Active outdoor trips in South America. Looking to explore South America on an active outdoor tour? We offer 160 active outdoor tours through-out South America, backed by over 500 reviews and offering discounts up to 27%. All our trips are offered by expert trip designers and South America destination experts, with trip durations ranging from 1 to 49 days.
Duration
1 day51 days
Departures
Tour Types
Countries
Physical Rating
Accommodations
Simple stays with essential amenities. Typically guesthouses, hostels or hotels rated below 3 stars — clean, no-frills, and great for value-conscious travelers.
Comfortable and reliable 3-star stays. Expect private rooms, en-suite bathrooms, and solid amenities — a great balance between comfort and cost.
Upscale 4-5 star hotels and lodges. Enjoy high-end service, refined comfort, and premium locations — ideal for travelers seeking extra indulgence.
Arturo was a fantastic leader and guide. Knowledgable, helpful, caring, experienced and amusing. This was my 11th Explore holiday and Arturo is up there with the best guides. The porters and cooks are heroes - we were very happy to tip them generously. The itinerary was perfect, though no one should underestimate the challenge of around ten hours walking on day three. Cusco hotel staff were fine but the layout around a central atrium means the rooms are very noisy. The hotel near Machu Picchu was lovely but the staff were rude, unhelpful and disinterested. Overall I’d fully recommend this trip - but be sure to get into shape beforehand and consider your kit carefully.
An excellent way to explore Central America on two wheels—what a ride! I loved every segment of the tour. Just a heads-up: you’ll need more than basic cycling skills… and a truckload of grit. Some of the dirt roads, especially the downhills, are the kind that make you suddenly remember every loved one you’ve ever had. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
About the hotels: a few of the one-night stays were… let’s say “character-building.” The stop in Turrialba in particular did not meet even basic standards. Explore, you can do better—please save future cyclists from that experience.
Now, about our tour leader, Mike. After ~15 tours across ~20 countries, I’ve finally had a tour led by a real pro athlete. And wow—what a difference. Mike’s professionalism, enthusiasm, ocean-level patience, and that trademark toothy smile made even the toughest (undualating😄）climbs feel manageable. He set the bar so high that my future tours may need oxygen just to reach it.
Absolutely recommended. And if you’re lucky enough to get Mike, prepare to have your expectations ruined—in the best possible way.
What an amazing trip, couldnt fault a thing! From start to finish, it was organised so well and our tour guide was so knowledgeable. A gentle introduction to Brazilian life on the beautiful island of Marajo with its golden beaches and buffalo was a great idea.
The public ferry was pretty basic but gave a glimpse of river life, relaxing on a hammock as we sailed up the Amazon. Yes, the food was plain and a bit repetitive but it was freshly cooked, tasty and plenty of it.
Santarem was a delight, just like a seaside resort. The jungle hike there was a bit tough (but so worth it!) with a local guide showing us all the ways the plants and trees are used by the local people, and a swim in a cool stream was most welcome.
The private boat trip was fabulous; sleeping on deck listening to the sounds of the night-time jungle, canoe rides to see the wildlife, fishing for piranha and another hike were exciting. The food on the boat was superb!
TV programmes on the Amazon just don't cover the scale and magnificence of the river and jungle so if you're looking for adventure, maybe a little outside your comfort zone, then go for it. For me, this was the trip of a lifetime!
Done over 30 trips with Explore.
Always good.
Small group, well led, safe & comfortable but not luxurious.
Free time on some days, and some very full-on days.
Worth paying close attention to the itinerary
The trip was really good with lots of standout places and experiences. Our trip manager was brilliant. He was friendly and knowledgeable and made everything easy. Some of the accommodation wasn’t the best (poor showers, uncomfortable beds, no safety lock box, no elevator) but for the most part acceptable.
The trip really packed in some iconic elements of Costa Rica, and lived up to its name in terms of seeing the highlights. It was great to experience the contrast of the Caribbean lowlands, rain forest and the pacific coast. And seeing the abundance of wildlife was incredible, as well as the delicious local dishes and wonderful people we me along the way.
The guide was great, really personable and had good knowledge and a keen sense to show us as much as possible, often stopping en route when he had spied interesting animals from the van.
The Manuel Antonio and the La Fortuna accommodation was great. The Authentico hotel was fine for passing through but we had paid for an additional night in San Jose, and for this purpose the hotel wasn’t in the best of locations as it was on the edge of the city with not much around in terms of restaurants so we felt a bit stuck in the hotel at the end.
Discover Peru’s wild side on the "Inca Jungle Trail to Machu Picchu in 4 days—GROUP SERVICE." This easy-paced adventure is ideal for energetic travelers eager to blend hiking, rafting, ziplining, and mountain biking across lush rainforests and ancient Inca ruins. Along the way, visit rural communities, coffee and cacao plantations, and encounter a tapestry of fruit trees. The tour’s standout feature is its dynamic itinerary, offering a hands-on, action-packed route to Machu Picchu that showcases both natural wonders and local culture. Note: Rafting is best avoided in the rainy season (January–February).
