Phenomenal local guides!
Peru
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Apr 2 - Apr 11, 2026
I am so incredibly grateful for the expert planning and support of the kimkim team and the local partners they worked with in Peru. Our family of 6 had an incredible trip over Spring Break. We loved the family friendly food tour in the Barranca neighborhood of Lima, where we also learned about the local culture and art scene.
After Lima we spent a few days in the Amazon jungle where our guide, John, led us on very memorable excursions - fishing for piranhas, searching for anacondas, finding tarantulas at night, hiking the jungle, climbing the viewing tower, enjoying the boat rides and most of all sight-seeing. We saw several types of monkeys, macaws, parrots, capybaras, caymens, and much more. His expertise not only made it educational - he made it very fun! The Finca lodge was perfect with sweet staff and enjoyable community meals.
After the jungle we flew to Cusco and enjoyed the Sacred Valley for a few days before spending a day at Machu Picchu. Out guide Willy was phenomenal! He took us to various stops - salt quarries, llama farms, forts, trains and more - and excellent restaurants. He was following our tour schedule, but when he learned of my affinity for Catholic Churches, he adjusted the schedule so we could see the Cathedral in Cusco, which was a highlight for me! I was so grateful for his in-depth knowledge and proactiveness to suggest this schedule change. And his positive attitude kept all my kids engaged. Our family was definitely feeling the altitude, and we were all struggling with some stomach issues. Willy helped us find electrolyte drinks and other remedies to help quell our issues and get back to enjoying the trip. He was truly excellent!
Hotel Reviews
The hotel was so wonderful. I was genuinely surprised by all of its offerings. The rooms were large, clean, very modern and well decorated with great character. The kids love the lofted bed section. The building and grounds were stunning with old, well-maintained walkways, architecture, beautiful plants, eye-catching lighting , unique chapel, and more. The different restaurants and food spots offered a variety of options for our family. We enjoyed a high-end gourmet dinner one night, Pisco Sours at the bar, and homemade Italian pizza the next. My family also loved the breakfast buffet with the made-to-order omelets and fresh juices. I would highly recommend this hotel to anyone. It has a traditional local Peruvian flare mixed with modern amenities and a stellar staff.
After a 2 hour boat ride we pulled up to a steep set of stairs that led in to the heart of this beautiful oasis in the middle of the amazon jungle. It features several cabins and a main lodge. The lodge includes a bar, hammock area, sitting area and the main dining hall where we enjoyed community meals. Our cabins were large with screened in walls, beautiful wooden furniture, poster beds with mosquito nets and private bathrooms. The staff was incredibly friendly and quickly came to remove a large frog that made its way into my children's cabin. I would highly recommend this place for people who are ready to have a jungle adventure.
Activity Reviews
Nancy led our family on a fabulous walking tour of Barranca. We love the ceviche at awhich, the fish sandwiches at Horneando and of course, making our own chocolate!! Her knowledge of the history and culture of the area was great and helped us better understand the neighborhood. We also enjoyed checking out the street art from Jade and other local artists.
Really enjoyed learning about the Inca empire - from the salt quarries and agricultural testing to the fort and Inca trail, this was an educational day.
The kids just absolutely adored feeding the llamas and learning about them. The tour guide was a young local man who was learning English and seemed to really enjoy engaging with us. Great way to open up our trip to the Andean region.
Definitely a highlight of our trip. We woke up early and took the van to the train station. Our train stopped halfway through, and the last three cars joined together for live music, drinks and dancing! Felt like we were in a movie - it was so magical. We arrived at the train stop and took a bus up a very steep switchback road until we reached the top. Our prebooked tickets put us on the second circuit, and we saw some of the most incredible views. Our tour guide Willy was very knowledgeable and helped bring the Inca empire to life for our family. We were amazed by their planning, building and craftsmanship. Highly recommend this adventure!
We woke up very early to see the sunrise while we were boating to the clay licks. Our guide John set up his scope so we could see the different types of macaws and parrots flying around the clay lick. The crew prepared a lovely breakfast for us before we headed back to the Finca by boat. In the afternoon we hiked to Condenado Lake where we saw a family of feisty river otters and then enjoyed time fishing for piranhas. My kids just loved catching them! Luckily the rain opened up on us to cool us down a bit. Fantastic day in the jungle!
