Oct 28, 2024
Amazing experience! I recommend 100%, you can trust them without any doubts! - Amazing experience! We planned a last minute trip to Cusco, sacred valley and machu pichu and they took care of everything! You can trust them without any doubts! David was super nice and helpful. Sarita was our guide. She was part of the family, we loved her! She was patient with our kids (10,8,2) and she even printed a paper fort their birthdays!
Their organization is perfect. It is more than a 5 stars hotel service! I recommend 100% thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 4, 2024
MAGIC IN THE CAPITAL OF THE INCA EMPIRE.👌⛰️🌎 - The experience in Cusco. Peru was amazing, fascinating and unforgettable.
Magic in the Inca capital.
Its people, its culture, its cuisine engulfed us in a world 🌎 and enriching culture.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mar 24, 2024
Our amaizing machulas journey ! - This experience was incredible. Mauri was absolutely fantastic. He made sure that any and every need was met promptly and that people felt comfortable and cared for at all times throughout the tours. Mauri was very knowledgeable and clearly excited to share the Inca history and Peru . Lluvia was so kind and prompt and was always cheering us on and helping with any need at all. They quickly made us feel like we were a part of a family which made this experience all the more enjoyable. Machulas Journey team were so helpful with with all details necessary. This small detail really shows that the Machulas Journey tour company cares deeply for their clients.This experience was absolutely incredible and very satisfying, the 3 day Sacred Valley tour to Macchu Pichu makes your arrival more rewarding than taling the other options. You see various Incan sites and breathtaking mountain ranges views with snow capped peaks that really build up your arrival to the cloud city. The journey can be tough but you are guided expertly by Muri and tour organization by Lluvia, they are prepared and considerate watching out for everyone and insuring their safety. They were always very patient, caring, and considerate if anyone were to feel any problem of altitudes.
I am so sorry maybe for the long text but this is I feel about this experience, Cannot recommend this trip highly enough. The Journey itself is a great opportunity everyone's looking to arrive to the enigmatic city.
Finally, I highly recommend this tour Operator - Machulas Journey and this experience to all of my friends and family, you will not be disappointed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 16, 2022
Great PRIVATE tour. Loved every minute of it!! - Sorry in advance for the very long post. I know that when I’m looking at booking trips, I like to have all of the details so I’m hoping that this will help some of you with your choices.
We booked the 3 day/2 night Chinchero Sacred Valley premium hike & Machu Picchu tour with Machulas Journey and were not disappointed. First, prior to booking, I had a lot of questions because there were so many tours to choose from and we wanted to make sure that we were picking the best one for our group. I emailed the tour company and got a response immediately from David Herrera (who ended up being our guide). We went back and forth via email multiple times. Each time, the response was quick and they were very accommodating. They offered to customize to meet our needs (for example - we didn’t really want to stay in a tent the first night so he found a hotel for us along the route we would be hiking and we stayed there instead. The hotel he recommended was amazing – more info below on the hotel).
I got connected to David via “WhatsApp” and that’s how we stayed in touch. When we arrived in Cusco, he met us at our hotel 2 days prior to our journey and gave us the overview of the 3-day trek so we would know what to expect each day. This is when we realized that it was a PRIVATE TOUR just for the 4 of us. I didn’t realize that when we booked but we were so happy to find this out! He brought each of us a duffel bag to use to pack what we needed for the 3 days. The driver, Marco, would be bringing those duffles in the van for us to use each night. During the day we had what we needed in our day packs. The hotel we were staying at would keep our larger suitcases for us until we came back to Cusco (this is very common there).
On day #1, David and Marco picked us up at our hotel at 5am and we drove to Chincheros where we had a gourmet breakfast made by our personal chef, William, and sous chef Porfirio. It was unbelievable the amount of food that was prepared for the 4 of us. We didn’t have any dietary restrictions but if someone does, they will accommodate you. After breakfast we visited the textile ‘factory’ (for lack of a better word) where the ladies showed us how they clean alpaca fur, how they get the various colors for all the garments (using all local natural ingredients) and how they spin it into yarn. A few of the ladies spoke English very well which was really impressive for this area. They also had a good sense of humor. While there we also got to see how they make the table runners on a loom and learn the difference between the quality of alpaca, baby alpaca and llama wool in the garments. Afterwards we got to shop in their stores. The prices were great and we knew we were getting garments made with real alpaca wool (as opposed to buying at the various stores in Cusco where they may TELL you it’s real, but it may not be).
As soon as we left this market, we started our hiking. Note that we were at just over 12,000 feet and would be hiking down to just over 9,000 feet on the first day. We started at some ruins in Chinchero in the main plaza where a lot of people were gathered for some kind of celebration. As soon as we left that main area and started down the Inca trail, we didn’t see another soul until we stopped for lunch. The hike was truly amazing and David gave us a lot of historical information along the way. We were hiking on the original Inca trail. How amazing is that?! We passed a 150 ft tall waterfall that was beautiful and walked along a river among eucalyptus trees for most of the day. It was so serene and peaceful.
We stopped for lunch in a town called Urquillos where we had another gourmet meal prepared by our personal chef. It started with homemade chicha morada, a guacamole starter, followed by a huge bowl of quinoa soup, then the main meal consisting of fried trout, chicken, rice, rosemary potatoes, causa, and a huge vegetable tray. How anyone can eat that much food is beyond me. We tried…
After lunch we continued our hiking for another 2.5 hours or so until we reached the town we would be spending the night at - Yucay. As we were walking thru town I was a little worried that maybe we did the wrong thing by requesting a hotel instead of a tent. The town was a typical one for this area but we’re accustomed to staying in fairly nice places and I was worried about what the hotel might look like. However, when we turned into the driveway of the Sonestas Posada hotel in Yucay, we were all super excited to see a little oasis in the middle of this town. It was so perfect. In fact this was probably our favorite hotel of the whole Peru trip! The cost of the hotel was not included in the tour but we were ok with that. For $123, we got a very uniquely decorated room with a king size bed and a balcony that overlooked the gardens. They also had 2 restaurants on site along with a fancy bar so we didn’t even have to leave for dinner.
The next day we woke up refreshed and ready for some easy hiking to our next destination, Urubamba, where we stopped for lunch. Along the way we toured the local farms that were all along an original Incan waterway. It was amazing to see all that is grown in that area. In Urubamba we also got to tour some of the local markets and get a feel for the shopping experience and how everything is so fresh. Since David lives in this city, he served us lunch at his mom’s house in her front yard under a tent. We again had another gourmet meal. A few of us had requested to try cuy so that was one of the items prepared by the chef today along with 7 other dishes (in addition to the soup and appetizer). I couldn’t bring myself to eat the cuy but others tried it and said it tasted like chicken. After lunch we said goodbye to our chef and sous chef and our driver Marco took us to Ollantaytambo where we visited more ruins before hopping on the train (Expedition train via Peru rail) to Aguascalientes where we would spend the night prior to going to Machu Picchu the following day. We rode the train at night so we didn’t get to see our surroundings but would be able to on the way back the following day. After 1 hour and 50 minutes we arrived and David showed us to our hotel - the Jaya international boutique hotel. This was included in the price of the tour. This hotel was also super cute and has a jacuzzi tub in every room.
After a good night’s rest we got up and took the bus for a 25 minute ride up the windy road to the entrance of Machu Picchu. Our tickets were for between 8 and 9 am (meaning we had to get in between those times). Everything was really well organized. Once we got in and around the first corner, we were in awe of the views. It’s just like all of the pictures you’ve seen but better because you’re standing in the middle of it all. David made sure we had enough time to get all of the pictures we wanted in every area of MP. He knew where to get the best shots and took pictures for all of us all along the way. We meandered thru MP for about an hour until it was time for us to climb Wayna Picchu. This ticket was not included in the tour price but it was well worth it. I would suggest it for anyone who is in good enough shape to climb some steep stairs and fit in small places. It took us about 50 minutes of hard hiking to reach the top but the views were great once you got there. We had to stop to catch our breath quite often due to the altitude (still over 8,000 ft). If you’re wondering what this was like, you should look at some videos from other people posted on you tube before deciding if this is for you or not. The hike down the mountain was much easier and took approx 35 min to complete.
We walked around MP for another hour or so once we got down, and heard more stories from David about the conquistadors and how the Inca empire fell. We caught the bus back to town around 12:30 so we could get lunch before hopping on the train back to Ollantaytambo where Marco would be waiting to pick us up and drive us back to Cusco.
This time we got to see the scenery along the train route.
Marco was there to pick us up as soon as we disembarked. We hopped in the van and headed back to Cusco where David walked us back to our hotel (the van couldn’t make it on the tiny street).
It was really sad saying goodbye to David. He was a really great tour guide. He answered all of our questions, provided us with a lot of historical information, and really made the trip so enjoyable. I would highly recommend this company and David if you’re contemplating a trip to Peru. I think I only have one complaint to mention. The description of this trek says that the amount of walking that you will do is approximately 7 miles in total (4 on the first day and 3 on the second day). And David said it was easy and downhill. While it was mostly downhill, it wasn’t all downhill and it wasn’t super easy on the first day. It was fairly technical and I would highly recommend using hiking poles to save your knees and keep you from falling. They can rent you the poles if you need them. And the amount of hiking we did on the first day was 11 miles, and almost 9 miles on the second day. While in Machu Picchu I think we hiked approx 4.5 miles. Some of the additional hiking was because we chose to stay in a hotel rather than the tent (so we went slightly off course for that). While this was ok for our group, it may be too much for others.
Overall this is a 5/5. We were treated so well. David told us so many times how much he appreciated that we booked with his company. We really felt special. He called us his ‘family’ and said he would not forget us. We won’t forget him either. Thank you David, Marco, William, and Porfirio for making this the trip of a lifetime. I don’t know if we will be going back to Peru again but if we do, we will definitely be booking with them again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 1, 2021
Amazing experience - David made sure our travel to Peru was wonderful! He was punctual, friendly, and so knowledgeable of his country. We saw and experienced so much...I would definitely suggest choosing Machula's Journey for anyone traveling to Peru!! Absolutely loved the Harmony Hotel we stayed at in Urubamba, so unique!! The culture experienced in Peru from the food to the history and sites and people, will forever be in my memory. 🇵🇪🦙
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 1, 2021
4 night, 5 days Full Sacred Valley & Lares trek To Machupicchu we did with Machulas Journey was one of the Best Agency Don't m - I can say, without a doubt, that the 4 night, 5 days Full Sacred Valley & Lares trek To Machupicchu we did with Machulas Journey was one of the highlights of our trip to South America, and one of the best travel experiences I've ever had. Here's why:
the prep: from the very first time we emailed to find out more info, Rain Lluvia was very helpful, answering all of our questions, making suggestions and checking in with us to make sure we were prepared for the trip. David, the guide, then came and met with us at our hotel before the trek to run us through the plan and make sure we were all set. From the start, it felt like they were genuinely invested in making sure we had the best experience possible with them, and not just out to make money.
the food: seriously, we ate better in on this trek than we did in a lot of restaurants on our trip. Sabino the chef was amazing - he even somehow managed to bake us a cake, using nothing more than a camp stove! I'm a vegetarian, and they made me a separate main dish for every meal, I didn't feel like i was missing out at all. All 3 of us on the trek were continually impressed by the multi-course meals that would appear 3x a day from within the kitchen tent.
the guide: we experienced quite a few guided tourist experiences on our trip, and I'd say David is far and above the best guide out there. He's friendly, funny, overflowing with knowledge and truly passionate about the area, the communities, and the culture and history of Peru. He truly went above and beyond, even giving my friend and I a second, private tour of Machu Picchu because we'd booked extra walk to Mandor Pampa late. We were both seriously impressed by the amount of info David knew about Machu Picchu, Inca history and more. Again, it felt like he really cared about us having the best experience possible.
the company: Machulas Journey gives back to the community, by hiring local porters and treating them right, unlike some other companies. One of the best parts of the trip was when we made and served hot chocolate with bread the kids in the village - Huilloc Alto we stayed in on the first night; we'd also brought little gifts for them, and they were so excited. You could tell that David - Rain had worked hard to establish a good relationship with the local people, well above and beyond paying them a fee to camp on their land. Machulas Journey also works hard to be sustainable - they even hire an extra worker to clean the trail of garbage left behind by other trekkers as they go.
I don't always write such lengthy reviews, but I felt like I had to share the fantastic experience we had with Machulas Journey. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone thinking about a trek in Peru - in fact, I did recommend them to several groups we met later on our trip. I would book another trek with them in a heartbeat. Thank you for the trip of a lifetime, David and crew!! I highly recommend to others travellers!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 17, 2020
I had the best time it was perfect thank you !! - I traveled with Machulas Journey and had the best experience ! David knows the area better than anyone, he is trustful, reliable, a kind and positive person, always smiling and willing to share his culture and to make sure his guests are having a great experience. I had a lot of fun. All the ingredients to have the best time and a safe journey. I would do it again and definitely recommend !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 20, 2020
Great discovery - The hike was wonderful! Everything went well, and our guide is very kind and knowledgeable. I recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 12, 2020
My favourite tour - My travel to Peru and Machu Picchu experiences were extraordinary, much thanks to Machulas Journey. the guides and all the team were extremely skilled, knowledgeable, and a lot of fun. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m grateful to "Machulas Journey" for all they did to make it so memorable.
Excellent guides, service and superior experience! I could not have wished for more. Highly recommended this company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor