South America Tours in Winter

It was a great trip despite the rough start due to winter storm. Collette did a great job changing our flights so we could beat the storm. Rafa did an excellent job managing everyone and went above and beyond when my friend got sick. Costa Rica is a beautiful, diverse county and we a nice taste of different regions. Shout out to our bus driver Julio who did a fantastic job.

This was a well planned trip to a collection of destinations less well known to most travellers from the UK. The scenery was incredible, ever changing and thrilling. There were too many highlights to mention, but both salt flats and the geysers in the Atacama desert stand out. The hotels were all fine, interestingly different and comfortable. We were never cold, despite warnings of this. The Luna Salada hotel in Bolivia was a great hit with all our group. Another night there would not have gone amiss. In Bolivia we were transported around in 4x4 vehicles. There were three passengers, plus the driver, in each car. This worked very well and was a great way to travel all those off road tracks. Something that we really appreciated and enjoyed was the 'picnics' provided by Explore staff. To have a table, with a white tablecloth, comfortable chairs and delicious food and wine provided , out on the remote salt flats, was a real treat. The visit to the wine region of Cafayate was excellent. The journey alone was worth it to take in the stunning scenery. A few more stops to appreciate the scenery and take yet more photos would have been welcomed. The tour round the first vineyard we visited was comprehensive, interesting and well delivered. The lunch at the second vineyard was a delicious affair, in beautiful surroundings. However, the tour round the second winery was not really necessary, it was not as good as the first winery tour and I feel that we would all have preffered to linger over our meal. This trip is, as advertised, "full-on", as it has to be with the ground covered. It offers something a bit different for those adventurers who are looking for new experiences and outstanding scenery.

Iara Musumeci was a fantastic guide. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable and caring. The only flaw with the itinerary was the connection between Patagonia and Iguazu. In all other respects it was a great trip!

This trip was amazing! Everything about the itinerary worked well. The included experiences were some of the best I’ve ever experienced. The add ons were great as well. The Trip Manager was great. Very organized and willing to help when needed. The small group size was perfect. Patagonia can be a difficult place to get to but well worth the journey once you are there!

Excellent trip!! Best one ever! I loved this trip even more than 2 trips to Italy. The people are so very friendly! We had an excellent tour manager and bus driver. Outstanding accommodations and perfect weather!

From steamy Tortoguero, with the howler monkeys waking us up at 5.00am (no need for an alarm!) to cool, mountainous Savegre thronging with hummingbirds, this was a tour of contrasting habitats each with their own variety of wildlife, plants and flowers. In addition to the wildlife elements of the tour, visits to the Aquiares coffee factory and CAITE research centre were incredibly interesting. The optional visit to the Bri Bri community was well worth it; we learned all about how chocolate is made from scratch and had great fun trying each part of the process. While there were some longer travel days, they were well paced, never felt too onerous and we often saw interesting things en route. The boat trips were fantastic- just getting to Tortoguero and to Drake Bay were experiences in themselves, with opportunity to see lot of wildlife on the way. The snorkelling trip was amazing- we were able to swim above sea turtles, rays and amongst lots of colourful fish. Even if you don't snorkel, the boat trip was worth doing- we saw a pod of humpback whales quite close to the boat, and a variety of birds. The accommodation was comfortable and in all the hotel grounds we were able to spot a variety of wildlife- great for photographers who enjoy having a camera/phone in one hand and a 'sundowner' in the other!