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. | Same as Kuoda A. | Private road tours and transfers included. Trains and Machu Picchu buses are shared. | Included. Licensed 15-seat tourist minibus, driver, fuel, luggage capacity. |
| Private guides | Included. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. English-speaking private guides for the scheduled touring and Machu Picchu visits. | 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. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. Vistadome Observatory outbound; regular Vistadome return. | Included. Vistadome Observatory outbound; Vistadome return. |
| Consettur buses | Included. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. Shared round-trip Machu Picchu buses. | Included. Round trip. |
| Meals | Breakfast and most lunches included. One dinner before Machu Picchu. | Same as Kuoda A. | Breakfast included. Lunches and dinners are generally excluded; Central dinner is not included. | All excluded. |
| Chocolate workshop | Not documented in the Sept. 11 Kuoda PDF. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. Exact day and timing still need confirmation. | Not included. |
| Vegetarian cooking | Not in the Sept. 11 Kuoda PDF. Nov. 26 remains a leisure day. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. Vegetarian menu and final timing still need confirmation. | Not included. |
| Sacred Valley nights | Two nights. | Same as Kuoda A. | Current proposal has Hacienda Urubamba before Aguas Calientes and Lizzy Wasi after Machu Picchu; moving directly to Cusco on Nov. 25 is under review. | Current plan has only one hotel night before Aguas Calientes. |
| Thanksgiving | Free day protected. | Same as Kuoda A. | Palacio del Inka stay with cooking/chocolate scheduling still being finalized; meals beyond breakfast are generally excluded. | 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. | Same as Kuoda A. | Included. Hilton Miraflores and initial Lima program; Costa del Sol Lima Airport on Nov. 28 plus airport transfers. Exact Nov. 28 flight, check-in, and 3:00 AM departure handoff remain open. | 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. | Same as Kuoda A. | 24/7 English-speaking support and local representatives. | 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/chocolate; 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 protection; Nov. 25 Cusco timing/credit; Lizzy Wasi wording; activity timing/menu; 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 | Same Kuoda arrival plan as A. | Arrive Lima around 4:30 PM; private airport transfer and check-in.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 | Same Kuoda touring as A. | Private Lima program and second Lima night; four-adult Central dinner is being arranged separately with PFL reservation assistance requested.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 | Same Kuoda touring as A. | Fly Lima–Cusco; private transfer and touring into the Sacred Valley.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 | Same Kuoda leisure day as A; hotel upgraded.Palacio del Inka | Thanksgiving in Cusco; vegetarian cooking and chocolate experiences are included but their final day/time and vegetarian menu are being clarified.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 | Same Kuoda sightseeing as A; hotel upgraded.Palacio del Inka | Private Cusco/regional touring; exact activity order is being finalized, including whether cooking or chocolate moves here.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. | Same Kuoda plan as A; the PDF still omits accommodation. | Activities and domestic flight to Lima; private transfer and overnight at the included airport hotel. Exact activity/flight times, check-in flow, and departure buffer remain open.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. | Same as Kuoda A. | 3:00 AM international departure from the included Costa del Sol airport stay; exact terminal handoff timing remains to be confirmed. | Not covered. 3:00 AM international departure. |
Corrected September 11, 2026 after a full re-audit of the Peru For Less correspondence. Ratings, review counts, prices, and ticket availability can change. Hotel stars are property classifications, not guest ratings.