Kimkim Trip Reviews for Peru

We had an amazing trip in Peru, planned by Martina with Kimkim. All our local guides were great, and we enjoyed all the places we visited. We booked a private tour and our guides were very flexible with timing and such. We started the tours each morning, and were back to the hotel late afternoon everyday and it felt like a nice mix between guided tour and free time for ourselves each day. Some thing that could have done better -
1. We arrived in Lima late in the evening and were supposed to have a free half day to tour Lima ourselves the next day, before we flight to Cusco in the afternoon(we asked for an afternoon flight so we could have the free half day in Lima). That's why we chose to stay in a hotel in Miraflores(45mins from the airport) instead of right by the airport. However, the pick up time to the airport was 9am for our 1pm flight. We ended up staying in a hotel far from the airport for no reason, wasting our whole morning, just waiting at the airport for the flight.
2. Our return flight from Lima was around midnight so we had a full long day. The tour planned originally was to go to Caral archaeological site, which is 4.5 hours each way. That's 9 hours of car time plus we had to fly home that night. So instead, we decided to do a Lima city tour instead(since again we couldn't do it ourselves earlier). The tour was good, but it did feel like it was dragged long because we had so much time to fill. The local guides were very flexible though, changing our plans from Caral to Lima city tour with short notice.
Overall, we still had a great experience with Kimkim and would go with them again.

We had a great time! The guides and drivers we had in all of the places we went (Paracas/Ica, Cusco, Machu Picchu, Lima) were all great people, and we got to a few of them more personally. Everything went pretty much according to plan, and there was only one planned activity that we were unable to do (wine-tasting). Our guide in Cusco and Machu Picchu (Emilia) and driver in Lima (Jean Carlos) were especially friendly and helpful! We were also fortunate to have great weather the whole trip.
Thank you, Kim-Kim! We will remember this trip for a long time!

Hotel Reviews

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Wonderful hotel! The staff were friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere and decor of the hotel were fantastic! The restaurant breakfasts were great, and the hotel room was clean and comfortable. We would definitely stay there again and would happily recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Cusco!

Authenticity & Character

Charming decor, nice atmosphere.

Location

Very central, close to restaurants and Plaza De Armas.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Unfortunately, this hotel did not meet our expectations. We arrived late in the day and were tired. The room was sizable and clean, but the beds were too small and the mattresses too hard. They were uncomfortable to sleep in. Their hotel restaurant was okay, but felt a bit small and tight. It didn’t really have any charm. The one redeeming feature is that it is located in the Ollantaytambo train station, so it was very easy for us to catch out train the next morning to Machu Picchu and to arrange to have the hotel keep some of our things until we returned from there.

Authenticity & Character

Restaurant was rather boring

Location

Close to the train station

Staff

They were friendly and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Uncomfortable beds - too small and too hard

Iberostar Selection Miraflores

Lima

Nice hotel! Centrally located in Miraflores within walking distance of the shopping district and waterfront. Nice view from the room. The swimming pool on the rooftop was very nice and relaxing to be in! The room was clean, spacious and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Very nice, rooftop pool is great!

Location

Centrally located

Staff

Friendly and courteous

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, spacious and comfortable

Activity Reviews

Arrival to Lima: Free Day to Explore

Lima

Arrived very late at night (early morning) due to a flight delay. Bug we were met by the driver and taken to our hotel quickly.

Quality of Experience

Late night arrival

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly, helpful

Transport

Comfortable

Bus transfer from Lima to Paracas & Classic Nazca Lines from Pisco Airport

Peru

It was great! The trip down on the bus was a bit long , but we were able to rest and sleep a bit. We were met by the guide/driver (Luis) and he was very helpful. We were hungry and he kindly took us to a nearby restaurant to eat something. He also arranged for us to look around Paracas, which was nice. The flight to Nazca and the lines was fine, but viewing the lines was sometimes challenging to see, and I got motion sick during part of the flight. We were happy to get the experience of going there and seeing the lines!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly, helpful

Transport

Very comfortable

Tour and Tasting at the Tacama Winery

Peru

The estate is beautiful, and the meal we had there was great! The tour was interesting, the guide knowledgeable and spoke English well, but we had been hoping to visit a winery and because of poor planning, we weren’t able to visit the winery but instead a Pisco distillery. It was okay, but not the same as if we had visited the winery.

Quality of Experience

We wanted to visit a WINERY, not distillery

Food

Tasty

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and courteous

Transport

comfortable

Fly to Cusco, and Sacred Valley Expedition: Exploring Chinchero and Ollantaytambo

Peru

Great experiences - visiting a community textile factory in Chinchero, great lunch and scenic trip to Ollantaytambo, visited Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo. The only problem was that the beds in the hotel room were not comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Food

Tasty (especially the buffet in Urubamba).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and courteous

Transport

Comfortable

Train from Urubamba, then Explore Machu Picchu

Peru

Excellent weather, a great guide, fascinating ruins. It was a great experience. Even the train trip there and back was a lot of fun!

Quality of Experience

Just a great trip to these amazing ruins!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Transport

Comfortable

Cusco Tour

Peru

It was great! Emilia was a great guide and really helped us to understand what we were seeing.

Quality of Experience

Overall, a great experience!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and helpful

Transport

Comfortable

Fly from Cusco to Lima

Peru

A good flight. No problems at all.

Quality of Experience

Comfortable

Transport

Comfortable

Historic Center & Larco Museum

Peru

It was interesting! We saw many things and the bus guide was helpful. The bus was a bit hot and we should have brought more water with us.

Quality of Experience

Interesting, informative

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and helpful

Transport

A little hot on the bus

I had never booked a trip with a travel agency before and after this experience I will definitely do it again! kimkim and the Andean Travel team took care of all of our needs from the planning to execution of our Peru experience.

From the beginning Ruth and Liz helped me to choose adventures that suited our family. They also gave me options for saving money along with way. But most of all, the work that they did behind the scenes - the work that we only saw the outcomes of - was incredible! All of our transportation and flights and hotels and guides we so well coordinated.

Everyone that we met was wonderful and we will keep in touch with many of these people!
Our guides:
Eloy for Cusco - has wonderful calming energy that helped us to connect to our experience, environment and the remarkable history of the area on a more spiritual level.
Juan Franco for Machu Picchu - was a wealth of information and a fabulous photographer! He told us the story of Machu Picchu like a puzzle, adding new pieces at every stop.
Luce for Palcoyo Rainbow mountain - was always looking out for our safety and making sure that we adjusted well to the altitude of our climb. She also helped us to give thanks for our experience with a mountaintop ceremony.
And finally Francisco at Muyuna Lodge went out of his way to ensure that we got the best Amazon experience in the short time that we had available.

Lizbeth, who was our contact via WhatsApp during our trip was always available to help, offer suggestions and ensure that we had everything that we needed when we needed it from entrance tickets to boarding passes.

Each driver along the way impressed us with their ability to navigate Peruvian roadways - which in itself was no small feat!

I can’t wait to book my next trip with KimKim!

Hotel Reviews

Chakana Boutique Hotel

Machu Picchu, Cusco

We enjoyed our very short stay at Chakana. We had a quick overnight stay on our way to Machu Picchu. Our departure was very early the following morning and the kitchen staff graciously packed us a fulsome and delicious breakfast to take with us. They also stored all of our belongings for us until our tour was over. The strange thing was that the window in our room opened into the elevator shaft and if our curtain had a gap at the corner, anyone on our floor could peek into our bedroom. Good thing we were too tired to do anything but sleep!

Authenticity & Character

There are hand painted murals on every floor. Very artsy and fun!

Location

An easy walk to everything Aguas Calientes has to offer.

Staff

Everyone was wonderful and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britania

Lima

Very nice hotel, close to everything that we were interested in seeing. This hotel was our first introduction to Peru. The hotel was clean and comfortable, the staff was helpful and the location was great for walkers like us!

Authenticity & Character

Location

An easy walk all over Miraflores

Staff

Very helpful staff packed us a bagged breakfast when our departure time was earlier than their breakfast hours.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sol Natura Hotel

Ollantaytambo

Beautiful hotel, close to everything Ollantaytambo has to offer. Kind and helpful staff. Delicious breakfast options. Great views from the room. Beautiful, greenhouse-like courtyard with games and tea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything in the beautiful town of Ollantaytambo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Muyuna Lodge

Iquitos

Amazing experience! The connection of this lodge to the people of Yanayaku make this experience one to remember. The staff feel like family because they are, by blood, by village or by love of the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest.

Authenticity & Character

Such a cool environment. Expect to sweat. Embrace it!

Location

The remoteness of the location means that there is so much biodiversity in the region. Even just sitting in the hammock on our porch we saw Lizards, monkeys, geckos, frogs, and remarkable flora.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private Mystic Walking Tour to The Temple of the Moon & Cusco City

Cusco

Our guide Eloy was fantastic! His tour put us in the mindset of the ancestors who once walked through the streets and temples of Cusco. He shared rituals and offerings with us as a way to help us understand the design of the temples that we visited. Our walk into Cusco followed part of the Inka trail and as we progressed the city unfolded before our eyes! We wandered from old to new, along cobbled roads learning about the different stone work and the transition from the ancient to the modern city that it is now. We ended at the San Pedro market where Eloy helped us navigate the isles, learn about the many offerings of the market and enjoy fresh fruit juices and bread.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This trip was absolutely fabulous. The timing and transport were planned seamlessly to avoid any travel hiccups, which was much appreciated. All the tour guides were so flexible and knowledgeable, willing to tailor their tours to the interests of the group. The Moray archaeological site and the salt mines were so unique, and Machu Picchu was breathtaking! For all the activities we were able to do and the sites we were able to see, this trip was a bargain. Also, a huge thank you to you Liz for your quick, helpful responses on Whatsapp and assistance planning our free days in Cusco.

This was my first trip using Kimkim. I was unsure of how to book a successful trip to Peru from Los Angeles. I was very quickly contacted by Jessica who worked with me for a couple of months to hammer out a wonderful itinerary. This included several changes to dates and travelers but there were never any problems with updating the arrangements.

I would like to be clear that this trip was absolutely amazing. Everything Jessica booked for us was wonderful. We had great accommodations and knowledgible and fun tour guides throughout the trip with all of our transfers and driving handled. (We did need to book our own air travel but Jessica was very up front about that so it was no problem).

We even had some problems come up (a strike in Peru that would limit road travel) and Kimkim hopped on it to make sure our days in Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu went well. This was Kristy who jumped in and got us moved to a hotel that would not disrupt our trip. Even better, that day we took a fairly exclusive alternate tour which was still super fun and interesting. Kimkim's communication and initiative made that possible and we are very appreciative.

I would recommend this group again and again. It made for a fun and painless trip that was truly memorable.

I should begin off by mentioning that I was really skeptical and paranoid about using kimkim for my dream trip to South America as it was my first time using it and I did not have any one i know that could vouch for it, but am now a convert and would use kimkim for my future plans as well.

Alvaro (Planner for my trip) was very patient and prompt in making sure that all my interests are captured well in the plan. The itinerary was put together with careful consideration to what I wanted. However personally, I expected no less in terms of the planning but the thing I appreciated the most was the fact that Alvaro was very patient in dealing with my questions and constant paranoia. I have in the past dealt with other services( not kimkim) who want you to finalize a plan quickly and push you to do so, so that they can get the commission and move on however Alvaro encouraged me to take time to make sure things are good.

The trip in itself was wonderful . Experience in Peruvian Amazon was nothing less than extraordinary.. Being in the lap of nature literally in the lungs of the world was experience of a lifetime. Luckily for us the weather was good and it did not rain(I am used to humidity from India so that did not bother me much) so was able to make full use of the time there. Our decision o visit North Chile as well was probably a little unorthodox but something I absolutely loved. From the Amazon to Atacama was a transition that was worth the money and time. Words and pictures cant do justice to the landscapes that we saw. The quality of the service throughout was excellent.

Hotels chosen were all based on our budget and good, while the guides and local services were on most trips awesome. Likewise for airport pick ups and drops (which I took because i dont know Spanish and wanted to avoid dealing with local taxi) were always on time.

People may be skeptical about the cost, as it would definitely be higher than if you would plan your own backpacking tour or use a local vendor, but if you are looking for a relaxing family tour where someone plans out your entire end to end tour without you having to worry about anything, then the cost is more than worth it. If you know the country and exactly what you are looking for then maybe you can go ahead an look for local vendors to save on money but otherwise if you dont know the country well, would encourage you to give kimkim a try!

Areas of Improvement -
The trip in itself went without any hiccup but one suggestion would be for Kimkim to ask the local vendors to contact the clients a day before without fail and have them share the plan for the next 3-4 days on day 1. For Peru that was the case with me, but for Atacama, Chile I was contacted for each tour separately (in advance of that particular tour). Like I said it went without any issue but did leave me anxious a couple of times waiting for a message from the local vendor.

All in all a 5 start experience for me!

Kristy was the best. Our trip was 10/10 amazing and it wa sos challenging to plan. Every trabsfer, train ride, taxi, hotel and excursion that Kristy planned for us was excellent. So hard to accomplish with a family of 4 and yet she remained consistent and contactable the whole time. We love Kristy and would recommend her to any of our friends.

Jordan and Molly Safirstein

Planning our trip to Peru had a whole bunch of hiccups because of the political instability in Lima. We had to reschedule our trip in the end, but Jessica was amazing at helping to navigate the changes and adjust our itinerary. We had a wonderful trip and we attribute this to all that KimKim did to make our experience as amazing as possible. Jessica answered all of our questions and made great suggestions based on my family's interests and travel style. We like to have more adventurous trips and Jessica helped us down to every last detail. There was always a guide and a driver to meet us and get us from point A to point B. The guides and drivers were fantastic and super knowledgeable and we had them all to ourselves. When 2 people in our family got super sick and we had to change our flights just a few hours before we were supposed to travel to another area of Peru, I contacted the emergency number through WhatsApp to figure out what to do. Kristy responded right away and provided amazing support to help resolve what became a very complicated issue. She helped to arrange for a driver and local contact to get me around Cusco to make the needed travel changes at the last minute. I absolutely could not have gotten our flights, plans, and hotel changed without all of them, so we're very grateful!

Liz did a great job arranging just the right activities and convenient hotels for our group. We spent 6 days in Cusco, Sacred Valley, & Aguas Calientes. It was wonderful to have transportation each step of the way and not to have to worry about purchasing tickets. Everything was provided! David provided excellent tours of the Sacred Valley and even stopped to let us try the local cuy. Machu Picchu was the anticipated highlight and the students loved our guide, Lizbet, who was also quite the photographer. We came home with beautiful photos! The cooking class at Marcelo Batata was amazing and we all enjoyed cooking with Chef Kristin. Liz even helped arrange a last minute ATV adventure. I definitely recommend using Andean Travel to book any trips in Peru!

Anne did an AMAZING trip for us! She really listened to what we wanted and tailor made our trip to be perfect for our family. She delivered EVERYTHING she promised and we had NO bad surprises while in Peru. Even when we decide on a very last minute change to the itinerary, she handled it very promptly and was very nice about it. Overall, AMAZING JOB!

We had the best time in Peru! Guido, our trekking guide, was incredible. So knowledgeable and safe. Lisbeth, our Peruvian organizer, was so organized and we had 0 issues with our trip. Would 1000000% recommend to everyone traveling to Peru!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Britania

Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sueños del Inka Hotel

Cusco

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

La Casa Del Mono (Homestay)

Was such a cool experience! Everyone should stay here

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Ricardo was the best!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Shared tour to Pisac, Ollantaytambo & Chinchero tour

Cusco

Janet was the best guide!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Liz and Lisbeth went all out to plan an amazing trip for our family - Mom, Dad and two teenage sons. The planning was very last minute, and we changed our plans significantly the Friday before our Sunday flight to Peru. Liz took it all in strides, and seemed to know exactly what right for our family - a wonderful mix of experiencing the unique food and drink of the region (food tour in Arequipa), the local family culture (staying with a family in Colca Canyon), the wonders of nature (Condors in Colca Canyon), the wonders of Quecha culture (the ruins in Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu) , and activities to keep the boys engaged (bike trip, white water rafting, zip lining, hiking parts of the Inka trail). All the guides were wonderful, all the transfers on time - this brought our family together like nothing else after 3 years of no travel due to COVID. Thank you, Liz and Lisbeth!

Jesus of Peruvian Soul helped us plan an unforgettable adventure. Visiting the Larco Museum with our guide Blanca was an excellent introduction to Inca and pre Inca civilizations that helped provide context to many of the archeological sites we saw in the sacred valley and Cusco.

Boris, ourRainforest expeditions guide, at the Tambopata reserve was excellent. He had so much knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area. We loved seeing the macaws at the clay lick . It was well worth the 4:30am wake up! While on a day hike we had the privilege of seeing howler, spider, cappuccino and squirrel monkeys, trumpeter birds, many different ants, giant and unique trees.

Our time in Machu Picchu was spectacular and enhanced many fold by our wonderful guide Danny. He had so much information on Inca civilization and was able to provide much needed context for us. He was patient and helpful as we hiked the short Inca trail for over 6 hours. Our day at the citadel was full of facts and anecdotes about the city. Our day biking and seeing the countryside as well as the salt mines was terrific.
Our guide jimmy made certain we were happy and safe.

Our last day we visited a llama & Alpaca farm with Danny, which I loved. We learned about alpaca wool and purchased some lovely things. Danny also took us to a place to have typical chiccerones for lunch.

It was a spectacular trip .

First Anne has been so exceptional in getting this trip organized for me. She and I have been communicating for 3 yrs. She even took time out to meet me at the airport. I couldn't of asked for a better organization person on my team then Anne. Then there is Nancy, who not only explained details of Lima and the historical aspect of this wonderful city. She also accomplished me t get my first Peruvian tattoo. I will never forget her. My buddy Guido, who showed me Cusco in a person touch. By giving me details of the churches that I'm sure most will never know, to introducing me to Cusco beer and spending incredible amount of time just making me feel at home. None of them will ever be forgotten... My team to hike Ausangate and rainbow mountain were incredibly patient and so professional with me. Always made me feel like family without a question. I want to thank everyone including Jesus in making dream come true. For making my bday one for the books with the warmth I felt all through my journey.

Having traveled quite a bit, this was one of the best trips I’ve had so far. Lupe put our trip together within two weeks! We got to do everything we had hoped for and each transition could not have been any smoother. Our guides Yuri and Natalia took exceptional care of us and felt like family by the time we left. It was a mother daughter trip and I have never felt more safe and cared for. Thank you Peru and thank you Aspiring Adventures!!!

All of our guides and drivers we very friendly, helpful, informative and timely. The accommodations and tours were top notch. Our itinerary and tours went off smoothly and seamlessly. We highly recommend Mim Kim and will be back with them for our next trip!

Hotel Reviews

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel

Machu Picchu

This hotel is very authentic and private, being nestled amongst the greenery and trees. The food is amazing and rooms large, well appointed and truly authentic. We look forward to our next visit!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Aranwa Sacred Valley

Urubamba

The hotel grounds are serene and expansive. The spa, restaurant and other facilities are beautiful. The food is amazing and staff very helpful, along with large well appointed rooms. We will be back! The only thing that didn’t meet our expectation was that the outdoor hot tub was hot only bt 10 am -4 pm, and even then it wasn’t what one would normally expect as “hot”. Otherwise, service and accommodations were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Costa Del Sol Arequipa

Arequipa

We love this hotel and the location! The staff was helpful and the rooms were authentic and spacious. The only thing that didn’t meet our expectation was that the outdoor hot tub was hot only bt 10 am -4 pm, and even then it wasn’t what one would normally expect as “hot”. Otherwise, service and accommodations were wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Palacio del Inka Cusco

Cusco

The lobby and hotel decor are beautiful and very artistic. The food was excellent and rooms luxurious, although a bit small and dark. We would highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Shared Ziplining & Via Ferrata in The Sacred Valley: Train to Machu Picchu town

Peru

We would highly recommend! This was one of the highlights of our trip and we had people from age 7-78! The staff was well prepared and skilled.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Shared Horse Back Riding to Moray & Maras

Sacred Valley

We would highly recommend! This was ine of the highlights of our trip and we had people from age 7-78! The lunch at La Portada was phenomenal!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to The Sacred Valley: Cochahuasi, Awanakancha & Pisac

Peru

Our guide David was very friendly and well spoken/educated. We loved seeing the Incan ruins with him!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Peru

Jacqueline was a great guide! The climb was somewhat challenging for the 7 y/o and 78 y/o but Jacqueline made sure to stop and rest along the way. She answered all our questions and gave us a lot of interesting information. It was a once in a lifetime type of day!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I created my itinerary with Liz Karen for Cusco and surrounding areas. The trip turned out better than I imagined. We felt like VIPs and loved it. Communication with Liz Karen was easy and consistent when I was in the US and in Peru.
We had a private shuttle for the 8 of us. We felt extremely safe and they were excellent drivers on some very extremely difficult dirt roads.
Our first and last guide was Manuel Cevallos. He was amazing. He knew his facts and history. He was interesting and kind and really followed our lead on what was important to us.
One guide we had was Luis Eschaz Taipe. He took us mountain biking and to our white water rafting excursions. He also stayed with us at the hotels. He was fun and attentive. He played the guitar and sang for us. He used an excellent camera and took pictures of us on the excursions.
Our guide through Machu Pichu was Extreme Turbulencia. They took good care of us, but we would have preferred Manuel in MP. I don’t want to say anything negative because they were so kind, but the English was difficult and the presentation style did not hold our attention.
Our base hotel Casa San Blas was excellent. I would 100% recommend and stay there again. The staff was so kind kind and helpful. Breakfast was excellent every morning. Extremely clean and the location was excellent.
Our biggest surprise and treat was staying in the Sacred Valley at El Mangal. The food was amazing (two of us with celiac and it was still delicious). A tour of the fruit and cacao farm and making our own drinks from the beans was so interesting and fun. They made us feel so special. We planted a tree and named it “Walter” after our Grandfather. They had a beautiful pool and accommodations were nice.
Using KimKim was extremely expensive, but we did the trip “right” and I have no regrets. We felt extremely safe and well cared for.

Hotel Reviews

Casa San Blas Boutique

Cusco

Perfect hotel. Clean. Kind and helpful staff. Excellent location Delicious breakfast So kind. I’d return and recommend 100%.

Authenticity & Character

Charming and comfortable. We spent a lot of time on the balcony enjoying the stars. The included filtered water was very appreciated.

Location

Central location. We felt extremely safe and let our kids go out to the shops nearby.

Staff

Marcos, JD, and our morning breakfast chef - she was so cute but can’t recall her name / we’re amazingly kind and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perfect.

El Albergue Ollantaytambo Boutique Hotel

Cusco

Great location for catching the train. The dining room served good food. I’d stay again.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the flower gardens around the rooms.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inti Punku MachuPicchu Hotel & Suites

Machu Picchu, Aguas Calientes

Nice hotel with big rooms. Very convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

They were very kind to let us hangout in the lobby and restaurant as we waited for family and shuttle.

El Mangal

Maranura

The best place to stay. You are staying on a farm with a native Peruvian family. They take care of you like you are family. The tour and cocoa activities were so fun. They made our stay special. The food was amazing. The chef cooked excellent dishes that were gf. Two of us have celiac and our dishes were fabulous.

Authenticity & Character

Amazing experience in visiting the farm and eating farm to table.

Location

It’s a hard drive to get to, but worth the experience.

Staff

So so kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice big rooms.

Activity Reviews

Shared Cooking Classes Ivanna Lescano (18:00 - 19:30) w/assistance

Cusco

What a great experience. Chef Christine had so much energy and made the class amazing. Two of us have celiac and 4 people didn’t like seafood and I asked for something we could make at home in Idaho. She did it, she gave us a gf dish that my 14 year old could follow the recipe and create again at home. If time allowed we all would have done another class. She also had so much information to share regarding cuisine in Peru.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

LizBeth from KimKim came and got us from our hotel and we walked together. That was nice.

Private Llama trek, Ancestral Weaving & Salt Flats of Maras

Peru

We did not go to the Salt flats. We did the weaving and llama trek. Tour guide Manuel Cevallos was exceptional. It was evident that Manuel had an exceptional reputation there, we were immediately welcomed as his friend. They were kind to us and served us very well in learning about weaving, llamas and alpacas. Roaming the store and looking at all the items in the store was very fun too, and we probably spent too much time in the store, and money.

Quality of Experience

So fun.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Driver was great. Not easy roads:). Manuel knew his information and his presentation style is excellent.

Transport

Comfortable van.

Shared Short Inca Trail Trek 1/2

Peru

To enter through the sun gate and see Machu Picchu right there was absolutely amazing and something I had waited my whole life to see. It seemed surreal. This was a fantastic experience. The views were amazing, and the challenge was self fulfilling. Don’t miss this 1 day experience. I have two bad knees, used walking sticks and took my time. My 14 year old daughter, who never exercises, ran most of it. The hike is uneven trails and tons of steps. It was hard, but doable at your own pace. One day hiking was plenty.

Quality of Experience

Take your time. Set your own pace and do it!

Food

The regular lunch was fine. The gf lunch was a hard big piece of bread with no deli meat or cheese. It was fun of fruit and snacks so it came out okay.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Angel from Extreme Turbulence was a great hiker and kept tabs on everyone. We also had another younger guide that brought up the back of the group that was kind. They provided duffle bags which met us at our hotel, otherwise we might have had to hike with our 3 day bag, which wasn’t going to happen.

Transport

Shared Short Inca Trail trek 2/2: Machu Picchu

Peru

Bucket list complete! Once you walk through an area you can’t turn around. It’s one direction so don’t rush. Take your time in each area. It was interesting how every tour guide said different things about the same item or use at MP. It was nice to listen as you walked.

Quality of Experience

Just being there with my family. Finally achieving this goal.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private tour to Sacsayhuaman, Cochahuasi & Pisac

Cusco

Manuel Cevallos has great knowledge about this area too. It was a beautiful day. He brought a personal friend that was a Sharma (?). He did a prayer ceremony and made an offering to the mountains and glaciers. It was a great personal experience and then he did a prayer for each of us with the offering. It was amazing to hear his story of how he became.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Inca Jungle - Adventure Tour 2/3

Santa Teresa

Staying at El Mangal was another highlight of the trip. Amazing experience with being on this plantation/farm/orchard. Stay here!

Quality of Experience

El Mangal is the place to stay. For culture and food and clean lodging. The biking was really fun, but be very comfortable on a bike before you go. The Whitewater water rafting was really great. It is short. You get off and jump from a rock and hike to a waterfall. They are experienced guides. The driving for the Inca Trail is amazing scenery, extremely scary, but the drivers know the road and kept us safe.

Food

El Mangal was amazing cuisine, and the restaurant we stopped at between biking and water rafting was delicious too. The owner of the restaurant wasn’t the nicest guy, but the food was good.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luis Echaiz Taipe is a great adventure tour guide. He was very fun and extremely kind and made sure we were all comfortable.

Transport

The roads to the Inca Trail are extremely uneven, scary, bumpy, windy with lots of switchbacks. Have your motion, sickness, medicine at hand.

Private Mystic Experience & Culture Immersion at San Pedro Local Market

Cusco

This was a private, beautiful barbecue, that we did at a small hotel that sits above the city. It was fabulous. Lizbeth took us there and then we walked home.

Food

The food was amazing. It was an outdoor barbecue and they met are gluten-free needs.

Liz Karen is responsive and trustworthy. Everything on my itinerary happened without issue and I was eternally grateful. I have limited Spanish and was traveling solo so using a booking agent to schedule rides and flights, plus excursions and rooms was most helpful. I can't recommend Andean Travel Experience enough. They followed through on everything they promised.

We had a wonderful trip to Peru and Bolivia.

Kristy, the tour specialist, was very responsive with quotes and flexible with customizing our plan towards our style and what we want to do.

The local venues of hotels and resorts they used were great and local tour operators were fantastic too. Most of the tours were very well organized. The guides were attentive and knowledgeable. Even the drivers were very punctual, polite and professional. When there was a miscommunication, the problem was solved quickly. Kristy was responsive promptly to any questions and concerns we had during the trip as well.

Our trip was so much easier and less stressful because Kimkim and their local teams organized all of our guides, drivers, and transfers in advance. We didn't have to figure out how to get from one place to another. This way we were able to fit in more activities than we could have if we had been responsible for driving and arranging transportation.

Overall, we made fantastic memories and loved the trip. Many thanks to Kristy and local operators.

Each of our transfers, guides, and tours were all top-notch. We enjoyed our hotels as well.

Hotel Review

Antigua Casona San Blas

Cusco

Very cool vibe, nice touches, like hot water bottles in our bed, hot tea in the evenings , etc. Nice breakfast. Central location. Excellent staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Private One Day Inca Trail Hike to Machu Picchu

Peru

Our guide, Freddy, was the best!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport