10 Day Andean Highlights "Machu Picchu & Puno" with Local Flights

Customer Reviews

• 

  Edwin

  · November 2nd, 2024
  First day of Lima was good with Marco Polo where we had a city tour. We had a great time at Cusco/Machu Picchu/Ollantaytambo with Ernesto as our (private) guide for 3 days. Ernesto was very good with Inka history and explained a lot of the sites we've visited. Since we were the only 2 with Ernesto, the pace was more to our needs while we adapt to high altitude. The bus trip to Puno with Ernos was hard to understand as he talked pretty fast while interchanging between English and Spanish. Amantani island was NOT as expected, as we ended up climbing 300m up the 40 degree slope to get to our homestay for almost an hour. We were so tired from climbing to the homestay, that we couldn't climb further and didn't want to go to the top of the island afterwards. But we found out later, from others, that Ernos gave a history of the island before the trip, that we would have joined to hear the history without having to climb to the top. The next day was Taquile Island, again it was a 20min climb plus 40min hike to the plaza, then later a 545 steps down to the boat. After these 2 days of extreme hike at high elevation, my recovered right knee (had a torn meniscus) was hurting so bad that I couldn't walk properly for a week. We were not warned about the steep hikes at Amantani nor Taquile Islands, or we would not have joined this part of the tour and go to Amazon instead.
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  Trip date: October 2024
• BB

  Beverley

  · September 18th, 2024
  We enjoyed our trip very much. All the tourguides and drivers were courteous, helpful, on time and knowledgeable. We always felt safe safe and well taken care of. Percy was our guide the first few days of our trip and we were the only passengers so we pretty much had a private tour. Percy gave us plenty of time to explore all the places we went to, no rush, and giving us great opportunities to take photos. He was always ready to help and take photos of us. Machu Picchu was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We loved all the towns, cities and villages we visited. However, the reed island we stopped at in Lake Titicaca had a lot of trash lying around - seeing as this a major tourist attraction, there needs to be a major clean up. Amentia Island was wonderful. Our host family was so kind and gracious even though we spoke no Spanish. We had 2 young women in our group so they were able to translate for us. A shout out to Percy!!
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  Trip date: August 2024
• 

  Kathleen

  · September 17th, 2024
  I booked this tour hoping for an organised group holiday, Unfortunately this tour is actually not a tour, it's 4 seperate tours, with 4 different tour guides, all jammed together. First we had a non optional tour in Lima, we cut short our afternoon of exploring the Miraflores district and cancelled plans to use the hotel services to come downstairs to meet the rest of the group only to find out there was no group, and instead we were on a Portuguese walking tour of some highlights of the city. Not to worry though, we were assured we would meet the rest of the group in Cusco. We then flew to Cusco, were greeted by airport scammers, offered no assistance by the tour guide and ended up being charged $20USD for someone to walk 150m with our suitcases pretending to be the tour guide. Then we were taken to a hotel and the top of one of the semi suburban hills of Cusco and informed en route that there is no group holiday, my partner and I would be the only ones. I contacted the tour operator at this point and offered to extend/cancel/shorten any of the next week's tours in order to join the previous or following groups, but due to the limitations on Machu Picchu tickets this was impossible The next morning we were greeted by another new tour guide, and taken by bus for the next few days. I contacted the operator again at this point to express how disappointed I was that we had been passed from your to tour, were not with a group, etc. I got a 2hour yelling rant from the company owner about how I should appreciate being in Peru and experiencing the food and culture and I shouldn't be focusing on seeing other travellers (my partner and I had both been living and working overseas for 2+ years at this point, so if I'm honest seeing other Poles and Australians was one of the biggest selling points for a group tour) and we should know to be more careful to avoid scams, etc. I was assured that the final section, the bus journey and lake titikaka trip were a group tour, we were moved to a more central hotel in Cusco and I was prepared to let it all go. We spent a nice day or so in Cusco, saw some museums, bought some souvenirs, got an early night for the bus the next day and all was fine. The bus didn't pick us up, we waited in the lobby for an hour, got no answer when I tried to contact Inkayani or any of our previous guides. Eventually a taxi showed up, bustled us out the door with no real explanation, and started racing out of the city. An hour later, a whole hour at 120kmph and some of the most dangerous driving I've ever seen, we caught the bus tour at their first stop. The bus was owned and operated by a seperate company and the occupants were not on the same tour as us. I contacted Inkayani again, was assured again that the Lake Titikaka tour was a group trip. The taxi in Puno took us half way to the wrong hotel. Luckily I had an email mentioning the correct one, so a little walk around in the middle of the night with all our bags later we managed to check in. Another bus collection in the morning and we were taken to a predominantly french speaking, mixed group boat ride and not a group tour. Ultimately a combination of sea sickness and just being a bit over it all led to us skipping the overnight stay, coming back to Puno and trying to relax for a day. I approached Inkayani directly and through Tourradar to discuss a partial refund, especially considering the near death taxi ride that we never had an apology for, but was told I got exactly what I paid for. I would be reluctant to book through Tourradar again. And I couldn't in good conscience recommended this tour or Inkayani
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  Trip date: April 2024
• JG

  Jennifer

  · August 22nd, 2024
  Excellent 10 day Andean tour. 3 star accommodation very good. Our tour guide, Freddy, in Cusco area & Machu Picchu was excellent. He shared interesting information about Peruvian history & spirituality in all areas. Machu Picchu tour was incredible. We loved the other tours around Cusco too. Transfers well organised. Fabulous visits to Puno, Lake Titicaca, Uros floating island, Amantani & Tequile Island. Staying with a local family on Amantani Island was a highlight. We were welcomed with open arms and the family were so kind and welcoming. We loved getting dressed in traditional clothes and joining the dance celebration. Inkayni Tour company were very efficient in responding to any questions or concerns. Thank you for an incredible holiday in the Andes.
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  Trip date: August 2024
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  Katja

  · July 14th, 2024
  If you expect a tour where you have the same tour guide, bus/ van, and consistency for the length of the trip you will be disappointed. We liked our trip but would have been happier had we known up front how disjointed/ piece meal the trip would be. You will often be picked up and transferred by random drivers (AP to hotel and vice versa). There is no Inkayni representation in Lima, so the time there is with a city guide you will not see again and various other tourists from other hotels. In Cusco and the Sacred Valley we finally had some consistency with the same van, guide, and driver for 3 days but even then he would "ditch us" and then meet up with us again. Other tours had their guide with them on the train and in Aguas Calientes but ours said it was more convenient for him to come in late on another train and not be with us the entire time. After we returned to Cusco we were on our own again. One day in Cusco for sightseeing or for a day trip, then a bus trip with a lot of other tourists (30+) on a big bus from Cusco to Puno. In Puno/ Lake Titicaca we had a tour guide who was not affiliated with Inkayni, so again we were with a big group of people (30+) from all sorts of different tours. The promise of a small tour, no more than 10 participants was really only true for the 3 days in Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu/ Sacred Valley. We really hoped for the same 10 people, driver and guide the entire time and would have liked the trip better that way. The hotels were OK but not great. We really only liked the boutique hotel in Cusco. It was gorgeous and in a great area. The hotel in Lima looked nice in Google pics but was kind of run down and outdated in reality. We could not even find more than one working outlet in our room, and they messed up breakfast (front desk confirmed early breakfast due to early flight to Cusco the next morning but then it was not ready and the kitchen staff were annoyed with us and tried to send us away). The hotel in Aguas Calientes had some issues with hot showers and front desk security (they left a stack of passports alone on the desk with outside doors propped open where anyone could have come in from the street and stolen them. Also, we had a leaky toilet in our room which caused the room to smell. The hotel in Puno was cramped with 3 beds in the room (it was so tight one person had to climb over one bed to get to the 2nd bed) and we had no room to open our suitcases. Hot showers there were also inconsistent (sometimes great, sometimes required a call down to the front desk for hot water to come on). The home stay with a family on Amantani Island in lake Titicaca was unnecessarily stressful. We had not been properly prepared on what to expect and were ill equipped for the stay. We stayed in an uninsulated room where the door did not even shut completely. There was no heat in the room and no outlet. It smelled funny. Outside toilet only, and it did not flush, so we had to use a bucket of water after every business. No showers. We all spent a miserable cold night and promptly got sick (cough and runny nose). I like the idea of home stays to learn more about the culture and our host family was lovely but we were not prepared for the complete lack of comfort, and with a small child with us it felt reckless to spend the night without heat. Again, a little bit of detailed information/ transparency ahead of time would have gone a long way toward making an informed decision and knowing what to expect. We also feel bad that the families participating in the home stay have to wear traditional clothes no matter what the weather is- skirts and sandals for the women, when the temps were at times below 10 degrees C. Our host "mother" even said she'd like to have warm legs but she would risk a ticket if she changed her outfit to be more appropriate for the weather. The good things were that Inkayni staff were responsive to WhatsApp messages, polite and courteous and helpful as much as they could without being physically there. Also, without them there most of the time the many moving pieces worked out seamlessly- we always had a driver/ transport.
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  Trip date: July 2024
• AK

  Ahmer

  · July 12th, 2024
  Overall, it was an excellent trip. We all got to experience southern Peru, which included Lima, Cusco, Machu Picchu, and Lake Titikaka in about 10 days. The most difficult thing in this trip was dealing with the altitude as several members in the group had a hard time acclimating. Otherwise, the trip was very well led, the tour guides were very knowledgeable and personable. The least impressive day was the drive in the large bus from Cusco to Puno. It was a long drive, and even though there were stops along the way to look at additional temples, we would have been fine flying from Cusco and reducing the journey to just an hour or so.
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  Trip date: June 2024
• SM

  Satomi

  · June 11th, 2024
  I was expected visiting a public market, which was noted in the itinerary while I was in Cusco, but cut off. It was too late I noticed after coming back the hotel, it located a bit far from the center.😂
  Trip date: May 2024
• JS

  Judith

  · May 20th, 2024
  Can’t say enough good about your/our tour guides, Wilbert (Cusco, Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu) and Henry (Puno, Lake Titikaka and islands). Knowledgable and personable. Both took extra special care of my friend Ann especially when she had stomach issues and also when she needed assistance climbing at those high altitudes. My tour book didn’t even include Puno and surrounding environs; a highlight for both of us. Loved the unique family stay and eating what they ate — though I would have preferred that our hosts would have eaten with us. And kudos to your drivers. My goodness. Lima, even Puno and Cusco traffic, would have frazzled me! But they all handled it calmly. I look forward to my next Tour Radar adventure.
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  Trip date: May 2024
• VR

  Valerie

  · May 2nd, 2024
  The tour has an excellent itinerary, with so much interesting to see and experience! The guides were excellent, with the great knowledge and love for their land! Everything was organised nicely, all the pickups were on time with no or very little delays, the hotels were decent, the boarding passes for local flights and train tickets were provided in the timely manner. We would definitely recommend the trip to anyone who wants to explore and enjoy Peru with its unique culture and breathtaking views! The reason for taking off 1 star is the lack of information about the local operator SKY our local flights were booked through. Apparently, 2 pieces of luggage are allowed to be checked in for every passenger. But the airline simply hides this fact from you until you ask. They have a scheme of extracting your money, I’ll tell you how. At the time of checking in for your flight the attendant would ask how many pieces you want to check in. You give the number, check in your suitcases, and ask if the carry on pieces you have can be taken to the plane. They look at your carry on luggage (absolutely standard size with which you travel for years on all the other airlines), and confirm “yes, it is okay”
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  Trip date: March 2024
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  Mackenzie

  · November 14th, 2023
  A jam-packed, adventure-filled trip. Peru is a nature/adventure traveler's dream and this tour perfectly suits that. The tour was well organized, with comfortable accommodations and very knowledgeable guides to answer any questions. Each day varied with a cultural and activity-based element. My only critique is that I would have liked suggestions from the tour company as to how much spending money to bring (tipping is expected for almost everything) and more restaurant options from the guides on the days that we had free lunches. Overall, it was an incredible tour and I would highly recommend it.
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  Trip date: October 2023