Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

I had the most incredible trip to Peru! Kristy was amazing to work with from the planning stages to preparing for the trip, to every detail during the trip! For planning, Kristy listened to what we wanted to get out of our trip and planned the perfect, custom itinerary. She was quick to respond and listened to our needs and helped us stay realistic when we were trying to cram too much into our time in Peru.

During our trip, everything was seamless and stress free. We had amazing guides the entire trip! From David & our food tour in Lima, to Lucas & Efrain who took us to the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina and lastly Edwin, who was an expert on all things in Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Pichu. Every guide was well-informed, fun and adjusted everything to fit our needs.

Our hotels were are all in great locations, they were all cute & fun to stay in. Transportation was also a breeze, with Kristy doing an amazing job making getting from A to B so easy. Someone was always greeting us with a smiling face.

Kristy was amazing to work with. It was an incredible trip & would 100% recommend working with Kristy to anyone who is traveling to Peru!

We had a fantastic trip, trip of a lifetime really. Everyone was super helpful from the early stages of planning, a number of changes in dates and people right down to the actual trip where everything was organized well and worked out pretty much exactly how I imagined it. Northern Peru was amazing, super interesting and off the beaten path. The guides were amazing and we learned so much. English guides were hard to come by in the North, but all the Peruvians we met were super friendly and patient with us. The Inca Trail was just a fantastic experience all around. Zac and crew were amazing and we felt like we had the Andes to ourselves. Highly recommended.

Amazing trip! Have not done much traveling outside the U.S., so was a bit nervous. Our travel specialist was James Mackender, and he made us feel very at easy with traveling abroad in Peru. Everything was perfectly planned--flights, pick-ups and drop-offs. Our guide for the Treehouse Lodge/Iquitos was Guido. Very knowledgeable, spoke excellent english, friendly, very personable. The Treehouse Lodge was beautiful, and the day and night excursions were once in a lifetime. Our next part of our Journey in Peru was seamless--the guide from the Treehouse took us directly to the river boat. The 7 man crew on the Spondias was amazing. They were so attentive, knowledgable about the amazon and Peru. My favorite part of this portion of the trip was when we spent time with a local family at the river village. They invited us into their home, we shared some food, and discussed the commonalty and differences of our daily lives. Our guide on the Spondias was Charlie, and he likes birds and was very knowledgeable about the different species of birds. Our chef, Francisco, was wonderful and his creations were excellent. Our waiter/purser was Jairo, he was a friendly young man, full of knowledge and we practiced english and spanish together. The only flaw was that we missed our connecting flight in Lima to Cusco. After an hour of being sent to 5 different desks to get our flight rescheduled, one phone call to James and in 10 minutes the whole situation was remedied. It relieved so much stress to know that James was looking after us. The last stretch of our trip was to Cusco and Machu picchu, and Zac was our guide. Zac was, hands down, the best guide I have ever had. He was so knowledgeable about Peru, Cusco, Incan history, Machu Picchu. The way he introduced us to Machu Picchu was perfect, and he even took video of our initial reaction to seeing this Wonder of the World. He was so kind, so enthusiastic, I definitely would do another trip with him as our guide.

This trip was just perfect. James did an amazing job listening to what we wanted to do, and making all of those wishes come true. Will definitely be using James and/or KimKim again when we travel!!

This was a 5 Star trip, very well organised by Clara, it all went so well it even surprised us. All drivers were there on time, every step was very well sorted out.
Just to give a small suggestion for the next time, I would leave a bit more free time as we couldn't relax or have some more time off to just enjoy the places such as Cusco. The tour including Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo was like a rally...we had 7 minutes to explore Pisac- it was either walking around or going to the toilet...one choice...and Urubamba was really a road restaurant only. Whereas for Ollantaytambo which was an amazing place, both the ruins and the town we just had some time with the guide and no time to explore and feel the beautiful town. We had to rush to the station to go to Aguas Calientes. It maybe too much for one day...maybe just Ollantaytambo is such a rich experience that there was no need to see the others and to have a lunch at a road restaurant.
Apart from this suggestion, I must say I had a great time, Clara booked us Cicciolina, wich was a great choice of restaurant in Cusco, and also was there for all we needed. I will certainly reccommend the agency and Kim Kim.
Do you have a Brazilian version of the site?
Many thanks
Lorena

Great experience in the Sacred Valley with Nicole and her team...they easily redirected a plan that turned out to be too ambitious, into one that was the highlight of our trip, a hike along an old Inka trail down the mountains through the Pisac ruins. the drivers and guides were wonderful. Scott

I contacted Steve with KimKim travel after striking out with other agencies who were unable to build an "off the beaten path" adventure to Peru. Steve listed and then executed an amazing itinerary which far exceed our expectations.

We had a great time in Peru. We had no issues with transportation and the hotels were great. Clara did a great job and I really enjoyed the tours and Machu Picchu hike and visit. One of my most memorable vacations for sure.

We only had an issue with the amount of events scheduled in our itinerary. By the last two days, we were burned out. Also, prior to booking, we weren't told about the times of the outings. For example, some treks started at 3 am and we were not made aware until it was too late. I'd recommend that if you could send the itineraries with the times on it before people book it would make it easier. If I had seen that, I may have changed some of the events or noticed that it may be too many events for me.

We had a truly amazing trip! We spent 16 days in Peru and visited Cusco, the Amazon, Lima, sacred valley and Lake Titicaca. Despite the complexity of the trip, everything was like clock-work! It was a great combination of hiking, exploring, experiencing the local culture and city visits. Nicole did a great job of staying in touch with us throughout the trip and making sure we were well taken care of. Our guides were superb! They were all very knowledgeable and friendly. Especially our sacred valley guide Rubin did an amazing job!

Thank you!
Ayca

From start to finish, this was an incredible experience. Trip planning was super easy. Trekking was super hard and completely worth it. Our guide, Rolfi, was fantastic, the food was fantastic (thanks to Edgar), the landscapes and people are fantastic.

James did an awesome job. Due to bad weather conditions, we had to change to a different route and he met all my needs. The Choquequirao Trek was beautiful, my guide Noé was fit, knowledgeable and always in a good mood. The equipment was brand new and well suited for the trek. I was able to get a special diet during the trek and the food tasted very good. The cook and horseman worked really hard! I thank James for this five star experience in the Andes!

We had an amazing trip, all of our guides made us feel welcome and our experience will be lasting forever. I will highly recommend your services to my friends and will also engage your services again on another trip to South America. The price was right and the level of accommodation was perfect for the trip. Maybe a tent each would of been a little better after a long days hike. We also enjoyed the company of the photo crew, they were amazing. We were promised a copy of the photos and film of the trip, but have not received this. Thank you for your services on behalf of our group.

James is such a wonderful specialist and I had the best experience with him. Before, during, and after the trip, he was thorough in keeping contact and made sure that we were on the same page about all of our treks and events we were planning on doing while in Peru. He gave lots of tips about what to pack for a trip such as this one, a trek through the Andes. He went above and beyond all of my expectations; his encouragement and enthusiasm for planning and following through with this trip made the Peru adventure a life-changing experience for the better! He set us up with a tour company named "Peru Expeditions Tours" where we met Edwin and Eric Lliuya. Edwin was our official tour guide in Huaraz and the Cordillera Huayhuash. Edwin is a great tour guide who has lots of expert experience. I felt very safe and had such a fun time. Both hiking throughout the mountains and experiencing Peruvian culture changed my perspective on traveling and living, all due to James and Edwin. Working with James and the group at KimKim was the best option for traveling. I will definitely use KimKim again when I travel.

Everything was so awesome ..I'm so glad I met Kristy. She is did a great job:)

Our family’s trip to Peru was amazing, and a lot of the success is owed to our specialist Kristy. She was fully involved in our trip planning and spoke with my wife multiple times to answer all of our questions and help plan out a custom package. Upon arrival, she met us at the airport and ensured that every step of the way was taken care of. While in Peru, Kristy was always just a phone call away - she went above and beyond multiple times to ensure that our trip was smooth and a success. In several instances, she came to meet us to help and to ensure that our trip was the best. I can’t say enough good about the kimkim experience and our specialist Kristy - I am grateful for our experience.

The whole trip was amazing. Alexandra and Julio were very knowledgeable guides and both went out of their way to make our trip as pleasant and fun as possible. Machu Picchu was amazing and our guide made sure we got the best shots which is priceless taking into account how packed it was. Clara was super helpful and always ready to answer any questions and accommodate changes in our schedule. Thank you guys for making our trip to Peru such a memorable and special experience!!

Steve and Katy and the Aspiring Adventures team did a great job. They helped plan and set up a highly custom tour of Peru for us and really dealt with a lot of added complexity and changes when the weather impacted the original trek we had planned; and then when one of us had some health issues and had to change plans. Really appreciated their hard work and expertise. Very happy with the trip.

Our guides arranged by Aspiring Adventures (Arturo in Lima, Justino in Sacred Valley/Trek/Machu Picchu/Cusco, and Wilhelm for Mt. Biking) were all fantastic. Highlights:

In Lima, Arturo took us to the Central Market and we walked around and tried about 15-20 kinds of fruit that don't exist in North America, and then took us to a local place (we were the only tourists there) for a fantastic lunch. If you are a foodie, don't skip Lima and see if you can book Arturo.

Trekking was great, stunning, but at those altitudes actually quite hard--be aware. Even if you are in good shape hard to catch your breath.

Machu Picchu and the hike from there up Waynapicchu were fantastic. It is amazing that a place as celebrated at Machu Picchu can still exceed expectations. If you aren't trekking in, make sure to get in line for the bus by 4:30 or 5:00 am to miss most of the crowds and see the sunrise. (Our guide made sure we did and it was well worth it.)

We went Mt. Biking in Sacred Valley for a half day followed by a gourmet picnic in the most beautiful setting (all arranged by our guides). First time Mt. Biking for all of us. It was amazing. Route chosen was 90% downhill and exciting but manageable for first timers. Totally recommend (my 15 year old declared this day to be the best thing we have ever done on any trip.)

Aspiring Adventures also arranged for us to have a cooking class in Cusco at Marcelo Batata with Chef Jose. (http://www.cuscocookingworkshop.com/culinary-experiences/cooking-class-or-culinary-experience/) This was fantastic. We have had great experiences with cooking classes on other trips, but this was by far the most fun and interesting chef/teacher we have ever had.

Highly recommend Aspiring Adventures.

Or southern Peru trip was wonderful. The petroglyph field of Toro Muerto was amazing and the weather for the trip could not have been better. Our favorite places were the area surrounding Colca canyon (such as Sumbay Caves, Mollenpunko Caves, the viewpoint of the volcanoes, the reserve with the wild vicuñas and all the wildlife, including the wild flamingos) and the canyon itself with the Andean condors. Another favorite was Puerto Inca, staying at the hotel with the private beach surrounded by beautiful cliffs and lots of Inca and pre-Inca ruins. Our driver, Luis, did a wonderful job driving and taking care of the car and our guide, Alberto, picked fun places to break up the trip, such as olive stands and small churches. Our guide did seem more interested and engaged in the history around Arequipa and Colca Canyon. Towards the end of the trip he was more interested in his phone than the places or sites so we would explore the areas on our own mostly. Alberto did, through a friend, arrange a last minute change for us in our itinerary as we did decide to fly over the Nazca lines, which was very nice of him to offer to do so. Our guide for Lima, Narda, did an excellent job explaining the history, cultures, trends and politics of all of Peru and was very knowledgable on every subject. She did an amazing job and the driver, Juan Carlos, was excellent and very kind. Narda also pegged all of the food we would like to try and brought us to small food markets and food fairs that were amazing. Our itinerary was full of things to see and fairly fast paced so we did see a lot and most of what was on the itinerary. Clara did a good job arranging the trip at the last minute for us and there was only one miscommunication between us that was ironed out fine in the end. She fit in everything that I wanted to see and we ended up seeing almost all of it. There were some delays in communication over Kim-Kim but I realize that I would also go dark for periods when planning this trip because I was traveling during the time. Recommend the dinosaur footprints attraction more for children - but I am from an area with many dinosaur footprints so it is not such a novelty for me. It would have been nice to have more information about who the guides and drivers would be and how the transfers between places would happen but I also realize that I did not expressly ask for this information.

We just took three teenage boys on an adventure in Peru. We used KimKim to start the trip and Quechua Treks. I can not express what an amazing trip this was. James and Haley were amazing at changing details and getting the trip just right, and Quechua Treks were the best. From hotels, to amazing food, great adventures, and the best guides we have had on any trip. They were also extremely accommodating when we had to make a change mid trip. This was such an amazing company. We could not have done what we did without them. Thank you for making such an amazing memory for our family.

Everything was well organized and really personalized as well. I loved every minute of this trip. Thanks to Clara and the team for organizing such a fantastic experience!

Once again, another amazing trip with Quechua Treks. Their attention to detail is just amazing. Haley and James did a fabulous job planning the trip. Zac offered a great alternative route to our like that was spot on. Daniel, our guide, is a gem, took us around the Sacred Valley showing us some of the amazing locations in the Sacred Valley. Our hotel in Lamay, Nunu, was one of the best I have ever stayed at. Hiking Lares was a real joy with Daniel leading the way. The food Quechua Treks served us was worthy of a 5 star restaurant. I'm not sure how they managed to bake a cake at 14,000 feet without an oven, but that cake was one of the best I've ever had. Hot water bottles for our sleeping bags on the cold night was a great touch! Daniel also took us up to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu, with amazing views of Machu Picchu. Many, many thanks to Haley, James, Zac, Daniel, Salvadore, Leo our chef, and the porters for making this such an amazing trip. I love to hike, and brought a friend with me that is a newbie hiker. Because this was such a great experience she wants to hike more and will be returning next year to Peru with her husband! And I'm bringing another friend to hike next July!