Meet Ruben, your expert in Southern Peru!
🌍 Lives in: Cusco
Regions of Expertise: Cusco, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Puno, Arequipa, Colca Canyon
Experience: 20 years guiding
Languages: English, Quechua, Español, Português
Ruben’s Specialties:
Get to know Ruben!
About Ruben
If you’re planning on doing some trekking around Cusco, you want to talk to Ruben. After 23 years guiding, more than 100 Inca trail hikes under his belt, and recognition from the Peruvian government as the 2007 Inca trail guide of the year, he knows his stuff.
He’s our go-to for the Inca trail, Salkantay, Lares, Choquequirao, and every other trek you’ve never heard of. Ruben believes that Cusco has much to offer beyond the major highlights and loves introducing visitors to under-the-radar sites and villages and getting them involved with the local communities.
In addition to a passion for the outdoors, you can find Ruben making a move on the soccer field, digging into a plate of Peruvian fusion food, and always brushing up on his Portuguese.
Peru Travel Consultations
Plan a better trip with some help from Ruben
Why plan with Ruben
Spend 60 minutes tapping into Ruben’s hyperlocal expertise to plan a better trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Consultations cost $125 USD.
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Consultations are held over Google Meet. Once you’ve scheduled your call, you’ll receive a confirmation email containing the link for your video call. On the scheduled day and time, just click that link to join.
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Each consultation is different, but here are some common things that our experts typically help with:
Itinerary planning
Transportation, driving routes, and tips for how to get around
Practical travel information; culture, safety, weather, language, money/tipping, etc.
Suggested hotels/accommodations and advice on where to base yourself
Local recommendations for restaurants, activities, and unique experiences
Advice on reputable tour guides, tour operators, and excursions
Pro tips on how to best visit popular sights and attractions
Ways to avoid overcrowded destinations and tourist traps
Insider ideas on off the beaten path places, authentic experiences, and ways to connect with locals
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What you can get done in an hour depends on your goals for the consultation and how organized you are coming into it.
In most cases, an hour is ample time to create a solid itinerary, answer your major travel questions, get practical advice on how to travel in your destination, and discuss lots of great local tips and recommendations.
To ensure that the hour is used efficiently, when you schedule your call, our pre-consultation questionnaire will ask you what your primary goals for the consultation are. Prior to the call, your Local Expert will review your questionnaire and prepare detailed information addressing those goals.
They’ll come into the call ready to share specific advice, recommendations, itinerary ideas/revisions, and useful links and resources for you to review together.
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Yes! Each consultation is guided by a comprehensive pre-consultation questionnaire that you fill out immediately upon booking.
We’ll ask you a series of 30+ detailed questions that really dig into you, your trip, your interests and travel style, and what you want to discuss with your Local Expert.
The questionnaire will cover things like: the dynamics of your group, the things you enjoy while traveling, your budget, how early you want to start your day and how late you want to end it, whether you want to hit the highlights or roam the back streets, and even what types of restaurants you want to eat at.
Your Local Expert will focus only on your interests and travel style.
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Our Local Experts are seasoned travel professionals who have spent decades working in their countries/regions. While their personal interests may be different from yours, they’ve worked with thousands of travelers and have recommendations and advice for every type of individual.
They know their destinations in-depth and can help plan a trip for every traveler and taste.
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No. Our service is geared toward independent, do-it-yourself travelers who intend to make bookings on their own.
Our goal is not to plan your trip for you, but rather to help you plan a better trip independently. To that end, our Local Experts will give you all of the information that you need to confidently put your trip together yourself.
When Local Experts recommend things like restaurants, hotels, excursions/activities, tours, drivers, etc., they’ll provide you with contact details and links so that you can make the final arrangements on your own.
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Almost every Go Ask A Local expert has at least 10 years of professional travel experience as a guide or trip planner in their country/region.
We work with a vetted team of seasoned professionals who know their destinations inside and out.
Unlike other companies, when you book a call, you’ll always be connected directly with your chosen Local Expert. We never pass anyone on to a junior sales associate or some anonymous back office team. With us, what you see is what you get.
Ready to plan with Ruben?
Here’s how to schedule your consultation:
Private Guided Tours
Unique tours of Cusco & Southern Peru
In addition to offering Peru Travel Consultations, Ruben is also a licensed local guide who leads day trips and multi-day tours all throughout the Cusco region.
For visitors looking to combine an outdoors-focused trip with immersive experiences with Peruvian culture, Ruben is the man. He is our go-to for all things trekking or hiking in the Cusco region and with over 20 years experience guiding multi-day treks, there are few people who know the highlands around Cusco better. The Peruvian government recognized Ruben’s expertise in 2007, awarding him the title of Inca Trail Guide of the Year.
While he’s a passionate hiker and always out in the mountains, Ruben also does much more. He knows people in rural communities and loves to arrange visits for travelers interested in learning about ancient Andean traditions and ways of life still carried on today.
Get in touch with him to discuss what you could arrange together!