Family-Friendly Peru Vacation: Amazon to Andes

Everything scheduled and planned exceeded our expectations. The follow-up by the Zicasso travel agent during our trip was an unexpected, nice touch. It seemed each day was better than the previous one.

There were drivers, transfer reps, and guides.

The job of the drivers is self-evident.

The transfer reps met us at airports and docks, handled all logistics, and got us from point A to B. They all proved efficient and helpful, and were universally of good cheer.

Our guides were all excellent – knowledgeable, patient, insightful, and eager to share their knowledge with us. We were fortunate to have a guide for five days in the Andes. We recommend him without hesitation.

Our package included a “three-night, four-day” stay on a luxury riverboat, with strong emphasis on “luxury” in every sense of the word. However, boarding at 5.30pm on day one (we landed in Iquitos at 2.30pm) and departing at 8am on day four meant we really only had two full days on the Amazon, but those days were grand.

We told our agent of our interests. Besides the usual museums and archeological sites (all very interesting), he also arranged "experiences" – cooking (we learned how to mix a pisco sour) and visits with a really cool farmer/entrepreneur and a tile artist (the artist was interesting, the workshop “experience” meh.)

On our last day, we visited CORE Archaeology and the MAP Museum in Cusco with a guide, a transplanted Irishman. It was one of the highlights of a trip with many, many of them.

Every hotel our agent booked us into was excellent.

We asked for a Peru trip that included the Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu; our agent took it from there. She arranged three days at a research center in the rainforest and then assigned us an expert guide who shepherded the two of us through the many Inca ruins in the Cusco area, and finally led us to Machu Picchu!

Everything went without a hitch; the hotels were very attractive, the food was interesting, and we did not suffer the "Revenge!". Our agent's tour earned our highest recommendation.

First of all - Peru is an amazing country, rich with colorful culture, people and food. I was going there with my lovely wife with usual preparation information gleaned from the internet through various sites and excitement as we prepared for South American Amazon and Machu Picchu, Cusco, Sacred Valley stops on an 11 day journey.Little did I know, I would be immersed in an experience of sight, sound, taste and feel - a journey that caused many moments of deep reflection, appreciation, gratitude, and love for humanity. A huge part of this gratitude for putting together this opportunity goes to our new friends our travel planners at this travel company. They organized a wonderful cross dimensional trip across the jungle and arid lands this country offers, where we had personal and personable, highly intelligent and knowledgeable guides that left us speechless at times as we absorbed all the cultural teachings, offerings (in Spanish and English). One travel planner even met us on our last full day to personally escort our visit with the lovely teachers and children of local village house – an educational charity working in the small town of Oropesa and other villages in the surrounding rural area 25km outside of Cusco, Peru. The charity offers a comprehensive afterschool program in academic and non-academic subjects, along with helping the children with their homework, which takes the burden off the parents. Thank you so so much!!

Our travel planner organized beautiful, amazing tours with Excellent guides: Amazon lodge stay and a local tour company (loved our new friend and guide); Sacred Valley, Maras Salt mines, Moray Ruins, Cusco Community Home visit (so special, honored new friend and guide); Machu Picchu guided tour and next day Sun Gate ascend and walk down to town; Cusco 2 day visit with a San Pedro Market tour and Amazing cooking class (with honored new friend and guide/professional chef).

We HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this travel company for Peru, and we intend to schedule future Galapagos, Brazil, Chile or Argentina trips with them also – thank you guys so so much!! Words will never express our feelings of gratitude and great fortune working with and getting to know you both (especially our planner – you’re an excellent driver BTW !)

Lastly and Importantly: Bring an appetite to experience the amazingly, indescribable flavors of this country – from the earth to plate, sprinkled with local and unbelievable spiced, herbed flavor diversity, there is a treasure to be had in the various dishes and preparations that reflect local historical significance. We had amazing food throughout our journey and encourage all who visit to expand their heart mind and pallet to capture the culinary opportunity that abounds in Peru!!

We just returned from a trip to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. We visited Lima, the Amazon, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco, with an overnight stay in Quito.

The Zicasso-recommended travel agency created the perfect itinerary for us. All of the transitioning from place to place was seamless, the hotels were beautiful, the recommendations for restaurants were great, and the guides we had were amazing. They were so enthusiastic and willing to share their knowledge about past and current history. We were so impressed with our travel agency that we are already considering our next journey with them.