Lares Trek to Machu Picchu

We have had a fabulous first experience with KimKim. Our guide Fran helped us plan the perfect trip and found hotels that suited exactly what we were looking for. She also helped with local tips on things like clothing and safety which was really helpful to hear from someone who really knows the country. From the moment we landed we were greeted with a lovely and friendly driver, and in Lima we had a great balance of fantastic guide called Jimena for our food tour, as well as time by ourselves to explore Baranco. Jimena was so friendly and helped us to experience the amazing food that Lima had to offer. They accommodated me well as a vegetarian and I really enjoyed everything we tried. We then went onto Cusco where we met our fabulous driver Alex and lovely guide Flor. Both were friendly and made us feel very safe. Flor was also like a personal photographer and seemed well known and liked by all the other local nature reserve staff and more. She was so knowledgeable on the history of Peru and the sites we visited and helped us with every question we had. Machu Picchu was an amazing experience with Flor and we felt really lucky having her as our guide. Other people nearby commented that they were jealous of us having such a good guide! Finally we went to Arequipa where we landed late and were met by Maya and Gonzalo. Both were also so friendly and kind. Maya became like a friend to us and we even saw her for lunch on her day off! They took us to the beautiful Colca Canyon and helped us with various issues like altitude sickness and travellers stomach issues (as did Flor!). We can’t fault our trip, it was spectacular. I only wish we had even more days to enjoy it all! All our hotels, food, visits and everything were amazing. Lots of little touches like travelling first class on Peru Rail we’re unexpected delights on our trip too. Thanks so much Fran, Kristy and all of the amazing staff we met along the way, we were delighted to be supporting local businesses as well as benefiting from their amazing expertise.

Hotel Reviews

Killawasi Lodge

Yanque

Lovely hotel, beautiful views, nice massage!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Katari Hotel

Arequipa

Wonderful views and amazing location! Can’t beat it. Lovely friendly front desk staff who helped us out with every question we had. The only improvement I’d recommend is slightly faster service on food. We allowed 30-45 mins for breakfast but found this wasn’t enough for us to order food and we had to skip this to make sure we weren’t late for our guide

Authenticity & Character

Location

Best view in the city!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Our best hotel in Peru, we wish we had more time to enjoy this amazing place. We were greeted by Frank who went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful room ready for us with hot tea, hot water bottles and more, and Miguel who was so friendly and fantastic at breakfast. Amazing place and beautiful building

Authenticity & Character

Location

Centre of Cusco! Safe and beautiful

Staff

Frank and Miguel, both fantastic and so friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tierra Viva Valle Sagrado Urubamba

Urubamba

Beautiful setting, wonderful staff, great food, added benefit of a lovely spa

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful scenery

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Wonderful hotel. Great location, friendly staff, gorgeous rooms, great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cusco Tour

Peru

We loved hearing about the history in Cusco and just outside the city centre, but would have liked more time to also explore the life in the city itself. Perhaps the tour could have included more of the local streets etc in the city centre, or had more free time between the tour and the flight transfer to enjoy walking around a little more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fly to Cusco, and Sacred Valley Expedition: Exploring Chinchero and Urubamba

Peru

The mountain lodge was incredible, an unexpected and totally unique and beautiful experience which felt really fancy, remote and amazing. Food was delicious and the experience of seeing great llamas and alpacas outside (and occasionally trying to get in!) was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Ultimate Peruvian Food Tour

Lima

Jimena is what made our trip special, she was fantastic, friendly, knowledgable and a lovely first person for us to meet on our trip. The food was incredible and they were really accommodating of me being vegetarian too

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Colca Canyon & drive to Arequipa

Peru

Amazing views, totally unexpected. We loved the mini hike and seeing the flight of the condors

Quality of Experience

Amazing views, convenient stops along the way

Food

Some of the tourist buffet stops were great for trying a whole mix of foods, but didn’t feel as authentic as some local restaurants. I’m sure in some of these places there aren’t so many options but our favourite things were local stops where we felt more immersed in the culture rather than getting out with loads of other tourists

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

All guides and drivers were first class - all vey prompt and professional.

Hotel Review

Tierra Viva Arequipa Plaza

Arequipa

Stayed in two Terra Via hotels - very nice and great locations/staff. However both rooms did not have a refrigerator which would have been nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to attractions

Staff

Entire staff was great, no exceptions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Shared 2D Colca Canyon Tour : Arequipa - Colca - Arequipa 2/2

Peru

Entire two day excursion was amazing - diverse landscapes.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

If you're looking for the epitome of travel excellence, look no further than Tamer. Let me tell you, our experience with Tamer, in collaboration with Kim Kim and Responsible Travel, was nothing short of enchanting.

This marks our second consecutive year entrusting Tamer to craft a journey of a lifetime for our students, and boy, did he deliver! Our destination this time was Peru, with all its awe-inspiring beauty. Tamer's meticulous planning ensured that every moment was infused with magic and wonder.

One of the highlights of our trip was undoubtedly the outstanding tour guides he arranged for us, Renato Diaz and Henry Gonzales. Their expertise in working with high school students was evident as they effortlessly blended fun and education throughout our 14-day adventure. From delving into the history of the Incan Empire to exploring the mystical Peruvian Amazon, every aspect of our itinerary was flawlessly executed.

Our journey took us through Lima, Cusco, Ollantaytambo, and Puerto Maldonado, with each destination offering its own unique charm. The accommodations were nothing short of breathtaking, and our air travel arrangements went off without a hitch.

From the bustling streets of Lima to the awe-inspiring Machu Picchu, every moment was filled with awe and wonder. Our days were packed with unforgettable experiences, from cooking classes to day trips to Rainbow Mountain and exploring the ancient ruins of Moray. And let's not forget our daily excursions into the heart of the Amazon rainforest – an experience that left us spellbound.

Already, we find ourselves eagerly planning our next adventure with Tamer. Year three beckons, and this time, we're setting our sights on Chile. With Tamer at the helm, we know that another extraordinary journey awaits us.

In short, if you want an unforgettable travel experience that seamlessly blends adventure, education, and pure magic, Tamer is the only choice.