Trekking and Hiking

Some hiking routes are famous because of what you see along the way, like the famed Patagonia treks in Chile’s Torres del Paine Park, the many orchid species in Ecuador’s misty cloud forests, the monkeys swinging through the trees of Costa Rica and Panama’s rainforests. Others are famous for what you see when you arrive, like Machu Picchu. Of the seven South American countries that share the Andes, we arrange hiking trips to five, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. South America’s landscapes are so varied that you can hike in both the Andes and the Amazon in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Although we arrange for passengers to hike famous trails, many itineraries include ones you’ve never heard of but will be telling everyone about when you get home. Los Nevados National Park in Colombia, for instance, is located in an area of eight volcanoes and Andean forests with 100-ft trees. Our two trips to Argentina’s northern canyon country hike among red variegated cliffs where geology is the star attraction and in an exotic landscape comprised of thousands of huge Cardon cacti. Two of our new Ecuador trips hike into Pululahua, a dormant volcano so large people live and farm there, though active volcanoes such as Costa Rica’s Arenal as well as Ecuador’s Cotopaxi are also among our destinations.

SERIOUS HIKING

Our itineraries that require stamina and conditioning all contain the word “hike” in the trip name. Five of our Patagonia tours, ranging from 11 to 15 days are hiking adventures. The most famous of the Patagonia routes, Torres del Paine’s W hike takes four days and the Paine Circuit six days, both with refugio camping along the way. Age restrictions also apply on some of our glacier hiking excursions. The same is true for those who choose to travel the longest segment of the Inca Trail. Machu Picchu isn’t the only place to hike in the Peruvian Andes. Huascaran National Park in the Cordillera Blanca attracts trekkers from throughout the world where we offer a 10-day hiking trip. Some Antarctica trips provide an optional 3 to 4-day tour (depending on the weather) for those who wish to trek across South Georgia Island as British explorer, Ernest Shackleton did.

DAY HIKES

South America’s most famous hiking regions aren’t just for the intrepid. Some of the most memorable Patagonia hikes are day-hikes such as those in the northerly Mt. Fitz Roy sector of Argentina’s Los Glaciares National Park or are divided into day-long segments, with stays in scenic estancias. Several of our Patagonia tours are lodge-based. We tuck day-hikes of various lengths into many of our itineraries as one of several activities. Though we don’t call it a hiking or multisport tour, our 13-day Bahia Rhythms, Canyon and Beaches Brazil tour hikes virtually every day to one destination or another, including Salvador’s Pelourinho neighborhood where South America’s largest complex of colonial architecture is located, deserted white sand beaches surrounded by coconut plantations along the Coconut Coast and waterfalls in Chapada Diamantina National Park. On some routes in Florianopolis, Brazil, a delicious seafood lunch on a pier is the destination. All Rio de Janeiro itineraries include an option to hike in the Tijuca rainforest, a national park within the city limits and climb instead of travel by conveyance to the city’s two famous monuments, Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain. We even offer day-hike excursions on the Western Hemisphere’s highest peak, Mt. Aconcagua in the central Andes of Argentina.

View our Trekking and Hiking trip and tour options below:
11 Days $10,115
Torres Del Paine, Buenos Aires, Perito Moreno Glacier, Mt. Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre, Luxury Accommodations
12 Days $3295
Uyuni Salt Flats, Siloli Desert, Islands of Lake Titicaca, La Paz, Tiwanaku Ruins, Sucre, Potosi
Buenos Aires , Iguazu Falls, Rio De Janeiro
9 Days $3,695
Arenal Volcano , Monteverde , Manuel Antonio National Park, Snorkeling, Tabacon Hot Springs, Ziplining, Kayaking
7 days $3,495
Buenos Aires , Perito Moreno Glacier, Glacier National Park, Mt. Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre
Los Glaciares National Park, Torres del Paine National Park, Perito Moreno Glacier, Classic Treks to Mt. Torre and to Mt. Fitz Roy
12 Days $4,295
Inca Trail Trek , Machu Picchu , Sacred Valley, Amazon Jungle Lodge
12 - 22 Days $14,680
Glaciers, Icebergs, Whales, Penguins, Hiking, Kayaking, Photography
9 Days $2550
Uyuni Salt Flats, Siloli Desert, Islands of Lake Titicaca, La Paz