Patagonia Trekking Hiking Trips

A great break in the deep south of Bulgaria near the Greek border. Seeing the old cold war border fence between USSR and Greece and hearing about its history was one of many personal highlights. Such a variety of wildlife and flowers all there to be experienced.

Good info and preparation details. Helpful communication. Luggage transfer and accommodation all worked smoothly. Online map link (GPX) really useful and worked well in conjunction with daily notes - all good!

The overall trip went quite well. We had a few surprises finding our accommodations being away from our destination, however we were well looked after once we arrived. The app helped us navigate throughout our trip by providing directions as well as information regarding services and travel tips. I will consider using them for my future adventure plans.

An absolutely amazing experience! The tour was incredibly well-organized from start to finish. We stayed at a beautiful chalet with breathtaking, insane views of Mont Blanc. Our guide, Adrian, was fantastic. He was always there to help with any question or situation, and his explanations of the routes we hiked were super clear and helpful. He was always available, incredibly patient, and brought such a fun energy to the group with his great sense of humor. Also thanks to Julieta and Odran, the two chalet hosts. They took amazing care of us, cooked delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and were incredibly nice and welcoming throughout the whole trip. As a small note regarding dinner, the meals were plated individually as a starter, main, and dessert. While it was lovely, I would have personally preferred a style where food is placed on the table so everyone can choose their own portions. To sum up, it was an amazing adventure.

This was an amazing trip! I was initially drawn to it by the opportunity to explore the Great Wall of China without the crowds, and this trip did not disappoint - we hardly shared the wall with anyone most days, and of those we did meet they were mostly friendly locals or school groups. The scenery was also exceptional and just got better and better - by the end stages the Wall felt more like a mountain ridge walk traversing beautiful lush valleys of chestnut, apricot, walnut and mulberry trees on either side - bliss! Our guide Olly was a superstar, warm, open to any questions and without error; he clearly is very experienced and I felt in safe hands throughout - one of the best tour leaders I have travelled with. I particularly liked that Olly used local people living besides the Wall to help guide some of the more remote parts; these people were always friendly and provided a more authentic insight into living in the areas around the wall we visited. The accommodation in the more rural areas was also charming, if basic in places, and the evening meals were all excellent and never any more than £10 (including a well-deserved beer each night). Beyond the Wall both Beijing and Xi'an were very different but equally fascinating, with lots to see and do. I would recommend doing all the optional extras (Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Panda visit, etc.). On a practical note a walking pole is very helpful, as is a hat and water bottles as it can get very hot. I would also recommend getting an eSIM with an inbuilt VPN before you travel as this way you can access all the usual websites (including WhatsApp) without issue, and also use AliPay in the shops (which is very easy, especially if you set it up before leaving home). Amaps is also useful to download as Google maps does not work in China.

A nice moderating hike with day 1 being most challenging in terms of length and elevation, then moderating to the end. Lots of natural landscape views and scenery. Great towns all offering a bit something different.