“Our trek over the mountain was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our lives.”

Reviewer Name: Birte Green
“A trip of a lifetime and an experience we will never forget.” Just back from two weeks in Peru visiting Machu Picchu. We were two families traveling with four adult children. When the idea of a trip to Machu Picchu developoed we contacted Best Andes Travel on the advice of a friend who recently used their services. We Worked with Karen at Best Andes Travel, who suggested the perfect tour for our group, the Moonstone to Machu Picchu Trek, and helped with all logistics and advice on what to bring, what to expect, and how to prepare. There was nothing left to chance; we were totally prepared.

On arrival to Cuzco we were meet by our tour guide Henrry Chauca who worked with us over the next ten days. Henrry was an incredible ambassador for Peru and guide into the culture, history and scenic beauty of the country. Every day brought new and incredible experiences. Our trek over the mountains was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of our lives. Henrry provided constant support and background on what we were seeing and experiencing.

The culmination of the trek was visiting Machu Picchu. Our group had all done a fair amount of traveling in the past and had been in awe of what we had already experienced in Peru and still was not ready for the beauty and wonder of Machu Picchu! Peru is truly an amazing place to visit. The food is incredible, people friendly, views and sights amazing, the culture incredibly interesting and Machu Picchu one of the true wonders of the world. Best Andes Travel and Karen: thank you for arranging a trip of a lifetime. We will be contacting you soon to arrange our next adventure.

Moonstone to Machu Picchu Trek, June 2010


“Machu Picchu was not on my bucket list, but it should have been.”

Reviewer Name: Sara Tady

Machu Picchu was not on my bucket list, but it should have been. I have been hiking in the U.S. with a group of friends for years and we decided to head to South America for the famous Machu Picchu Inca Trail. We wanted to fit in another great trek too, so we did one day of the Inca Trail and came into the Sun Gate for an extraordinary, unreal view, then spent two more days in the area hiking the surrounding mountains and exploring the actual site. Best Andes Travel then set us up for the Ausangate Treks with Andean Lodges. This week provided another incredible experience; absolutely breathtaking. Rainbow Mountain and reaching 17,000 ft were two of the highlights, but organization, care, and wonderful lodges really made the trip extra special. We felt well taking care of the entire time. Our guides, Germán, Henrry and Joel, could not have been friendlier and and were a joy to be around as well as highly informative. This ended up being the trip of a lifetime, unexpectedly, and Best Andes Travel, Carlos -our contact, and the full crew put together one of the most outstanding trips I’ve been on, and I have done quite a lot in my life! Thank you Best Andes Travel, and a big thank you to Carlos!

One Day Inca Trail Trek, Ausangate Lodge to Lodge Trek, June 2017


“The entire week was flawless…”

Reviewer Name: Chee Yang Chin,
Best Andes Travel created a seamless program for us, involving complex logistics, a variety of sub-contractors and guides, transportation and hotels. The entire week was flawless in planning and execution. We were consistently treated with kindness, consideration and concern. Our interests were always considered and our goals were always accommodated. Time was used efficiently, tour guide personnel were well informed, well trained and generous in sharing knowledge and experience. We express our most sincere appreciation to Karen.

June, 2016, Machu Picchu Odyssey with add-ons to Lake Titicaca, Colca Canyon, Arequipa


“Daisy…even accommodated my insane request for bath tubs!!!!”

Reviewer Name: Liesbet Vanierschot,
Best Andes Travel provided a first rate experience in this most magical of places. Their professional assistance and intimate knowledge of the area made for an effortless trip with no surprises other than the good ones – gorgeous resorts, fabulous food, wonderful and knowledgeable guides and perfect planning. I joined an already planned trip very late in the game and Daisy Hebb made it all happen almost instantly, coordinating my plans with those already made for the others. She even accommodated my insane request for bath tubs!!!!

Custom Machu Picchu Odyssey and Machu Picchu Mountain, August 2016


“Karen — Unbelieveable!”

Reviewer Name: Susan Brealey, Moonstone to Machu Picchu Trek, May 24, 2015

Karen – Unbelievable! My trip to Peru came about very last minute. The moment I received a reply back from Karen, which was almost immediate, I knew I was in good hands. She helped me with every detail in a matter of two days and I was booked for a last minute adventure. Karen was extremely knowledgeable, incredibly helpful, and very patient as I knew I was asking quite a bit by jumping in at the 11th hour. The pre-trip help was more supportive than I could have really asked for! The trek itself was so special. There were dozens of times where our fellow trekkers would look at each other and say “this is incredible!”. Peru and this trek summed up – A MAGICAL PLACE WITH MAGICAL PEOPLE.


“You will be in excellent hands … with Best Andes Travel”

Reviewer Name: Claire Jones

We had the pleasure of working with Carlos and Joel from Best Andes Travel to plan our honeymoon. I found Best Andes Travel through various online searches (maybe a Frommer’s article?), and felt at ease knowing I was working with a US company. Joel arranged the Galapagos Island portion of our honeymoon (which ended up being my favorite part). He was very patient with me, as my husband and I went back and forth many times deciding what we wanted to do/what dates/etc. He was always quick to respond to emails, and always kept me updated of how the process was going. He found us a last minute deal on the Cormorant Yacht, which turned out to be the best boat on the water (I seriously recommend this boat – the ultimate in luxury, as far as luxury at the Galapagos Islands goes)! I ended up waiting til almost the last minute to give Joel our preferred dates, but he was still able to have everything booked, organized and paid for in less than a week or two – truly an incredible feat! Joel arranged our flights to and from the Galapagos from Quito, and arranged to have a representative meet us at the airport for the most seamless boarding process ever (it almost worried me how smooth it went!). All our tickets and paperwork to gain entry to the islands were printed and handed to us upon meeting our representative. Our representative was on time, very friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. I worked with Carlos to plan the Machu Picchu portion of our honeymoom, which we tacked on to the week after the Galapagos portion. He was just like Joel. Incredibly helpful, patient and so quick to respond to emails. He helped put together a custom Peru package for us, since we were unable to do the Inca trail hikes (I was 4 months pregnant and didn’t think it was a great idea). He made it possible for us to still experience Machu Picchu, arranging an incredibly sweet personal tour guide for us. This guide later ended up helping us change a portion of our travel since my husband fell ill (some type of stomach bug, as to be expected!). The hotels Carlos picked for us were great – very reasonably priced, in great locations, and with breakfast included. Again, Carlos worked so quickly to make this all come together. We were very impressed with the quick turnaround! Both Joel and Carlos were very accommodating to me, since I wanted to plan some in-between portions of the trip on my own. They did not push me into having them book things and even offered great tips to help me out. I couldn’t have been happier allowing Best Andes Travel to plan our Galapagos and Machu Picchu honeymoon excursions. You will be in excellent hands if you go with Best Andes Travel and I don’t hesitate at all to recommend them to anyone looking for US based travel coordinators. My husband and I are incredibly grateful for the wonderful trip, and truly owe it to Best Andes Travel for making it possible. Thanks.

Cormorant catamaran Galapagos cruise for honeymoon


“He called for frequent rests and asked how we were doing…”

Reviewer Name: David Akes

I wanted to submit a review for our trip with Best Andes Travel on the Moonstone Trek to Ollataytambo and then on to Machu Picchu. We stayed in Cusco at the Costa Del Sol Ramada and absolutely loved it. Great rooms that are well taken care of with a courteous staff and good breakfast (included). Well positioned in the city with easy access to all amenities.

(Note: this is a long testimonial. You may read it in full, or scroll down to the rest of our testimonials.)

From the moment that we started our orientation to the trek we met our guide, Henrry Chauca, and knew that we were in for a treat. He told us all about Cusco and what to do there. His organizational prowess and intuition for our abilities and understanding were superb. When we actually started the trek I noticed that Henrry was communicating heavily with drivers, wranglers and the cook to make sure that things were not being missed. His lingual knowledge was also prevalent: speaking spanish, english and Quechua with ease and seamless transition. When one of us needed to stop for a restroom break in a small town he knew its exact location and coordinated the stop early for the cook to acquire some of his supplies as well.

My inability to have gluten was discussed between himself and the cook and I never had to worry about it after that. When we started to hike I could tell that there was a subtle testing process at work. Henrry would walk quickly for almost undetectable periods, evaluating if we could increase our pace. He also watched over his shoulder covertly and listened to our breathing to adjust his pace. He called frequent rests and asked us how we were doing to assess our physical fitness and altitude acclimation. When we wanted to push faster he intentionally slowed us, reminding us that we were not used to the altitude and would need to proceed slowly to acclimate better. This was well needed because later at higher altitudes we did in fact struggle more than we anticipated.

Henrry also started asking us our interests and finding key words to use as segways to Peruvian or Quechuan culture and history. He probed us to find out how interested we were in various aspects of Peru and started gaining our trust and respect on a personal level. He asked us about our families and culture in the US to have us in turn do the same with him. Finding out about his past and personal interests became something we were genuinely interested in and soon we were all joking and having long talks while we walked. Wilson’s opinions on issues were completely shrouded and polite and took much probing to discover which is a breath of fresh air compared to the forceful nature of most US patriots’ rantings and annoying behavior.

I completely enveloped myself in the calm and polite respectful nature of Henrry and the other employees that Best Andes Travel/Incan Tours provided us with. We would sit in the dining tent at the end of the day and laugh and joke and make light of the world. It was so comfortable and calm and Peruvian. The feeling that I got from Peru, with Henrry as my instrument of discovery, was one that I grew quickly to love and admire and require more of in the future. What a wonderful human being he is!

On top of all of this, we were astounded by Henrry’s physical abilities. We challenged him to run on a steep grade once and he did so with a gazelle-like ability. It was uncanny and absolutely amazing. In fact, Jesus – our cook, was similarly marvelous in his physical fitness! At 55 years of age he was taking short cuts and bounding over sections of ground like he was a young man in his teens. Truly remarkable. We had an excellent time on this trek.

The food was amazing, the history and culture shared by Henrry exemplary, the jokes and laughter during the trip kept things light and the scenery was breathtaking and challenging as well. Henrry organized the trip perfectly to include our best photos and experiences. He scheduled things perfectly and managed us subtly to make sure that we kept on pace to assure the best parts were not missed.

Thank you so much Best Andes Travel. Thank you so much to Henrry, Jesus, Carlos and Joel. We are already looking forward to our next trip with Henrry and Joel and crew and will recommend this group and trek to many others! Please have any prospective clients feel free to contact me for my recommendation on this trip. It was truly “bucket-list” fulfilling!

Moonstone to Machu Picchu Trek


“A trip of a lifetime in the Andes”

Reviewer Name: Jim W Dauterman with Mary

“A trip of a lifetime in the Andes” Our guide Juan Carlos was excellent and shared his knowledge of the Inca culture and history. He was patient, kind, and, thoughtful. Safety to the our group took precedence at every turn!. The food was amazing! Three course at every meal. Jesus was our chef. He created Andean meals for us during our journey. The porters were friendly, happy, and attentive. The scenery along the trail was breathtaking. I can’t imagine not doing this hike. For us it was about the journey. We were not disappointed. I would recommend Best Andes Travel to plan your next trip to S. America. Don’t wait. Do it while you’re still young.

Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu


“…the world is a better place because there are people like Wilson in it.”

Reviewer Name: Robert Robine

From June 29-July 3, my wife and I booked a trek with your company. Our tour guide, Henrry Chauca, met us our hotel the evening before. His knowledge and calming presence did a lot to calm the worries my wife had regarding departing on this hike with no time for acclimatization. While, I was impressed, I didn’t realize what a unique human being he was until our first stop along the trail at the Llactapata Ruins. Henrry pulled a packet out of his backpack that contained photocopies of examples of all the previous civilizations that had inhabited Peru before the Incas. He gave an incredibly informative presentation, patiently answering questions and deepening our understanding of Peruvian culture.

And this was just the beginning… Not only did we constantly test his knowledge along the trail about animals, birds, trees, flowers, geographical features, etc. ( We never stumped him), but each evening at tea time he would hold a seminar on a topic of our choice: Tupac Amaru II, The War of the Pacific, Alberto Fujimori, Peru’s economy, Peru’s educational system, Quechuan phrases, etc. His knowledge was bottomless.

As a teacher who travels a lot with his students, my expectations were very low for a tour guide. Because of this, I had read extensively before coming to Peru. I did not need to prepare so well: Henrry knew and taught us so much. Henrry also has a gift for understanding people. Of course he treated us well and with respect. That was to be expected. As a teacher, I am judged not by how I treat the best students, but the weakest. This is how you can judge a man’s character. I watched Henrry along the trail and payed attention to how he interacted with porters and other guides. I saw the respect he gave to our head porter who at one point was Henrry’s boss. I saw him interact with both firmness and dignity as he dealt with the other porters.He explained to us the difficult circumstances of their lives.

And along the trail, he was treated with so much respect from the other guides and porters. I would tease him that because people liked him so much he should run for political office. I have travelled a lot in my life. During that time, I have met a lot of interesting people. A lot of the people are employees and it is their job to interact with me. It is rare though that you meet someone who transcends those boundaries. Henrry is that rare person. I respect Wilson. I believe the world is a better place because there are people like Henrry in it. I think you are very lucky to have him as part of your team.

Thank you, Robert Robine

Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu, July 29, 2014


“Thank you for the trip of a lifetime.”

Reviewer Name: Dr. Frederic Gelloz

Thank you for the trip of a lifetime. The planning of the trek was excellent – great choice of route, the division of the distance among the days was just right, making it not too strenuous and not too easy. The food was nutritious, tasted great and was even presented with a lot of care. Above all, I loved our guide Luis who in addition to being knowledgeable and passionate about what he did, was attentive to all members of the team. I have been thoroughly spoilt for other camping trips and look forward to going on another one with your team.

Moonstone to Machu Picchu Trek, May 2014


“…the most amazing trip we’ve ever been on!”

Reviewer Name: Robert and Neil

Our Inca Trail trip was the most amazing trip we’ve ever been on! The preparation materials sent in advance by Best Andes Travel helped us prepare and know exactly what to expect. Our guide, Rosabel, was the BEST! As it turned out, we were the only two people on our trek, and Rosabel was the best guide we ever could have hoped for. As soon as we would start to feel a little tired, she would instantly offer that we should take a rest. Similarly, she perfectly balanced talking and giving us info during the hike and allowing us quiet time to just soak up the beauty of the trail. She was incredibly knowledgeable, encouraging, kind, and an overall pleasure to be around. The porters were so strong, organized, and kind. We are immensely grateful for them. This was the trip of a lifetime for us. Thank you Best Andes Travel!

Inca Trail Trek, Nov 2013


“Y’all are the best! Thanks for everything!!”

Reviewer Name: Kate Lomas & Dale C.

We loved our entire trip! It was so nice to have everything taken care of (transfers, etc) which all went very smoothly. You did an awesome job coordinating it all.

To begin, we fell in love with Cusco. We wish that we had gone a day earlier to spend more time there but we really enjoyed the limited time that we had. I would highly recommend the full day Sacred Valley Tour as it gave a great overview of the Inca history and we saw some amazing ruins. German Dario (poor guy was stuck with us for days!) was very knowledgeable and proud of the history. The hotel in Cusco suited our needs perfectly.

The trek was truly incredible! As you know, we ended up with a “private” trek which was nice. I don’t think that there is anything that I would have changed about this part of the trip. The porters, cook, equipment, etc were all great. I would highly recommend doing the trek vs just going to Machu Picchu as the journey makes it so much more meaningful.

The Eclipse was the perfect boat for us. We had a lower naturalist to tourist ratio and the four naturalists were very experienced and good. The ship had a lot of amenities including a nice outdoor dining deck. The food, service, hospitality, etc were all exceptional. We loved the Galapagos and would have loved to have stayed longer. We enjoyed a city tour in Quito on our last day.

Y’all are the best! Thanks for everything!!

Inca Trail Trek & Galapagos cruise


“…without a doubt, our Inca Trail hike and Machu Picchu experience was the highlight of this once in a lifetime holiday.”

Reviewer Name: Marcela & Francisco Sanguineti

We have just returned from a South American holiday and without a doubt, our Inca Trail hike and Machu Picchu experience was the highlight of this once in a lifetime holiday. We were unsure of exactly what to expect on the trek in terms of the food, equipment and the hike itself. The information we were provided by Best Andes Travel prior to leaving and at the briefing before hand was great.

After we had met our guide, Jesus, we knew we would be in very safe and knowledgable hands. Our group was only small, which was lovely and the bond that we all had after the five day experience was really nice. A huge thank-you to the porters who carried all the gear up and down over steps and inca stones. You guys are just amazing! Campsites were always set-up on arrival and they would always be there to assist in anyway. The food was so yummy and filling. Three courses for most lunches and dinners and some amazing culinary skills in camp like conditions. It really kept us going. But a massive thank-you goes out to Jesus, our guide. He was so passionate and knowledgable about the trek and the area. He was always checking on everyone in the group and making sure each and every one of us were enjoying our time. Best Andes Travel…. He is an asset to your company!! We will highly recommend this trekking group to our family and friends.


“Perfect, actually.”

Reviewer Name: Robin Tweedie,
Perfect, actually. Every step was planned to the detail and the service was first class. Carlos is the best.

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, December, 2013


“There aren’t enough superlatives to use here.”

Reviewer Name: Michael and Kathy
This was an absolutely fabulous trip. Our guide, German Dario, was wonderful and extremely knowledgeable not only about the Andes and the Incan civilization but about botany and other things. The one day Inca trail hike was incredible and viewing Machu Picchu for the first time from the Sun Gate was an unforgettable experience. There aren’t enough superlatives to use here. Oh-the accomodations and food-wonderful!

Machu Picchu Odyssey, March 2014


“This was really a fantastic trip in every respect”

Reviewer Name: Colette Bedoin
This was really a fantastic trip in every respect. Passing through the Sun Gate at the end of the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu for the first time just like in the pictures was amazing. The guides, espeically German Dario and Henrry, were excellent. Hiking the Inca Trail was made much easier by doing the entire Empire tour of Cusco, Lake Titicaca, etc. prior to the trek to allow my sea level lungs to adjust to the high elevation. The few problems we had were quickly dealt with and solved by the attentive staff. The food was excellent everywhere we went, even on the Inca Trail. The transfers really helped us move about efficiently. The locals were all very friendly. This was my first trip to Peru and I definitely would like to go again, especially to Cusco. I would definitely recommend Best Andes Travel to anyone planning a trip to Peru. They executed flawlessly. I am well-pleased that I selected them for this trip of a lifetime.

Empire of the Incas trip, Oct, 2013


“What a fabulous trip!” from Laura Walker

Reviewer Name: Laura Walker
Carlos, thank you! What a fabulous trip! How it possibly exceeded my expectations I don’t know but it did. We were in a group of 7 with a fabulous guide, German. It was small and from day one German said we are like family and it was. We were all surprised how connected we felt by the end and how sad we were to see it end. The hike was amazing, the food and set up was unbelievable. Jesus, our head cook, even cooked us a cake for our 25th wedding anniversary-at 10,000 ft and it had icing. It was all just the best. My husband and I were talking at end wondering if we would do anything differently and neither could think of a thing. Thank you Daisy for your endless patience with my questions and all your help creating the perfect trip for us. The Amazon was amazing as well and you were so right to encourage us to go back to the second lodge. Too, I have to add, my husband is not a tour kind of guy and he would do this again in a heartbeat! Thank you!

From Laura Walker, Inca Trail and Tambopata Research Lodge, July 2013


The bar has been set so high!

Reviewer Name: Paul McMillan
First and foremost, I would like to thank you and your team for organizing such a wonderful trip. The locations were incredible and the service was first class. Our experience is one that we will remember for a long time to come. The positives are too long to list, but some of the highlights were the staff (our trek guide in Peru was wonderful, so too was our naturalist in the Galapagos,) the boat (the Explorer II really exceeded all of my expectations,) the food! (I prepared for the worst and couldn’t have been happier) and the locations (the Galapagos speaks for itself, but the Moonstone Trek was breathtaking.) Everything exceeded expectations. The only problem I have now is that the bar has been set so high I am not sure where to book next!)

Moonstone to Sun Temple Trek and Galapagos cruise, July 2012


Our Peru trip was excellent.

Reviewer Name: Samuel Adams
Our Peru trip was excellent. The arrangements that you made for us were superb, your people in Peru are very professional and, in terms of personality, we couldn’t have picked better if we interviewed them ourselves.

Machu Picchu Odyssey, October, 2012