planning the trip and Jesus worked with us throughout this entire process. It started before covid, then had to be postponed, and then planning had to start anew. Jesus worked with me the entire time. I can't tell you how many times, I changed the itinerary we wanted, the number of people who would be going, and the age of the people who were going. Each time Jesus modified and adjusted the itinerary to fit our wants and needs. When I wasn't sure about the cost, he helped us adjust our plans accordingly. When we changed dates, he helped us with the new planning. When the number of travelers kept changing, he adjusted the accommodations. When the age of the travelers changed, he adjusted the activities. When we wanted to add new ideas or change ideas, Jesus went along with the flow. He never, not once, said he couldn't get us what we wanted. It was amazing and unlike any other travel plans I'd ever made. And I travel a lot. When we finally got to Peru, we were met by Abraham right out of the airport, all our transportation and needs were met. When we went to Puerto Maldonado, we were met by Bastian who was our guide during the four days in the Amazon. Bastian was the friendliest, most knowledgeable, most helpful guide ever. He was an expert on all things 'Amazon'. He went out of his way to make sure we got the most out of our visit in the jungle making sure we could see as much of the local wildlife as possible. He told us all kinds of things about life in the jungle and the community of the people who live there. He had a great sense of humor and was a lot of fun to hang out with. He even trekked through the pouring rain to retrieve my sister's jacket she'd accidentally left behind at one of the sites we'd visited. Then we got to Cusco and we met our new guide, Julio. He was just as amazing as the previous ones. We traveled to Ollantaytambo and Urubamba. We did a beautiful hike and had a traditional Peruvian meal that was amazing. Unfortunately, the following day was when the majority of party got sick. This also coincided with the day we were traveling to Machu Picchu. If it hadn't been for the diligent efforts of Julio, half of us would have missed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We were seen by doctors, given an IV cocktail for each of us that was severely sick, and provided a modified tour of Machu Picchu. It was rough, but Julio did a lot of juggling so we could make this happen. Back in Cusco, many of us were feeling well enough to do a little sightseeing around the city, which was incredibly beautiful. Again, our guide, Julio was extremely knowledgeable of the area, and again, he and Jesus met all our requests. Even the occasional odd ones. My daughter and friend wanted Tarot Cards representative of the local region, Jesus went around the shops till he found some and directed them to where these could be purchased. He even offered to buy them and be reimbursed. There were so many little ways that the guides went out of their way to be accommodating, regardless of how obscure the request was. One request from two of our travelers was a spiritual-based excursion, and Jesus got this immediately scheduled. He set up a laundry service mid-way through our trip. I don't typically use travel agents. I prefer to book for myself; however, I can't begin to imagine trying to navigate this trip on our own. We'd never been to South America before and were not familiar at all with the region. Having these expert, friendly, helpful guides made all the difference in the world. It made everything so easy. As I said, I don't typically use travel agents; but given this experience, I will use this company in future travels. Thank you so much to Jesus, Bastian, Abraham, and Julio. You are all incredible!

Awesome trip! Very well organized! So many awesome guides and locations! Loved it all!!!!

From planning and booking to execution, this was a first class of experience. There was never a moment when we were unsure of what would be next, or how we’d get there and with whom.

Anne provided exceptional travel planning/coordination, and our tour guide (Miguel Aspur) was absolutely phenomenal - top notch.

We would definitely recommend Anne and Miguel to anyone, without reservation.

Hotel Reviews

Posada Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 4/4: Wiñaywayna to Machu Picchu

Peru

In spite of the spotty so-so weather, this trek to the sun gate and into Machu Picchu was beautiful! Miguel encouraged us to soak in the view of the ruin from afar and mentally prepare for our arrival. Miguel helped us to prioritize the order of taking in the site so that we were not caught up with the bulk of visitors.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu 1/4: Piscacucho Km 82 to Huayllabamba

Inca Trail

This was a great warm up day. Easy hiking while adjusting to the altitude.

Quality of Experience

Food

Paulino made some excellent trout!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Leaving the Amazon Rainforest

Tambopata

We had clear directions on when and where to be, left on time and arrived to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Very efficient.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities-a-la-carte at Posada Amazonas Lodge

Tambopata

We were able to identify which activities we were most interested in. The groups were put together based on age range so that ability to complete activities were fairly evenly matched among the group members. There were plenty of options to choose from.

Quality of Experience

There was plenty of activity as well as plenty of downtime to enjoy some peace and quiet to recharge.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat Ride to your Rainforest Lodge at Tambopata National Reserve

Tambopata

Pick up from the airport was seamless. They scheduled a brief stop for us to pick up refreshments on the way to the port. On the way, Johan took the time to explain about the area and point out wildlife on the way to the lodge.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration. Pinkulluna Hike

Peru

Miguel gave us a fantastic overview of the ruins and history

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Chuncho Restaurant

Peru

Quality of Experience

Delicious food!

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Misminay Community and Hike to Moray

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Where do I begin? I have traveled all over the world and this is the hands down, this has been the best experience ever. Johanna listened to me and worked with my list and created the perfect first time experience.
The hotel selections were intimate boutique hotels that made me feel safe , as a solo traveler and they offered special touches and amenities. They were also located within walking distance to restaurants, shopping and cultural events.
The tours were AWESOME because of my guides. Kimberly in Lima with the food city tours was a delight. Once I arrived in Cusco, Sonya was my guide for 3 days and was INCREDIBLE! She made my experience at Machu Picchu perfect.

I love that I didn’t have to think about the details (transportation, etc) and could just relax and fully experience Peru.

Hotel Reviews

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Boutique hotel that pays attention to details. Professional and accommodating staff. Relaxing atmosphere

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fly from Cusco to Lima

Peru

The driver was prompt and got me to the airport in plenty of time to make my connection.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Mountainview

Peru

The food was delicious and beyond amazing and the view of the Andes Mountains made it a perfect setting. Really enjoyed chatting with Maria the owner and learning the history of this restaurant and hotel

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

I can’t remember my guide’s name but he was wonderful. It was the first time I drove an ATV and he prepared me well. It was an awesome experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

Sonya, my tour guide with Cusi tours is INCREDIBLE!!! She knows the history well and she laid a great foundation for Machu Picchu portion. Professional, knowledgeable and personable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Tour guide, Kimberly was a delight and very personable

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour

Peru

Day 2 with Sonya and she is still INCREDIBLE!!! She knows the history well and she laid a great foundation for Machu Picchu portion. Professional, knowledgeable and personable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Excursion: beginning in Ollantaytambo and ending in Cusco

Peru

Day 3 with Sonya and this day was the BEST!! The previous days with her prepared me well for this day. She also did a great job with photos for since I traveled solo.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guides were Jesus, Abraham, Bastian and Julio. They were all highly accomodating, incredibly friendly, very knowedgeable, so hardworking and immensely kind. I cannot praise them enough! I very much enjoyed meeting all them, their service made such a difference in our trip. It made being there considerbly less anxiety provoking, it's like have a friend nearby who can and did help us every step of the way. I will recommend KimKim to everyone!

Abraham who met us when we arrived in Lima was very helpful. He showed around Lima and answered all our questions and provided whatever we needed.

Bastien who took us to Inotawa Lodge was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the Amazon. Whenever you asked a question about a plant, animal he had the answer. He took really good care of our group.

Julio met us at Cusco was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable about the area and the Incas. His funny antidotes when telling a story which relates to the history of the region made it so much more interesting to following along.

I have never used a travel agent before so I was unsure about how to get everything started, plus with all the scams it made it a little nerve racking because of the amount of money your spending you don’t want to get ripped off. Jesus took charge and planed an outstanding trip!!! I had 6 places I wanted to see and it was planned so well that I was never not informed about the things we were doing or what was going to happen the next day. There was never a time that I was waiting on anyone or anything!!! Jesus did everything he said he would do and he always made sure the guest had everything they needed!!! If it’s your first time planning a trip or you would like to have a hassle free trip…. Call and ask for Jesus!!!

Thanks to Jessica for tailor making our perfect trip in Peru and Bolivia. Machu Picchu was great, of course, but most suprising was the lovely Train trip from Cusco to Puno. Beautiful landscape, hordes of lamas, and a fantastic stop at a market on 4319 m. Bolivia and La Paz was also very exciting. Copacabana was also surprisingly interesting, we were lucky to arrive just before a local parade. Uros floating islands were nice, but a bit touristy.

Hotel Reviews

La Casona Hotel Boutique

La Paz

Nice hotel, very good location next to the cathedral plaza. Good breakfast with good view.

Authenticity & Character

Location

I

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taypikala Lago

Puno

The standard of the hotel was good, but it’s too far away from everything. We should have stayed in Puno. May be the most disappointing on our tour.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Puno: Free day

Puno

The train from Cusco to Puno was one of the greatest and surprising experiences. Luxury train, good food, beautiful landscape and lama hordes outside the train, and the highlight, a stop at a market on 4319 m.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No guide.

Transport

Recommending everybody to take this train.

Sacred Valley: Pisac Market & Train to Aguas Calientes

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

Great experience. May be expected Uros Island visit to be longer and a bit more personal experience. We were just arriving, looking and left. May be we should have taken the over night tour.

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

Transport

Cusco City Tour (Terje)

Peru

Great view of the city. But not much from in the city itself. I would have appreciated a walking tour of the centro.

Quality of Experience

Include a tour of the city itself

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer from Puno to La Paz with visit to Isla del Sol

Bolivia

Copacabana was a surprisingly beautiful, and we were lucky to see a parade of farmers. Once in a lifetime happening, according to our guide. Isla del Sol tour was very similar to Taquile Island tour. That was disappointing, since we were told it’s a bigger and different island.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Tour of La Paz + Valley of the Moon

La Paz

Exciting tour, great views from the gondola and exciting to see the moon valley. Colorful Witch Market. Very helpful guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our second trip where we used KimKim for trip planning - our first time to South America and I would never have figured out how to have planned this trip on my own - relying on local expertise for this was a must. Johanna, our agent, selected hotels, guides, and experiences I never would have found on my own - even though I'm generally the kind of person to try and plan 100% of all my own adventure travel. I kept up with how much this trip would have cost if I had planned it on my own (even though I would never have figured out how to put it together) and the "extra" you pay for using a travel agent was totally worth the expertise, advice, and options we picked. In fact, if I had tried to save a little $$ by doing this on my own the trip would not have turned out as well - so paying for someone like Johanna / KimKim is totally worth the money.

Hotel Reviews

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Great location, helpful staff, beautiful hotel / courtyard. I would definitely stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

San Blas is an area of Cusco that's super close to the main square / action. Great places to eat just a few steps outside the front door.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa del Sol

Machu Picchu

Great hotel - but you can't hold these hotels to the same standards as those in Cusco as the remote nature means their access to supplies is more challenging. I would definitely stay here again. Be sure to ask for a room that faces the river and not the city - when trains come through at night they are literally 10 feet from your window and it will wake you in the middle of the night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

The main appeal of this hotel is proximity to the airport - and for that reason I'd be willing to stay here even if it were a 2 star hotel. Food (dinner and breakfast) was marginal, service was acceptable (but not great), and they charge you for everything (you can't drink the water in the room yet they charge high rates for bottled water - for comparison our hotel in Cusco provided free bottled water and free filtered water in both the bathrooms and lobby). With Lima being an epi-center for food and service, I would have expected more from this hotel

Authenticity & Character

It's not exactly fair to compare this to the other hotels from our trip - it's just a corporate airport hotel - but I've stayed in much nicer airport hotels.

Location

It's right next to the airport - what can I say?

Staff

Not enough agents at check-in, English was a challenge

Cleanliness & Comfort

it's a simple, clean hotel

Activity Reviews

Fly from Cusco to Lima

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch Cooking Class

Cusco

An AMAZING way to spend the day - we would have taken 2 classes from Chef Jesus if we'd known how much fun this was.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Incredible experience - a long haul to get there but definitely worth the hike. It doesn't look exactly like the instagram photos you see (they've been run through Photoshop) but it's not far off - and it's truly remarkable / worth the day trip.

Quality of Experience

Food

The place we stopped to eat for breakfast and lunch was terrible - it's the pre-arranged place our operator always uses. Lots of canned food and not very authentic. There are better places along the way I'm sure (we talked to other hikers)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

EXCELLENT guide / driver!

Transport

Machu Picchu Excursion (Circuit 1, 2, 3, or 4)

Peru

The open circuit ticket is a great option if you can get it - allows for more options depending on crowds, weather. We had incredible weather and the experience was truly a bucket-list item. Our guide was a huge part of the expeirnece.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Moray & Maras, and ATV Tour

Peru

This was OK but not the best part of the trip. We enjoyed it but with hindsight would have spent this time doing something a little different - a Sacred Valley tour with more time in Ollantanytambo. 4 wheelers not well-maintained but they worked just good enough. If you're being transported here be sure to have your guide / driver stop in Chinchero to see the locals manufacture sweaters and local materials. I wish we'd been able to spend more time here.

Quality of Experience

If you have plenty of time in your schedule, this isn't bad but if you're on a short trip I'd totally skip this.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

excellent trip - definitely a better experience as a private group as you could ask more questions to the guide and move at your own pace

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

On our own - a great afternoon of exploring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

no guides on this day - but hotel staff helpful with suggestions

Transport

super small car - you could probably save a little $$ and just take a taxi if you're comfortable with this in another country

I thought our guide did a very nice job. We enjoyed everything about our trip! It was challenging but doable (which is what we were hoping for) and very memorable. Definitely a once-in-a- lifetime experience. Johanna was always very responsive and helpful. I would’ heartily recommend Kim Kim to potential travelers and would certainly choose them again if the opportunity arises. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

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

Peru

It was challenging but we made it. We were lucky with the weather—not too hot, not raining! To me, making it all the way up to the Sun Gate was the highlight of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

Food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transport

I loved the trip to Cusco & Lima. I especially liked the size of our group: just my friend and I and our guide. We completed the two day Inca Trail and Machu Picchu as well as Rainbow Mountain with our guide. We were able to go at our own pace, stop and take pictures or just rest at any time. The only change I would make is to include beverages for the meals included in the tours with the guide. I understand not including beer or wine, but at least include water. We were expected to pay cash for beverages with our meals with our guide. It didn’t make sense that our meal was included, but the beverage was not.

Hotel Reviews

Casa Andina Standard Cusco Plaza

Cusco

Very comfortable, centrally located hotel.

Authenticity & Character

The room was clean and comfortable

Location

It was located near excellent restaurants

Staff

The staff were accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was very clean and the beds were comfortable

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

While off the beaten path a bit, it was still close enough to the bus stop and restaurants. Our room had a spectacular view of the mountains and the dining room shared the same view. We saw beautiful hummingbirds visiting through the window.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely view of mountains

Location

Close enough to everything

Staff

Very attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, comfortable room

Activity Reviews

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Our guide (Valerio) was key on this tour. He encouraged us, was patient, checked on our progress/condition and reminded us we could get a horse at any time.

Quality of Experience

Food

We ate at the same buffet restaurant for breakfast and lunch. The food was just ok. Once again, beverages weren’t included with our prepaid lunch- not even water.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Peru

Day 2 of this Trail is spent at Machu Picchu and it is breathtaking. Be prepared to take lots of pictures. The guide (Valerio) was key in explaining the history and importance of the many areas here. Bring a few soles in change for the bathroom and a water bottle.

Quality of Experience

Food

We didn’t eat on Day 2 during the tour.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Half Day Cusco Tour

Peru

Excellent tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fly from Lima to Cusco, Explore the City

Peru

The tour of Cusco was excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Peru

We were able to set our own pace as it was just my friend and I and our guide. It was a wonderful experience! The only suggestion I would make is that the guide should explain/stress that there are no bathrooms at all after the train until pretty much the sun gate. This is many hours in (5 hours) and you must stay hydrated- creates an interesting paradox.

Quality of Experience

Small group

Food

The restaurant in Aguascalientes Calientes was just ok.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver (Edwin) was great. Guide (Valerio) was very good although repeated the same information a bit much.

Transport

Comfortable, well planned

Johanna was amazing, she was very helpful throughout the planning process and was very prompt in replying to emails and messages. She was very quick in making the changes necessary and when we had to change something in Peru during our trip, it was done seamlessly.
Our guides in Cuzco and Machu Pichu were very good, they had good background knowledge and insights on the history.
Areas of improvement: In Urubamba, the driver did not speak any English and it was very difficult to communicate with him.
in Machu Pichu- the guide thought we were in another hotel and he went there, came to our hotel late and we had to rush to catch the bus to go to Machu Pichu.
Machu Pichu to Cuzco train: we were give seats 1 and 2 which did not recline as it was the last seats. Our seats were facing the reverse direction of the train travelling both ways (from puroy to MP and from MP to Cuzco). Ideally, since we were only 2 of us, it would've been best if we were given the 2 seats and not the foursome.

Great trip, and great adventure. Planned and executed very well. Plenty of organized activities mixed with ample free time. Guides were friendly and informative. Scenery was great. The home was challenging and very rewarding. All the food was great. Definitely recommend.

We are just in the way back from an amazing 10 day trip in Peru. Luisa and her team arranged a perfect itenary that included Tambapota lodge, sacred valley , machu pichu mountain hike and tour and palcoyo mountain tour. Gabi in Cusco and Machu Pichu made this trip memorable. She was wonderful Guide and took care of every little details and cheered us on a we made the hike in the mountains while she hiked effortlessly with us.
Overall Luisa and her team are impeccable in delivering the best vacation possible.

Hotel Reviews

Los Portales Cusco

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

They were late in delivering our luggage to the train station we almost missed our train back to oluynthbo

Cleanliness & Comfort

Andenia Sacred Valley

Calca, Valle Sagrado

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Welcome drink was awesome

Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Tambapota lodge was very very good inside the preserved Amazon forest. Haimie our guide was amazing. It took us a long time to get to the lodge since w we had to wait for other passengers to arrive babe we could take the boat My only wish was that the back windows had mesh window to keep the bugs out of the room. We had plenty of moth and occasional Beatles and aposssum in the room. There is Wi-Fi and electricity in the suite. E woke up to beautiful sounds of forest and howler monkeys and macaw. . The food was amazing with plenty of vegetarian choices

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Mesh window is my wish list so I can hear the forest without bugs in the room!!

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Very good

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cusco Walking City Tour

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vinicunca, The Rainbow Mountain

Cusco

Quality of Experience

We

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gabi cheered us on s as we made the trek up. We started at 7 before sun came out and by the team we reached the top the fog cleared up and we had excellent view of the runs down below

Transport

Jose a was awesome

Lunch at Chuncho Restaurant

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Exploring the Sacred Valley: Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jose and Gabi teamit awesome tovisit Morales and Moray

Leaving the Amazon Rainforest

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Macaw Clay Lick & Floodplain Trails at Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activities-a-la-carte at Tambopata Research Center

Tambopata

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jaimie was excellent

Transport

Boat Ride to your Rainforest Lodge at Tambopata National Reserve

Tambopata

Took a long time because we had to wait for multiple passengers to arrive before our bus could leave to boat stop. I understand the reason why but when you have just flown a long way already, waiting for bus for more than an hour and then a bus ride for an hour, body ride for two hours makes it a really long day. But overall well worth The distance traveled

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was so impressed with our trip, and I thank Liz Karen. When I decided to visit Peru, I looked into a group tour from a big company. But my husband discovered KimKim, and we contacted them. Liz Karen did a phenomenal job putting together a trip customized to the things we wanted to do. We also were happy with the pricing, which was less than the big company group tour I had originally planned.

Hotels were moderate-quality as requested, and we were happy with them overall. Each offered us an included breakfast daily. The Lima Arawi was an easy 15 minute walk from from the coast and the big Larcomar shopping area.

Casa Biru in Cusco was a favorite. We loved the courtyard inside it and sat there often. We made friends with the gentleman who ran the little shop between the courtyard and the street. We ate at the attached Bistro 390 restaurant and loved the reasonably-priced delicious meals, as well as the included daily breakfasts.

Susanna Inn in Aguas Calientes struggled a bit with a toilet that was stopped up when we arrived and quite a bit of noise at night (shouting, trains right outside the window). However, it was right by downtown and the breakfast there was amazing -- the best on our trip. The view from the breakfast room was right out on the river; beautiful.

Liz Karen put together a great group of guides for us. Rafael/Ramon? in Lima was nice, told us a LOT about the city's history, and helped us find a good ATM to use during our tour. We learned so much from him. David took us the Sacseyhuaman and told us much about its history. He was intelligent and cared about tailoring the tour to our interests. Daniel did a good job at the Moras Salt Mines and Moray, although this tour was less good than our others due to half or more of the narration being in Spanish (our group had Spanish and English speakers). Adriel, who took us to Pisac and Ollantaytambo, was the true star of the trip. WOW he knew a lot, and also was super alert to everyone's needs throughout our day, dropping people various places where they needed to be. I never saw him on his phone, etc. during the day. Ibrahin at Machu Picchu told us so much about the landmark (the reason for the trip to begin with) and again tailored the tour to our expectations. He also took several excellent photos for us and recommended spots that were goot for photography.

As far as memorable places -- Machu Picchu of course; I also loved Ollantaytambo which was impressive too but which I had never heard of. I loved shopping the markets and I loved Cusco a lot. The Peruvian people were so friendly and helpful. I also loved the women around town dressed in traditional clothing and with alpacas and lambs for photography. Another thing we did that I enjoyed was attend the evening program of dancing and music. This was included on a ticket we had and was an easy walk from our hotel.

Each driver was there on time (a couple of times they were 5 minutes later, but the came quickly after). It was so nice not to have to worry about getting where we needed to go or needing to navigate an unfamiliar city.

We totally loved the trip and would recommend KimKim and Liz Karen to others. Gracias!