Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

Let me start by explaining that I made this as difficult as I possibly could. Not intentionally, of course, it just happened that way. I started planning this trip in January of 2018, with intention of paying it off (they offer simple payment plans) by the end of the year, with departure the first week of January 2019. I set up an itinerary and began the payment process. Half way through the year, however, life happened, throwing a giant roadblock in my way. I had already been working with James, who I guess left the company and transferred me to Hayley. When I told her that I needed to postpone my trip for at least a year, she jumped right on it. Despite the fact that we had already reserved travel and admissions tickets, she was able to get all but $77 refunded to me, with everything else I had paid for to roll over to the next year when I could continue payments. Simple, right? It doesn’t end there.

Over the next year, I had more time to explore online what Peru had to offer, and of which KimKim was connected to about everything. The more I learned, the more I wanted to do. As I began to think about extending my trip from 10 days to 14, Hayley got transferred and yet a third travel specialist was assigned to my planned journey, Carla, who was up to date on all that I had been going through as soon as we were introduced. I proposed my new ideas of itinerary to Carla, and within a few days she had amended it and adjusted the cost, explaining why certain attractions and activities cost different amounts than others. When another financial burden in life fell upon me and I had to change the itinerary again (what a pain the @$$ I am, yah?) Carla finally helped me settle in on an impressive experience for even the biggest adventurers. Sacsayhuaman led it off in Cusco the day after I was retrieved at the airport by my guide for the two weeks, Rolfi, who came highly recommended by a former Peru visitor whom I met through one of these reviews! Then we embarked into the Sacred Valley, where the majority of the adventuring would take place. Rolfi really was incredible, and on our first day hike to Huchuy Quosco I quickly recognized why he had been so well reviewed. Not only was he knowledgeable of all the sites we visited over the next two weeks, but he was from Calca, just about the center of the Valley, and knew so many of the locals. His English is college level (fortunately for a Spanglish speaking gringo like myself), and even speaks Quechua, so no matter where we were he had a kind word for everyone we encountered. Then we were off to Chinchero for some paddleboarding. The guide for this water trip was a Cusco local named Barrac, and was not only very informed of the area but super friendly and easy to talk to. I had one day off to do my own thing and when I asked Rolfi what I should do, he suggested a local half day hike that would bring me past a very seldom seen by tourists archeological site in town and offered to walk with me. We had a great time buddying up and talking about all types of subjects from personal to international. Next was the Via Ferrata day, with a stay overnight in the Skylodge, and the zip line tour back down the following morning. For this, Rolfi kept his feet on the ground. Also, the whole experience comes with a bit of a price tag, but I can assure you, it is worth every last bit. The folks at Natura Vive were not just incredible guides and safety instructors, but considering what they had to work with in a plexiglass and aluminum (aerospace grade) dome hanging off of the edge of a rock face, these guys were great cooks as well! And so darned hospitable that I felt as though I was staying at the Ritz Carlton. The next morning, as the last zip line end had been reached and the harnesses were coming off, there were Rolfi and our driver ready to whisk us off to the next experience. Up towards the high countryside we went again for a day of mountain biking that started with an easy peddle to the Moray archeological site where we had lunch and walked around the area as Rolfi explained the site’s significance and development. Then, since the light rain had ended and our awesome driver had scraped all the red mud from our bike tires and brakes, we shed our rain jackets and headed for the downhill single tracks to the village of Maras, where we stopped momentarily at the town square. Then we continued on to the salt pool mines in the canyon where Rolfi again had much information on the matter, and finally down to the lower level of the valley floor again. That was the point where I recognized the awesomeness of this trip and gave myself the first appreciation of putting together so much happiness for myself. Another day hike was positioned in this time period somewhere, just around Calca and really enjoyable with all the evening rains bringing such a beautiful green out across the valley and mountains, with flowers blooming everywhere, of which Rolfi of course knew all the names. Then came the apex of the trip, the Lares Trek. I don’t want to spoil any of it for everyone, but fricken WOW! The hike was manageable for someone like me who is in pretty darned good physical shape, but I feel that Rolfi sensed my desire for a leg burn workout on this journey and rather than insist on too many breaks allowed me to romp onward at my own pace. The first night of camp I felt came too soon, as I still had energy to burn. But Rolfi assures me that I would want plenty of stored fuel for the next day, set to begin at 5:30am. He wasn’t joking. The elevation change of the next day had my heart and lungs trying to figure out a pattern together, but by about the time we were an hour from the summit I was stepping with a good rhythm that wouldn’t drop me but get me there steadily. Recognizing this, Rolfi let me take point for the final 300m of the climb. You can see in the expression on my face in the photo he took right when we reached the acme of around 4300m that my mind was the clearest it had ever been and I’ve never been higher on happiness (pun so very intended). After a snack and a pleasant sun soak session we continued further downward to our camp for the evening surrounded by majestic peaks and the sound of waterfalls, creeks and rivers flowing all around us. Oh, and the porters cooking our food, setting up our sites, providing tea, coffee, and even hot water bottles for our sleeping bags at night? Top notch, first rate, unbeatable...there just aren’t enough words to explain them. The hike down the valley to our waiting driver the next day was pleasant after such a thigh burning push the day prior, and I welcomed the open doors of the pickup truck when we reached our driver. In Calca, KimKim had arranged for me lodging at Casa de Aida, a wonderful zen style retreat of a hostel run by the sweetest, kindest, most wonderful mama in the whole valley. Breakfast was fresh from her garden and hens each morning, with freshly roasted and ground coffee to fill my belly to the point of tastebud happiness. No, that doesn’t sound like it makes any sense, but that’s how it felt. Stay there. You’ll see. My time with Rolfi culminated with two days of hiking Machu Picchu. Despite the departure time from Calca at 4:30am, Mama Aida had a thermos of coffee and some breakfast sandwiches prepared fresh for us and hand delivered on our way out the door. When I say that she is the best, I absolutely mean it. There is no one better, I promise. Machu Picchu, I think, is what you make of it, so take the time to spend two days. Get off the train like we did at KM 104 and hike the Inca Trail to again pass through a separate site not many see close up, and then pop out over a ridge through the Sun Gate, the true entrance to Machu Picchu and a stunningly awesome view of the site and the looming Huayna Picchu looking over it all. We took a break there and absorbed the energy before slowly making our way down through the site to the buses which brought us to Aguas Calientes, a town only accessible by train or hiking. Seriously, there are no cars, cabs, rickshaws or even scooters on these streets. The buses that run up to Machu Picchu and back to town? Yup, brought in by train. We spent the night in town after a pleasant dinner at one of the many fine restaurants and awoke bright and early the next morning to catch the bus up. The stairway is also an option if you are feeling courageous, but we had reserved tickets to hike that protector peak, Huayna Picchu, which must be reserved months ahead of time since they only allow two groups of 200 guests per day access to the famed “Stairs Of Death”. They weren’t that bad, considering the view from the top of this wonder of the world, but if you charge them without stopping the way I did, you’ll definitely feel it. I was beyond happy to have my trekking poles for this, especially on the decent. Also, if you opt for this exclusive opportunity, do yourself a favor and attack it in the first group, earlier in the morning before the sun is high. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself when the sun starts beating down on you on the way back down. Being the most famous of the country’s attractions, Rolfi of course knew much about the site and not once did he bore me with facts. Tourist trap or not, a truly impressive experience. After this I was sad to part ways with Rolfi, as I returned to Cusco for another night at the hostel El Balcon, of course set up by KimKim. This place was about as comfortable as can be with a fantastic breakfast in the morning. For the final part of my itinerary, I was greeted the next day by none other than Barrac, the paddleboarding guide who was now going to be my rafting guide. We drove back down from the upper elevations of Cusco for a three hour rafting experience which culminated with a hot shower, sauna, excellent hot meal with tea and coffee, and a review of the photos and videos captured by the onboard GoPro camera. I was returned to Cusco for one last night at the hostel, then picked up the next day by the driver once more. At the behest of a friend back home, I decided to extend my trip an extra few days to just kick back and relax, decompress before heading back to the states. This idea came before my first itinerary change, and Hayley was kind enough to connect me with a couple in the Sacred Valley who have an apartment that they rent out through Airbnb. KimKim was even gracious enough to have the driver cart me all the way back out to the valley (90mins)! I’m telling you, KimKim went above and beyond to make my dream escape come true, and I am already scouting their website for my next adventure...and I’m still sitting at the Airbnb right now! I really can’t say enough, porqué no hay palabras! Peru és paradíso, and KimKim and Quechua Treks know how to show it to you! Feel free to check out all my pics from this incredible adventure on Instagram @rain_downfire and shoot me a message if you have any questions or want any advice. If you journey with KimKim, you’ll never be lost. Safe travels, and happy trails!

Our guides Arturo, Wilson and Ronald were very good. We enjoyed all parts of the trip. The food tour in Lima was great and a lot of fun. The hotel in Sacred valley was amazing, and we found the tours of the different Inca sites and Macchu Picchu to be interesting and informative. The only negative was the hotel in Cusco - Hotel Palacio Manco Capac. We felt the rooms were too small, the wifi was weak inside of the room and the service was very slow in that particular hotel.

Our experience with kimkim and the Peruvian Soul team led by Jesus was fantastic! Jesus suggested a wonderful itinerary based on one conversation! We started with a bike tour in Lima and hit the most beautiful sites around the Sacred Valley and Cusco with knowledgeable and skilled guides. Alexis expertly led us on the one day Inca Trail and Machu Picchu and took us to stunning sites around the Sacred Valley. Besides hiking, we did stand up paddle boards on Piuray Lake, horseback riding around Apu Wanakaure (thank you Javier for being so patient with me), and wandered the narrow lanes of Cusco. We went to evening dance shows and fabulous restaurants. The finale was a visit to Rainbow Mountain!! We recommend going up by horse ;)
Many thanks to Jesus for organizing such a wonderful tour for us. We recommend him highly!! This was an unforgettable trip!!

This was one of our best trips of all time. We had never planned a trip through adventure/tourism companies, but this trip has changed our perspective towards that.
First, we would love to thank our trip specialist - Katy who planned an amazing itinerary customized to our needs and interests. She was very prompt, accommodative, patient and we could not have had a better plan of our trip.
The accommodations, the inter city travel and even the food was all brilliantly arranged and as per our preference.
Our most memorable time was our trek to Huchuy Cusco which is a beautiful and secluded trek and we are glad that it was in our itinerary as we would not have come across it if not for Katy!
Both of our guides Yuri(Balareso) and Justino were fantastic. They were professional, knowledgeable and very passionate about their work. We would specially thank our guide Justino who was incredible and made our Cusco trip even more memorable. He was professional, accommodative, interesting and quite funny :). We could not have been more fascinated by the Peruvian history and culture, especially the way Justino delivered it. He was patient with us on the treks, very motivative, did not rush and even gave us private space. We still can't get over his interesting stories and all the laughs that we shared throughout our time with him.
Peru is a beautiful country and felt a lot like home! It was a wonderful trip and we would definitely visit again.
Once again, thank you Katy, Kimkim and Aspiring Adventures for this magical trip!

- Priya & Balaji

We enjoyed this part of our trip very much. Though, I was surprised to know Kim Kim was not our tour guide but hired out Jungle Pro to be our guide. This outfit was very professional and catered to our every need. Our accommodations were very comfortable and we kept plenty busy watching for the many animals. One observation to note...sometimes, a guide could be in the same position too long. It took our guide some 3 days to finally warm up to us but we finally broke him in and the trip couldn't have been better. Unfortunately, it should have worked the opposite way.

We used kimkim travel for a recent trip to Peru over 9 days. Our initial apprehension about planning a trip with 6 adults and 6 kids ( ages 3 through 10) was unnecessary, since Kristy and Liz took all our constraints into consideration, and helped put together a great plan for the group. We had a variety of places we wanted to visit - the rainforest, Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, Lima, Cusco. Apart from international flights ( that we booked ourselves) and 2 days in Lima, they helped plan activities, domestic transport, flights, hotel bookings and tickets to attractions. Highly recommended for travelers ( especially families with young children) who do not want to struggle with local language challenges, ticket availability at attractions, and local transport needs. Special shout out for the accommodation plans - all the hotels / lodges we stayed in were comfortable, and suited our requirements well! (Hotel Dazzler in Lima, Hilton Garden Inn in Cusco, Del Pilar in Ollantaytambo, and family run lodges in Manu National Park)

Cusco Journeys ( Jaime and Lucho) picked us up from Cusco and gave us a great experience over 2 nights and 3 days. They ensured we had good local immersion - home cooked meals ( breakfast and dinner), taking us to "non-touristy" locations and helping us to shop local as well. The kids had a great experience at an animal rescue center, and looked forward to the interesting details Lucho shared about various birds. Jaime took us through the local culture and history and provided interesting anecdotes about events. We thoroughly enjoyed their company!
Suggestion for improvement for this part of the trip : Wish we had been warned beforehand about the bad roads + long drive to Manu national park. We were on the road for the better part of 2 days, and though we had a good experience at the end, would have prepared better if we had known earlier.

Andean Travel handled our trip through the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Alexandra, our guide through the Sacred Valley, answered all our questions very patiently, and she was a treasure trove of information! Also, she was a great hit with the kids since she brought them locally made dolls. Javier was our guide at Machu Picchu; in place of the usual 2 hour tour, he was with us for 4 hours and made sure we didnt miss any aspect of the historic location. Excellent experience!

All in all, would highly recommend Kimkim since they work with the best. Would definitely use their services again!

Dear Anne,
We had a wonderful, without any glitch, well planned Holiday in Peru.
Initially we wanted to visit only Matchu Pitchu, but as we started interacting with Anne, we were encouraged to add many other places and we are glad that you suggested it!
The trip was very meticulously planned and executed. Our itinerary was shared with us with all relevant details, our tickets were printed, guides arrived on time, pick up driver arrived on time and the estimation of time was correct so the we could always adhere to the timing.
The best part was the Guides who were well informed and good people, who shared lot of information and gave us insight into the places as well as into other matters as well
Peru is quite a large country and offers many different options. The tour generally required a reasonable fitness since on many days you end up walking quite a few kilometers
The altitude issue was well planned , starting from lower to higher in gradual way which helped
All in all we had a very good trip and coming all the way from India was totally worth it
Thanks Anne, the support team of peruvian Soul, other agencies and all
Regards
Manoj M Vaidya

Our 13 day trip to Peru was fabulous! This is the first time I have used any kind of travel service and I will use one again. The activities planned were exactly what we wanted, the multiple, multiple transfers were seamless, the guides were wonderful, and the entire experience was great.

Liz made all the arrangements and the few times that I had questions she was available to answer. A welcome surprise that she arranged for us was a cooking class. That is not something I would have done on my own and it was fun and the food was fantastic.

I highly recommend Kimkim and Liz!!!

Our trip to Peru was marvelous, in particular because our needs were catered for in every way beforehand by Jesus. Careful questions and answers resulted in an itinarary that proved to be well put together and balanced. The guides, in both Lima and Cusco, were very knowledgable re the local history and cultures informing us each step of the way what to look for and why. All the hotels were well managed, clean and comfortable. All transport went smoothly and on time; Air, Rail, Road and horseback!
Difficult to single out highlights from so many but; the three lunch locations on the cycle tour with Luis, the day at Machu Picchu with Julio and a days horse ride with Javier were voted the top three by us. Julio in particular gave us so much insight to Peruvian culture for which we will forever be grateful.

I think we were very fortunate to have Aldo as our guide. We were a very inquisitive group and Aldo was able to answer all our questions and provided us with educated information and in-depth explanations of what we were seeing. He was always calm and very patient. He had us prepared for all our destinations. Although we did miss seeing the Machu Picchu Temple of the Sun. We arrived 5 minutes after it closed. All our drivers were punctual and transported us safe and sound to our destinations. There were several "wow" moments that I will never forget, but our arrival at the Sun Gate, after a challenging hike, was my most memorable moment.

I have traveled in Peru on my own and my experience was that there was one difficulty after another. However with KimKim, almost everything went smoothly and our experience was beautiful. People at KimKim must have worked very hard to make the trip go so well.
The food KimKim chose was great, the hotels were wonderful, the guides and drivers showed up on time. Our guides Jorge and Juan were knowledgeable, courteous, and personable, providing us with many insights into ancient Peruvian cultures.
Anne, who was our tour director, was very flexible in designing our trip as we had to postpone the trip 3 weeks before the scheduled date and reschedule for a month later. We decided to add a few more days to our trip after the postponement, and Anne graciously and gracefully added to our itinerary seamlessly. She also arranged for us to go to places a little off the beaten path such as Aspero, (which I highly recommend as the tour there gave us so much insight into the Caral culture.)
The only thing KimKim asked us to do on our own was to buy plane tickets to and from Lima to Cusco. Somehow LATAM got my wife's last name wrong, assuming that it was my own, and supplied us with bogus passport numbers. (The customer service agent at LATAM said the bogus numbers were due to us having purchased the tickets in the United States. This does not make sense to me.) It took my wife and I three hours talking to the LATAM central office to correct these difficulties. Given that at least the bogus passport numbers were predictable and the assumption about my wife's last name probable, KimKim might take it upon themselves to purchase these tickets for their customers to obviate these difficulties. However, that only made plain to us what a marvelous job the personnel at KimKim had done in making our trip comfortable, delightful, and extraordinary.

My husband and I visited Peru for our honeymoon in October. Jesus and his team at Peruvian Soul planned the perfect trip! We began our trip in Lima, traveled to Paracas, and then returned to Lima before making our way to Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. Having all of our transfers and transportation pre-arranged by Jesus/Peruvian Soul allowed us to relax and focus on enjoying the sites and culture.

Peruvian Soul’s tour guides and affiliated tour experts provided invaluable guidance, insights, and local experiences to enhance our trip. In Cusco and the Sacred Valley, we had the same guide for several days, Julio. His spirit and pride in the local culture and history is contagious! Our Andean Wedding was one of the special highlights that Peruvian Soul and Julio coordinated for us. It was truly a spiritual, unique, and unforgettable moment that connected us with the beautiful landscape and living history of the Andean people.

Another highlight was hiking Machu Picchu. Even though it was raining, our guide Eddy brought a positive attitude to the day and showed us a great time. We also recommend people see the less visited Paracas and Ballestas Islands, where we had a helpful guide, Alexander. This area is very remote and filled with beautiful vistas of deserts and wildlife, such as penguins, sea lions, cormorants, and terns. In Lima, we enjoyed exploring what is a modern, cosmopolitan capital city. The food was awesome throughout Peru, but especially in Lima. For a high-end treat, Kjolle located next to the famous Central restaurant, our dinner there was one of the best meals of our lives.

Each day in Peru brought a new adventure. Now we know why everyone recommends to pack layers—each day we experienced a wide range of temperatures. Also, note that the sun is very strong even on chilly days.

Overall, we had an amazing honeymoon and would recommend Peruvian Soul to anyone visiting Peru for the first time!

We just completed a fantastic trip to Peru where Carla planned three tours in one. It was quite complicated, but it went off without a hitch. Everything was taken care of from the moment Arturo picked us up at the airport in Lima until Ronald dropped us off at the airport in Cusco. Arturo is a great tour guide and loved showing us around Lima including a really great restaurant for lunch. Then it was off to Cusco, where Ronald greeted us with hot coca tea at the airport and Zac met us at the hotel and briefed us on our activities in Cusco. Zac did a wonderful job showing us around Cusco including doing a little hiking to prepare us for our coming adventure. The next day my son and I were off on our "Classic Inca Trail" adventure, a four day hike into Machu Picchu and my wife and daughter were off on an active tour of the Sacred Valley.

The "Classic Inca Trail" trek was even better than I expected. There were eight porters and a guide for just the two of us. Every detail was taken care of and Zac our guide did a great job organizing and keeping us away from the other hikers. We felt like we were the only ones hiking the trail. The hike, food and archeological sights along the trail were incredible.

While my son and I were having a great time on the Inca Trail, Wilson (guide) and Ronald (driver) took my wife and daughter on several active excursions including visiting a llama farm which my daughter had to see, a mountain bike ride in the Sacred Valley and hiking from Kilometer 104 over the Sun Gate into Machu Picchu. The two of them had nothing but great things to say about their adventure including a private lunch set up in a yurt for just the two of them. Wilson was so knowledgeable about the history of the region and shared that knowledge with them.

The four of us met in Machu Picchu where Zac made us feel like we were the only ones there despite the crowds.

Everything about our Peru adventure was fantastic. KimKim organized a private tour tailored to us that was way better than a large tour company. It was an adventure of a lifetime. We would not hesitate to use KimKim again.

My guide and driver were great.
The only issues would be the hotels in Machu Picchu and urabamba.
In Machu Picchu I was right next to the train which made its way every 2 hours not allowing for any sleep nor peace.
The setting in Urubamba was beautiful but the entry door was completely sealed making it loud for people walking bye and bugs were ever present.
Thanks

Aspiring Adventures organized a good customized tour in Peru. Steve and Katie made sure the logistics where well planned. Aldo was a good guide and very knowledgeable.

Anne was integral in helping me plan my husband and I's first trip to Peru. She was wonderful in giving different options that fit our interests and budget. It was so great to have drivers and guides pick us up from the airport and transport us to our next destination and all of of it went seamlessly. We loved the beautiful landscapes, Peruvian cuisine and the lovely people. Cusco was a magical place to spend time in and we will not forget our Amazon experience. Even when I was sick Anne was able to find a place efficiently that helped me feel better quickly. Thanks Anne again for putting this awesome trip together!

We loved our trip to Peru. Although it was a lot of traveling we were able to visit Arequipa, Iquitos, the Amazon, Cusco, Aguas Calientes and Macchu Picchu within 12 days. Our visit to Tahuayo Lodge was a true adventure. We were able to explore and see Amazon wildlife with the help of our amazing guides, Herzog and Eduardo. The accommodations and food were great and Siomey was our friendly face at mealtime who ensured our food was always delicious. Julio Cesar took wonderful care of us in Cusco and getting us to Macchu Picchu and all stops in between! Freddy gave us a wonderful Cusco city tour and Eddy personally walked us through Macchu Picchu taking special care with my Mom throughout the entire tour - lots of steps! We felt very well cared for and although I have been to Cusco and Macchu Picchu a few times, I still learned new things during our tours. The trip was well coordinated and most everything went very smoothly.

Liz was our travel agent and she did a great job. Everyone at Andean Travel was really helpful. They provided additional guidance when we had a situation.

All our guides and drivers were great. The guides were all very knowledgeable and were able to answer our questions. I really loved the Machu Picchu tour with Javier? and the Sacred Valley tour with Ruth. They ensured that we had a truly unique experience.

I also really appreciated that we did not have to wait for transportation. All the drivers were waiting for us when we arrived in an area.

Àll our drivers and guides were wonderful ! I admired our guide at Machu Picchu! He told personal observations that were not found in books! All the personnel were patient and kind! They were knowledgeable and considerate of our health and well being! As I’m presently on my last bus ride home, I can honestly say that I would recommend this service to anyone ! I need more time to find all our guides names to thank them personally - but I’m so happy to experience the beauty of Peru with the assistance of your staff and all the tours we took! Thanks to all!

It is difficult to state the most memorable attractions because there were so many. Every attraction was unbelievable and at times jaw dropping. The attractions and scenery were something to behold!The adventure gave us a briliant insight into the geography, geology, history , culture, cuisine and lifestyle of Peruvians, both past and present.
I should state at this stage that our original reason to come to Peru was to learn about the Inca civilisation and we came away with an indepth knowledge and appreciation of their culture.
Our guide Zac was fabulous. He was informative, knowledgeable and enlightening in his knowledge of all aspects of his country both in the past and the present.
He individualised our program to suit our team of people. He was excellent at reading the individuals in the group in relation to their physical ability to comlete hikes , mental resolve in completing these tasks and know when it was time to have a rest. He developed a strong rapport with the group . He was humorous and answered our many questions with authority and interest.
Clearly an intelligent man who looked after us so well. Our other short term guide who covered the Lake Titticacca patr of the tour was also very good.