
Nicole and Bill Koch
We moved to Peru 12 years ago to help the poor. We worked in two schools that were free for those who could not afford an education for their children, the most poor. During those years, on our off time, we explored Peru in every way we could, trekking Choquequirao with our one-year-old, biking the many foot paths we would see all over the Andes, camping, fishing, and much more.
We've become friends and family with many people here, and really came to know and love the Peruvian culture. Seven years and 4 kids later, we moved away from volunteer work and naturally into tourism. We opened an Airbnb out of our house and began sending our guests on the tours we had designed from our own knowledge. After a bit, it was only natural we decided to open a tourist agency that specializes in custom built adventure tours, with Machu Picchu always a climax of the trip. We operate, organize, and occasionally guide our tours, especially the mountain biking!
What places and activities do you specialize in?
"We specialise in trekking all over the Cusco region especially Salkantay to Machu Picchu with lodging in cabins run by locals in the area, serious mountain biking, mountain biking for all levels, culturally infused tours, Adventure Packages to Machu Picchu."
How did you get involved in travel?
"Living in a place as marvelous as Peru and loving the adventure of the great Andes, it was only a matter of time before people started to ask us for our expertise. We opened Haku (meaning "let's go" in Quechua) Expeditions and began forming custom packages for people who want to be a traveler, not a tourist."
Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.
"We had always wanted to trek Salkantay with our family. We took our four kids aged, 8, 5, 3 and 1 on an adventure of a life time. The two older kids rode horses while William and I carried the littler ones. We trekked for three days and then spent three days in the hot springs of Colclomayo to reward the kids for their hard work."
Nicole and Bill's favorite itineraries and travel advice
Top itineraries and travel advice

Journey through an undiscovered land of wild desert landscapes, snow-capped peaks, herds of alpacas, to arrive at the ultimate destination: the rainbow-painted slopes of Rainbow...

Peruvian cuisine is popping up on menus around the world—find out why on this unique tour that introduces the Sacred Valley through authentic culinary experiences. Prepare...

If you're looking to combine some adventure with a tour of Machu Picchu at the end, consider this three-day itinerary. The Sacred Valley is a hotbed of great day adventures,...
Recent trip reviews for Nicole and Bill
trek apprpraiate for 4 women 58 to 62.
Peru
|
Sep 15 - Sep 22, 2018
A little more guidance as to what is needed each day. A better time line ahead of time. Boxed lunches for Manchu Picchu were heavy and unnecessary since they couldn't be eaten while at the ruins. Did a good job knowing time we needed to acclimate. Great trip- we loved our guide, Ruben. Nicole was very helpful in addition details for my trip to Bolivia Well done. We would recommend to my friends
Lodge-to-Lodge Trekking in Peru
Peru
|
Sep 6 - Sep 14, 2018
Great experience in the Sacred Valley with Nicole and her team...they easily redirected a plan that turned out to be too ambitious, into one that was the highlight of our trip, a hike along an old Inka trail down the mountains through the Pisac ruins. the drivers and guides were wonderful. Scott
Trip to Peru
Peru
|
Aug 17 - Sep 1, 2018
We had a truly amazing trip! We spent 16 days in Peru and visited Cusco, the Amazon, Lima, sacred valley and Lake Titicaca. Despite the complexity of the trip, everything was like clock-work! It was a great combination of hiking, exploring, experiencing the local culture and city visits. Nicole did a great job of staying in touch with us throughout the trip and making sure we were well taken care of. Our guides were superb! They were all very knowledgeable and friendly. Especially our sacred valley guide Rubin did an amazing job!
Thank you!
Ayca
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days
Peru
|
May 19 - May 25, 2018
We hiked the 5-day Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu in mid-May, 2018. Our guide, Ruben, was really wonderful - very friendly, enthusiastic, and kind, good English, a font of information about local cultures and the natural world, and just great company. Nicole was patient, helpful, and responsive in the trip selection and preparation. The trek itself was really beautiful and rewarding - it turned out to be a great choice and we're really glad we did it. We LOVED the small-group format (max. 5... read more

Jamie thanks for the review! Your pictures are amazing and it looks like you had the trip of a lifetime! Please keep in touch and I will be sure to send you pictures of the kids I give the school supplies away to. Thank you for that thoughtful gift for the children of Peru!
Best Treks to Machu Picchu
Peru
|
May 8 - May 16, 2018
We had already booked our flights to Peru, so we had very specific dates to plan our trip to Machu Picchu around. Nicole asked us what we wanted to do and worked around our dates to create a great itinerary. Each day of our trip was planned out for us, including accommodations and most meals. We were able to see Machu Picchu and even got to hike to the top of Huayna Picchu!
Nicole made sure that all of our last minute needs were met and even gave us recommendations for our time in Lima after our tour with KimKim.

Thanks for the review Natalie. It was a pleasure finally meeting you! Take care and safe travels!
Choquequirao Trek to Machu Picchu - 7 Days
Peru
|
May 8 - May 16, 2018

They were extremely helpful when any traveling issues arose such as forgetting my passport or extending my stay in ollantaytambo and our guide was very knowledgeable about the Incan civilization and was able to tell us all about the places we were hiking through. The only thing I would have wished was different was that we could have spent more time touring macho picchu with the guide before getting to hike up the mountains.

Hi Sydney, thanks for the review! It was wonderful hosting you and helping plan your trip. As for Machu Picchu, the new timetables for the site make if difficult to fit everything in, I totally understand. Safe travels and thanks again!
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 Days
Peru
|
Apr 9 - Apr 13, 2018
My husband and I have travelled much of the world and we would put this as one of our top trips. The country was beautiful, the people were amazing.
Nicole helped arrange everything for us and it was a perfect combination of trekking and learning about the local people and their cultures.
Our guide Ruben was fantastic!! He catered to us and went above and beyond to help us and to make our experience as memorable as possible. As an experienced guide, we slowed him down but he waited... read more
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Peru
|
Dec 28 - Jan 6, 2018
Thank you, Haku, for arranging this wonderful trip. All aspects of the Salkantay trek were excellent. Our guide, Rubin, was knowledgeable about all of the logistics and provided us with lots of information on local culture and customs, and plants and history.
Our first evening accommodation at the refuge at Soray Pamp was a great start. We were served a delicious lunch and the refuge was rustic but lovely. We could see Mount Salkantay in the distance. We took a day hike to Glacial Lake... read more

Thank you Ellen for the Review. It was lovely meeting your family and helping you on this trip of a lifetime!
Best Day Hikes in the Sacred Valley near Cusco
Peru
|
Oct 12 - Oct 15, 2017
Nicole was incredible, and took the time to figure out what kind of trip I wanted, then helped me adjust last-minute when I needed to make some emergency changes.
I plan to recommend Nicole to anyone I hear is going to Peru—whether they ask for recommendations or not :)
She was available, helpful, knowledge, and lovely.

Thanks so much! It was our pleasure.
peru trip 2017
Peru
|
Aug 16 - Aug 19, 2017
We had a good guide, Joise. To improve, it would have been great if we had more communication from the travel agent.
Everything was good. Had a good driver and perfect guide. Would have liked to have more communication

Hello Chrisha,
Thank you for letting us know your thoughts and thank you very much for the review!
Nicole
Best Day Hikes in the Sacred Valley
Peru
|
Jul 26 - Aug 1, 2017
Fantastic communication and great advice from Nicole. The guide and driver were brilliant.

Gracias Andrew. Safe travels.
Best Treks to Machu Picchu
Peru
|
Aug 11 - Aug 19, 2017

I had a great first experience with KimKim. I told others about it before even going on my trip. I began to fear it was too good to be true.... no, it was great from start to finish. I was regularly surprised with more than expected... more supported and more amenities than I thought.
I generally interacted with Nicole. She was very responsive, often responding within the hour or early morning after a late night inquiry. She alerted me to a period of a few days where she would be unavailable. Our short notice trip went off without a hitch.

Thanks Janice. We were happy to create this trip for you and your son! Take care and Safe Travels.
Nicole
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu
Peru
|
Aug 4 - Aug 14, 2017
Planning and booking the trip was easy. KimKim connected us with a great tour provider, and always responded quickly to questions and requests.
It's rare to find a tour organizer really dedicated to creating a perfect experience, but that's the impression we had with Nicole and Haku. It's not the cheapest option, but hearing about others who had trekked with larger groups we are happy with our decision.
Our guide Josias was experienced, patient and a great companion for the 6 days. We... read more

Thanks Mark. Salkantay is an amazing trip and I am so glad you could enjoy it!
13 days, Salk, Biking, Horseback
Peru
|
Jul 14 - Jul 26, 2017
We just came back from a hiking trip to Macchu Picchu in Peru via the Salkantay route with HakuExpeditions wich we had booked via kimkim earlier this year. Our trekking along Salkantay as well as the visit to Macchu Picchu were just awesome. Nicole from Haku Expeditions was very flexible in setting up our itinerary and upon arrival in Cusco she organized a briefing with our trekking guides.
The guides were absolutely fantastic. Both were very friendly and helpful, and had tremendous... read more

Herman it was wonderful to meet you and your family. Thanks for coming to Peru and allowing us to create a custom trip for your family!
Hiking in Peru
Peru
|
Jun 5 - Jun 11, 2017
I wish we could have kept the same guide throughout the entire experience. Our first guide, Reuben, saw us through the Choquequirao trek (which was fantastic) but we had a different guide for Machu Picchu and unfortunately he wasn't nearly as good. After several days on the trail with Reuben, we were very comfortable with him and his team, and it was jarring to switch to someone new on the last days of the trip.
Overall, booking with Bill and Nicole was great. Nicole was always in contact... read more

Hi Jen, Thanks for the fantastic review! This comment is so sweet of you. We wish we could go too! (Jen:) I would have loved it if they could have accompanied our hiking guide, Reuben, when he met with us to conduct the 'briefing'... actually I would have loved it if they could have come with us on the hike itself! They are such good people and did a great job helping us plan this trip.
Thanks again! By the way, we would have loved to have Ruben with you in Machu Picchu. He is such a great... read more
Peru Travel
Peru
|
Jun 24 - Jul 3, 2017
Nicole provided my friends and I with a vacation for the history books. First of all, the planning stage was a breeze. After mentioning a rough idea of what we wanted to hit in Peru, Nicole came back instantly with a draft itinerary. After some minor tweaks, it was set. In the weeks leading up to the trip, Nicole was only a quick Whatsapp away to answer all questions, and she would immediately respond. The trip was just as smooth. In Cusco to Ollantaytambo, our beautiful colonial Airbnb was... read more

Thanks Justin! It was a pleasure helping you out. We had a fun time biking with you guys as well. Take care and safe travels!
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 days
Peru
|
May 21 - May 25, 2017
Nicole was excellent at organizing our trip. It was great to talk to a real person on the ground in Peru when I was booking from Australia. At first, our trip seemed expensive but now in hind sight considering everything it included and in comparison to other travelers we met along the way our trip was excellent value for money. Every aspect of our trip was organized we didn't have to worry about a thing. Our guide Josias was absolutely fantastic and really made the trip special. He spoke... read more

Thanks so much Kim! We loved getting to know you guys. I am so glad you liked it. We love creating amazing memories for people. Keep in touch and take care.
Bill and Nicole
Will be in Cuzco aclimatizing for 4 days before hiking Inca Trail
Peru
|
May 2 - May 2, 2017
Thank you Nichole and William, the guide Javier and our driver Marco were excellent. They were first and foremost good people, they were attentive, and knowledgeable about the people places and culture that we were exploring. We came expecting a trip from place to place with explanations and guidance, and instead were treated as friends being welcomed into a family home. They stopped every time we seemed interested in a landmark or even a beautiful field of Quinoa that we wanted to photograph... read more

Thanks Charles! We are glad you could feel at home here in Peru. We love making vacations amazing!
Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu - 5 days
Peru
|
Mar 21 - Mar 28, 2017
Everything was well organized and explained in the itinerary
They checked in in the trip when I was there and ensured everything went as planned

Thanks Rachel! I am glad your had a wonderful trip!
Nicole