Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

Our 3-week trip to Peru in January (rainy season!) was spectacular from beginning to end because of the care and attention from Ann Godoy at Peruvian Soul.

We found Ann on the kimkim.com platform for the complexity of trip planning because we wanted to visit so many places. She worked closely with John to tailor the trip to what we wanted to do. She gathered a lot of info about our choice of a daily schedule, hotel types/levels, and much more.

The itinerary was perfect for us!

-2 days in Lima (met by Ann and Andres) with 1 full day of touring with Blanca who was a great guide.

-Abraham took us back to Lima airport for our flight to Puerto Maldonado.

-Met at the airport by Oscar (guide from River Expeditions) who helped us shift our luggage for the boat trip to Tambopata (Amazon basin) for 4 days at the Posada Amazonas. Oscar was an excellent guide and John, a birder, was thrilled to see so many new bird species. We did have one full day of heavy rainstorms, but other days were short rain showers that didn’t affect our expedition plans. [Note that the lodge’s website isn’t updated to state that it now has electricity 24/7 in the guest rooms, and its internet (in the common area) was quite good but occasionally went off because of storms.]

From Puerto Maldonado airport, we flew to Cusco and were met by Miguel and driver, Ronald who took us to the Sacred Valley and the first of the 3 Casa Andina hotels (excellent) we stayed in. We had very good weather and not much rain. Miguel was an excellent guide and easily sensed what level of activities we could do as we were adjusting to altitude. And gave us history and cultural info on the Inca and Spanish eras in small chunks, which was helpful and made it easier to absorb.

After 3 days in the Sacred Valley, we spent an overnight in Machu Picchu (taking the train with Miguel who was our guide there too) with bright sunshine (despite predictions of rainstorms) for our 1600-step climb up to MP and the tour there. And then back to Cusco (and Casa Andina hotel in an historic building) for 3 days of touring with Miguel. Ronald’s driving was masterful, and he was very attentive to us.

We then flew from Cusco to Arequipa, met by Gerber and driver Diego. Our 3rd Casa Andina hotel was in the old mint (historic) building. Just lovely. We had a walking tour of Arequipa with Gerber, and it gave us so much perspective on why Arequipa is known for its architecture and is considered to be a European city.

Sergio and river Benigno collected us from the hotel for a drive to Colca Canyon with amazing tours stops along the way. (John got to see even more birds and we saw vicuna and guanacos in the wild.) We stayed 2 nights and mostly had no rain and quite a bit of sun. The highlight was driving to the lookout point for the condors – and arriving to see 7 condors soaring over the space of an hour (rare for the rainy season).

From there, we made our return to Lima and back to the US.

Ann gave us individual care and attention before we left the USA. And the in-country service was what we needed. We were met at every location (primarily flights) by the guide (and often, a driver), and they also delivered us to the airports when we were departing

We set up a Whatsapp group before we departed the US connecting us to Ann and Jesus (our emergency contact) who answered our weekend questions. That was invaluable as we needed boarding passes and guide contact info.

The full trip details were on the kimkim platform which was pretty easy to use and had most of the details we needed.

An amazing trip that exceeded our expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Posada Amazonas Lodge

Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios

Posada Amazonas Lodge offered a truly authentic Amazon experience. Our room had one wall completely open to the jungle, allowing us to hear monkeys and birds while being surrounded by nature. We loved the natural setting, but be careful about water consumption!

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado was perfect for bird lovers like us. The expansive property offered plenty of space for bird watching and exploring, and we enjoyed the serene environment. It was a great retreat away from the hustle of travel, and the setting was simply beautiful.

Casa Andina Premium Arequipa

Arequipa

Casa Andina Premium Arequipa was conveniently located in the middle of the city but provided a unique rooftop view of snow-capped volcanoes. The city setting was central for sightseeing, and discovering the rooftop views was an unexpected highlight.

Colca Lodge

Cercado, Yanque

Colca Lodge was delightful with its natural surroundings and the rushing river. We really enjoyed the onsite hot springs and the tranquility of having them mostly to ourselves. It was a serene and rejuvenating part of our trip.

Activity Review

Andean Textiles with Parobamba Community

Peru

The visit to the Parobamba Community for the Andean textiles experience was fantastic. We got to see a demonstration of how textiles are made, and enjoyed interacting with the local community. The villagers even performed a traditional dance for us, which was a delightful surprise. It was a fantastic way to connect with the culture and meet locals.

It was a good trip. There were a couple of things that I would have changed but the hotels were nice, and the rides were on time and reliable.

We have been very impressed with kimkim as a whole. With all our flight interruptions and delays you were able to get us back on track. Having contact people in Peru was exceptional. My only 2 star would be our guide to Machu Picchu. He was very hard to understand and pretty hyper. Everything else was excellent!

Hotel Reviews

Sonesta Posadas del Inca Yucay

Urubamba

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to our excursion

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the activities we were doing

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holiday Inn Lima Airport

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stunning scenery in the Sacred Valley

Ollantaytambo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Machu Picchu Excursion: Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide hard to understand and we felt rushed at times

Transport

Absolutely wonderful trip, one of the best among all trips I have made in my life!

Liz Karen has done absolutely brilliant work organising this trip for me and accommodating all my requests. And she and her colleagues were absolutely amazing when my flight from Chachapoyas to Lima was cancelled and they needed to get me to Lima in time for me to catch my international flight! Special thanks to Liz for her help with getting the refund from the airline for this cancelled flight!!! :)

Every part of our trip was incredible and we couldn’t have done it without the Kim Kim team! From their advice during the planning to the guides that introduced us to the incredible sights, sounds and flavors of Peru, we truly experienced the trip of a lifetime!

Traveling with KimKim has always been seamless! This was our second trip and everything was amazing! We had a great trip and it was so nice to have the guidance from Johanna!

Hotel Reviews

Iberostar Selection Miraflores

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Abittare Hotels

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

StarDome Lodge

Ollantaytambo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Short Inca Trail Day 2: Machu Picchu Guided Tour and Return to Cusco

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Lunch at MV

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cusco Tour

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lima Food Tour

Peru

We had a great time learning about the food culture of Peru!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Their knowledge of Lima!

Transport

Short Inca Trail Day 1: Hiking to Machu Picchu via Chachabamba and Wiñay Wayna

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valerio and Alex were great!

Transport

Overall a great trip! Emilia, our guide with Cusi travel was lovely and patient, especially with out two kids (6 and 3). It was a good mix of activities, although the climbing in Ollantaytambo was too difficult for the 3 year old.
We loved the farm lunch and Machu Picchu (obviously). And I am glad I requested to go to the weaving village because the girls loved it!

Liz put together an amazing trip that got us to the Amazon rainforest and to hike the Inca trail. All the details were perfect and even last minute changes were handled easily.

There were many times that had I had plan this myself I would have chosen the wrong approach from the types of tours to the places to see and what is possible in the area.

Highly recommend Peru and Liz.

Kristy was great. From our first interaction, she was very responsive. Very professional. I made a number of changes in the process and she was very accommodating and never seemed put out or overwhelmed. Even during the trip, we had some minor changes that she assisted us with wonderfully. I highly recommend Kristy.

Hotel Review

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

We thought the Pullman was great. Check-in was quick and easy. The lobby is small but more than adequate. The hotel room was very nice. Clean. Quiet at night. Breakfast in the morning was a buffet and was fine. The rooftop bar was fun. All in all, we had a great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central to restaurants and the coastline trail and parks

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pisac Ruins and Pisac Market

Peru

We really enjoyed this tour in this site. It had a very magical mystical field to it. It was not heavily touristy the day we went. It did end up raining, but it was fine. Beautiful historical site.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful historical site

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Valarie was nice but a bit long winded in his story telling. And Lilly has not forgiven the Spanish inquisition.

Transport

Alex was great

Pachamanca Lunch at El Albergue Farm in Ollantaytambo

Peru

This is an interesting form, but I think the whole process of preparing the food and reviewing everything was perhaps more than what we needed. We were also tired that day and it was a bit rainy that day, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this unless somebody really wanted to go.

Scenic Train Journey to Aguas Calientes from the Sacred Valley

Peru

The train ride was nice. About an hour and a half. The problem we had, is when we got to the little town, the person who was supposed to be there to meet us to bring us the hotel wasn’t. We had to find the hotel on our own, which was hard because it was also pouring rain at the Time. Train ride was great. The hotel transfer was not.

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

What a beautiful magical spot not a piece she is. I highly recommend everyone to do this tour.

Cusco Tour

Peru

The Cusco tour was just OK for us. We had a bit of a stomach bug, but we had seen larger and better in sites already. In hindsight, I wish we had Skip Cusco and headed north to get closer to the rainbow mountains.

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

This was a big item on my bucket list so I’m glad I went. But I didn’t really realize how far away it is. It was a solid 3 to 3 1/2 hour car drive. We stopped for both lunch and breakfast on the way there. It was very far away. I didn’t like lunch or breakfast. The restaurant buffet serve was really not that good. The hike up rainbow Mountain was fine. We rented horses. Again, it wasn’t explained well to us, but it’s a one-way ride up only. You walk the rest of the way. Which was fine. It snowed the night before so we actually couldn’t see the rainbow in the rainbow mountains. Again, in hindsight, I wish we had use us as a stopping point head further south towards lake Tacoma.

Every bit of the planning of this trip was perfect! Liz did an amazing job planning it from pick up to drop off flights and all. Each and every guide we had was amazing. So knowledgeable and gave us so much information about the culture, food and people.The hotels she picked out were perfect! We were never waiting for any of our guides or drivers. Each and everyone of them was standing there waiting for us. They were kind and punctual. Peru is one of the most amazing countries I have ever visited and this trip planning made that possible. I felt that the price we paid for this trip was more than fair for the level of service we received. My children had an unforgettable experience everywhere we went in Peru. Liz also suggested we spend New Year's Eve in Cusco. That was the most amazing New Year's I have ever had!! It was so festive and exciting! We cannot wait to book another trip with Liz to see more countries in South America!!

Hotel Review

Aranwa Paracas Resort & Spa

Paracas, Pisco, Ica

This hotel was clean and perfectly situated right on Paracas Bay. The pool was huge and they gave us catamaran rides out to the reserve. We saw lots of wildlife. It was the best hotel we stayed at on our entire trip.

Authenticity & Character

Right on Paracas Bay.

Location

Staff

One was friendlier than the next!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private transfer to {{end_location}}: Huacachina Adventure

Peru

This was definitely my kids's favorite part of our entire Peru trip!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Francesca initially and then Kristy were our local specialists. For this trip we interacted largely with Kristy. They were both great. Kristy was very prompt in responding to our questions and resolving hiccups promptly during our trip. She’s a gem! Our guides Cesar at Inkaterra, Franklin in Cusco and Machu Picchu and Mario in Lima were all very knowledgeable, caring and extremely professional. We couldn’t have asked for better guides. We can’t pinpoint one highlight. Peru was one of our best vacations and we’ll definitely go back for the beauty, the food and the hospitable people we met! Kudos to kimkim looking forward to using your services again!

Everything was amazing!
Liz Karen was extremely responsive to our desires and changing needs and put together a wonderful itinerary which worked without a glitch!

What an amazing, flawless, and fabulous trip! Thanks to Karen for helping us plan an exciting adventure. And thanks to Lisbeth for providing quick responses to any and all questions during our trip. We all fell in love with Peru and would definitely travel with KimKim again. Thank you for helping us create so many wonderful memories!

Everything was really good and fun, very organized. The tour guides also speaks good english and very knowledgeable with history of Peru, they are also patient with us. The hotels we stayed at were also really good and very unique! Overall, I would recommend Kimkim to my friends next time they travel. We would definitely book again for our future trips to kimkim seeing as they also provide travel guides to other countries!

Hotel Reviews

Quinta San Blas by Ananay Hotels

Cusco

This hotel’s location is in the heart of Cusco with the old city feeling. They also provide good service and good breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tierra Viva Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

The staff were good and kind! Great breakfast food, the hotel is clean and organized. It’s also close to the bus and train.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Antigua Miraflores

Lima

Very cute! They also have really good services and good food in the restuarant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

The very reason I booked a trip to Peru! It didn’t dissapoint! The Machu Picchu is very charming and amazing, our tour guides, Emilia is also very knowledgeable with the history and patient with us and provided us with ample amounts of rest breaks especially with the stairs part!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rainbow Mountain Trek

Peru

Breathtaking literally and figuratively.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The logistics were seamless, which helped make for a stress free amazing trip. The suggestion to go to the Valley first to adjust to altitude was a good one. The altitude of Cusco was a challenge. The guides were extremely knowledgeable. We were happy to be able to do white water rafting before the river became to intense with the rainy season. Machu Pichu was on our must see list and we were blessed the weather was agreeable that day. The lunch at El Albergue farm was one of our favorites.

Hotel Reviews

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Great hotel and the farm is amazing!

Hatun Inti Boutique Machupicchu

Machu Picchu

Worst hotel of the trip. No towels, soap. Portable fan was only air conditioning. Not what we expected.

Dazzler Miraflores by Wyndham

Lima

Average hotel. Location was good. We were able to se the coast within a short walk.

Costa del Sol Wyndham Cusco

Cusco

Good location and good hotel over all. Restaurant in hotel was good as well.

Activity Reviews

Explore Ollantaytambo, Pachamanca Farm Tour & Observatory train to Machu Picchu town

Peru

The lunch at the farm was amazing!

Flight from {{start_location}} to Cusco & Private tour to The Sacred Valley

Peru

Explore Machu Picchu & Return to Cusco (Private Guided tour in Machu Picchu) SV

Peru

We were lucky with the weather. I can understand why dry season is busy. What a beautiful wonder of the world.

Shared Rafting on the Urubamba River (Chuquicahuana area)

Cusco

The lunch at the lodge after rafting was fun! Americo was our raft guide and he as great.

Private Walking tour to Sacsayhuaman, Cusco city & San Pedro Market

Cusco

Oscar was very knowledgeable and we had a great tour of the city and church .

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Peru, visiting Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Puno, taking the train from Puno to Cusco, touring the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. All the tour guides were knowledgable, friendly, and informative. The hotels and their locations were comfortable, included meals, and centrally located. The transfers made the daily travel very easy. Our local specialist offered great advice and incorporated the elements that were key to us and our visit. The travel was easy and seamless because of her planning.

Kristy planned an excellent itinerary which was beautifully executed with seamless airport transfers, professional and enthusiastic guides especially Valerio, beautiful accommodations, fascinating tours and adventures and delicious food. Our expectations were exceeded and are very delighted with the KimKim experience and service.

Kristy and the Peru team are amazing and we look forward to our next trip.

Cheryl and Dave

We had 3 days in Cusco before we joined our yoga retreat and decided to work with KimKim to come up with an itinerary for us. We have used KimKim twice before and have always had excellent customer service as well as a great itinerary! Anne Godoy was wonderful and didn't mind the many questions I had or the changes that we made. She responded promptly to our inquiries, made excellent suggestions, and was always available to chat via WhatsApp when we needed it. KimKim is the best! Anne booked a local company in Cusco to set up our excursions and we couldn't have asked for a better time. It's great to have locals because they know the city, the people, and the history. Our amazing guide, Julio Quispe Fernandez, was the best. He was right there to meet us at the airport and took us to our hotel where check in was super easy. Then we were off. We went on a walking tour of some of the city and his knowledge of the city and it's history was so impressive and interesting. He was so enthusiastic. We later met with Seledonia, who owns Mama Seledonia's restaurant, and we went shopping in a local market to select ingredients for the dinner we would be cooking later at her restaurant. What an experience! All the vegetables, fruits, meats, spices, potatoes on display--it was incredible, and beautiful. We made a delicious dinner and Pisco Sours (yum!) and had the best time with Seledonia and Julio at dinner. We even took several of our yoga group back on Friday night for dinner--and it was even more delicious! The next day we went kayaking on Lake Piuray and had a fabulous lunch all cooked in a clay fired oven outside by some local women. After lunch, we rode a bit and then took ATVs to the Inca Experimental Agricultural Lab in Moray and then we visited the Maras salt flats and learned about the past and present operation of those. So incredible. Our final full day was spent riding bikes along the Urubamba River (approximately 20 miles). The weather was perfect, the scenery gorgeous. We were thoroughly pleased with all of our excursions and the level of detail that was taken to make sure we were picked up at the right times, had knowledgeable guides and responsible drivers, given water and lunch, and then returned to our hotel. We also felt safe the entire time. KimKim has always been great about providing you with excellent guides and very detailed and efficient itineraries and they will work with you to the level of "adventure" that you are looking for. Highly recommend and we will be using them for all of our travel needs.

Hotel Review

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

This hotel was a jewel. It's tucked in a narrow street and you don't know how beautiful it is until you go through the door. The patio is the first thing you see and it's so pretty-lots of seating and firepits for cool nights. The restaurant is right off the rear and the bar as well, both of which are great. Our room was perfect for us. A comfortable king size bed, several bottles of water throughout the room, space for our clothes, and coffee/tea if we wanted it. The room was very clean and the waters were replaced several times each day and there is also a filtered water fountain in the lobby. Everyone was very friendly and personable. We had a spa treatment our last day (massage and then they hyperbaric chamber--so great!) and that was wonderful. The lobby has a neat little room off to the side that has waters, teas, and coffee for you. The restaurant was great too--we ate breakfast there each morning which included a delicious buffet with fruits, oatmeal, breads, salads, fresh juices, and coffee or you could order from the menu. They also served lunch and dinner, and everything we ate was yummy. The bar staff was so friendly and made drink recommendations for us. We loved sitting at the open window at the bar and watching the activity on the patio. The location was great--within walking distance of so many restaurants, shops, market places. The entire vibe was wonderful and we would definitely stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

It used to be a multi family home (it was actually our guide's childhood home!) that has been transformed into a beautiful hotel. Very cozy and comfortable.

Location

Close to all you need-shops, restaurants, city squares, markets.

Staff

Everyone was friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was very clean and cleaned each day. The bed was comfortable and it was great having filtered water available in our room all the time.

Activity Reviews

Cooking Class with Seledonia Mesa

Cusco

This was one of the best things we did. Seledonia was so much fun and although she couldn't speak much English and we couldn't speak Spanish, we could communicate wonderfully through smiles, laughter and gestures. She took us, along with our guide, to a local market that was incredible. All the vegetables, fruits, spices, meats, potatoes--it was mind blowing. And so beautiful!! We picked out the items we needed to make our dinner and then walked to her restaurant, Mama Seledonia's. We chopped and diced and had a grand time. We also got to make Pisco Sours, a delightful cocktail that was delicious. We had so much fun shaking those and dancing around. Our first course was a lamb stew that percolated on the stove while we chopped more veggies and spiced our filets for the main course, a delicious Peruvian-Asian fusion dish served with rice. We sauteed all that up on an open flame and didn't burn the place down. For dessert we had fresh fruit, fresh cheeses, and this amazing bread that we dipped in some sort of magical melted chocolate drink. The whole experience was absolutely incredible. We laughed and hugged and had the absolute best time. Her whole staff was so friendly, even though you know we were in their way (the restaurant was open for business). We met her husband and 2 of her children and they were delightful as well. We loved it so much, that later that week when we met up with some of our retreat group members, we all went to dinner at Mama Seledonia's and it was by far one of the best meals we had while in Peru. I highly recommend you do the cooking class.

Quality of Experience

Everything! The food, the people, the atmosphere. It was great.

Food

The different things we made--I normally don't like lamb, but the stew was delicous. It was great trying different fruits and spices. And the cheeses were incredible!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

They were all so friendly. Our guide through Peruvian Soul, Julio, was terrific. And Seledonia was a jewel!

Transport

We had a private transport so it was very easy to get around and to ask questions, talk to our guide and driver.

Piuray Lake Kayaking

Peru

The lake was so pretty and our guide was a very passionate young man who loved the outdoors and taking us on our kayak journey. We were given wetsuits and taken to the water to start paddling. It was a very quiet lake, we were the only people on it for the longest time. Our guide told us about all the mountain ranges, the different birds that are there, some of the history, and at the end I jumped off and went swimming. The water was so refreshing! Oh, we also so flamingos. It was a great trip. Not very strenuous at all. After kayaking, we went back to shore and showered (they have a rudimentary outdoor shower) and were given a wonderful lunch cooked totally outdoors in a clay oven. It was so good, along with fresh fruits. Again, the people there were so kind and friendly. We were lucky and the weather was perfect!

Quality of Experience

Beautiful place to spend a relaxing day. So peaceful and the scenery was gorgeous.

Food

Everything was so fresh and delicious, even the things I wasn't crazy about. We tried everything and went back for seconds on most items. Try it all!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone was so friendly and kind. Our guide was very knowledgeable.

Transport

We were till with our guide Julio and then our guide on the lake was a young man who loved what he did--very enthusiastic about nature and his job.

Quadbike Tour Maras & Moray

Peru

This was a lot of fun--ATVs are a great way to get around! We had a little "training" session first before heading out and then we followed out guide off to Moray to see the Incan Experimental Lab. There wasn't much traffic and he went slowly so we didn't have to worry about keeping up. He gave signals to us when to change gears and when to slow down/stop. We were able to stop and take photos and ask questions. The Experimental Lab was incredible to see--the ingenuity of the Incans is mind blowing. We were there for about 15 minutes and then we went back the way we came and dropped the ATVs off. The whole ATV experience was probably 1.5-2 hours. We definitely enjoyed it. We then got back in our van and went to the Maras salt flats. There weren't many people there as it was late in the afternoon, so that was nice. The salt flats are beautiful, and the reflection of the sun just enhanced their beauty. Julio, our trusty guide, filled us in on the history, past and present, and it was fascinating. We saw some women actually scraping the salt into piles to let it dry. On the way out, we bought some salt to bring home with us. Definitely worth visiting.

Quality of Experience

Something different to do and a neat way to see scenery.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fun driver and very friendly.

Transport

We had a private tour so it was easy to follow our guide and talk to him/ask questions.

Overall our group of six enjoyed the trip and KimKim made it a lot easier to get around by providing transfers for us. Unfortunately, we hit several snags that took away from the enjoyment of the trip. Twice the transfer did not show up or didn't indicate they were there for our party. Kimkim got it straightened out but that was a rough start at the airport. Several times we didn't get the room we thought we were getting (twins instead of kings, etc.) and at one time in Cusco we were dropped off at the bottom of a set of stairs (with all our luggage) to get to our hotel because the driver said he couldn't go down our street. At the end of the trip we were asked to pay for our rooms because there was confusion about payment from KimKim.

I would like to say that Kimkim was very helpful in connecting us with a pharmacy when my husband forgot his insulin in the Amazon.

Activity Reviews

Lima Food Tour

Peru

Sacred Valley Tour: Chinchero - Maras - Lunch at MV

Peru

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica Jungle Excursions

Puerto Maldonado

difficult to enjoy due to the extreme heat and humidity.

Discovering the Treasures of Machu Picchu

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

PeruRail Titicaca Train: A Scenic Journey from Cusco to Puno

Peru

Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island

Puno

The trip was truly incredible and beyond our expectations, to be honest. We spent roughly 13 days traveling between Lima, the Amazon, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco. Next, we headed to Argentina for 6 days where we fell in love with Buenos Aires during our time there and at a Gaucho ranch in addition to a stunning 2 days at Iguazu Falls where we even wnet to Brazil for the day!

Kristy from Kim Kim was a fantastic help throughout the booking and trip process; her knowledge was key to ensuring the trip exactly met our expectations, and it didn't disappoint. She was even available throughout the trip for any issues or questions we had and provided some brilliant insider knowledge on food, trips, and recommendations she knew we would like!

All the elements worked seamlessly from travel to flights and hotels, so we didn’t have to worry or think about anything, to be honest—it was very slick. Finally, a special thank you to our guides, with whom we spent some unforgettable times: Henry in the Amazon, Frank in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, Feddy at Iguazu Falls, and Rosa in Buenos Aires. All of you really made the trip special and one we will never forget!

Planning is now underway for a return to South America next year! :)

Hotel Reviews

Be Jardin Escondido by Coppola

Buenos Aires

What a place! The staff and the hotel were 10/10 in every way. It really is a beautiful small boutique hotel (with 4 rooms) in a brilliant Buenos Aires neighborhood.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Such a big thank you, as everyone was so nice and really made the stay very special. :)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Las Qolqas EcoResort Ollantaytambo

Ollantaytambo

Beautiful! We could have stayed here for weeks; it was very peaceful in beautiful surroundings. The food and spa next to the river were also just perfect.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica

Puerto Maldonado

What a 3 days in the Amazon! Just incredible. Our guide Henry was a fountain of knowledge throughout. What a location, too! The food was great, and the stunning main house where you eat is beautiful. The only thing needed was some pillows for the chairs at the tables; it would make dining much more comfortable. ;)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All were brilliant, but special thanks to our guide Henry. His passion, knowledge, and jokes really made the excursions and adventures even more unique.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

Stunning hotel in the center of Cusco just beautiful! Make sure you look out for the baby alpaca in the courtyard; he loves carrots! :) We loved the spa and water therapy as well; it’s a must after a long day or if you need some R&R.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel

Puerto Iguazú

Jungle hotel where you are right in it, with bouncing bridges that connect the buildings (fun)! There’s a great adults' pool overlooking the river (perfect for a few sundowners). We found it to be the perfect laid-back hotel for exploring Iguazu.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

El Mapi by Inkaterra

Cusco

Right in the center of town, great location, and just 1 minute from the train station. It’s okay for a night with a view if you’re there to see Machu Picchu, but the rooms could use some better ventilation plus quite noisy. The staff were helpful, and oxygen is available quickly if the altitude gets to you.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pullman Lima Miraflores

Miraflores, Lima

Perfect city hotel right on the Pacific Ocean!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Lima Food Tour - (PM Tour)

Peru

Quality of Experience

Food

v v tasty and fantatsic to go to 4 different places and explore the city!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

really good