Peruvian Soul

KimKim is a brilliant idea expertly executed. How to find the perfect in-country help for just the kind of travel you prefer? Ask KimKim. They put us in touch with Nicho and Diego at Peruvian Soul for our self-drive, self-guided trip in Peru. And while driving yourself in Peru is not recommended, we set out anyway to discover that it's true that the worst drivers in the world are Peruvian. But Nicho checked on us almost every day, and we did fine. At Machu Picchu, Peruvian Soul had arranged... read more

KimKim is a brilliant idea expertly executed. How to find the perfect in-country help for just the kind of travel you prefer? Ask KimKim. They put us in touch with Nicho and Diego at Peruvian Soul for our self-drive, self-guided trip in Peru. And while driving yourself in Peru is not recommended, we set out anyway to discover that it's true that the worst drivers in the world are Peruvian. But Nicho checked on us almost every day, and we did fine. At Machu Picchu, Peruvian Soul had arranged our tickets and Wilson, our guide. The experience could not have been better. Wilson was friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. Peg suffered from altitude sickness and had to miss some of the recomended highlights but got to know the towns a little better. Peruvian Soul gets 10 out of 10.

Anne put together an amazing trip for us to Peru. Everything was well organized. Drivers and guides were reliable, always on time and very caring. Everything was well thought of for us. We loved all the local hotels that were selected for us especially the one in Cuzco. The whole process to setup the itinerary was very easy for us and the whole trip was perfectly tailored to allow us to see all the things we wanted to see.

All the sites along the northern coast were very unique. The... read more

Anne put together an amazing trip for us to Peru. Everything was well organized. Drivers and guides were reliable, always on time and very caring. Everything was well thought of for us. We loved all the local hotels that were selected for us especially the one in Cuzco. The whole process to setup the itinerary was very easy for us and the whole trip was perfectly tailored to allow us to see all the things we wanted to see.

All the sites along the northern coast were very unique. The ancient city of Chan Chan by the coast was beautiful, and all the gold at Lord Sipan's museum. Kuelap was impressive but very hard to get to, the major airport at Jaen has one or two runways I think. We loved Arequipa and our trip to Colca canyon to see the flying condors. Our guide Luis made this part of our trip memorable. Our girls loved that we stopped by local shepherd's pen to see all the llamas and alpacas before they start grazing for the day. Driving in Peru was thrilling and spectacular. The different sceneries were amazing from the coastal desert to the altiplano and the high peaks of the Andes. The crowds at Machu Picchu was as amazing as the sight itself. The mini Inca trail to the sun gate then the real site next day was perfect for us. The amazon jungle was a perfect ending for our trip. We were amazed by the beautiful lodges we stayed at deep into the jungle. The wild life we saw was wonderful and the food was excellent. The biking with tasting food at Lima was so interesting as well.

This is now the third trip we have done using KimKim. We have never been disappointed and will continue to use them in the future.

Dear all,
It’s not today that I going to review my experience. But just to let you know that it was by far the most incredible trip that we made. It was not just about the place itself since there are incredible places all around the world, but it was the way you all took care of us. You know when you go to a place and there is a family relative that knows you and he provides not only what you need but also surprises you all the time? That’s how we felt all the time!
Question:
Are... read more

Dear all,
It’s not today that I going to review my experience. But just to let you know that it was by far the most incredible trip that we made. It was not just about the place itself since there are incredible places all around the world, but it was the way you all took care of us. You know when you go to a place and there is a family relative that knows you and he provides not only what you need but also surprises you all the time? That’s how we felt all the time!
Question:
Are all the agency’s that you work with like Peruvian Soul?
If so you have made a difference in the traveling world!!!!

We've just come back from an amazing trip to Peru. We loved every part of it but a special mention to Jhordy and Paulieno our guide and chef for the Salkantay trek who helped us complete a tough challenge across stunning mountains and also to Manuel who led us on many hunts through the jungle.

Everything was organised by Peruvian Soul and all the connections and pickups were stress free.

Jesus organised my family the trip of a lifetime. I went with my wife and 5 children over 3 weeks. We arrived in Lima then went to Paracas, on to Cusco and The sacred Valley, then back to Lima and on to Mancora for some beach time.
All the local guides were excellent that Jesus organised. All transport was of good quality and prompt.
All went perfectly thank you Jesus !

Mily went above and beyond. The trip was fantastic. No problems and we had the best guides. Guido was the best we have ever had.

Such an incredible trip. Peru is a beautiful country in its landscapes and it’s culture. The whole vacation was amazing. Sacred Valley, Aguas Callientes, Cusco, and Lima, every part was unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Machu Picchu was obviously the highlight of the trip. Hiking to the Sun Gate was a little rough but absolutely breathtaking, totally worth it. Sacred Valley was probably our favorite part. The salt mines, moray terraces, Ollantantaytambo fortress, and of course the Pachamanca ... read more

Such an incredible trip. Peru is a beautiful country in its landscapes and it’s culture. The whole vacation was amazing. Sacred Valley, Aguas Callientes, Cusco, and Lima, every part was unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Machu Picchu was obviously the highlight of the trip. Hiking to the Sun Gate was a little rough but absolutely breathtaking, totally worth it. Sacred Valley was probably our favorite part. The salt mines, moray terraces, Ollantantaytambo fortress, and of course the Pachamanca dinner was delicious. Kimkim made it possible to fully enjoy that with as little stress as possible. Our guides were amazing, Julio in Sacred Valley, Freddy in Cusco, and Cynthia in Lima. So friendly and knowledgeable. They made sure we were comfortable, happy, and well fed during our entire stay. The hotels were also great, very welcoming to go back to after a long day of sightseeing. Would definitely return to Peru and definitely recommend kimkim.

This is the first time I have worked with KimKim And have absolutely no regrets! They paired me with a company called Peruvian Soul who exceeded our expectations! Jesus and Carmen were exceptional with the planning and always available. We got to meet Carmen in Lima, she is so sweet and caring. She would check on us throughout our trip. The local guides were beyond amazing especially Julio in Cusco. He was always available and very knowledgeable. He wanted to make sure we were okay at all... read more

This is the first time I have worked with KimKim And have absolutely no regrets! They paired me with a company called Peruvian Soul who exceeded our expectations! Jesus and Carmen were exceptional with the planning and always available. We got to meet Carmen in Lima, she is so sweet and caring. She would check on us throughout our trip. The local guides were beyond amazing especially Julio in Cusco. He was always available and very knowledgeable. He wanted to make sure we were okay at all times and just such a wonderful person. I highly recommend Peruvian Soul to help plan the most amazing vacation to Peru. Santiago, our guide for the Inca trail was so patient with us during our trek and made it so worthwhile! Macchi Picchu is unbelievable! Truly a wonderful experience!

Anne was great. Very accommodating and responsive. Whenever there were any questions she answered promptly. We would use Anne again to help plan our trip :)

Anne was wonderful and so caring. Made the trip seamless. She wants people to learn and explore her country not on a bus with 100's of tourists.

I would definitely recommend Peruvian Soul to future travelers! She worked with our budget seamlessly and didn't feel like a budget trip AT ALL. Kudos to her hard work! Thank you so much!!

My daughter and I really enjoyed our trip. The connections were seamless and always on time. The best part of the trip were our guides. They were all well informed, interesting, and just plain fun to hang out with. I would highly recommend Kim-kim.
Matthew

The trip to Iquitos and in the Amazon for 6 days was excellent. There were a few small glitches but Anne was so responsive & was able to get everything fixed for us quickly & efficiently. The river trip was fun and the guide we had for the six days in the Amazon basin was outstanding. Juan, our guide, of Amazonia Expeditions, was exceptionally knowledgeable about all living things in the rain forest, as well as the people and cultures of the area. Juan was available to us at all times and... read more

The trip to Iquitos and in the Amazon for 6 days was excellent. There were a few small glitches but Anne was so responsive & was able to get everything fixed for us quickly & efficiently. The river trip was fun and the guide we had for the six days in the Amazon basin was outstanding. Juan, our guide, of Amazonia Expeditions, was exceptionally knowledgeable about all living things in the rain forest, as well as the people and cultures of the area. Juan was available to us at all times and kept us organized & comfortable throughout the trip. He was also a very kind and ethical person who cares very much about the rain forest environment & shared that passion with us. This made our trip very special.

The Lodge and Research Center were very clean, comfortable and the staff at each location were exceptionally friendly and helpful. The food was also excellent. The staff at these locations on he Tahuaya River work well as a team to make sure their guest have a wonderful experience in the Amazon Basin & they succeed!

One final comment about Anne. Anne really went above & beyond in her assistance to my friend and I before the trip, and throughout the entire trip. Anne is a top rate local specialist in Peru. She did everything necessary to make our trip perfect. Thank you Anne!

Our thirty day tour of Peru was amazing! We visited Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chacapoyas, Tarapoto, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Paracas, with excellent support from our local specialist, Nicholas, and each of our fantastic guides. Special thank yous go out to Henry, Gustavo and Julio, who taught us so much over several days, and made all of the pieces of our trip work together seamlessly. The best thing I can say about the trip is that there was not a... read more

Our thirty day tour of Peru was amazing! We visited Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Chacapoyas, Tarapoto, Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Paracas, with excellent support from our local specialist, Nicholas, and each of our fantastic guides. Special thank yous go out to Henry, Gustavo and Julio, who taught us so much over several days, and made all of the pieces of our trip work together seamlessly. The best thing I can say about the trip is that there was not a single place we visited, where I wouldn't have been happy to spend more time. We wanted a tour which included history, culture, food and nature, and the Peruvian Soul plan provided this, perfectly. It was an incredible trip for us, one we feel very lucky to have made with Peruvian Soul.

Booking our trip to Peru through kimkim could not have been easier! With the help of Jesus, we planned a custom trip to accommodate our time constraints and so we could see exactly what we wanted to. All of the guides were friendly and knowledgeable. We definitely recommend kimkim and will be using them again in the future!

Wow!!! What a great experience we had in Peru using KimKim! It was a bit overwhelming to try to figure out hotels, excursions, local guides on my own, so I started looking for help online. Finding KimKim and especially our local contact Jesus made ALL of the difference. We had a FANTASTIC trip with a great itinerary of hotels and activities. We did a half day of zip line, we visited the salt pools. Of course we had a fabulous day at Machu Picchu. One surprise - the horseback riding in the... read more

Wow!!! What a great experience we had in Peru using KimKim! It was a bit overwhelming to try to figure out hotels, excursions, local guides on my own, so I started looking for help online. Finding KimKim and especially our local contact Jesus made ALL of the difference. We had a FANTASTIC trip with a great itinerary of hotels and activities. We did a half day of zip line, we visited the salt pools. Of course we had a fabulous day at Machu Picchu. One surprise - the horseback riding in the hills above Cusco was a huge hit with the family.

I highly recommend Jesus and KimKim. The communication during the planning phase was outstanding. Jesus even helped us recover a Kindle that my wife left in a hotel. He went above and beyond to make our trip special and unfortgettable.

Anne was always available, friendly and did an outstanding job for us!

Peru is much more than anyone could expect for their first visit there. Is the first country in years for which I can definitely say that I will return. There are so many things to see, so much diversity and wonders to discover.
For the guides, I will mention only the one that from my opinion was the best prepared, and that is Julio Cesar, yes :) like the roman emperor. He has provided a lot of useful informations and was connected in a natural and sincere way. All the guides were polite and... read more

Peru is much more than anyone could expect for their first visit there. Is the first country in years for which I can definitely say that I will return. There are so many things to see, so much diversity and wonders to discover.
For the guides, I will mention only the one that from my opinion was the best prepared, and that is Julio Cesar, yes :) like the roman emperor. He has provided a lot of useful informations and was connected in a natural and sincere way. All the guides were polite and willing to help with anything, but Julio seemed less commercial than all :).
Thanks to Anne, Julio and to everybody that contribute to a memorable experience in Peru.

Due to craziness at work, I had zero bandwidth to pull together any of the details for our trip to Peru. Thankfully, Jesus of Peruvian Soul took care of everything. He put together a lovely itinerary for me and my 9 year old that balanced our respective needs, helped us connect with the history and beauty of the Andes, and allowed us to explore the natural wonders of the Amazon. He arranged all of our hotels, site tickets, and in-country flights. Every detail was well-communicated. Transfers... read more

Due to craziness at work, I had zero bandwidth to pull together any of the details for our trip to Peru. Thankfully, Jesus of Peruvian Soul took care of everything. He put together a lovely itinerary for me and my 9 year old that balanced our respective needs, helped us connect with the history and beauty of the Andes, and allowed us to explore the natural wonders of the Amazon. He arranged all of our hotels, site tickets, and in-country flights. Every detail was well-communicated. Transfers were seamless. And the little extras were much appreciated. For example, during our last day in the jungle, I realized that I would need to figure out a way to make productive use of a 6 hour layover in Lima the next day to get fresh clothes and a hot shower. Jesus found a hotel near the airport that provided these services at a very reasonable cost. Thank you, Jesus, for an amazing adventure!

My husband and I just returned from a lifetime trip to Peru where we both celebrated our birthdays! Everything went beautifully and according to plans. The service offered by Kim Kim and Peruvian Soul exceeded all our expectations, mostly regarding our three main contacts: Anne (Local Contact), Cesar (Guide) and Roberto (Driver).

Anne who was involved in the full logistics and planning was excellent since her very first contact with us, always very friendly, very helpful, very responsive,... read more

My husband and I just returned from a lifetime trip to Peru where we both celebrated our birthdays! Everything went beautifully and according to plans. The service offered by Kim Kim and Peruvian Soul exceeded all our expectations, mostly regarding our three main contacts: Anne (Local Contact), Cesar (Guide) and Roberto (Driver).

Anne who was involved in the full logistics and planning was excellent since her very first contact with us, always very friendly, very helpful, very responsive, and very patient...she ensured that every detail of our trip went spectacular, THANK YOU Anne!! Cesar, our very friendly and knowledgeable guide provided us every possible detail to make each experience memorable, including his help taking beautiful pictures for us. Roberto, our driver, in addition to being responsible for safely driving us to every destination, provided us a peek inside the quechuan traditions and practices through his marvelous stories. He even had the very special detail of sharing with us a quechuan tradition the day of our birthday! THANK YOU Cesar and Roberto, our two new peruvian friends!

Finally, we want to thank Peruvian Soul for the delicious chocolates left for us at our last hotel room, it was a beautiful birthday surprise!

It was our very first experience booking a trip through Kim Kim and we had an EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE! We would DEFINITELY recommend Kim Kim and will DEFINITELY book through Kim Kim again. Thank you Kim Kim for making our birthday trip to Peru such a memorable life experience!

Many thanks to kimkim and Peruvian Soul for making our vacation a trip of a lifetime!

From the minute Carlos picked us up at the airport, he was friendly and welcoming which was a perfect start to our trip. Our lunch at Maido to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday was fun and delicious. Then, we learned so much from Diego about the history and politics of Peru during our drive to Pisco to see the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines flyover was fascinating and memorable, although a little more... read more

Many thanks to kimkim and Peruvian Soul for making our vacation a trip of a lifetime!

From the minute Carlos picked us up at the airport, he was friendly and welcoming which was a perfect start to our trip. Our lunch at Maido to celebrate my husband's 50th birthday was fun and delicious. Then, we learned so much from Diego about the history and politics of Peru during our drive to Pisco to see the Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines flyover was fascinating and memorable, although a little more adventurous than I anticipated (still super glad I did it though). During the ride back to Lima, Diego heard us talking about how we were interested in seeing the Barranco neighborhood, so he took us on an impromptu and walking tour there.

But the person who made our trip absolutely over the top perfect was Julio Caesar. He is so kind, knowledgeable, and just an absolutely wonderful human being. We loved the women's textile collective, the salt mines in Maras, the circular terraces in Moray, Ollantaytambo Fortress, the Andean Pacamana lunch, and the outdoor market in Cusco. But the absolutely best part of our trip was the day we went to Machu Picchu. It was beautiful, spiritual, and life-changing.

Thank you again kimkim - we are already talking about where to go on our summer vacation and we wouldn't dream of planning it without you!

Our trip to Peru is one of our top 5 trips ever taken (and we have done a lot of traveling). In large part the reason this trip was so good is because of the excellent itinerary, seamless transitions and transportation to each of our destinations, and wonderful accommodations. We started our trip in Lima - we arrived in the morning after an evening flight from the states. We were picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel. From there we were on our own to explore the city which... read more

Our trip to Peru is one of our top 5 trips ever taken (and we have done a lot of traveling). In large part the reason this trip was so good is because of the excellent itinerary, seamless transitions and transportation to each of our destinations, and wonderful accommodations. We started our trip in Lima - we arrived in the morning after an evening flight from the states. We were picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel. From there we were on our own to explore the city which was easy to do. We stayed in the Miraflores neighborhood and explored that region on foot. We took a taxi to the historical part of the city. Taxis were easy to hail. On day 2 we flew from Lima to Puerto Maldonado where we explored the Amazon basin. We were met at the airport by our hotel greeting party and were taken by boat to our lodge - Inkaterra. Here we stayed in delightful cabins equipped with hamocks (as well as beds of course) where we could lay down and relax and watch the river flow by. From the hotel we were able to do several excursions led by our excellent guide, Michel. We saw all kinds of rainforest flora and fauna, walked across rope bridges in the rainforest canopy and learned about the food and medicinal gifts of the rainforest. We spent about 2 full days in the rainforest and one more would have been good but we were on a tight 9 day schedule. From the rainforest we headed to the mountains. We landed in Cuzco and then were taken down to our hotel in Urumbamba - lower elevation to help with adjusting to the altitude. The whole family took Diamox before getting to Cuzco and we all avoided altitude sickness. We stayed in a fabulous hotel called Sol y Luna. On our second day in the sacred valley we took part in the Llama pack project. This involved trekking and herding llamas up the side of a mountain. After a breathless but beautiful hike, we stopped for lunch with the llamas which was delightful and then trekked back down the mountain. This experience was incredible and I would highly recommend it to any travelers to the Sacred Valley. The local llama herders who were with us have some llama/alpaca wool souvenirs to sell. If you are interested, make sure you have plenty of cash for the larger items (the prices are a bit high). The next day was spent exploring the other wonders of the sacred valley to include Inka farming site at Moray and the salt flats of Maras. Our guide Danny did a fantastic job teaching us the history of the Inkas as well as modern Peruvian culture. From the sacred valley we took the trip to Machu Picchu. The train ride to Ollantaytambo was very scenic and a small snack and drink were served. After a night in the hotel we boarded a bus and headed up the death defying road to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu itself is indescribable and even more beautiful than pictures suggest. Danny again served as our guide through the site and let us take our time to take it all in all the while explaining to us one of the most amazing and mysterious civilizations of the world - the Inkas. That afternoon we made the trek back to Cuzco and spent the last day of our trip exploring this beautiful and culturally enchanting city. We were sad to leave this amazing country. All ground transportation was planned by Jesus. I bought the intra-country airline tickets (cheap) but Jesus helped me determine which flights to choose so the itinerary would work well. Reading the guide books, I found a trip to Peru intimidating but Kimkim and Peruvian Soul made it easy. The hardest part was deciding what we wanted to see - with only 9 days to see it.

I would say that the service received by Jesús Martel was beyond great. He coordinated a fantastic itinerary for our 6-day trip to Peru. Whenever I had a question, he replied immediately. If I needed a change in the plan and no matter how many questions I had, he replied promptly. In addition, he has a pleasant, positive and upbeat outlook and I would definitely recommend him to anyone and everyone. ¡Un millón de gracias, Jesús!
One of the guides who took us to historic downtown Lima and to... read more

I would say that the service received by Jesús Martel was beyond great. He coordinated a fantastic itinerary for our 6-day trip to Peru. Whenever I had a question, he replied immediately. If I needed a change in the plan and no matter how many questions I had, he replied promptly. In addition, he has a pleasant, positive and upbeat outlook and I would definitely recommend him to anyone and everyone. ¡Un millón de gracias, Jesús!
One of the guides who took us to historic downtown Lima and to the horseback riding tour is named Rodrigo. He was very knowledgeable about everything and pointed out many sites and anecdotes.
Diego Zimmerman was with us all the way when we requested a change in hotel. He is also polite and easy-going when confronted with our request!
I love, love, Peruvian Soul and would recommend it to anyone and everyone. I wouldn't have known about them if it wasn't for kimkim.
Thank you all!