Peru Tour Comparison
Family of 9 · November 21–29, 2026 · No deposits paid
| Category | Kuoda A · Base | Kuoda B · Luxury | Peru For Less · Mega | Hernán Hermoza |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom line | Best-priced Kuoda package; good upscale hotels, but not comparable to PFL’s luxury set. | Same Kuoda trip with Sumaq and Palacio, but materially more expensive and internally inconsistent. | Best current written value if Arianna corrects the price typo and tickets remain available. | Only worth pursuing if normalized savings reach $3,000–$5,000. |
| Current rank | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Quoted price | $26,400Family of 5: $14,530; family of 4: $11,870. | $30,150Family of 5: $16,570; family of 4: $13,580. Same services as Kuoda A except Sumaq and Palacio upgrades. | $22,194 land for nineArianna wrote $2,466/person and a $6,659 deposit, both supporting $22,194. Her stated $21,194 total is a $1,000 arithmetic error.Add LATAM Full airfare when re-quoted; Arianna’s newest reply removed the prior fare price. The additional requested 5% was not explicitly itemized. | $5,260$6,025 with Circuit 1 add-on; hotels, flights, meals, and Lima services excluded. |
| Quote scope | Broad Nov. 21–28 package; Nov. 28 overnight omitted in PDF. | Same as Kuoda A. | Two-circuit Mega tour: hotels, breakfast, tours, private guides/transfers, entrance fees, and taxes. Domestic flights priced separately. | Nov. 23–28 Andes ground services only. |
| Hotels | Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado; Casa del Sol Machu Picchu; Casa Andina Premium Cusco. No Nov. 28 room in PDF. | Same Valley hotel; Sumaq Machu Picchu + Palacio del Inka. No Nov. 28 room in PDF. | Hilton Miraflores, Hacienda Urubamba, Sumaq, Palacio del Inka, Lizzy Wasi, and Costa del Sol airport hotel. Rooms are on fee-free hold until deposit. | Not included. |
| Domestic flights | Included. Same for A/B; exact flights pending. | Same as Kuoda A. | Separate, to be added. Full fare includes personal item, carry-on, 23 kg checked bag, and seat selection; latest reply does not state price, flights, or availability for nine. | Excluded. |
| Private vehicle | Included. Exclusive to group. | Included. Private except shared trains and Machu Picchu buses. | Included. Licensed 15-seat tourist minibus, driver, fuel, luggage capacity. | |
| Private guides | Included. | Included. | Included. Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco. | |
| Machu Picchu | Marina’s email says 3-B + 1-B; PDF names neither and describes one morning visit. | Same as Kuoda A. | 3-A/Huayna Picchu at 10:00 AM + 1-B at 2:00 PM. Arianna reported 45 and 49 tickets respectively; both private-guided, but tickets are not held. Huayna Picchu climb is optional. | Circuit 3 included; exact official route, permit, time, and availability unconfirmed. |
| Ticket fallback | No written fallback/refund if either promised circuit fails. | Same as Kuoda A. | Schedule/itinerary changes, Inca Trail permit, or extra Aguas Calientes night offered; no refund guarantee. | Not documented. |
| Train | Included. Vistadome. | Included. Vistadome Observatory outbound; Vistadome return. | Included. Vistadome Observatory outbound; Vistadome return. | |
| Consettur buses | Included. | Included. Shared. | Included. Round trip. | |
| Meals | Breakfast and most lunches included. One dinner before Machu Picchu. | Breakfast included; lunches and dinners generally excluded. | All excluded. | |
| Chocolate workshop | Included. Fits Nov. 24. | Not explicitly identified as included. Arianna confirmed cooking classes and “all three tours,” but did not name the chocolate experience. | Not included. | |
| Vegetarian cooking | Not in the Sept. 11 PDF. Nov. 26 remains a leisure day; no cooking activity or price is listed. | Included. | Not included. | |
| Sacred Valley nights | Two nights. | Two nights, but second is at Lizzi Wassi 3-star. | Current plan has only one hotel night before Aguas Calientes. | |
| Thanksgiving | Free day protected. | Arianna says the cooking experience can be added Nov. 26 while preserving downtime; final included schedule should be confirmed. | Free day; meal planning excluded. | |
| Lima services | Nov. 21 arrival hosting is included. On Nov. 28 the PDF promises a Lima host but explicitly lists Accommodation: None; no airport overnight or early-morning handoff is documented. | Airport rooms listed; final hosting and handoff unclear. | Entirely excluded. | |
| Rooming | Base PDF specifies family rooms by hotel, but connecting/adjacent status remains unconfirmed. | Only 2 Sumaq rooms for all nine are listed—legal occupancy unresolved. Palacio lists 4 Deluxe rooms. | Detailed hotel-by-hotel setup supplied. Hacienda casitas are about 6 m apart. Lizzy Wasi’s family-of-four listing says “3 beds” but names 4; correct occupancy wording still needed. | Family books all rooms. |
| On-trip support | Private WhatsApp group and 24/7 emergency support. | Company support available; exact response model unclear. | Not documented. | |
| Payment terms | 30% deposit; balance 90 days out; no card fee. | Same as Kuoda A. | 30% deposit. Quoted $6,659 supports the corrected $22,194 land total. Deposit timing is contradictory (“45 days before arrival” versus payment enabled now). | Not provided. |
| Cancellation terms | 60+ days: $500/person + supplier costs. 45 days or fewer: no refund. No clear 46–59-day rule. | Same as Kuoda A. | No complete refund schedule, supplier-specific nonrefundable amounts, or protection if tickets fail. Arianna separately recommends travel insurance. | Not provided. |
| Main unresolved items | Correct consolidated PDF; Nov. 28 room/handoff; cooking; actual circuit proof; rooming; discount; 46–59-day cancellation rule. | Everything in Kuoda A plus Sumaq legal occupancy and exact upgraded hotel pages. | Correct final land total; new Full airfare; whether extra 5% was granted; ticket purchase risk; Lizzy Wasi wording; chocolate/cooking confirmation; exact 3:00 AM handoff; cancellation terms. | Tickets, hotels, flights, Lima services, credentials, support, and full contract. |
| Recommendation | Strong service/pacing fallback if luxury hotels are not essential. | Do not choose at $30,150 until Kuoda fixes the document and inclusions. | Current leader, subject to immediate ticket verification and a corrected final all-in number with flights. | Do not choose unless verified savings exceed $3,000–$5,000. |
| Operator link | Kuoda | Kuoda | Peru For Less | Tour Guides Peru search |
Day-by-day itinerary
Proposal-level comparison. “Not covered” means the operator’s quoted service starts later or leaves that day for the family to arrange. Hotel ratings are current indexed snapshots checked September 11, 2026; review counts change.
| Day | Kuoda A · Base | Kuoda B · Luxury | Peru For Less · Mega | Hernán Hermoza |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1Sat · Nov 21 | Arrive Lima; private airport reception and transfer.Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol Lima Airport | Arrive Lima; airport reception and transfer.Hilton Lima Miraflores | Not covered. International arrival, Lima transfer, and hotel arranged independently. | |
| Day 2Sun · Nov 22 | Fly Lima–Cusco; private transfer into the Sacred Valley with Living Museum/Awana Kancha and Pisac-area sightseeing.Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado | Private Lima city experience and relaxed Lima day.Hilton Lima Miraflores | Not covered. Lima day and hotel arranged independently. | |
| Day 3Mon · Nov 23 | Private Sacred Valley touring: Moray and Maras.Casa Andina Premium Valle Sagrado | Fly Lima–Cusco; private transfer to Sacred Valley with Awana Kancha/Pisac-area touring.Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba | Cusco airport pickup and private transfer to Sacred Valley; driver only.Suggested: Tambo del Inka | |
| Day 4Tue · Nov 24 | Ollantaytambo and chocolate workshop; afternoon train to Aguas Calientes.Casa del Sol Machu Picchu | Same as Kuoda A; hotel upgraded.Sumaq Machu Picchu | Sacred Valley/Ollantaytambo touring; train to Machu Picchu Pueblo. Chocolate inclusion still unclear.Sumaq Machu Picchu | Private Pumamarca/Ollantaytambo tour; 3:00 PM station drop; 3:37 PM Vistadome Observatory to Aguas Calientes.Suggested: Sumaq Machu Picchu |
| Day 5Wed · Nov 25 | Privately guided Machu Picchu; proposed 3-B + 1-B remain undocumented in PDF; return to Cusco.Casa Andina Premium Cusco | Same as Kuoda A; hotel upgraded.Palacio del Inka | Two private-guided entries: 3-A/Huayna Picchu at 10:00 AM and 1-B at 2:00 PM; tickets reported available but not held. Return to Sacred Valley.Lizzy Wasi Boutique Hotel | 8:00 AM pickup; 10:00 AM guided Circuit 3; 3:45 PM Vistadome return; transfer to Cusco.Suggested: Palacio del Inka |
| Day 6Thu · Nov 26 | Free, relaxed Thanksgiving/birthday day. The Sept. 11 PDF does not include the requested vegetarian cooking experience.Casa Andina Premium Cusco | Maras and Moray/private Sacred Valley touring, then transfer to Cusco; vegetarian cooking experience included but final timing needs confirmation.Palacio del Inka | Free Cusco/Thanksgiving day; meals and activities arranged independently.Suggested: Palacio del Inka | |
| Day 7Fri · Nov 27 | Private Cusco sightseeing/leisure day.Casa Andina Premium Cusco | Private Cusco city tour/sightseeing.Palacio del Inka | Private Cusco highlights, 9:00 AM–2:00 PM: Sacsayhuamán, Q’enqo, Zona X/Caves, and llama/alpaca farm.Suggested: Palacio del Inka | |
| Day 8Sat · Nov 28 | Fly Cusco–Lima; a Kuoda host meets the group on arrival. The Sept. 11 PDF explicitly says Accommodation: None and does not document the airport overnight or early-morning handoff. | Fly Cusco–Lima; airport hotel. Domestic flight is separate; Lima transfer and final handoff remain unconfirmed.Wyndham Grand Costa del Sol Lima Airport | Driver-only transfer to Cusco Airport. Domestic flight, Lima transfer, airport hotel, and final handoff arranged independently. | |
| DepartureSun · Nov 29 | 3:00 AM international departure; exact hotel-to-terminal handoff not yet confirmed. | 3:00 AM international departure; exact hotel-to-terminal handoff not yet confirmed. | Not covered. 3:00 AM international departure. |
Updated September 11, 2026 after review of all three proposals and current indexed hotel listings. Ratings, review counts, prices, and availability can change. Hotel stars are property classifications, not guest ratings.