We had a very enjoyable and enlightening trip to Peru

Peru | Aug 11 - Aug 21, 2025

Lovely hotel and very accommodating staff. Centrally located. Great breakfast spread. Beautiful appointments. The only reason we didn’t give it five stars was because our room was one of the ones overlooking the reception area and so all the noise from there traveled up to our room. People coming in late or staying up to drink and meet with friends, all that noise went straight into our room. Apart from that we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Maybe noise canceling windows could be a suggestion?

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The location was good. Breakfast choices could be upgraded. Bathroom shower had a plastic curtain and the shower did not drain properly. It looked and felt like a low priced hotel.

The location was very good. We walked about with ease. Hotel had modern elements, and again the staff was very welcoming and helpful. One of the bellhops gave us directions to a famous restaurant where we got the best empanadas. All within walking distance. The room and bathroom were fine except that the half glass on the shower could be extended. No matter how careful we were, the floor still got wet. All in all it was a good experience.

The hotel was located essentially in a train station. The views of the mountains some of which seemed close enough to touch and then the snow capped peaks in the distance were simply magnificent. We enjoyed the flora in and around the hotel, and totally appreciated their excellent attempts at protecting the environment, growing their own organic and ecologically friendly produce, as well as fostering sustainability. The food was delicious, and the staff everywhere was excellent and very accommodating. The only fly in the ointment were the fumes from the trains. It was supremely convenient to have the trains stop there, but their fumes remained in the air for a while. Nothing that the hotel can control, but the only fly in the ointment as it were. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at El Albergue, and would recommend it to family and friends despite the caveat mentioned above.

The train ride was enjoyable. There was good entertainment on board…we particularly enjoyed the fashion show and the local dances. The views were lovely, and the service was excellent. Felix, our particular waiter, was outstanding. The food was great. Embarking and disembarking was also well organized.

This was quite a fascinating experience. We enjoyed learning about how the Uros made and maintained their island. We also admired how they have adapted to changing times and are now seeking other avenues of income including their gondola like reed boats and their weaving and crafts. We also liked learning about their cooperation with the other islands to determine which one would be visited by tourists. Paquile was also quite interesting and we learned about their local customs as well. We enjoyed a simple but delicious lunch afterwards. Our guide was excellent and knowledgeable and the boat drivers were competent and careful. Overall, visiting both islands were wonderful experiences.

Kimberly did an excellent job of selecting restaurants and dishes on the food tour. All the dishes were tasty and reflective of the Peruvian cuisine… an amalgam of many… and we thoroughly enjoyed her explanations. She gave us the cultural contexts for the different dishes, and the restaurants also reflected the culture.

The tour was fine. We enjoyed walking about. Highlights were the Francis of Assisi Monastery and the Larco Museum. We gathered nuggets of interesting information from each place.

Learning that this was essentially a botanical laboratory for the Incas, and learning how incredibly knowledgeable about thermodynamics, physics, botany, and engineering they were was simply awe inspiring.

Machu Picchu was interesting. Maybe because it is so well known our expectations were too high. Still very interesting to see and to learn more about the use of astronomy and its relationship to worship.

Again this was very informative and enlightening. Again Juan was excellent. Learning about the strengths and weaknesses of the various groups who preceded the Incas was completely fascinating. The different customs of each group including unusual burial practices, and seeing how some of them carried on through the Incas was really wonderful. This was a thoroughly worthwhile tour.

Sacsayhuaman was another example of Incan engineering ingenuity. Those massive stones aligned at well calculated angles to lessen the overall impact of earthquakes. Absolutely fascinating. Cusco City was also interesting and we had the good fortune to witness even more of the Peruvian culture as we encountered groups of costumed school age children performing a variety of dances which illuminated the cultural heritage of Peru. San Pedro market was intriguing. While we saw some familiar items, many of the goods were unusual. We enjoyed a delicious drink made from the lucuma fruit which is only found in Peru. This was altogether an interesting and fascinating day.

At Tipon, we managed to get there before the hordes, and found it amazingly quiet and calming. The fountains flowed behind us while we looked at the mountains in front of us. Again the Incas hydraulic prowess was once again on full display. The four fountains expelled water at exactly the same rate. At another point, the force of the water coming from higher elevations was mitigated by the placement of a stone at exactly the right height. Piquillacta … the visit to this Wari walled city was different from the first site. In direct contrast with the peace and calm of the first site, this site was more oppressive due to its emphasis on protection and its multiple layers of walls, some of which were quite high. Andahuaylillas was a lovely Andean Baroque church and the insertion of Arabic influence in the decoration of the ceiling was illuminating.