Peru Tour Comparison
Family of 9 · November 21–29, 2026 · No deposits paid
| Category | Kuoda Travel | Peru For Less | Hernán Hermoza |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottom line | Best turnkey structure, but its Sept. 11 PDF is internally inconsistent and needs correction before deposit. | Strongest confirmed hotel package and now the cleaner priced alternative. | Best value only if normalized savings reach $3,000–$5,000. |
| Current rank | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Quoted price | $26,400Cooking class extra; no revised discount accepted. | $26,958–$27,048 total for nineSelected 5-star Mega Machu Picchu land package ($22,773 displayed total, including the 5% package discount) plus LATAM Full air package ($4,185–$4,275).The proposal's family-level land rates calculate to $23,970 rather than $22,773; Arianna should reconcile that $1,197 discrepancy and confirm the final total after the additional 3% Zelle/wire/bank discount. | $5,260$6,025 with Circuit 1 add-on for nine. |
| Quote scope | Broad Nov. 21–29 package. | Selected proposal: 5-star Mega Machu Picchu tour plus LATAM Full air package. Includes hotels, breakfast, stated tours, guides, transfers, entrance fees, and Lima–Cusco round-trip flights with baggage. | Nov. 23–28 Andes ground services only. |
| Hotels | Included through Nov. 27. Base hotels are upscale; Option 2 upgrades Machu Picchu and Cusco. The PDF lists no accommodation Nov. 28 despite Marina’s email. | Included. Strongest luxury set; extra Sacred Valley night uses 3-star Lizzi Wassi. | Not included. |
| Domestic flights | Included. LATAM premium fare; exact flights pending. | Included in comparison total. LATAM Full air package is priced separately at $465–$475 per person ($4,185–$4,275 for nine) and includes seat selection, a 12 kg hand bag, and one 23 kg checked bag. | 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 Routes 3-B and 1-B, but the Sept. 11 PDF names neither circuit and describes only one morning visit. Exact tickets, times, and current availability remain unconfirmed. | Arianna says 3-B is available for all nine through an Inca Trail permit with a private Inca Trail guide. Exact official permit name and confirmation that no Inca Trail hike is required remain missing. | Circuit 3 included, but exact official route, permit, time, and nine-person availability are unconfirmed. |
| Panoramic route | Circuit 1-B included. | Included only in the two-circuit proposal. Arianna calls it 1-B, but the schedule says 1-A at 10:00 AM, followed by 3-B at 1:00 PM. | $85 per person extra; exact Circuit 1 route and time unclear. |
| 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 | Option 2 lists only 2 rooms at Sumaq for all nine, without bed setup or legal occupancy. Palacio lists 4 Deluxe rooms. Connecting/adjacent status remains unconfirmed. | Hotel-by-hotel layouts supplied for both families. Hacienda casitas are about 6 meters apart. Lizzi Wassi’s family-of-four description (“1 queen, 1 full and 2 singles”) is unclear; legal occupancy and final assignments remain unconfirmed. | 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 before departure; no card fee. | 30% deposit; 3% additional discount for Zelle/wire/bank. Balance due date and any card/payment fees are not documented in the reviewed email. | Not provided. |
| Cancellation terms | Cancel 60+ days out: $500 per person plus supplier costs already incurred. Cancel 45 days or fewer: no refund. The terms omit a clear rule for 46–59 days. Postponement 60+ days out costs $200 per person plus supplier expenses. | Refund, nonrefundable amounts, change fees, and ticket-failure protections unanswered. | Not provided. |
| Main unresolved items | Corrected all-in Option 2 with cooking and Nov. 28 airport overnight; actual discount; email/PDF contradictions; exact ticket proof; Sumaq legal occupancy; flight details; current holds; and the missing 46–59-day cancellation rule. | Reconcile the proposal's $22,773 displayed land total with the $23,970 family-rate arithmetic; confirm the final total after the extra 3% payment discount and selected LATAM fare; exact 1-B/3-B permits, times and availability; whether tickets are secured upon deposit; legal room occupancy; explicit chocolate inclusion; Nov. 28 Lima transfer/3:00 AM handoff; cancellation, supplier-penalty, change-fee and failure-to-secure protections. | Exact ticket proof; two-night Valley option; Pumamarca difficulty; licenses, registration, insurance, references, support, and complete contract terms. |
| Recommendation | Keep as provisional leader for service and pacing, but require a corrected consolidated PDF before choosing. | Currently about ,100 cheaper than Kuoda Option 2 with stronger hotels; viable leader if ticket, rooming, and contract gaps resolve. | Do not choose unless a verified all-in version saves at least $3,000–$5,000 and all diligence is documented. |
| Operator link | 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 Travel | Peru For Less | 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 | 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 with proposed Circuits 3-B and 1-B; return train/private transfer to Cusco. Exact entry times and live availability remain unconfirmed.Casa Andina Premium Cusco | Two Machu Picchu entries: schedule says 1-A at 10:00 AM and 3-B at 1:00 PM, while Arianna elsewhere says 1-B. Return to Sacred Valley.Lizzy Wasi Boutique Hotel | 8:00 AM pickup; 10:00 AM guided Circuit 3; 3:45 PM Vistadome return; luggage retrieval and private 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.