If you’re wondering why choose Wonders of Peru for your once-in-a-lifetime trip, the answer is simple: we’re not a booking platform or travel agency. We’re the people who actually lead your trek, cook your meals, and share the stories behind every ruin and trail. Every trip we run is operated directly by our Cusco-based team — no outsourcing, no middlemen, no surprises.

100% Local & Family-Owned

Wonders of Peru Expeditions was founded by Peruvian brothers Percy and Juan Carlos Gonza — born and raised in Cusco. This isn’t a foreign-owned company operating remotely from overseas. Our office is in Cusco, our team lives in Cusco, and our roots run deep in the communities we visit every day.

When you book with us, every sol you spend stays in the local community. We hire local porters, source food from local markets, and partner with family-owned lodges throughout the Sacred Valley and beyond. Choosing a locally owned operator means your tourism dollars create real impact where it matters most.

No Middlemen, Best Prices

Many travelers don’t realize that the company they book with online often isn’t the company that actually runs their tour. Large booking platforms and overseas agencies add a markup — sometimes 30% or more — before passing you along to a local operator like us.

When you book directly with Wonders of Peru Expeditions, you’re booking with the guides who will lead your tour. No agency markups, no hidden fees, no commission layers. What you see is what you pay. That means better prices for you and better wages for our team. It’s a win for everyone.

Licensed & Fully Certified

Operating legally in Peru’s tourism industry requires multiple government licenses and certifications. Wonders of Peru Expeditions holds every one of them:

• DIRCETUR licensed — Fully registered with Peru’s Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism, the official authority for tour operators in the Cusco region.
• RUC registered — Registered with SUNAT (Peru’s national tax authority) as a legitimate business entity.
• Inca Trail permit holder — Authorized by Peru’s Ministry of Culture to purchase and operate official Inca Trail trek permits. Only licensed operators can do this.
• Certified guides with university degrees — All of our guides hold professional tourism certifications from accredited Peruvian institutions, with specializations in history, archaeology, and ecology.

You can verify all of our credentials on our Certifications & Licenses page, where we publish our official documents for full transparency.

Small Groups, Personal Attention

We keep our groups small deliberately. While some operators pack 16 people into a single trekking group, we cap ours so that every traveler gets genuine personal attention. Your guide knows your name, your pace, and your interests — not just your booking number.

Small groups mean more flexibility on the trail, more time at each stop, and a more intimate experience at sites like Machu Picchu. You’ll never feel like you’re part of a cattle drive. You’ll feel like you’re traveling with friends who happen to know everything about Inca history.

4.9-Star Reputation — Why Choose Wonders of Peru Over the Rest

Over 17+ years of operations, we’ve served 5,000+ happy travelers and maintained a 4.9-star rating across every major review platform — TripAdvisor, GetYourGuide, and Google. These aren’t curated testimonials on our website. They’re real reviews from real people who trekked with us, shared meals with our team, and experienced firsthand what makes us different.

Our reviews consistently highlight the same things: knowledgeable guides, exceptional food, genuine warmth, and attention to detail that goes beyond what travelers expect. We don’t chase ratings — we earn them by delivering unforgettable experiences on every single trip.

Luxury Hospitality Training

What sets our service apart from other trekking operators? Co-founder Juan Carlos Gonza holds Leading Quality Assurance (LQA) certification from Belmond — the gold standard in luxury hospitality. That five-star service training is woven into everything we do, from how we set up camp to how we present meals to how we anticipate your needs on the trail.

You’ll notice the difference in the details: properly set dining tables at 4,000 meters, hot drinks delivered to your tent each morning, gear organized and ready before you wake up. It’s trekking with a level of care you wouldn’t expect in the wilderness.

Safety First

Your safety is our highest priority — full stop. Every one of our guides is trained in wilderness first aid, altitude sickness recognition, and emergency response. Here’s what our team carries on every trek:

• Supplemental oxygen — Portable tanks for immediate altitude relief
• Comprehensive first aid kits — Fully stocked with medications for headache, nausea, and altitude-related issues
• Emergency communication devices — Satellite phones that work in remote areas with no cell coverage
• Altitude sickness training — All guides complete certified training with specific modules on altitude illness management

We have established evacuation protocols for every section of every trail we operate on. Our guides check in with every trekker multiple times per day, monitor symptoms, and adjust the pace as needed. We never take shortcuts with safety.

Sustainable & Responsible Tourism

We believe tourism should lift communities up, not exploit them. That commitment shapes every decision we make:

• Fair porter wages — Our porters earn well above the legal minimum, with proper meals, equipment, and sleeping arrangements provided.
• Minimal trail impact — We follow strict leave-no-trace principles on every trek. What we carry in, we carry out.
• Community support — We employ local community members, source supplies from local businesses, and contribute to initiatives that benefit Cusco’s people.
• Cultural preservation — Our guides share the living culture of the Andes — not just the tourist version. We connect travelers with communities in a way that’s respectful and authentic.

When you choose Wonders of Peru Expeditions, you’re supporting an operator that puts people and the environment alongside the bottom line. It’s one more reason why choose Wonders of Peru over larger, impersonal companies — we care about the places we take you.