Juan Coronel

My name is Juan Coronel and I was born in Cachiccata, a small village in the district of Ollantaytambo in Cusco, Peru. Since I was little I saw hundreds of tourists traveling through my hometown, and also my father worked as a porter for many years on the famous Inca Trail. Growing up in a tourist area inspired me to become a tour guide. When I finished high school, I attended the University of Cusco where I graduated in Hospitality and Tourism. I also traveled to the USA and Australia for a few years to improve my language skills. While I was at university, I worked as a porter for the Inca Trail, Salkantay, and most of the trekking routes in Cusco. Then after my travels, I started working as a tour guide because I knew every single trail. I started leading small groups and soon became one of the top-rated tour guides to Machu Picchu. Now I work in Cusco helping travelers to organize amazing travel itineraries throughout all of Peru and Bolivia.

I am an expert travel advisor specializing in Lima city, the north of Peru, Nazca Lines, Ica, Cusco, Machu Picchu, IncaTrail, and all the trekking routes in Peru. I also specialize in Puno, Lake Titicaca, and Connecting with La Paz, Salar de Uyuni. I have worked as a tour leader for several years with organized groups from Lima, Ica, Cusco, Puno, and Bolivia.

In 2015, I took a group of South Korean travelers to the Inca Trail; this was one of the first times that a large private group was going to the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. All the people in the group were between 50 and 65 years old, with one exception of only one traveler who was around 40. Unfortunately, on the second day, the youngest traveler had problems with the altitude. We were on the way to the highest peak, Dead Women's Pass, and after we had lunch on the mountain, I asked the Korean tour guide to go ahead, and I stayed behind with the young traveler. We still had 2 hours left to the top and 2 hours down to the campsite; unfortunately, the pace that we were going was too slow and it was getting very late. Shortly before arriving at the top, the guest was struggling and asked me if we could turn back. I tried to explain in my basic Korean that it was impossible. So, I carried the guest for 30 minutes up to the top of the Inca Trail! It was the most challenging 30-minute climb I had ever had, but it was necessary since it was getting dark. We arrived at the campsite by 7 pm and even finished the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with no other issues. Back in Cusco, we had a farewell dinner with most of the group, and even the CEO of the company was at the party. After enjoying dinner and a couple of Soyu, It was time for my final speech. When I started talking, the young traveler started crying and passing this emotion to the rest of the group, and literally, almost all of the group was crying when I was saying goodbye. I saw the look of the CEO, he was so happy! He gave me a raise, and I became one of the most requested tour guides for Korean groups. No one in the group knew that I had carried the person, which was probably why he was crying.

When guiding, I never see travelers as just guests; I always treat them as friends. I have traveled to many countries and I know what a traveler needs and what we expect from our tour guides when we go to a foreign country. I'm a local and I know Peru very well. I only need the number of travelers, the number of days, and the preferred places to help you arrange the perfect itinerary for the budget you are looking for! Then, when I create or suggest an itinerary, I ensure the activities are unique and travelers can have an amazing experience.