Yampu Tours Reviews 347

Yampu Tours and Monica knocked it out of the park! My Wife and I had such a good time in Thailand it was a once in a lifetime trip for us. As for the hotels they chose we were very pleased, every place was unique and clean and the staff were very nice and accommodating. All of our guides were amazing and friendly and knowledgable. The speed boat trip to James Bond island and the elephants in chiang mai were hands down the best highlights of the whole trip. We really appreciate that Monica was able to work within our budget and I don’t think we could’ve had a better time.

Date of experience: February 14, 2025

I don't know where to begin.
My parents took a Yampu trip to Peru 15 years ago and never stopped raving about it. My husband and I finally had the chance and we are so glad we did. Jose & his team were constantly available during the planning phase. Accommodated our requests gave up exactly what we were hoping for.
Things I didn't expect during our trip was how VIP we were treated. There were upgrades in hotels that we didn't even know about, the guides and drivers were all delightful and excited to teach us.
I had a strange request related to my career and the team was able to pull it off for me, even better than I had hoped for.

Something I must say is that I have never taken a trip coordinated by a third party. I have traveled much through my life, and every other time my family planned the trips. There's something to be said about giving that work away and letting someone else deal with those headaches. Coordinating rides, calculating schedules, meals, figuring out which places are the most important to visit... Yampu shouldered all of that and I was MUCH less stressed before the trip.
I definitely recommend Yampu, especially if you are going someplace super different and unfamiliar. Or if you are not a fan of coordinating lots of tiny details.

Or if you want to feel like royalty while on your trip :)

Date of experience: May 03, 2025

We had another wonderful experience with Yampu, thanks to the expert skills of Stephanie in creating and organizing our intensive itinerary. She listens carefully and is sure to provide an experience that meets and exceeds expectations. The in country local Yampu were excellent in addressing last minute changes to the schedule, so our travels were worry free. We will definitely continue to work with Stephanie and Yampu and highly recommend both.
Sally and Keith

Date of experience: April 04, 2025

We have been using Yampu for close to 20 years to plan our many trips. Stephanie is the most helpful, responsive and thoughtful tour planner! She gave us an itinerary for Japan that exactly met all our requests. Even while we were travelling, Yampu's local partners were able to make changes or modify our schedule "on the fly." We can't wait for our next Yampu trip! M & J, New York

Date of experience: April 09, 2025

Stephanie did a fantastic job planning our last minute travel to Costa Rica with kids. Everything was perfectly planned. We loved the guides, accommodations, and drivers who helped us on our trip.

Date of experience: March 02, 2025

I would like to thank Yampu Tours for assembling a wonderful nine-day trip to Chiapas and Oaxaca states in Mexico in February, 2025.

The sights for which Yampu arranged visits and the accomodations they chose were unique, fascinating and charming. The schedules were busy and full of interest but not overwhelming. The tour guides were warm and accommodating, deeply knowledgeable and fluent in English. The drivers were interesting and skilled at traversing the mountain roads and all those topes! The two states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, and their marvelous colonial-era cities of San Cristobal de las Casas and Oaxaca city are colorful, historic and highly scenic, and the ruins of Palenque, Monte Alban and Mitla amply illustrate the rich, diverse and deeply ancient cultural roots of Mexican civilization.

I would especially like to commend the in-country guides Gabriel (Palenque to Agua Azul), Jesus (Palenque to San Cristobal), Angelina (San Cristobal to Sumidero Canyon), and Alex (Oaxaca) for their extensive knowledge and kind company.

Yampu’s choices of hotel—notably Piedras de Agua in Palenque, Guayaba Inn in San Cristobal, and Hotel Pug Seal in Oaxaca—were unique, comfortable small inns with large, comfortable rooms and lovely garden courtyards and nice breakfasts.

AeroMexico’s flights booked by Yampu, despite the inevitable 3-hour layovers in Mexico City International airport, were efficient, cordial and comfortable and delivered me to my destinations on time. AeroMexico’s terminal 2 at Mexico City is crowded but has ample shopping and food choices to pass the layover time; it is substantially more comfortable for transit than terminal 1. Paying the surcharge for AM-plus seating is worth the cost for the extra leg room and early access to the overhead bins for carry-on luggage.

Working with Yampu's management and staff, and their in-country colleagues to assemble this tour was easy and delightful.

Date of experience: March 02, 2025

Peru, trip of a lifetime.
The attention to detail by Jose and the entire Yampu staff was amazing. The hotel and local guide choices were exceptional. We will definitely travel with Yampu again in the future.

Date of experience: January 11, 2025

Jose planned our Honeymoon to Italy in May 2024. We visited Milan, Portofino, Santa Margherita, Porto Venere, Cinque Terre, Florence, Tuscany and Lake Como. Jose and his team are phenomenal. We really had nothing to worry about. They set up everything. The private tour guides were all very well informed and knowledgeable. Our private transfers were in luxury vehicles with expert drivers, and we were able to rest comfortably. The hotel selections were all in great locations and were perfect. Grand Hotel Portovenere should not be missed if traveling to Portovenere. Jose and his team (Natalia) communicated with us throughout the trip and made everything very easy and smooth. We really appreciate all of your help in planning our perfect honeymoon. Wish we could do it every year! Thank you, M & C

Date of experience: May 05, 2024

This was another great vacation for us! Stephanie Rudolph did her magic again and created a perfect vacation for us! After working with us for so many years, she knows exactly what we like and never disappoints. Her vacations for us are always a real treat to see what special things she has planned that make it both what everyone needs to see when visiting a location, but also what the locals love or do not have a chance to experience. Even our local guide got to do a few things she had never done before and she loved our excursions also. It was a great vacation - THANK YOU Stephanie, you are the BEST!!!!

Date of experience: December 26, 2024

Yampu put together a fabulous adventure for my group of six. We had a blast in Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu, and Buenos Aires. Jose was an absolute fantastic communicator and worked directly with in country tour operators. The result was awesome. We will definitely use Yampu again for future adventures.

Date of experience: September 11, 2024

It was an incredible journey to Central Asia visiting the following countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Thanks to the planning by Jose Irauzqui of Yampu Tours, the entire trip went extremely well with guides awaiting us at every border. So many highlights--difficult to zero in on one!!

Date of experience: October 02, 2024

This is the 7th time we've traveled with Yampu Tours, and it is always a pleasure. This time we went to Colombia - Medellin and Cartagena. The boutique hotels and private guides were first class, and there wasn't a single hitch from the time we were met at the airport arriving to the time they walked us to the front of the line on the way home and got us to the gate. Colombia was a fabulous destination as well, highly recommend. We're a senior but very active couple. Best of all, the cost wasn't any different than what my friends pay for those higher end group tours.

Date of experience: October 01, 2024

Stephanie is the absolute best! She helped my mom and I plan the most amazing trip to Peru. We had the absolute best time and were so impressed by all of the tours, guides and hotels that were a part of our itinerary. Stephanie really listened to our wants and made sure every detail was handled so there was zero stress on our part. Looking forward to booking our next year trip with Yampu/Stephanie!

Date of experience: September 08, 2024

Yampu ... you guys did it again! We had a great time. Thanks so much to you and the entire teams here and there. Both cities were beautiful and the time in each was perfect

The hotels you found were in very convenient locations (the Ambassador in Prague was exquisite).



Tour guides and drivers were excellent (esp Kveta in Prague who gave us so many great tips on meals, music and sites and Sandor in Budapest)



All trains and transfers worked out perfectly



And a terrific surprise … Seniors ride subway and trams for free! (Just need a passport in case anyone asks)

Only thing was the sprint between KLM gates in Amsterdam! But we made it

Date of experience: July 21, 2024

Very professional and took care of any problem we encountered. She knows Africa.

Date of experience: June 11, 2024

This was our 6th vacation using Yampu's services! There is a reason we call Stephanie every year to help us with the ideas and planning! She really leans in to understand our wants and needs on vacation. She is patient and always provides the best communication. Our trip to Chile was excellent! Everything went smoothly from transportation to food to excursions! She works with us and puts in the extra effort to make everything come together. Thank you Yampu, and thank you Stephanie!

Date of experience: May 24, 2024

Stephanie at Yampu designed an incredible trip to Peru for me and my partner. She took our interests and budget into account when designing the itinerary, and was always available to answer any questions before, during, and after our trip. All of our guides in Peru were very knowledgable and we had an absolute blast!

Date of experience: May 01, 2024

My tour guides were excellent. They took me everywhere I wanted to go and some. Both gentlemen were very informative and I learned a lot. Great cultural experience and beautiful scenery. Food was amazing and the people were great. This is a trip I’ll carry with me for life.

Date of experience: March 11, 2024

Before I booked with Yampu Tours, I spoke at length with José to figure out what tour company to go with to the Galápagos and Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island. After speaking with several companies, I decided on Yampu. One reason: it gives back to local communities in Latin America through a number of programs, including one in the Galápagos, an environmentally-protected place. Beyond that, I got a good intuitive feeling about José.

My intuition was spot on: our trip and working with José were incredible! José communicated with me extensively before our trip, meticulous about details so we had the best experience possible in each city we flew in to. He suggested city tours with local guides who were extremely knowledgable about history and culture. The naturalist guides in the Galápagos were extraordinary, and the catamaran crew was in sync with all the guests’ needs. One of our party is vegan, and José made sure the chef onboard the Galápagos cruise was attentive to that, and both he and our local guides elsewhere suggested places to eat.

The Rapa Nui leg of our trip was superb! Our guide was Rapa Nui and, in addition to personal history and culture, he gave us an invaluable perspective on how those who live on this remote island viewed visitors like we tourists.

Unexpected issues, not due to Yampu, arose, and José handled them promptly with understanding and grace. He showed care for our situation, and our trust in him grew as we felt well-taken care of amid difficulties.

Yampu is Quechua for the totora reed boat from Lake Titicaca. It also means bringing a vision to life. Yampu did that for us: it made a long-held dream a reality.

Date of experience: January 04, 2024

Jose's team at Yampu Tours delivered above and beyond for our trip to the Galapagos! Incredibly detail oriented, very communicative and helpful before, during and after the trip. We knew exactly what to expect, where to be and how to contact someone if there was an emergency. Their guides kept us safe in addition to providing wonderful information about the local culture and our program.

We had several issues come up and Jose handled them extremely professionally and helped to fix these issues which were caused by third party operators (cruise and airline). When I had my return flight canceled due to civil unrest, he got on the phone with me late at night and helped me make a plan to safely return home without delay. I trust Jose and his team completely.

We had an unforgettable experience and a big part of that is the quality delivered by Yampu Tours. They went beyond my expectations!

Date of experience: January 04, 2024