Trips to Peru

Meals Review

The food on the Delfin I was 5 star all the way.  They even prepared our piranha that we caught and it was delicious! 

Crew & Guides Review

Every transfer, driver and guide was professional, reliable and couldn't have been better.  Each became a friend and were flexible enough to accommodate our desires during the day.  Couldn't say enough about all of these. 

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Our AdventureSmith Specialist was available always by email, phone to answer questions and the suggested packing lists were extremely helpful and really we had 3 different climates to pack for; coastal/urban in Lima, tropical jungle in Iquitos and cooler highlands in Cusco and we found that we had packed well thanks to the advice of AdventureSmith.

Accommodations Review

The Casa Andina properties were nice and Aranwa and Sol y Luna were absolutely superb.

Meals Review

Friends told me the food in Peru was great and they were right. The cooking class we had in Ariquipa was quite an experience. Unfortunately, Chica canceled on us but we were rescheduled in another location and the Chef was a true delight, sharing some historical and cultural perspectives on the dishes we prepared.

Crew & Guides Review

All of our guides we wonderful - full of knowledge and ready to help out with anything, they made every step of the trip exceptional.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

With so many unknowns it was nice to have someone present alternatives, suggest options, and schedule details. This provides important peace of mind. This is the first private guided vacation we've taken and it will definitely not be the last. I'll be sure to contact AdventureSmith for our next adventure!

Accommodations Review

Hard to believe that these lodges could be built in the middle of the wilderness and yet be so well equipped for our needs. Loved relaxing in the hot tub after a long day of hiking.

Meals Review

Delicious meals with a good variety of fish, meat, etc. throughout the trek. People aren't lying when they say it's possible to gain weight on this trip, despite the high level of activity. Three-course meals at lunch and dinner are the reason! But we loved every bite. Our lunch in a tent after completing our 15,000 foot summit on day three was particularly noteworthy because none of us could believe we were eating pears poached in warm red wine in the middle of nowhere!

Crew & Guides Review

I truly cannot say enough about Liz, our tour guide and leader, who made our experience all the more meaningful and memorable. She was able to deal with any and every situation that arose--from a very serious medical emergency for one of our participants to a pair of missing hiking boots that had been taken by a previous tour group, she was professional, calm, knowledgeable, funny, warm and competent. It was true peace of mind for me to know that she is a trained wilderness paramedic, in case anything went wrong for my family, but also that she was empathetic to our individual quirks, such as fear of heights. She showed her confidence in us and I was able to do things I never would have thought possible. Mountain Lodges of Peru should know how great a representative she was of their company. We are so happy she was our guide!

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Tiffany was outstanding! She is detailed oriented, thorough, concerned and well organized. I always felt that we were in good hands during the prep stage of the trip, and she was helpful and empathetic when our flights were delayed. She responded quickly to any questions or concerns and I wouldn't hesitate to use her again for future trips or to recommend her to family and friends. She's a true professional.

Traveler Advice

Make sure you are fit and active! Lots of challenging ascents and descents but every one was worth the effort. Huge sense of personal accomplishment to complete each and every day.

Feel free to use my email address if someone wants to speak with a previous traveller. I personally found it useful to speak with the owner of your company for his feedback before I booked our trip. His comments were reassuring and insightful.

Accommodations Review

When we were in the Costa del Sol airport hotel, didn't even need a guide as we could have been instructed to just leave the baggage claim, look to the right, and the only building there is the hotel (it has a walkbridge connected to the airport). All other hotels were above expectations.

Meals Review

I think on meals, a little more explanation would be helpful. Included hotel meals were a nice surprise as I didn't realize as many were included as they were. We are more foodie types, so the buffets were not really our thing. Probably great for most other American families. The thought of including meals was great, but I think if I knew they were buffet type meals in Macchu Picchu, I would have gone with having the guide take us to some more interesting places.

Crew & Guides Review

Ramiro was phenomenal. Excellent knowledge. Caring with our child (got her up Wayna Picchu completely safely when I was questioning my parenting decision on that one).

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Taylor was great. Setting up this trip was simple and easy and she was helpful with any and all my questions. Excellent management of all travel plans. 

Accommodations Review

All of our hotels were excellent. I would suggest staying two nights at least in both Cusco and Quito because you need a rest day in both places.

Crew & Guides Review

Yashira in Cusco was especially wonderful.

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Aaron did the best job; his planning was so good. I have and will keep recommending him to others taking trips and will be back for our next adventure. All of my questions and concerns were answered so efficiently and in a timely manner. I am just so impressed with how much work you all put in to making these trips special. I was so used to doing it myself on line, etc. but now I won't.

The timeline, locations, hotels and other recommendations worked out beautifully. Metropolitan Travel in South America is such a good company. Their drivers and especially their tour guides do an amazing job explaining the culture and history of their countries. We could not have been happier!

Traveler Advice

Just to make sure you have a few nights at least in the major cities so you are not always just flying in and out...we needed some "down" time but did find it on the Santa Cruz where all of our luggage was in one place for a while!

Accommodations Review

Even after looking at the lodges on your website, I was not prepared for how comfortable and accommodating each of the lodges was. From the moment we arrived at each lodge to when we left, our comfort was important to our hosts. I really liked the hot water bottles in my bed at night. 

Meals Review

The food was fantastic! I enjoyed the opportunity to try the different foods. 

Crew & Guides Review

I really appreciated the time Pepe and Jimmy took with me in helping me to improve my trekking techniques. I was usually the last one in the group, but both guides were always encouraging. Both guides seemed to really enjoy what they were doing as well as sharing their knowledge of Peru and its history. 

AdventureSmith Explorations Review

Once we booked the trip, Aaron sent us what we needed to start getting ready. He also quickly answered any questions we had. The only thing I wish that would have been addressed in our final email was what to expect with customs and our baggage in Lima. Otherwise, I had what I needed. We had everything we needed to make it a successful trip. We knew we could call or email with our questions. 

Traveler Advice

Challenge yourself and be open to these wonderful experiences.