Rough Guides Peru Tailor-made trips reviews

“Our second experience using Insight Guides made for a worry-free trip that included Cusco, Lake Titicaca and the Peruvian Amazon: transfers were always on time, flexible if we wanted to change times a bit, and drivers and guides super friendly. Of the three contact people who coordinated itineraries, I have to single out Benjamin who was so helpful, friendly and responsive. Suggestion early on that we opt for Titicaca Lodge rather than another hotel was made by our initial contact, Jeferson, and was spot on: We could not have had a better experience on a floating island so thanks to Jeferson for that advice. My advice to others: Double check the details and really pin down exactly what you are getting. The promised cooking class in Cusco was not as billed, and just involved us watching a busy kitchen prepare local cuisine for lunch -- which was good but definitely not hands-on as promised. In the Amazon we had asked twice about the level of room we were getting; asked for Comfort which was an upgrade, were promised we were getting all Premium rooms but when we got to the Rainforest Lodge we were told we had booked a Standard which was super small. The lodge upgraded us to a suite which was nice and made a huge difference. Similarly our room in Lima was so small that we practically fell over each other -- even though we were told by Insight that all our accommodation was premium (it turns out we were in the smallest, cheapest room in that hotel). We worked with Benjamin to change hotels for our final two nights which cost a bit of extra but made for a much better experience. So double check every detail that is part of the itinerary and make sure you are getting what you think you should be getting for your money. The devil is always in the details.”

“The tour advisor was extremely helpful and helped us to build a bespoke tour. However, what actually happened was not exactly what we thought we had booked. We had booked a 5 day 4 night trip to the Peruvian Amazon Jungle and were expecting to have all 4 nights in one place, we had to transfer to a second lodge in the final night in order to do one of the excursions that we had booked, we only found out about this when we arrived in the first lodge. We had also booked a trip to a chocolate plantation to see the whole process from growing the cacao beans to producing a chocolate bar. Our lodge did not seem to know that we had done this and had us booked for a fishing expedition. We did neither in the end, but the (trainee) tour guide arranged for us to have a chocolate preparation/cooking session in stead at the lodge. Not what we had booked. The level of English for the tour guide was also very poor, which did not help our overall experience. Having said that, we did have a good time in the trip.”

“The itinerary covered all the places we wanted to visit and it was great to have the internal flights, transport and logistics organised for us. The arrangements put in place worked very well and saved us a lot of time and hassle, enabling us to enjoy the trip even more. Overall we had a great time. The one point for improvement was the choice of some of the hotels we were allocated. Many of them were really more suited to and dealt mostly with large groups of travellers so the two of us did feel rather "second best" and squeezed at times as we competed for service (and even food) with large coach parties. Smaller, more boutique style places (like those generally recommended in the Rough Guide itself) would have been better for us.”

“Response and support were quick and consistent through planning, paying, travel prep, during the trip and even after we were home. Connection to a local expert was fast and then they handled all of my questions in prompt message replies and even a real-time call. Love how they took care of bookings, tickets, transfers/transportation and even acknowledged our son's birthday. All tour guides, drivers and local contacts were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. It all went so smoothly - a great vacation!”

“Tamer did an excellent job organizing my last-minute trip to Peru. My mum was originally meant to join me but had to cancel due to a sudden injury. Although the tour was non-refundable, Taner was very understanding and helped with adjustments to the LATAM flights, which I really appreciated. The overall itinerary was well planned, and everything ran smoothly. Tamer stayed in touch throughout the trip and was always available when needed. The Sacred Valley hotel and local guides were wonderful, and the whole experience was memorable. The only downside was the hotel in Cusco, which I wouldn’t recommend due to poor service and noise, but that was the only weak point in an otherwise great trip. Tamer is patient, professional, and genuinely cares about his clients’ experience. I’d definitely recommend him and would be happy to book through him again in the future.”

“I can't praise or recommend the Rough Guides strongly enough for the arrangements for our month in Peru with our two young children. When planning the trip, RGs were attentive, responsive, cheerful, sympathetic and constructive. The trip we ended up with was amazing: we achieved exactly what we dreamed of - and more. The travel partner RG partnered with in Peru were absolutely first class: everything happened like clockwork with local guides who were professional, informative, kind and always went the extra mile. We had genuine 24/7 contact with their Peruvian head office too, which eliminated a great deal of potential stress and prevented a number of logistical mishaps in circumstances outside their control. We would definitely recommend RG and are certainly going to use them again for our next big adventure!”