Peruvian Soul

Anne was so friendly and knowledgeable about options that would meet our interests. She was flexible and responsive when we requested to make adjustments to the itinerary. Wonderful to work with!

I just returned from an unforgettable 11-day trip to Peru, and it was absolutely beautiful. I visited Lima, the Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Cusco, and ended my journey relaxing on the beach in Máncora. Each place had its own unique charm and beauty, and every stop left me in awe.

Machu Picchu was truly out of this world, an experience I’ll never forget. The beach in Máncora was the perfect way to unwind after exploring the mountains and cities.

Everything about the trip was well-organized. The transportation was smooth and reliable, and the tour guides and drivers were incredibly friendly and professional. I genuinely loved every moment and highly recommend this trip to anyone looking to explore the wonders of Peru.

Just returned from an 11-day adventure in Peru planned by Anne Godoy of Peruvian Soul, the boutique travel specialist that KimKim introduced us to. There were four of us, all women ranging in age from 60 to 70. The trip was fantastic from beginning to end; action-packed and curated to our specific tastes. We spent several days in Lima, enjoying the art, culture and food (note that there are a handful of restaurants on the current "Best 50 restaurants in the world" in Lima!). Anne chose a wonderful, small boutique hotel for us in the hip Barranco district - Villa Barranco - which we loved. Special shout-out to the multi-talented Julio, who made the best pisco sours of the trip!! We then moved on to the Sacred Valley for several nights, blissed out at Sol y Luna, a gorgeous Relais & Chateaux property that Anne proposed. While in the Sacred Valley, we enjoyed a beautiful meal at a hacienda, visited a cooperative where we learned the secrets of backstrap weaving, made our own ceramic pieces, had a fabulous pachamanca and liquor distilling experience, hiked along the river from one town to another, visited Inca sites, and more! Then it was on to the incomparable Machu Picchu (it's even more beautiful and mystical than the photos we've all seen), via the luxury Hiram Bingham train (highly recommended!) and afterwards, Cusco for a couple of nights (Palacio del Inka hotel in Cusco was another highlight, again suggested by Anne). In the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco, we had a fantastic guide, Mario, and a warrior of a driver, Wilbur, both of whom kept us safe and well-informed, and ultimately became friends. One very important part of having a specialist plan a trip is the knowledge that if things go awry, you will be well taken care of. We had no large mishaps but a few minor ones did pop up (as they do on almost every adventure) and Peruvian Soul (thank you, Jesus!) and Mario were quick to find solutions and solve problems. I could not be happier with this trip, and highly recommend Peruvian Soul (and Anne Godoy) as top-notch trip planners.

Our family trip to Peru was truly amazing! After 40 years, I finally returned to show my family my mother's roots, and the experience did not disappoint.

We spent most of our time in Cusco, where we met our wonderful guide, Guido. He walked with us, talked with us, laughed with us, and showed us the sites, the streets, and the community. We truly learned so much about the people and culture of Cusco ad Peru. We visited Moray and the Las Salinas de Maras - impressive, natural sites.

We visited Machu Picchu twice, completing both Circuit One and Two, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect. Aguas Calientes was phenomenal. Our hotel, literally right on the river, had a balcony that allowed me to fall asleep to the most beautiful sounds of the water.

We also got to see Rainbow Mountain at Palcoyo which was absolutely breathtaking. The unexpected beauty of that area felt untouched, yet there were still plenty of comforts. The cuisine throughout our trip was amazing, and the transportation was phenomenal. Our guide, Guido, truly made the trip spectacular.

Later, we visited Lima and had the opportunity to go on a food tour with David, who was absolutely charming and phenomenal. Not only was the food delicious and plentiful, but he also walked us through Barranco and showed us some beautiful sites. The people of Peru are kind, friendly and hard working. It was the perfect trip!

Hotel Reviews

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Loved!

Authenticity & Character

Right o the river -

Location

Center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and we received welcome pastries!!

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Hotel was in a great location Had a pool, restaurant and rooftop bar.

Authenticity & Character

Modern Hotel

Location

Miraflores -

Staff

Very friendly

Cleanliness & Comfort

squeaky clean and it smell so so good

La Casona de Yucay

Cusco

Very pretty - rooms where nice size. Restaurant on site was not great. Limited menu and quality not great.

Authenticity & Character

very pretty and mountain views were phenomenal

Location

It was in a quiet area but not much around to see or do - taki was needed to town or to other restaurants

Staff

Attentive

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

The rooms were on the smaller size. No ventilation in bathroom and no sound proofing - you could hear every sound and every conversation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Great location

Staff

Responsive but not very friendly at the front desk -

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean

Activity Reviews

Lunch at Unu

Sacred Valley

Location was beautiful! Restaurant was nice and staff super friendly. Food was ok - cold and nothing to write about.

Quality of Experience

Food

Not great -

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - Guido was awesome.

Transport

Driver was amazing! Irlin

Walking Food Tour in Barranco (Group tour)

Lima

David made the tour memorable and he made sure we were all comfortable

Quality of Experience

Love it

Food

So, so good and so much of it!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - David was amazing

Transport

Walking tour

Afternoon Exploration of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

This was amazing! We had perfect weather. Llamas walking around- it is amazing and so well maintained.

Quality of Experience

AMAZING

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide - Guido was so knowledgeable

Transport

It was easy to take the train and bus -

Moray circular terraces and soft hike to Maras salt mines

Peru

Lovely sites - natural

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GUIDO was amazing - our guide and the driver Irlin was frindly and so helpful

Transport

The driver, Irlin, was on time and always friendly.

Hike to Palcoyo Rainbow Mountain (Private tour)

Cusco

Amazing - we had the perfect day and great weather

Quality of Experience

Breath taking

Food

We had a picnic - food and location were great !

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide -Guido was so fun! and patient

Transport

Irlin was a rock start! Hard drive but he made it easy

Chinchero Village & its archaeological park

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

We loved the walk and nature -

Quality of Experience

Perfect

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guido is so knowledgeable and friendly

Transport

Perfect! Irlin was always available and on time

Morning visit of Ollantaytambo

Peru

Lots of walking but worth it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Second visit to Machu Picchu and Hike to its viewpoints

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visiting Lima Historic Centre

Lima

This tour was ok. We spend lots of times in and out of restaurants looking at the architecture - which was redundant and very weird Twice the restaurant told us to be quiet and we could not talk. It felt intrusive and unwelcome. We did not see many of the sites we were told we were going to see.

Quality of Experience

Make sure to ask what sites will be visited and get confirmation.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was nice but off topic and it was hard to follow -

Transport

Driver was punctual

One of the best trip of my life. Everything was perfectly planned. In 10 days we were able to explore the amazon, climb the andes, and even sandsurf in the desert. Lima is such a vibrant city. Peruvians are extremely nice, and their culture is very fascinating. A special mention for the food, which was simply amazing.
Highly recommended!

Our trip to Peru was absolutely amazing. Kimkim / Jimena did a WONDERFUL job with our itinerary. We saw so much in only 9 days, she really maximized our time in this country. We saw the Amazon, cities, archeological /historical sites, animals, had amazing food and took great pictures. Jimena incorporated everything we asked for and even arranged for special surprises for mine and my partner’s birthdays. She was also always available for questions. It was fantastic. Could not recommend it more.

Activity Review

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

Wonderful, amazing place, including the vistadome train ride (complete with musicians and dancing!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guido was an amazing guide, he gave us so much value able information and excellent recommendations!!! He had so much knowledge about everything!!! The whole family loved him! We all had a great experience with the travel agency and all the communications!!!

My family and I had an incredible 9-day trip introducing us to Peru -- what an amazing time. We spent several nights in Lima with a focus on food -- we did a street food tour, a cooking class and an evening dinner at the Larco museum. Then we moved onto the Sacred Valley and Cuzco, where we toured the magnificent sites [including Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Moray] and went to a small village where we were hosted by the villagers. We had several guides in Lima [David, Andy and Aura] and one guide [Miguel] during the second part of the trip -- all were very personable and very good -- incredibly knowledgable about Peruvian history and culture and it was a pleasure being with them. We spent 4 days with Miguel and he led us seamlessly. He was a complete wealth of knowledge about the area and was fantastic to deal with. After the trip ended, we all realized that we had a special experience.

Hotel Reviews

Aloft Lima Miraflores, a Marriott Hotel

Lima

Modern good-sized rooms and very well located.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casona de Yucay

Cusco

Beautiful charming facility -- wish we had spent more time there.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terra Andina Mansion Colonial

Cusco

In a good location -- the facility is nice enough although we had to switch both rooms when the first ones were unacceptable. The staff however was very accommodating with our requests and the replacement rooms were nice. Check out time is 10 am which I find to be fairly early [they did extend us to 11 am but no longer]

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Archaeological Complexes and Larco Museum by night with dinner

Lima

We loved this experience -- our guide was very good and the museum and dinner were lovely. My only suggestion was we needed more time to fully enjoy the dinner and wound up extending the time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hands on Cooking Class at a Chef's house

Lima

We made three traditional Peruvian dishes -- ceviche, causa and a Pisco sour and really enjoyed the experience. The staff in the restaurant and the guide were really great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pisac Archaeological Site

Peru

A very special place -- beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Urban food tour at Lima Historical Center

Lima

A very comprehensive walk around the central district. The desserts sampled were the highlight of the tour. Our guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning visit of Ollantaytambo

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Misminay Community, lunch and hike to Moray

Sacred Valley

We were shown local customs and crafts and were served lunch. A very informative look into local life.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full Day Machu Picchu Exploration

Peru

A full day experience that was managed by our guide seamlessly -- the Vistadome train was so beautiful and there was a special bus I think for guided tours that simplified the process getting to the site. The site itself of course is spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacsayhuaman & Cusco Guided

Cusco

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our guide Miguel was the highlight of our trip! He was so knowledgeable, great energy, and took such good care of our family during the trip and our adventures in Cusco and Machu Picchu