
Katy Shorthouse
I've been guiding and designing tours all over South America since 2004. I detest large buses, bored guides, and above all, numbers on sticks. I'm passionate about Peru and have lived here for 12 years, and our tours here go deeper than you would believe possible in the same time other companies take to show you a few highlights. I'm all about showing you the real Peru. You don't need to go far off the beaten track. You just have to know where to look.
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"Authentic cultural encounter in Peru, especially Cusco and Lake Titicaca. We also specialise in family and MTB trips."
How did you get involved in travel?
"I studied journalism unenthusiastically and without distinction, so my career in communications didn't exactly set the world on fire. In my late twenties I found myself writing junk mail about tax and accounting software for a job (for good money, I might add). I suddenly looked around in horror and thought "this can't be my life!" A few months later I became a hiking guide, and I've never looked back! "
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"My first time in Bolivia, in 1996, my friend and travelled through the rainforest with a large bundle that held her stilts. Whenever anyone asked, we claimed in our minimal Spanish that the mysterious bundle was the bones of her grandmother. Even though I guess nobody really believed this, the pair of us were a pretty big sensation in the tiny villages where we'd stop, and usually a crowd gathered, at which point we'd whip out the stilts and do a really mediocre circus show. (She would wobble around on the stilts, and I was learning to juggle). The idea was to collect money for our travels. Nobody ever gave us any, but usually somebody would take pity and let us sleep at their place. "
Featured trips & expertise

Peruvian Amazon Adventure - 4 Days
If you enjoy observing animals and birds in their natural environment–along with spending time on the water–this four-day Tambopata trip was designed with you in mind. Explore the incredible Amazon, go fishing for piranha, enjoy a kayaking excursion, and embark on a nighttime nature hike on this action-packed adventure.

Tambopata Amazon Adventure - 3 Days
Take a quick detour into the Amazon on this three-day itinerary. You'll fly into the frontier town of Puerto Maldonado, just a quick flight from Lima or Cusco, and head up the Tambopata River to experience the scenery and wildlife of the Amazon rainforest.

Best of Peru Tour & Galapagos Cruise - 12 Days
Discover ancient ruins, colonial architecture, fantastic food, and folk culture in Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and iconic Machu Picchu. Then hop aboard the luxurious Galapagos Legend—the only cruise boat in the Galapagos with an on-deck swimming pool—for a multi-island expedition to observe the birds, iguanas, and sea creatures that make this place so special.

Peruvian Luxury Experience - 8 Days
Explore ancient Incan ruins, charming colonial towns, and the breathtaking Sacred Valley as you make your way through some of Peru's most beloved sights in style. Gourmet meals, five-star hotels, and spa treatments await in between explorations on this tour that perfectly pairs adventure and luxury.

Experience the Food and Drink of Peru - 14 Days
Imagine spending two weeks in Peru dedicated to all things delicious. Following this itinerary, you'll visit buzzing food markets in Lima and join in on cooking classes in Cusco. You'll spend a whole day exploring Macchu Picchu, dip into Inca ruins on Amantani Island, and get stuck into some traditional Inca feasts along the way.

Manu Adventure - 8 Days
Down in the Amazon basin, off the edge of the tourist map, lies Manu — arguably the most biodiverse area in the world. Trek off the beaten track and into the land of tapirs, parrots, and jungle rivers — a place without luxury hotels, hot showers, or 24/7 WiFi.
Recent trip reviews for Katy
Trip to Peru (Nov 24 - Dec 1) · Peru - Nov 24 - Dec 1, 2019
This was one of our best trips of all time. We had never planned a trip through adventure/tourism companies, but this trip has changed our perspective towards that.
First, we would love to thank our trip specialist - Katy who planned an amazing itinerary customized to our needs and interests. She was very prompt, accommodative, patient and we could not have had a better plan of our trip.
The accommodations, the inter city travel and even the food was all brilliantly arranged and as per our... read more
Our trip to Tambopate Nat'l Reserves in the jungle · Peru - Dec 1 - Dec 5, 2019
We enjoyed this part of our trip very much. Though, I was surprised to know Kim Kim was not our tour guide but hired out Jungle Pro to be our guide. This outfit was very professional and catered to our every need. Our accommodations were very comfortable and we kept plenty busy watching for the many animals. One observation to note...sometimes, a guide could be in the same position too long. It took our guide some 3 days to finally warm up to us but we finally broke him in and the trip couldn't have been better. Unfortunately, it should have worked the opposite way.
Group departure - Peru Family Tour - 13 Days · Peru - Jul 24 - Aug 4, 2019
This trip was a unique experience based trip that we enjoyed as a family and will treasure the memories for years to come!! It balanced lots of different opportunities to enjoy the fabulous nature in Peru, with the history and amazing sites. Add great company and guides and Peruvian food and it left us looking forward to a second trip to visit other areas in the country!

Hola Cristina! Que bueno que tu y Enrique lo pasaron bien en Peru! It was a pleasure working with you to set up your trip, and we'd love to see you back again - there is so much more left to explore!
Trip to Peru · Peru - Jun 22 - Jun 30, 2019
Our personal guide, Chen, was absolutely wonderful! He was kind, considerate of our acclimation needs, and he had a terrific ability to motivate all of us to achieve our full potential on the rigorous hikes. We thoroughly appreciated Cheo’s sense of humor, as well as the detail of his cultural presentation of the sights throughout the entire trip.
Katy and KimKim were wonderful with the timely updates of our travel plans, payment schedule, and perfect packing list.
Thank you!

Hi Joan, thanks for your review! I'm so glad you, your girls, and other family members had a wonderful trip to Peru... what an awesome birthday celebration for your daughter, and what an incredible way to build shared memories for you all. It's a pleasure to be part of such an endeavour, so thank you!
Family Trip to Peru · Peru - Jul 3 - Jul 14, 2019
Our local specialist, KATY from Aspiring Adventures, arranged our local experience carefully, based on our preferences as a party of 6 adults with various levels of fitness ability and 2 active children. She got us a trip to experience Peru from the Pacific coast to the Andean mountains to the Amazon jungle. She arranged for us to taste Peruvian local cuisine at luxurious restaurants, a farmer's house, an Amaru village house, a boat picnic setting, and a set-menu dining in a jungle lodge. She... read more

Hi Elisa, wow, thanks so much for your detailed review and all the photos! Thank you too for leaving me a package in Cusco, that is incredibly generous and thoughtful!
You have some great feedback here on things I should add to the packing list for the trip and I will be actioning them!
Thanks for your feedback about our staff members - both those you loved and those you didn't - it's all super-valuable for us!
Finally, let me say how much I love what you have to say about the... read more
Group departure - Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days · Peru - Jun 1 - Jun 5, 2018
This was a great trip from start to finish. Aldo, the guide, was a pure delight to spend 4 nights and 5 days with. He covered every detail and more; bring hot water bottles to each of us as we were sleeping at 14,000 feet in the Andes to stay warm, bringing coffee or tea to each of us before we got out of bed. The highlights for us were to reach the summit of the Salkantay trail at 15,200 feet, the coffee plantation where we picked the coffee beans, roasted, ground and made coffee and... read more

Hi Kyong
I'm so glad the Salkantay trek lived up to your dreams and you're still glowing from the experience!
Aldo told me the coffee was a highlight... he really enjoyed this trip with your group!
You've been such a pleasure - all the best to you and Mike!
Cheers
Katy
Connie's birding trip, May 2018 · Peru - May 8 - May 19, 2018
We had a wonderful trip and experience in Peru. Our guides were everything we expected and more. Nestor, and Alex the chef, in the Amazon, safely and comfortably guided us through the splendour of Manu National Park. Luis in the Sacred Valley educated us regarding the Inca wonders of Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Cusco and the spectacular Machu Picchu. They were very knowledgeable, attentive, helpful and welcoming. They made the trip extra special. Kim Kim took care of all the details that made... read more

Gordon, thank you for your kind words. It is so awesome to hear there is nothing about the experience you would change... that makes us all feel so great! We wouldn't change you and your group either - you're a lovely group of people. We hope to see you again someday!
Birding Tour and Machu Picchu · Peru - May 8 - May 19, 2018
We were 7 members of one family , all over 55, who wished to go on a birding adventure in Peru. Katy Shorthouse of Aspiring Adventures listened carefully to our requests . She did an amazing job of meeting our needs and desires so in the end we had an exceptional trip. Our guides Nestor and Luis were wonderful, the food provided by chef Alex was fantastic, the accomodations were comfortable and the tour ran like clockwork. Katy provided personalised service at every stage of our trip. Both... read more

Connie, it's a pleasure to work with appreciative people like you and your family! As you saw we love to work closely with our guests to develop an itinerary that's perfect for them, and all the hard work is more than worthwhile when we receive such lovely feedback. Come again any time!
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu - 5-Day Itinerary · Peru - Jun 4 - Jun 17, 2017
The Peru trip was amazing! It beat expectations and was a marvel on so many levels. Our guide, Aldo, was a huge bonus as he was an amazing person to spend two weeks with escorting us through his magical country.

Hi Gretchen
Thanks so much for your kind words. It was a pleasure to organize a trip for you and your boys. We always aim to pass expectations and when Aldo's on the trip, we can't go wrong - he is indeed the eighth wonder of the world!
All the best for your future travels!
Katy