art-of-travel· 7 min read·18 September 2026
What a Luxury Peru Trip Includes: Essential and Optional
The line between inclusion and exclusion defines the difference between a fluid trip and one with surprises on the statement.
By Kada Travel Editorial
Bespoke Peru quotes list inclusions and exclusions, but the lists are long and sometimes deceptive. This guide classifies services in three categories: the essential (non-negotiable, must be included), the valuable optional (worth adding to budget), and what is excluded without almost anyone warning. The idea is to read any quote with criteria and avoid surprises.
The four essential inclusions
1. Door-to-door private transfers
A bespoke quote must include private transfers from arrival at Jorge Chávez airport in Lima to each next destination and back. Not shared transfers, not taxi, not Uber. Private vehicle with driver and bilingual guide (when applicable).
Verify specifically: vehicle type (Toyota Fortuner minimum, BMW or Mercedes-Benz in premium ranges), capacity and availability for schedule changes without surcharge, reception with personal sign at airport.
2. Confirmed hotels with advance payment
Bespoke includes confirmed reservations, not tentative options. The difference: confirmed reservation has clear cancellation policy and registered client name. Tentative option may fall if another client confirms first.
Verify specifically: complete hotel name and exact room category (executive suite, deluxe, junior suite), number of nights, exact dates, cancellation policy. The quote must include the confirmation code or block guarantee.
3. Private guides with editorial experience
Each destination must include private bilingual guide (Spanish-English minimum, French or German by market). Not generalist guide hired by hour, but guide specifically assigned to the client and itinerary.
Verify: guide name when possible, specialisation (gastronomic, archaeological, photographic), years of experience, possibility of reading prior reviews or references from other clients.
4. 24/7 support with dedicated travel designer
Throughout the trip, the client must have direct WhatsApp of the travel designer or assigned coordinator. Not call centre, not email with 12-hour response, not web form. Direct contact and response in less than two hours for emergencies.
Verify: exact WhatsApp number, coordinator name, coverage hours (ideally 24/7), procedure for medical or travel emergencies.
The six optional inclusions worth their cost
1. Dinner at Central or Maido (USD 380-480 per person)
Reserving dinner three months ahead (Central especially) and adding it to the quote is preferable to attempting on your own. The inclusion also guarantees pairing with Peruvian and South American wines curated by the sommelier.
2. Nazca overflight (USD 480 per person)
The Nazca lines overflight is the only way to see them. Inclusion in quote with instructor pilot (not the standard commercial pilot) raises experience quality significantly. Worth the cost if Nazca interests the traveller.
3. Preferential Machu Picchu access before 6 AM (USD 380 per person)
Preferential access allows being at Machu Picchu at 5:30 AM, two hours before general public. The visual and photographic difference with dawn light is notable.
4. Private shamanic ceremony with Doña Bernardina (USD 800-1,200 per person)
The ceremony with accredited master is of very different depth from the "for tourists" version. If Andean spirituality interests, worth the cost.
5. Belmond Hiram Bingham vs. Vistadome train (USD 480 vs. USD 220 round trip)
The USD 260 difference includes gourmet lunch, observation car with cocktails, and impeccable service. Worth the cost in honeymoon or anniversary; less essential in family or children's trip.
6. Full day on Belmond Andean Explorer Cusco-Puno (USD 2,800 per premium cabin)
The luxury train with sleeper cabin includes two nights aboard, premium meals, and unique highland landscapes. Worth the cost if client values rail experiences or needs to reduce domestic flights.
The three exclusions almost no one warns about
1. Tips (USD 800-1,200 per 10-day trip)
Tips are client responsibility and are NOT included in standard bespoke quotes. Peruvian 2025 standard: USD 50-80 per day per guide, USD 30-50 per day per driver, 10% in restaurants. For ten-day trip, total: USD 800-1,200 per person.
Some premium agencies include tips in the quote. Others explicitly exclude them. Ask directly when quoting.
2. International travel insurance (USD 80-180 per person)
Travel insurance is not included in bespoke quotes. Recommended minimum coverage: USD 100,000 for medical emergencies, USD 5,000 for cancellation, international medical evacuation. Costs: USD 80-120 per person for two weeks in basic insurance, USD 150-180 in premium with adventure-activity coverage (trekking, overflight).
3. Premium drinks outside included meals (USD 200-400 per trip)
Quotes typically include full breakfasts at hotels, lunches in some cases, and award-winning dinners (with pairing in premium ranges). What is NOT included: bar cocktails, premium wine outside tasting menu, premium mineral water in room, drinks during transfers.
To avoid surprise: budget USD 200-400 additional per person in drinks not included during a ten-day trip.
The difference between a transparent and opaque quote is whether it mentions tips and insurance. An editorial agency mentions them explicitly when quoting. A commercial agency hides them to keep the apparent price low.
Kada Travel
How to read a bespoke quote in five minutes
Five questions in order:
First, are the four essential inclusions listed? (private transfers, confirmed hotels, private guides, 24/7 support). If any is missing, it is not real bespoke.
Second, do hotels have full name and exact room category? If it says "5-star hotel" without name, it is marketing.
Third, are tips and insurance explicitly mentioned as excluded? If not mentioned, ask directly.
Fourth, are award-winning dinners included or only mentioned as "recommendations"? Serious quotes include confirmed reservations, not recommendations.
Fifth, is there a travel-designer WhatsApp number during the trip? If only office or call-centre number, the support is not bespoke.
How to negotiate additional inclusions
Some agencies accept adding inclusions without significant surcharge. Specifically:
Tips can be added as "service charge" of 12-15% on total —eliminates discomfort of having cash at each destination.
Travel insurance can be arranged with partner agency (Allianz, AXA) with group rates 10-15% below individual contracting.
Premium drinks can be included at some hotels with "all-inclusive premium" package (not available at all hotels).
Asking for these inclusions explicitly when quoting is legitimate and not unusual. Transparency is always preferable to surprise at trip's end.
Written by Kada Travel Editorial
Frequently Asked
Bespoke includes refund or equivalent replacement. Cruz del Cóndor by fog, Nazca overflight by wind, Inca Trail by rain: the travel designer offers concrete alternative without surcharge.
Yes, with 'all-in' fee of 12-15% over total covering standard tips. Does not cover extraordinary gratuities for exceptional service, left to client's discretion.
Immediately after paying first deposit (30%). Cover from that moment premiums and early cancellations. Pre-existing condition coverage is only guaranteed if contracted in the first week of deposit.
If included in the quote, yes. Central requires three months; Maido, two months; Mil Centro, two months. If the quote mentions them as 'recommendations', they are NOT booked.
Yes, subject to availability. The travel designer arranges them in less than 24 hours. Some top experiences (Central with Virgilio in kitchen, charter Nazca overflight) require more advance.
50-80% refund by cancellation advance. Some experiences (Nazca overflight, Central dinner) have non-refundable policy; in those cases substitution by equivalent is attempted.
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