Peruvian Soul

This is my new favorite hotel, ever. Not only is it beautiful, in a great location, but the service and the staff is truly incredible. Our room was beautiful and the hotel provided so many helpful amenities including water in every room and plenty of it (unlike most hotels that give you one bottle per day…). They offered a turndown service each night with tea, chocolates, and a warm water bottle to make our beds cozy. The restaurant on site is truly delicious (the stuffed peppers and ceviche were AWESOME) and the breakfast includes the buffet and a menu to choose from. When we checked out for a night during our stay to camp at Machu Picchu, they provided breakfast to go for our 4am pick up and loaded us up with snacks for our full day hike. They managed our bags too so we didn’t have to lug them from our rooms so early. I can’t say enough about Katie, Kevin, and Michael. Excellent service all around. I encourage everyone to stay here!!

The hotel is beautiful and the restaurant is good, though I felt very much like a tolerated tourist here. We were 2 of only 24 people staying at the hotel in off season, and while the staff wasn’t exactly unfriendly, I didn’t feel as welcome here as I did at other hotels throughout the country. All prices were shared in USD vs local currency. The hotel had an interesting smell and we left congested. Not sure if that was from the desert dust or something in the rooms.

Very nice hotel in the center of Arequipa

Very cute boutique hotel two blocks away from the main Plaza

Very nice and peaceful hotel in the heart of sacred valley.

Brand new hotel in Lima.

We loved staying here during our time in the Sacred Valley! Not only were the accommodations fantastic, but the staff was very friendly and helpful.

This was a wonderful place to stay during our days visiting Machu Picchu. Our family enjoyed two adjoining rooms, so there was plenty of space to spread out and relax. Highly recommended.

Delicious! A great place for lunch, especially since we could try so many different foods and our whole family could tailor our plates to our own preferences. Thank you!

Our guide, Shayla, was so much fun to take this tour with! She was great with our whole family, and it was very appreciated that she was able to take us to so many restaurants and they could accommodate our two vegetarians during the tour as well. Not only did we get to try many authentic Peruvian dishes, but Shayla gave us so much history and preparation info as well. Five stars!!

What a day this was! The 3 1/2-hour drive from Cusco felt daunting at first when we heard about it, but the drive was so beautiful that in the end it didn't even matter how long it took. Our driver had picked up boxed snacks and lunches, so our needs were taken care of. Arriving at the Rainbow Mountain was an adventure in itself, as the road to it is picturesque, but steep and narrow. Our first steps at 16,500 ft. above sea level were SO TOUGH, but Guido helped coach us through the altitude and helped us take our time as we summited the trail for the best views. Even though the hike was challenging, it was worth every step to see this beautiful spot!

The camelid farm just outside Cusco was a great first stop after leaving the airport. Our kids (and, honestly us adults, too), enjoyed seeing, petting, and learning about the different camelid animals that live in Peru. We even got to see condors, guinea pigs, and Peruvian dog, and a very small and interesting deer. After looking at the animals, a lady in the shop offered us tea (good for elevation) and gave us a quick lesson on the quality of different camelid products found in Peru. This not only helped us when buys a few souvenirs here, but also throughout out tour. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed so we didn't have much time in Pisac, but our guide made sure we stopped quickly to pick up some AMAZING empanadas for a snack along the way.

Our whole family (2 adults, 2 children ages 8 & 10) REALLY enjoyed this experience!! Ramos Kintu showed us all a lot of patience during the lesson and we created pieces we could take home. We loved it!

Because I got sick on the day this tour was supposed to happen, we rescheduled it for the following day quite early in the morning. It was so amazing and refreshing to see this site first thing in the morning when it was quiet and no other visitors had arrived yet. It's a beautiful spot and its a bit mind-blowing to understand how long the salt ponds have been in use and just how much salt comes from them!

I missed out on this experience because of being sick, but my husband and two children came back with the MOST AMAZING photos and stories from their experience here. Getting to try on traditional clothing, trying out farming techniques, and eating food prepared that day was an experience my children will remember their entire lives!

Again, I was sick this day and could not join my family at this site, but my kids came back and told me all about these farming terraces. They were blown away by the scale of the site. Big thumbs up!

Our guide, Guido, took us around Cusco center on a fun and informative walking tour. Seeing the sites, including the food market, helped us get a sense of the amazing vibe Cusco has. I'd love to explore this city more. Guido also took us inside the cathedral and gave us a lot of history on the building and art inside. SO GOOD!

This is a definite must-see site! The beauty and scale of the archaeological site, and also of the town and setting, were so rich! I could have stayed here twice as long as we did just because the setting was so gorgeous. The town was hopping because this is where we boarded the train for Machu Picchu, and while we didn't have time to explore, I loved the vibe here.

Our first of two visits to Machu Picchu during our trip was just as fabulous as we expected it to be. There's something about that first glimpse of the site that we've waited decades to see that was extremely special. Our guide, Guido, was exceptionally informative about everything here, and after getting a good fill of the view from above, he took us through the village itself and told us all about history of the site, pointing out special places along the way. We were over the moon with this visit.

This second visit to Machu Picchu was especially good for us. Not only did our guide Guido take us on a different route so we could see Machu Picchu from above again (and maybe the more picturesque views), but then we hiked up to the Sun Gate along the Inca Trail. Our family enjoys hiking, so getting to take these steps along the Inca Trail and then viewing Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate felt particularly special. Highly recommended!

This tour was only 2 hours long, but we could have spent all day bird watching and enjoying the shores here. The reserve is full of beautiful and interesting birds, and the sights are beyond gorgeous! Our guide during this portion (Juan, I think? Apologies I can't remember for sure) was really informative. He kept us on schedule, but was also happy to answer all of our questions. He also pointed us toward the best restaurant in Paracas for after our tour (we ate there twice!).

Our first boat ride out the the islands was interrupted because of a tsunami advisory, so we asked our KimKim guide, Bosco, to re-book the tour for the following morning. OH, we are so happy we went again and were able to go all of the way this time. The sights and animals you see of this tour are so cool (Humbolt penguins! South American sea lions!). On our way back to shore, our boat sped along a very long line of migrating birds (like thousands and thousands), which was definitely a highlight of the trip!

This experience was pretty awesome, but the flight is challenging to say the least! We all got a little air sick, but it was worth it to see the Nazca lines we've heard so much about!

Wonderful quaint mini suite in the heart of Cusco! Walkable and close to everything

The breakfasts and staff were very good. Unfortunately, the accommodations left quite a lot to be desired. The room was very cramped, had no windows or other means of ventilation, and was way too warm at night. There was no room for unpacking luggage. The bathroom smelled of sewage. The hot water was unreliable. And, the soap and shampoo dispensers remained empty, despite our requests that they be refilled. The building has a beautiful interior, but we would opt for a Motel 6 over such an uncomfortable facility.

Beautiful rustic hotel with great staff. Unreliable hot water and no bathroom ventilation.

Beautiful view, great staff, good restaurant, comfortable room. More modern than our other accommodations while in Peru.

The accommodations were comfortable, and the locations was convenient. There was no electricity or hot water the first night.

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Close to all the in-town attractions. Very friendly staff.

Ceci was a great guide. The tour was very informative, and we got to try quite a lot of different foods. Most of the food was prepared in front of us with the chefs explaining the process as they went. Barranco is beautiful. A must-do tour.