Last minute trip to Peru!
Peru
|
Aug 3 - Aug 9, 2025
We are pretty last minute with our planning and we weren't even sure there was time to pull a decent vacation in Peru together but Io, our kimkim specialist, was fantastic! She put together a great itinerary for our family of five, including plenty of history and cultural experiences, local sightseeing, as well as adventure. We had enough free time which was important as some of the family needed time adapting to the altitude in Cusco. We didn't have a list of must-sees and we simply trusted her recommendations and we are glad we did. Our day in Pisac and Ollantaytambo was unexpected and fascinating and one of the best! Adriel, our guide, was incredibly knowledgable and passionate about it all and we all swore we lucked out with the best guide! Of course Machu Picchu was a wonder to see and we were grateful for the guide, Rosa, who met us as soon as we disembarked the train and rushed us to the bus to head up to it. We would have never been able to figure that out and get there on time without her swift and urgent guidance! Another highlight was the Via Ferrate Climbing and Ziplining in the Sacred Valley. Our family has ziplined in some pretty amazing countries but the climbing up portion of this experience was new and exhilarating! We agreed this was the best day and our two guides, Brian and (forget his name) as well as Karla who took our photos, were outstanding! Additionally, all the hotels were even better than expected, with online photos not doing them justice. They were all in great locations, easy to explore on our own and walk to markets, coffee shops, restaurants, etc but also clean and comfortable. Have to give a huge shout out to Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay, our hotel in the Sacred Valley. This place was so stunning. There aren't words for how enamored we were with this place. Photos don't begin to show the beauty of this place. My husband wanted to cancel the rest of the trip and stay here! But honestly, it was sort of an oasis in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere but it had everything we needed and was just very unique. We also took a cooking class the last day and honestly, while we all like to cook, no one was sure what to expect. I can't locate the name of the place but it was a 3-hour full immersion cooking class in the heart of Cusco and Chef Fernando taught us so much about local cuisine and ingredients, provided samples of several things as well as walking us through making a couple of delicious and beautiful dishes. He was an entertaining and fun and there was so much food! The people in Peru were lovely, the food was all pretty great, the hotels were better than expected and there was the perfect mix of planned and free time for our family. Lisbeth, at Andean Travel, who was our local contact, was responsive and helpful when the altitude affected our plans one morning and all the guides and drivers we had in every city were great. kimkim delivered for us once again!
Hotel Reviews
I cannot describe how much we loved this place! The photos don't do it justice. Amazing design, big beautiful rooms, gorgeous greenery, restaurants and coffee shop on premise, we took so many pictures here. This is no standard hotel experience, it was something different. I can see why they have weddings here. Gorgeous!
Clean, spacious, comfortable. Nothing over the top but very good.
Location was great! The plaza was up the road a few blocks and it was very walkable to all things we wanted to do and see there. The rooms were clean and comfortable. They had the tea in the lobby and O2 for those struggling with the altitude. I will say it was pretty cold in the lobby, hallways and rooms. Rooms did have portable heaters though so we were warm enough when sleeping. Staff was very nice but as we don't speak great Spanish, communication was sometimes a little tricky for us. There was a great breakfast spread but we preferred the coffee from the little cafe next door. Overall, it was a great place. We stayed there three nights, two night then left for two days and then came back there for our last night.
Activity Reviews
Amazing! Knew nothing of these places before going and loved every bit of this day. Our guide, Adriel, was the best! We learned so much and had so much fun!
We have ziplined in other amazing places and countries but haven't done the climbing like we did here. It was exhilarating and the views were over the top! Guides Brian et all were great. Our day happened to be stunning and perfect weather too. Highly recommend!
Chef Fernanado taught us about local ingredients, cuisine, etc. We got a lot of history, information, samples and then fully made two dishes with the Chef. Food was delicious and Chef Fernando was very knowledgable and entertaining. My family loved this!
What's not to love? It's Machi Picchu! We will the third one, seeing and going into many of the structures. It's incredible.
We had two (altitude) sick kids so I missed this but my husband and older son said it was amazing! They recounted all they saw and learned and later that afternoon, when the kids felt a bit better, we all went back to the museum together and it was great.
Dear Carmen and Family!
Thank you so much for your enthusiastic and positive review — we truly appreciate it!
Most of all, I’m thrilled to hear that you had such a fantastic time here in Peru and were able to create unique and unforgettable memories on your family trip.
It was an absolute pleasure having you with us, and thank you for allowing us to be part of your travel experience.
All the best for you and your family,
Io