Peruvian Soul

My group had an outstanding trip to Peru. From our pick up in Lima to our drop off on our final day, everything was taken care. All of our drivers and guides were incredible and made our trip feel fun and special. We did a food tour in Lima and then flew to the sacred valley, where we hiked and visited a number of Incan sites, including Macchu Picchu, and we ended our trip in Paracas, where we relaxed, took a boat trip to the ballestas, visited the nazca lines, and did sand boarding. The customized experience allowed us to get a perfect mix of experiences for our group in the most fun and comfortable way. I would definitely recommend Kim Kim to anyone looking to book an incredible vacation.

Hotel Reviews

Innside Lima Miraflores by Melia Hotels International

Miraflores

Awesome boutique hotel in Lima

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taypikala Deluxe Valle Sagrado

Urubamba

The room was lovely and clean, but the experience at this hotel was strange. They wouldn’t give my husband and I each a key card for the room because they ran out of keys, but we both wanted to come in and out of the room at different times. We had terrible service at the restaurant (for example they brought out the wrong order for me and didn’t bother to correct it after I mentioned that the order was wrong, and service was slow), and the food wasn’t very good. They also put the wrong charges on our room and it took a while to correct. I also found the vibe strange - it felt like a hunting lodge meets wellness retreat.

La Hacienda Bahía Paracas

Paracas

Great hotel - amazing room, staff/service, and location.. The pool is beautiful, the hotel offers free kayaks/paddleboards, and there’s a free museum on site. Great food at the restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking food tour at Barranco

Lima

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Unu

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

On route stops at Maras & Moray

Peru

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hike to Machu Picchu (Short Trail)

Peru

Sandboarding at Paracas Desert

Paracas

Arrival to Lima and journey to Paracas

Peru

Paracas National Reserve Cliff-top Viewpoints Afternoon

Paracas

Soft hike from Pachar to Ollantaytambo

Sacred Valley

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Ceremony at Viacha Community & Hike Downhill to Pisac

Peru

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Sacred Valley

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Ballestas Islands from a private hotel pier

Paracas

We used kimkim because we didn't have a ton of time to plan the logistics of hoping so over Peru ourselves. So glad we did! Nicholas included little gems like visiting the Amaru Community that we never would've found ourselves. And when we had an issue with missing a connecting flight, the team was with us every step in figuring out Plan B. Best of all, every guide we had--especially Guido for Machu Picchu--was top notch. The guides were local, very knowledgeable, and willing to share cultural explanations and advice. I would definitely use kimkim to book another trip.

Activity Reviews

On route stops at Maras & Moray

Peru

So different than anything I've experienced.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking food tour at Barranco

Lima

Loved the stops and the food. Found myself seeking out the fruits from the first stop and lucuma from the ice cream through the whole rest of our trip. Wish we had learned more about the neighborhood history on the tour. We learned some, but I wouldn't mind more. The pace was also a little rushed. Felt like we were scrambling to keep eating

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pachamanca: Traditional Andean Underground Cooking

Sacred Valley

Really enjoyed learning about this style of cooking and helping to do it. The coffee and distillery were neat add-ons while we waited for the food to cook.

Quality of Experience

Food

The lamb and pork were really dry. Not sure if it was supposed to be that way or if they should've used larger cuts of meat. More carrots and fava beans wouldn't hurt. Loved everything else though, especially the chicken, salad, sauces, and beverages. Overall, it was about the experience, so I didn't mind the dry meat, but the dry pork/lamb was the only thing that wasn't perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Andean Ceremony at Viacha Community & Hike Downhill to Pisac

Peru

We did Amaru Community. Neat experience and exposure.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Unu

Sacred Valley

A great introduction to the Andes and a good time for a rest.

Hike to Machu Picchu (Short Trail)

Peru

Just incredible. Kind of wish I'd allotted time for more hiking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guido is just the best. Really enjoyed our prepacked lunch, too

Transport

Soft hike from Pachar to Ollantaytambo

Sacred Valley

Good way to ease into hiking

Machu Picchu Exploration

Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guido is the best!

Transport

The travel itinerary for our trip to Peru was spectacular, full of so many extraordinary and special places, excursions, experiences, food, alpacas & people! Pretty much everything went off without a hitch. Our guides were all knowledgeable, organized, attentive, friendly, helpful and prompt. Very professional!
Peru is an absolutely beautiful country with amazing history and an incredible culture.
I did feel like we were a little unprepared for some things and perhaps that’s on us! Inkaterra Resort in the rainforest is magical (excursions, lodging, staff, food) but be prepared for no AC in extremely hot & humid temps, fans and electric off mid day for several hours and from 10pm-4am each evening. No wifi. Still worth it! Also, Definitely take plenty of bug spray :)
For the 8 mile Inca trail hike into Macchu Picchu it was quite a bit more difficult than expected and we had to carry all of our things on our backs for the overnight (thankfully we had backpacks), along with enough water for the full day. We had to borrow 2 hiking sticks each from our guide as there was a great deal of climbing and descending very uneven and sometimes wet and slippery terrain. Took us about 8 hours. Totally worth it however and a must do if you can!
There were lots and lots of street peddlers in many areas, predominantly Cusco, that were pretty aggressive with their selling techniques and stray dogs and puppies in various states of well being almost everywhere we went (except for Lima). A few were almost hit by our driver! That part of things was a bit stressful.
On our last day there we were scheduled to go to Rainbow Mountain but read it was a 3 hour drive there, a difficult 4 mile round trip hike to the mountain in very high elevation, followed by a 3 hour return drive. We also heard that at the present time it was covered in snow so not visible anyway. Luckily we researched that on our own and were able to cancel it and book an easier and more laid back excursion that was much closer to Cusco for our last day. If we’d gone through all of that and been unable to see the mountain we’d have been very disappointed. We are in our 50’s with a few health issues and were a little surprised with the strenuousness of some of the activities that it wasn’t fully explained or discussed (what the excursion entailed and if we were capable of it). Other than those few things to be aware of, so you do not make the same mistakes we did - we highly recommend this trip! Extremely special indeed. Thanks to all who worked so hard to make this a delightful and memorable trip for us.

The entire trip was planned so well by Anne and the entire Peruvian Soul company. My tour guides Nancy and Daniel were super friendly and knowledgeable about the different parts of Lima, Ollyantaytambo, Machu Picchu and Cusco. It was so nice to have the trip planned out with different excursions and plans already made, including all the transfers in super comfortable shuttles with great drivers, tons of leg room and space to spread out. Anne even came to the airport pickup to help me acclimate and answer any questions along the way to the first hotel. The hotel's chosen by Peruvian Soul were the perfect hotels! From Luxury in Lima at Hotel B, to a convenient stay at Sumaq in Aguas Calientes and the centrally located Wnydham in Cusco, I enjoyed every stay.

Peruvian Soul was also very on top of the communication throughout the entire trip. I had multiple points of contact whom I could ask questions to or get any updates during my stay. The best part of working with Peruvian Soul, Anne and KimKim was the flexibility. I wanted to make a change to the itinerary during the trip and they were able to cancel a tour and get me into a different experience, literally overnight. So responsive and everything was run on time and super smoothly. I would highly recommend using KimKim and Peruvian Soul for anyone planning a trip to Peru.

Muchisimas gracias a todo los personas que me ayudan durante este viaje!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel B

Lima

Beautiful boutique hotel in the bohemiam Barranco neighborhood. Close to many restaurants, stores and art galleries. Great beds and water pressure in the bathrooms. Beautiful and delicious breakfasts included as well as afternoon tea and snacks every day. Great bartenders and food at the on-site restaurant. Very nice rooftop bar with a view to the Pacific Ocean as well. Definitely stay here for luxury, ambience, service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sumaq Machu Picchu Hotel

Machu Picchu

Great one night stay at this luxurious hotel. Recieved a welcome drink as I checked in and the bed was just so comfortable. Dinner at the restaurant was a gourmet three course experience and breakfast buffet the next day was also delicious. I loved the marble bathroom with the amazing rain shower and Locitaine products. Highly recommend staying here for a night or two during your Machu Picchu visit.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Costa del Sol Cusco by Wyndham

Cusco

Very well located right near the main Plaza de Armas in Cusco city. Beautiful property with an inner courtyard to sit and enjoy the ambiance. Breakfast buffet was nice and full with an assortment of Peruvian and American specialities. While the room was a bit on the smaller side, it was well appointed and functional.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Walking food tour at Barranco

Lima

This was much more than a food tour as we visited art galleries, historical sites and shops as well as eating different traditional Peruvian foods along the way. I enjoyed my day with Nancy learning about the history of Barranco and it's food.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Must sees in Lima

Lima

I had a great time on this tour with my guide, Nancy. We had plenty to talk about and see, and I felt like I really got to understand the city better. Nancy was personable and chatty, which made the day even more enjoyable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ollantaytambo Village and Inca Site Exploration

Peru

I enjoyed this whole day, even though the guide was a bit delayed due to traffic. The driver was accommodating and we met up with the guide shortly after. I loved the lunch in Ollantaytambo and the tour of the Inca ruins, although it was a bit of a hike. I felt a little underprepared for the physical exertion, but overall, the day was fantastic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunch at Chuncho Restaurant

Sacred Valley

I really enjoyed the lunch at Chuncho Restaurant. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was pleasant.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Morning Visit to Machu Picchu

Peru

Machu Picchu was a memorable experience, although I wished for a bit more history or explanation of the site from the guide. The one-on-one tour was great, but it felt a bit impersonal. It could have been improved with more engagement from the guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cusco Walking City Tour with San Francisco Church

Cusco

I really enjoyed the walking city tour of Cusco. Being a private tour, we were able to tailor the day to my interests which included visiting an additional cathedral and shopping for specific souvenirs. The flexibility and personalization of this tour were top-notch.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Used kimkim to customize a 12 day trip to Peru with time in Lima, Paracas, Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu, Cusco, and Puno and loved every minute of it. Anne organized every transfer, guide, ticket, hotel, etc… and everything went perfectly. As a well seasoned traveler who usually does all the organizing and bookings myself, kimkim saved us hours (if not weeks) of work on this trip. All our guides were fantastic - kind, professional, intelligent - and made sure we were taken care of at all times. Most notably, we spent a good amount of time with Gabrielle and Sondro in Cusco (they were exceptional!). Eddie at Machu Picchu and Willy in Puno also took great care of us. Kimkim made great hotel choices - excellent locations, services, and amenities and their suggestions on activities in Peru were spot on! Would definitely use kimkim again! Love love love!! Thank you for the wonderful holiday!❤️

The Lares Trek was awesome! Our team was very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Our guide carried us all the way through to Machu Pichu!

The Amazon adventure was Awesome as well. Our guide was also very knowledgeable and professional.

Same with Rainbow Mountain with Jesus!

Very disappointed with the Xima hotel. Not a 4 star hotel. The room was dirty and bath room floor had feces on it! We would like our money back for the Xima hotel stay

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!