Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

The guide that took us through Ollyantatambo to Cusco was very knowledgeable and wise. He educated us in history and guided us well. Our only disappointment was the inability to ride the Hiram Bingham train from Cusco due to last minute cancellation. Other than that, our experience was great and we would recommend Kim Kim travels.

We were glad we switched the private cusco tour to the first day...

Otherwise trip was great and a good blend of personal and tour time!!

Many thanks for being flexible and working around schedule changes.

Thanks! Mariah

I just returned from an unforgettable 11-day trip to Peru, and it was absolutely beautiful. I visited Lima, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Cusco, and ended my journey relaxing on the beach in Máncora. Each place had its own unique charm and beauty, and every stop left me in awe.

Machu Picchu was truly out of this world, an experience I’ll never forget. The beach in Máncora was the perfect way to unwind after exploring the mountains and cities.

Everything about the trip was well-organized. The transportation was smooth and reliable, and the tour guides and drivers were incredibly friendly and professional. I genuinely loved every moment and highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to explore the wonders of Peru.

First of all, Liz Karen, our local specialist did an outstanding job. Besides designing a great agenda, each of the tours, drivers, hotels, she booked were excellent. Two items stood out. First, Liz was incredibly responsive, both answering questions before and during our tour promptly, but providing timely information. Second, the tour guide, Oscar Palomino, was great. Great personality, very informative and thoughtful. We are very happy with the tour.

Just returned from an 11-day adventure in Peru planned by Anne Godoy of Peruvian Soul, the boutique travel specialist that KimKim introduced us to. There were four of us, all women ranging in age from 60 to 70. The trip was fantastic from beginning to end; action-packed and curated to our specific tastes. We spent several days in Lima, enjoying the art, culture and food (note that there are a handful of restaurants on the current "Best 50 restaurants in the world" in Lima!). Anne chose a wonderful, small boutique hotel for us in the hip Barranco district - Villa Barranco - which we loved. Special shout-out to the multi-talented Julio, who made the best pisco sours of the trip!! We then moved on to the Sacred Valley for several nights, blissed out at Sol y Luna, a gorgeous Relais & Chateaux property that Anne proposed. While in the Sacred Valley, we enjoyed a beautiful meal at a hacienda, visited a cooperative where we learned the secrets of backstrap weaving, made our own ceramic pieces, had a fabulous pachamanca and liquor distilling experience, hiked along the river from one town to another, visited Inca sites, and more! Then it was on to the incomparable Machu Picchu (it's even more beautiful and mystical than the photos we've all seen), via the luxury Hiram Bingham train (highly recommended!) and afterwards, Cusco for a couple of nights (Palacio del Inka hotel in Cusco was another highlight, again suggested by Anne). In the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco, we had a fantastic guide, Mario, and a warrior of a driver, Wilbur, both of whom kept us safe and well-informed, and ultimately became friends. One very important part of having a specialist plan a trip is the knowledge that if things go awry, you will be well taken care of. We had no large mishaps but a few minor ones did pop up (as they do on almost every adventure) and Peruvian Soul (thank you, Jesus!) and Mario were quick to find solutions and solve problems. I could not be happier with this trip, and highly recommend Peruvian Soul (and Anne Godoy) as top-notch trip planners.

Hotel Reviews

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

Palacio del Inka Cusco was a spectacular accommodation and one of the best of our trip. The property is gorgeous, being an old palace with original artwork.

Casa del Sol

Machu Picchu

Casa del Sol in Aguas Calientes was fine for a night's stay, though nothing extraordinary. It serves its purpose in a town that exists mainly for Machu Picchu visitors. We initially had issues with our Riverside room bookings, which were not as requested. However, the problem was eventually resolved, so we could stay comfortably. The Riverside view is exceptional, but the street view was not pleasant so I'd say it's worth staying here only if you have a Riverside room.

Sol y Luna Hotel (Relais & Chateaux)

Urubamba

Sol y Luna Hotel in the Sacred Valley was simply stunning, and everyone in our group loved it. The little casitas we stayed in were round and resembled yurts, making our stay so unique. While the food and drinks were a bit pricey, I didn't mind because it was a luxury property. The breakfast was included and fantastic. The grounds, including the pool and Jacuzzi area, were beautifully kept, and the staff was responsive. Overall, it was a beautiful place to stay.

Villa Barranco - Ananay

Lima

Villa Barranco in Lima was a delightful stay. This small boutique hotel was charming, beautiful, and well cared for. It was excellently located in the Barranco neighborhood, which I loved due to its charm. Villa Barranco offered everything one could possibly want without the unnecessary fluff of a large five-star hotel. It was exactly what I had hoped for, so I was thrilled.

Activity Reviews

Ceramic Workshop - Ramos Kintu

Sacred Valley

The ceramic workshop was highly enjoyable. Each of us made our own pot aided by an expert ceramicist, which resulted in our creations being both pretty and useful.

Visiting "Destilería Andina"

Sacred Valley

Visiting Destilería Andina and making our own spirits was a fun and engaging activity. It gave us a hands-on opportunity to experience the unique culture of Peru.

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Sacred Valley

The Pachamanca traditional Andean underground cooking experience in the Sacred Valley was wonderful. It was incredibly interesting to watch how they prepare such an incredible meal by cooking underground. The meal itself was fabulous. This activity stood out as a treasure of our trip.

Andean Textiles with Parobamba Community

Peru

The visit to the Parobamba community to learn about Andean textiles was amazing. It was a hands-on experience getting to dye baby alpaca wool and meeting the talented women behind the beautiful textiles. As someone interested in weaving, it felt unique and enriching.

23 Days in Peru/Bolivia - this included buses, private cars, internal domestic and international flights, group guided tours and private guided tours. Not one problem! I wish every holiday was this simple...

This was my first time using a travel agency and wow, I am so glad I did. This trip was incredible from beginning to end. This trip was meant to be an elopement/honeymoon and it did not disappoint. The trip was a perfect blend of adventure and enough time to relax in between. We feel like we got to be immersed in the culture, especially the Peruvian cuisine! Our tour guides could not have been more knowledgeable and kind. The food was absolutely incredible and very inexpensive (in comparison to USA prices). The Sacred Valley was breathtaking and our guide found us the perfect place in front of a mountain range to exchange our vows. Our hotels were all beautiful and the staff were all very attentive and hospitable, even allowing us to book massages the same day. The hotels also had wonderful restaurants within their facilities, especially at Antigua in Cusco. We ate there multiple times!
Our transportation was prompt, never a delay, and everyone communicated well throughout the trip. Any questions I had were quickly addressed by the Kim Kim team.
This is the best adventure my husband and I have ever been on. I would absolutely use Kim Kim services again to plan another trip. It was worth the price so that I didn't have to worry about transportation, lodging, tours, and restaurants.

I found the trip atleast 2.5-3X more expensive when I starting comparing with Trip Advisor and other similar sites; and hotel direct sites. While I appreciate the convenience of using kimkim, I will think more than twice before I go with kimkim again. Thank you

Hotel Reviews

Jaya Suite Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu

Great location - close to Bus Stop to MaPi, Train Station, restaurants etc

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sonesta Hotel Cusco

Cusco

Excellent on all counts

Authenticity & Character

Location

Can walk to Cusco Main Square, Sun Temple .....

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion

Puerto Maldonado

The cabins were excellent - great views, great food, staff and property. Very privileged stay there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location is in an old plantation, so you get to see palm and other plantation crops. OK if you are ok traveling up and down the Madre Dios River in a 'motorized canoe'

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

Great location, service and location if you are looking to get in and out of Lima airport. Great breakfast buffet, excellent staff.......

Authenticity & Character

Location

Next to airport. Free shuttle to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to a Restaurant & San Francisco Catacombs

Lima Int. Airport (LIM)

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self guided Trek to Huaynapicchu

Peru

Didnt do the HuaynaPicchu leg coz its extremely steep - almost a straight wall up

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

Peru

Simply excellent. The guide was EXCELLENT> Highly recommend the tour and the guide

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo & Train to Machu Picchu town

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Veg / vegan food is lacking

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion 3/3: Flight to {{end_location}}

Peru

On time

Flight to {{end_location}}: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion 1/3 (HIH)

Peru

on time

Our family trip to Peru was truly amazing! After 40 years, I finally returned to show my family my mother's roots, and the experience did not disappoint.

We spent most of our time in Cusco, where we met our wonderful guide, Guido. He walked with us, talked with us, laughed with us, and showed us the sites, the streets, and the community. We truly learned so much about the people and culture of Cusco ad Peru. We visited Moray and the Las Salinas de Maras - impressive, natural sites.

We visited Machu Picchu twice, completing both Circuit One and Two, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Aguas Calientes was phenomenal. Our hotel, literally right on the river, had a balcony that allowed me to fall asleep to the most beautiful sounds of the water.

We also got to see Rainbow Mountain at Palcoyo which was absolutely breathtaking. The unexpected beauty of that area felt untouched, yet there were still plenty of comforts. The cuisine throughout our trip was amazing, and the transportation was phenomenal. Our guide, Guido, truly made the trip spectacular.

Later, we visited Lima and had the opportunity to go on a food tour with David, who was absolutely charming and phenomenal. Not only was the food delicious and plentiful, but he also walked us through Barranco and showed us some beautiful sites. The people of Peru are kind, friendly and hard working. It was the perfect trip!

Hotel Reviews

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

The rooms were on the smaller size. No ventilation in bathroom and no sound proofing - you could hear every sound and every conversation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location

Staff

Responsive but not very friendly at the front desk -

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

La Casona de Yucay

Cusco

Very pretty - rooms where nice size. Restaurant on site was not great. Limited menu and quality not great.

Authenticity & Character

very pretty and mountain views were phenomenal

Location

It was in a quiet area but not much around to see or do - taki was needed to town or to other restaurants

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Hotel was in a great location Had a pool, restaurant and rooftop bar.

Authenticity & Character

Modern Hotel

Location

Miraflores -

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

squeaky clean and it smell so so good

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Loved!

Authenticity & Character

Right o the river -

Location

Center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and we received welcome pastries!!

Activity Reviews

Visiting Lima Historic Centre

Lima

This tour was ok. We spend lots of times in and out of restaurants looking at the architecture - which was redundant and very weird Twice the restaurant told us to be quiet and we could not talk. It felt intrusive and unwelcome. We did not see many of the sites we were told we were going to see.

Quality of Experience

Make sure to ask what sites will be visited and get confirmation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was nice but off topic and it was hard to follow -

Transport

Driver was punctual

Second visit to Machu Picchu and Hike to its viewpoints

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Exploration of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

This was amazing! We had perfect weather. Llamas walking around- it is amazing and so well maintained.

Quality of Experience

AMAZING

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - Guido was so knowledgeable

Transport

It was easy to take the train and bus -

Morning visit of Ollantaytambo

Peru

Lots of walking but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chinchero Village & its archaeological park

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

We loved the walk and nature -

Quality of Experience

Perfect

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guido is so knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

Perfect! Irlin was always available and on time

Hike to Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain (Private tour)

Cusco

Amazing - we had the perfect day and great weather

Quality of Experience

Breath taking

Food

We had a picnic - food and location were great !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide -Guido was so fun! and patient

Transport

Irlin was a rock start! Hard drive but he made it easy

Walking Food Tour in Barranco (Group tour)

Lima

David made the tour memorable and he made sure we were all comfortable

Quality of Experience

Love it

Food

So, so good and so much of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - David was amazing

Transport

Walking tour

Lunch at Unu

Sacred Valley

Location was beautiful! Restaurant was nice and staff super friendly. Food was ok - cold and nothing to write about.

Quality of Experience

Food

Not great -

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - Guido was awesome.

Transport

Driver was amazing! Irlin

Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines

Peru

Lovely sites - natural

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GUIDO was amazing - our guide and the driver Irlin was frindly and so helpful

Transport

The driver, Irlin, was on time and always friendly.

Guide Oscar palomino was amazing. You can’t find a better guide

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

Ikonik Miraflores

Lima

Pacaya Samiria Lodge

Casa Morey

Ava Spot Sacred Valley

Urubamba

Hatun Inti Classic Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Sueños del Inka Hotel

Cusco

Activity Reviews

Iquitos Adventure Day 2

Iquitos

Cultural City Tour in Lima

Lima

Iquitos Adventure Day 4

Peru

Iquitos Adventure Day 3

Peru

Iquitos Adventure Day 1

Iquitos

Pisac Market & Surrounding Ruins

Peru

Machu Picchu Excursion: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Peru

Sacred Valley Tour: Cusco - Chinchero - Ollantaytambo

Peru

City Tour

Cusco

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

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

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

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

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

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!