マチュピチュ4日間 , 聖なる谷とクスコ-プライベートガイドツアー

In May, we did the 2 day Inca trail hike with Valentin himself after a friend had highly recommended him and his company from their honeymoon a few years prior. I'm so glad I listened to her, as we had the best time and were so well looked after by Valentin, and really felt that the value for money was so worth it given the experience we had and having our own private tour guide. It is very clear to see his passion and love of his country, and sharing the history and sights with tourists that come to visit. Everything from start to finish was amazing - the communication before the tour, collecting us from our hotel to take us to the railway station, handling everything with train check in and admission to the heritage site, leading us along the trail and packing extra water for us, teaching us facts along the way (his bird sounds were particularly impressive!), taking photos of us in every spot we wanted, a delicious packed lunch while we sat at the Sun Gate looking down on Machu Picchu for the first time, and organising the hotel stay in Aguas Calientes with a fantastic meal in the evening. The 2nd day, we had a tour of the Machu Picchu grounds and learnt so much about the history of the people and how they built the various sections of the site. We were then given some free time to have some lunch back down in the village before embarking on our journey back to Ollantaytambo. The train journey was fantastic, Valentin once again took care of boarding and finding our seats, and we were treated to live music, a pisco sour shot and snacks in the entertainment carriage. The observatory train cabins where we sat on the journey back where amazing - taking in the sights of the valley, river and the mountains surrounding us was breath taking. The trip was so well organised, smooth and we had so much fun. I would highly recommend Valentin and his tour company for any trips you are looking to do in Peru. I just wish we had organised the other tours we did through him. Thank you so much for everything and hopefully I will be back one day to explore more of the beautiful Peru!

Trying to focus on what I look for in a review here, knowing there will never be enough space to truly share our appreciation for Valentin, Simon, Royur, Beto, Lorenzo, and crew! We had not one worry with Valentin and his crew. Communication was spot on, even when the airline cancelled one of our flights and we had to pivot. Valentin and team were helpful, communicative, and flexed our plans to made sure we didn't miss anything that we had planned. We were in Peru for 10 days total. Day and a half in Cusco and Ollantaytambo, and then we opted for the 5 day inca trail journey (strongly recommend!) While the Inca Trail hike was still 4 days from start to finish, once we arrived at Machu Picchu, we were able to have lunch at the Sun Gate, take photos, and walk down to the top of Circuit One (which is included in the Inca Trail tickets). Then, we took the bus down to Machu Picchu city and were able to shower(!), rest, and get a good night sleep before waking up and heading back up to Machu Picchu to tour it on day 5. So, so happy we did this. We were exhausted, dirty, and hot when we arrived on day four, and taking that extra night to shower, rest, and get good rest allowed us to be more present for the tour of the ruins the next morning. Highly recommend! This version of the hike also allowed us to skip a good majority of the crowds, which was nice. Our guide for the Inca trail, Simon, was fantastic--knowledgeable, motivating, and so easy to talk to. He really made the hike--I suggest requesting him, if possible! We rented sleeping bags, hiking poles, and air mats, and were so happy we did so that we did not have to carry. We brought fleece sleeping bag liners and hand warmers for the cold mountain nights, and that was a brilliant move--made the cold temps at night manageable. The team was attentive, efficient, kind, and motivating. The food that our chef, Royur cooked, was incredible. We had seen pictures prior, so we were excited for the food, but they fed us SO WELL. Delicious and accommodating to our dietary needs. Waking up to hot water and tea at our tents was lovely, and being able to just check out from the "details" of camping made the experience so memorable. We were able to fully submerse ourselves in the surroundings and culture. Make sure you pack cash, because you will end up wanting to tip the porters, chef, and guide more than you had originally planned. They truly went above and beyond and our gratitude was emotional when we had to say "goodbye" to them all. They truly were the perfect group. Also, Valentin sets the bar high with how his porters are treated, paid, and accommodated on the trails--not something every tour company does! We also visited, Maras, Maras Salt Mines, Chincero, Ollantaytambo Fortress, Rainbow Mountain, Various markets, Seminario Pottery Studio, and we were able to visit Valentin's home farm and meet his family and have lunch. Just as my title says--if we could relive this experience, we would. It was the trip of a lifetime! Do not sleep on Rainbow Mountain--it is absolutely worth the day trip!! While in Cusco, if you have free time, we highly recommend, checking out Pachapapa and Yaku restaurant, and in Machu Picchu City...the alpaca "hug" at Full House will not disappoint you! Thank you to Valentin and Simon for taking such great care of us. We will forever be recommending you to anyone we hear is even considering visiting Peru! You are family, forever! We had the BEST TIME!

Walking the Incan Trail to Machu Picchu was an incredible experience in itself. I feel strongly that the experience was 10x better because of Valentin, Simon, Royur, Bautista, Lorenzo, and the entire team. What an amazing group. They have known each other for many years, are family members, and really enjoy each other's company and work well as a team. I felt safe and even pampered because of this. Valentin and Simon are natural teachers. They were always educating us about flora, fauna, politics, history, and the culture of their country. Royur is an incredible chef. Our mind's were blown with the incredible food we ate of the trail. I don't know if our experience would have been as incredible if we had gone with a different tour company.

Valentin and his staff made this an unforgettable adventure! With their support it was possible to hike the Inca Trail through the SunGate for our first view of Machu Picchu a reality and check this off our “bucket list!” We also visited his farm & school. This was a highlight of our adventure. We also bikes down a mountain, and enjoyed 2 home stays. We got an intimate introduction into Peru’s culture beyond Machu Picchu. Percy, our “family’s “ guide was knowledgeable, supportive, enthusiastic, encouraging and most importantly a GREAT human! As is Valentin & his staff. I would highly recommend this company as well as Thrive Adventures.

We actually were fortunate enough to have Valentin and Kenny share multiple days with us, including the Moray ruins, the salt mines, Pisac, Machu Picchu , Sacsayhuaman, and their lovely farm (with an otherworldly pachamanca feast by chef Roger! And chicha demo by the matriarch). Valentin and his son, Kenny, were amazing and treated us like family. They shared stories of their lives, the history and cosmology of the Incan and pre-Incan tribes, and beautiful traditions. Valentin was a font of knowledge and also had a great sense of humor. Everything they managed went smoothly, and they were kind and flexible. Beto was our charming driver for the time we shared. importantly, the profits earned from this operation help support a local school founded by Valentin. By booking with Valentin’s Pachamama Journeys, you are securing a trip of a lifetime, giving business to a pillar of the community & multigenerational farming family, and supporting local children. I can’t imagine experiencing Peru any other way. Thank you, my brothers!

Great trip! The guides are amazing. They took such good care of them.

Listen up people — there’s just no need to do any further comparison shopping. You want Pachamama Journeys to take you on the Inca Trail, to Machu Picchu, and to all the wonderful places that Cusco & Peru have to offer. Why? Because the guides are authentic, passionate, and sincere about their country and their Sacred Valley.

Our four day hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu was seamless! The knowledge of our guide Percy, was exceptional of the ruins, the birds, and the plants. Food was spectacular, especially when you realize we were in very remote locations. I recommend this company strongly. All details were taken care of.

Valentine’s guide, Percy Ayala, was superb. His 776th guided tour of MachuPichu. His English was fluent, he used his engineering degree to provide detailed insights into Inca architecture and technology and had a great knowledge of orchids. He encouraged us across the entire four day trek. The porters and chef were also fantastic. The food was unbelievably good given they carried everything. Even the portable toilet was always spotless. First class in everything!!

This group is nothing short of spectacular. They went above and beyond for every aspect of this trip. They are very kind, attentive, knowledgeable and 2 steps ahead of the game. Kenny took us to Cusco to replace our essentials after our luggage was lost our first day. Our days were thoughtfully planned to get the most out of the experience. Other group tours had much longer waits. Valentin navigated drop off spots and timing to get off the train to stay ahead of the crowds and avoid traffic back to Cusco. He navigated everything to minimize time lost. Roger took great care of my 9yo boy during the Inca trail hike encouraging him to maintain a great pace. It was so fun to cook with Roger because he has great energy. We had THE BEST pictures. They went out of their way to get the best angles and poses. All other travelers were trying to hit up our guides when they saw how much effort was put into capturing our moments. Talk about knowledgeable about history. Valentin is a strong history buff helping us to understand meaning and importance of locations, architecture and pieces of art. Also Valentin so caring when my daughter got sick. The cough suppressant helped! If I spoke Spanish and less of a chicken traveling internationally as a single mom with 2 kids I would still book them. There are too many ins and out that you want an expert to handle.