Cusco Explorer Trips

Excellent tour. In my view Arturo our guide made sure we made the best of our two weeks making sure we arrived at sites at a good time to make the most of the experience. He had an excellent knowledge of Peru and its history and this made the trip very interesting. We were a mixed group of 10 and we all enjoyed each others company making every day a pleasure.

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.

Every day exceeded my expectations. A minor niggle was that after a long haul and connected flight, the arrival hotel was unable to allow access to our rooms until 4hrs after check in. I have been on over 10 Explore tours over 3 decades and our tour leader was equal best.

Our extensive trip by air, minibus and water launch was coordinated superbly well by our Explore Leader Julio. Julio was a font of information well beyond providing details of our tour and places visited. His input to our enjoyment of the trip was invaluable. The itinerary itself provided important stages of acclimatisation with high altitudes being reached. Arequipa was a good start to the acclimatising process and the 'White City' had many attractions. Beyond Arequipa Lake Titicaca and our stay on Taquile Island was memorable. Condors soared over the Colca Valley and the Sacred Valley was stunning with Inca ruins. And of course the extraordinary Mach Pichu visit before finishing in Cusco the one time capital of the Inca Empire. An added trip to Pisac in the Sacred Valley was highly enjoyable. In addition to Julio's input supporting local guides and drivers were most professional and considerate too. Hotel accommodation was a high standard with a more simple arrangement on the remote Taquile Island. Highly recommended for those with a mind for adventure.

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!

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.