South America Train Trips

An epic trip, so much packed in. Erickson our tour leader is an exceptional guide and a lovely person and he did everything he could to make our trip the best possible experience. We were so lucky to have a trip led by him and we are very grateful for all the extras, time and care he took to make the trip so special. I would recommend Explore wholeheartedly, don’t hesitate, Peru is a wonderful country.

Very-well designed itinerary, starting with a couple of long coach journeys at the beginning (including the overnight coach journey) to bond the group, with the tour getting better and better as it progressed. Our leader, Darwin, was simply brilliant, going the "extra mile" on various occasions and providing several experiences that were not set out in the itinerary (including a view of the sunset over Arequipa from a rooftop bar, plus a brewery tasting session in Cusco). Macchu Picchu lived up to all the hype, but my personal highlight was the night on Taquile Island, despite the basic accommodation, and the morning walk across the island. All the local guides were excellent. All in all, a fantastic introduction to southern Peru.

The pace and points of interest on this trip were fantastic. It was a great combination of “must sees” and “off the beaten path.” Our tour leader was knowledgeable and genuine. We felt very well-looked after. The rail trip from Puno to Cusco was a highlight. Don’t miss it! I also highly recommend a follow-up trip to Machu Picchu. The first group tour was educational, but my individual trip the following day was a spiritual event. Be ready for some significant hiking, especially on Taquile Island. If you think you might want to bring a trekking pole- do it. The sights are worth it, but they are all uphill.

We saw amazing sites and wildlife on our tour! Our guides, Nilton in Peru and Myriam in Ecuador, were friendly, organized and knowledgeable. It was fun hanging out and chatting in with Myriam, and Nilton helped me recover from a day of food/altitude illness. There were a lot of early morning starts and transfers between various transports- plane to bus to train to bus to boat to bus to boat to bus, etc. Glad they arranged it all!

A varied and fascinating itinerary exploring lots of different parts of Peru. Our guide, Miguel, was fabulous. He is a warm and extremely competent tour guide who looked after us superbly throughout the trip. The use of specialist guides greatly added to the experience. There is a lot of travelling with this trip and sometimes we would have liked a bit more time exploring on foot rather than using a minibus. Overall, a great trip.

Myriam in Galapagos was the most amazing tour leader. Really helpful and supportive when I ended up with food poisoning - practical but not fussing. She told us so much about the places and was so proud of her country Ecuador. It was a joy to hear her. Nilton in Peru was equally helpful when our bags went missing for the first 5 days! The trip was really full on and had so much moving but it was needed to fit everything in. Make sure you pack light! Prepare for lots of early starts and quick turn arounds. Even though it says moderate it’s as full on as some full on tours! The scenery was incredible. From the mountains in Peru and Machu Picchu to volcanoes in Ecuador. The Galapagos were stunning. Isabela is so very beautiful. Wildlife everywhere you look through the whole trip. Every day is just wow. Some hotels were a little basic. The one in Quito had no lift and arriving in the middle of the night had no one to help with bags. The stair carpet was loose and stair rail wobbly so a bit dodgy. A couple we had no hot water and one the breakfast was very basic, though they were all clean and had comfortable beds.