Aspiring Adventures 13 Wickliffe Street, Mosgiel, Otago 9024

"What an amazing experience! I have travelled to Peru before, but this time I brought my family with me. The hikes were catered to the abilities in our group, the tours were very informative, and the food was amazing! I always felt safe; our guide Natalia was so helpful, kind, and on schedule every time. Cusco and the surrounding areas has our hearts. Thank you Aspiring Adventures!"

"Aspiring Adventures knocked this trip out of the park. Angela was an incredibly knowledgable guide who was so kind and thoughtful, but also fun to hang out with and joke with us. The addition of the archeological site tours was an immense bonus as it brought the Incan culture to life throughout Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Raul crushed it as a mountain bike guide and was obviously well-versed in the trails and conditions. He constantly checked in with us yet let us ride to our hearts content each day. You could easily tell both he and Angela shined on this trip and took us on rides that covered all riding styles. The accommodations were A+ (minus the hostel in Cusco....soooo loud) and the locations for food stops were also on point. I highly recommend this trip if you are into mountain biking and want to see a great deal of Peru from your bike seat. The van was comfortable and drivers great, giving you options to take the ride or not. larga vida al Peru!"

"Embarking on the trip to Peru, we weren’t sure what to expect. Katy had given us a lot of information to prepare us but we wondered, “what if she forgot some details?” Thank you Katy, we were WELL prepared! Aspiring adventures went above and beyond and made this an amazing trip to remember. Our guides (Wilhen & Raul), our driver (Walter), the chefs, porter....all very professional and personable throughout the entire trip. And the food....wow!! Very well done by Johan and his crew! To tell you how amazing Wilhen and Raul are....I celebrated my birthday while we were on the trip and they went out of their way to find a Gluten-free, dairy-free birthday “cake!” They showed up with it in the morning when they came to pick us up for the days adventure. The celebration continued throughout the day and ended with a special dinner presented by Gigi, the profiteer of an enchanting bed & breakfast. Wilson and Raul paid close attention and customized our rides to our level of riding and showed us so much of the Peru countryside and shared their incredible knowledge of the history and customs of the regions. Recounting the trip there were so many “high points” that it’s difficult to pinpoint which to share. Traveling along many of the branches of the Inca trail, encountering “traffic jams” comprised of herds of sheep and Andean villagers, experiencing the true flavor of Peru! Every detail was to be treasured. We had an absolutely memorable trip and felt like we got to experience a side of Peru many will never see. Thank you to all of you at Aspiring!! You all rock!!"

"Steve and Katy at Aspiring Adventures were amazing to work with. From the initial phone call with Steve to the day we received our final itinerary, they were both very responsive. Though we used a basic itinerary to get started, every detail that we wanted to change to personalize the trip was handled without question: hotel changes (if you have the extra dollars to stay at the JW Marriot in Cusco, DO IT!), adding an extra day to get acclimated to altitude before the hike (I certainly recommend this for other travelers if they have the time – it also made the time in Sacred Valley les rushed), going to mass at the Cusco Catherdral, having square rather than coffin sleeping bags (it's a thing ... seriously ... it's a thing), etc. If we had a thought that Katy had not considered, she discussed it and gave her opinion, but ultimately, she respected our wishes and made them happen. Our driver for the three days in Sacred Valley was the best: Paul aka DJ P(squared). Very friendly and played the best music in the car. The Chef and Chasquis on the trail were the best. We were floored the first time we sat down for lunch as we were expecting picnic-type food (sandwiches, chips, etc…). Then, the meals kept getting better! I am not one that likes to get doted over, but they all took exceptional care of us. The help they provided at each lunch and camp site far exceeding our expectations. Finally, Aldo … the best guide. What was obvious from the beginning was that Aldo has a great passion for the native people. Watching him deal with the people made evident his connection to the locals and his love of the culture. There were a few times during the days in Sacred Valley that we felt rushed; however, in the end we realized that he was trying to make sure that we experience everything we needed to. He picked up on the fact that we were beer drinkers and suggested an extra stop at Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado (Brewery of the Sacred Valley). Conscious that we needed to keep alcohol intake to a minimum before the hike, it was still am extra treat that he could have not mentioned. During the trail hike (40 day Inca Trail), he was absolutely amazing. He kept a good pace and was like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. He was very patient for the many, many, MANY stops we made to take photos ... or just to stop to soak up the views or look back and be proud of the progress we’d made. ON the 4th day he pushed us hard to get to the Sun gate then on to Machu Picchu (.. the pace he forced us through was grueling .. I wanted to throw him off of the mountain … LOL); however, it was VERY worth it. There were very few people in the site and we were able to enjoy and take some photos without the crowds bugging us. Aldo is definitely an asset to Aspiring Adventures. I had three different companies quote me for my trip. Aspirin Adventures was not the cheapest, but was not the most expensive either. I chose them because of the following: - Steve’s almost immediate phone call to me to discuss what I wanted. I knew next to nothing and he asked good questions to get a sense of what I wanted. - Steve and Katy’s responsiveness to email and willingness to schedule further calls if needed. - FLEXIBILITY: After my initial contact, I bought guide books and did a lot of internet research. When I saw something that I wanted to do that was not on their basic itinerary, they added it with no questions asked. If there was something I did not care to do or see, it was removed. Other companies seemed initially a bit more rigid. I will definitely use them again for other trips."

"This was my first trip with Aspiring Adventures and it was way more than I was expecting. They take you on an adventure you would never be able to do without them. My wife and I experienced Peru through the back door seeing its majesty from the seat of a mountain bike with the amazing tour guide Wilhen. I can't say enough about our guide, he was caring and attentive and made the trip super fun. He was very knowledgeable about the area and made sure each of us were doing well riding at our experience level. I'd do another vacation with Aspiring in a heartbeat."