Profile photo for Jessica Danker
1234 messages
active 11 hours ago

Jessica Danker

I have been traveling since I can remember, but no destination was quite as special as when I arrived in Peru. What was meant to be a two weeklong vacation turned into a few years living in and exploring the country!

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"I specialize in all things Peru! I lived in Lima, Peru for over 2 years and have traveled all over the beautiful country. With the coastline, the mountains and the Amazon the opportunities for adventure are endless!"

How did you get involved in travel?

"I was always the travel planner in the friend group, but then I decided to live abroad after college. I fell in love with exploring new places, meeting new friends and trying new foods! As my interest in travel grew so did my ability to plan better more authentic experiences for myself. After a while I found myself settled in Lima, Peru, and decided I wanted to share my experiences and passion for travel with others as a Travel Advisor. "

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I will never forget the first time that I traveled to the rainforest. A group of friends and I stayed at an Amazon Lodge in Puerto Maldonado, but it was the edge of rainy season so I wasn't sure what to expect. We saw otters, caimans, macaws, tarantulas (scary!) and so much more up close in their natural habitats. This was something that was really unique to me having grown up in the city. On the last day I woke up early to watch the sunrise over the Amazon River and will never forget how beautiful the sky and all the colors of the jungle looked. "

Jessica is part of the following groups: Bolivia Travel Agents, Peru Travel Agents
A llama relaxing near Machu Picchu
Explore Cusco, the Sacred Valley & Machu Picchu - 5 Days

Make the most of your time on this 5-day tour that focuses on one region of Peru. You'll base yourself in Cusco for most of the trip, sightseeing in the historic capital of the Inca Empire and day-tripping to fascinating destinations in the nearby Sacred Valley. Explore the archaeological site of Pisac, the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo, the striking terraces of Moray, and the innovative salt mines in Maras. No itinerary in the area would be complete, of course, without a full day exploring the "lost city" of Machu Picchu. All of that and more await on this short but sweet getaway.

Trek through the Sacred Valley to reach Machu Picchu
Peru's Sacred Valley: Cusco, Socma Trek & Macchu Picchu - 10 Days

This adventurous 10-day itinerary combines the highlights of Peru's Sacred Valley with an unforgettable three-day mountain trek. Flying from Lima, you'll cross the Andes to reach the ancient Inca capital of Cusco—gateway to the wonders of the Sacred Valley. Tour remarkable Inca sites like Ollantaytambo, Pisac Citadel, and the salt mines of Maras, then hit the trails and hike through spectacular mountain scenery to reach the crowning glory of Machu Picchu.

Taking the slow boat through the Peruvian Amazon
Amazon Jungle & Machu Picchu - 8 days

Beginning your Peruvian odyssey in the cosmopolitan capital of Lima, this 8-day itinerary will see you first travel to jungle metropolis Iquitos before embarking on a trip down the Amazon river. You will use a jungle lodge as your base for jungle adventures including night-time rainforest hikes and meeting indigenous communities. You will next travel up into the stunning Andes, to ancient Inca capital Cusco, before venturing into the Sacred Valley: a journey that culminates in the ultimate Inca citadel, Machu Picchu.

The salt flats of Uyuni
Highlights of Peru and Bolivia - 14 Days

This sweeping two-week tour of Peru and Bolivia takes you to several of South America's most breathtaking natural wonders and cultural attractions. Start with sightseeing in Lima and Cusco, then explore the ruins of Machu Picchu and hike around photogenic Rainbow Mountain before heading to Lake Titicaca. You'll visit the lake's floating islands and learn about indigenous traditions before crossing over to Bolivia. Then enjoy several days discovering the otherworldly landscapes of the salt flats of Uyuni, visiting the ancient Andean ruins at Tiwanaku, and riding high above La Paz in the city's modern cable car system.

Inca ruins in the neighborhood of Miraflores, Lima
8 Days in Peru - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

With eight days in Peru, you can achieve a comprehensive tour of the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, plus a couple of days enjoying the cuisine and culture of Lima. Or skip the capital city in favor of another point of interest: add a short Inca Trail trek, cruise around Lake Titicaca, or hike to colorful Rainbow Mountain. You can even pair a quick Machu Picchu adventure with a few days in the Peruvian Amazon. Learn more below.

The Inca ruins of Winay Wayna along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
Inca Trail & Lake Titicaca Excursion - 10 Days

From bustling cities to remote Inca ruins, this 10-day tour of Peru's highlights is perfect for adventurous travelers. Discover Peru's metropolitan culture in Lima, then continue to the Incan capital of Cusco. Tour the Sacred Valley before embarking on the Inca Trail, finish your trek in Machu Picchu. Finally, head to Lake Titicaca for cultural experiences among the lake's islands. 

Recent trip reviews for Jessica

The Guide Flor was very informative and very ...
Peru | Nov 30 - Dec 7, 2022

Susan
Susan J.
Pearland, TX | Reviewed on Dec 10, 2022

The Guide Flor was very informative and very helpful. So were the drivers, the hotel staff. Very memorable trip and for overall safety.
Thanks a lot read more

The Guide Flor was very informative and very helpful. So were the drivers, the hotel staff. Very memorable trip and for overall safety.
Thanks a lot

Hotel Reviews
Hostal Corihuasi
Cusco

Very comfortable and safe place, very courteous staff and helpful

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Safe and comfortable
El Albergue Ollantaytambo
Cusco

Safe and clean

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Jessica Danker
Jessica
Jessica Danker
Local specialist in New York City | Reviewed on Dec 10, 2022

So glad to hear you had a lovely time in Peru! Thanks again for choosing Miski Travels!

Kim Kim - Trip to Peru
Peru | Nov 18 - Nov 28, 2022

Pavithra
Pavithra R.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on Dec 03, 2022

Kim Kim did a great planning for our 11 days trip to Peru. When we had to reschedule our Machu Pichu trip, the team did a great job in rescheduling. The airport pickup everywhere was on time and the team addressed our queries/concerns immediately. The local guides were amazing and very friendly. Especially our guide in Cusco, Flor, she is the best! Overall it was a pleasant experience with Kim Kim.

Local specialist: Jessica Danker
Jessica
Jessica Danker
Local specialist in New York City | Reviewed on Dec 05, 2022

It was great planning this trip for you, and I am glad that you had such a good time. Thanks again!

Outstanding!
Peru | Nov 9 - Nov 18, 2022

J
Jen T.
Herndon, VA | Reviewed on Dec 01, 2022

We recently used Kimkim to put together a 10 day trip to Peru. I usually love to put together travel itineraries, but in this case, I just didn’t have enough time to do it justice. I haven’t used a travel agency before and was a little nervous, partly because I hadn’t used this type of service before, but also because I am a very picky traveler and like to avoid typical tourist experiences. This led to quite a few requests and questions on my part that Jessica very promptly answered. She... read more

We recently used Kimkim to put together a 10 day trip to Peru. I usually love to put together travel itineraries, but in this case, I just didn’t have enough time to do it justice. I haven’t used a travel agency before and was a little nervous, partly because I hadn’t used this type of service before, but also because I am a very picky traveler and like to avoid typical tourist experiences. This led to quite a few requests and questions on my part that Jessica very promptly answered. She walked us through each step of the planning to make sure that we were able to accomplish everything that we wanted to do on this trip. I felt like she really listened to our requests and was able to create a trip that was perfect for us. She set us up with amazing tours and experiences that had not even been on my radar. Our particular favorite was Edwin from Cusi Travel who took us through the Sacred Valley and through Machu Picchu. He was a wealth of information and was able to make the history come alive. Jessica’s support did not end once the itinerary was put together, but continued throughout the trip. She helped us set up additional transportation and negotiate travel delays that arose with a shut down airport in Lima and ensured that we were not delayed any longer than necessary. I was incredibly happy with the support that Jessica and Kimkim provided and the caliber of experiences that they set up for us. I will definitely be using them again.

Hotel Reviews
Pullman Lima Miraflores
Miraflores, Lima
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Novotel Cusco
Cusco
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
El Mapi by Inkaterra
Lima
Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Lima City & Gourmet Lima Food Tour (PM tour)
Peru

Outstanding. One of the highlights of our trip. Our tour hit some great locations, and our guide was full of information about Lima and its cuisine, including some great historical information.

Quality of Experience
Great variety. Delicious!!
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Very informative. Lots of fun.
Transport
Sacred Valley Tour: Cusco - Pisac - Ollantaytambo
Peru

Excellent experience that really augmented our understanding and experience of Peru. Our tour guide, Edwin was the highlight of our trip. He provided a great mix of current information and historical facts. He made the history and region come alive.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Pachamanca Lunch at El Albergue Farm in Ollantaytambo
Peru

So fun! Great experience both learning about Pachamanca, but also more about the El Albergue farm.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Machu Picchu Excursion: from Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu

A once in a lifetime experience that did not disappoint!! Absolutely magnificient! While I expected this from the location and site, it was made even better by our outstanding tour guide Edwin from Cusi Travel. His descriptions and fact about Machu Picchu made the trip far more meaningful.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Jessica Danker
Jessica
Jessica Danker
Local specialist in New York City | Reviewed on Dec 06, 2022

So happy to hear that you had a great time on the trip! It was a pleasure working with you and thank you again :)

Great combination of Peru and Bolivia
Peru | Oct 2 - Oct 9, 2022

Terje
Terje R.
Norway | Reviewed on Oct 16, 2022

Thanks to Jessica for tailor making our perfect trip in Peru and Bolivia. Machu Picchu was great, of course, but most suprising was the lovely Train trip from Cusco to Puno. Beautiful landscape, hordes of lamas, and a fantastic stop at a market on 4319 m. Bolivia and La Paz was also very exciting. Copacabana was also surprisingly interesting, we were lucky to arrive just before a local parade. Uros floating islands were nice, but a bit touristy. read more

Thanks to Jessica for tailor making our perfect trip in Peru and Bolivia. Machu Picchu was great, of course, but most suprising was the lovely Train trip from Cusco to Puno. Beautiful landscape, hordes of lamas, and a fantastic stop at a market on 4319 m. Bolivia and La Paz was also very exciting. Copacabana was also surprisingly interesting, we were lucky to arrive just before a local parade. Uros floating islands were nice, but a bit touristy.

Hotel Reviews
Taypikala Lago
Puno

The standard of the hotel was good, but it’s too far away from everything. We should have stayed in Puno. May be the most disappointing on our tour.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
La Casona Hotel Boutique
La Paz

Nice hotel, very good location next to the cathedral plaza. Good breakfast with good view.

Authenticity & Character
Location
I
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Half Day Tour of La Paz
La Paz

Exciting tour, great views from the gondola and exciting to see the moon valley. Colorful Witch Market. Very helpful guide.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Private transfer from Puno to La Paz with visit to Isla del Sol
Bolivia

Copacabana was a surprisingly beautiful, and we were lucky to see a parade of farmers. Once in a lifetime happening, according to our guide. Isla del Sol tour was very similar to Taquile Island tour. That was disappointing, since we were told it’s a bigger and different island.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cusco City Tour (Terje)
Peru

Great view of the city. But not much from in the city itself. I would have appreciated a walking tour of the centro.

Quality of Experience
Include a tour of the city itself
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Machu Picchu Excursion: from Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu - Cusco
Aguas Calientes/ Machu Picchu
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Lake Titicaca Tour: Uros Floating Islands & Taquile Island
Puno

Great experience. May be expected Uros Island visit to be longer and a bit more personal experience. We were just arriving, looking and left. May be we should have taken the over night tour.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Sacred Valley: Pisac Market & Train to Aguas Calientes
Peru
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Welcome to Puno: Free day
Puno

The train from Cusco to Puno was one of the greatest and surprising experiences. Luxury train, good food, beautiful landscape and lama hordes outside the train, and the highlight, a stop at a market on 4319 m.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
No guide.
Transport
Recommending everybody to take this train.
Local specialist: Jessica Danker
Jessica
Jessica Danker
Local specialist in New York City | Reviewed on Oct 17, 2022

It was great working with you to plan this trip and I am so happy to hear that you had such a good time! Thank you again.

Jessica planned such an amazing trip with the...
Peru | Aug 27 - Sep 1, 2022

Natasha
Natasha J.
Ozone Park, NY | Reviewed on Sep 03, 2022

Jessica planned such an amazing trip with the limited time we had! We especially loved the floating Islands and interacting with the locals. Our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and we absolutely loved and adored them. Peru was so stunning and we are so happy that we had Jessica to plan this to our liking where we didn’t have to worry about calling a taxi, or what we would have to do on certain days. read more

Jessica planned such an amazing trip with the limited time we had! We especially loved the floating Islands and interacting with the locals. Our guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and we absolutely loved and adored them. Peru was so stunning and we are so happy that we had Jessica to plan this to our liking where we didn’t have to worry about calling a taxi, or what we would have to do on certain days.

Hotel Reviews
Casa Andina Standard Puno
Puno

This was such a beautiful hotel in prime location of the plaza and food however the water was turned off late at night and didn’t turn back on until after 5 am. We had some early mornings and we ran a bit late because we didn’t know

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Gringo Bill's Boutique Hotel
Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu

This was at a prime location with food and pharmacies however the hot water wasn’t working upon arrival for one room and the water would stop working after some time. There was a dead bug in one room but other than that the hotel was fine

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Tierra Viva Cusco Centro
Cusco

This hotel was stunning! It was also really walkable to restaurants and was beautiful definitely one of our favorite stays of the trip!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Costa del Sol Wyndham Lima Airport
Lima

This was a great hotel right off the airport that had a restaurant with food which was great since we had a super late night flight

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Jessica Danker
Jessica
Jessica Danker
Local specialist in New York City | Reviewed on Sep 06, 2022

Thank you! I am glad to hear that you had such a lovely time on your trip. It was a pleasure assisting you!