Your Financial Protection
Andean Trails is fully compliant with European tour operator regulations. Financial security is guaranteed through our ATOL bond (6275) and our solicitor-managed Trust Account.
Tailor Made Trips, Custom Tours and Private Treks
We are a specialist in tailor made tours, customised trips, bespoke activity and luxury holidays through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Argentina and Patagonia.
We have developed excellent relationships with all our local partners and put together educational trips for student, school, scout groups, families, photography clubs, cycle clubs, trekking and outdoor clubs too. Individual and groups all welcome.
Our first hand experience and intimate local knowledge, together with a network of high quality local guides and partners, allow us to create an authentic itinerary to meet your precise specifications… just get in touch, and we can discuss the options.
Small group tours
Andean Trails supports responsible travel and tourism. By limiting the size of our groups we minimise environmental impact and achieve greater flexibility.
On our small group tours our normal group-size is between 6 and 12 plus a leader, although some groups extend up to 16 people.
The typical age range is 25-75 with similar ratios of couples and singles, males and females. You will find yourself travelling with like-minded people; experienced trekkers, mountain bikers and climbers, as well as relative novices.
Fully Supported
All of our trekking, biking and jungle expeditions are fully supported, meaning you need only carry a small pack with items needed during the day, such as a camera, binoculars and waterproofs. We also some more expedition type tips where you may carry more, for example the South Patagonia Ice-Cap.
Generally though luggage is transported by porters, donkeys or a support vehicle. We find that while on trek, a certain level of comfort is appreciated by more people. We are generally accompanied by a team of local staff who set up camp and cook for us.
On trekking expeditions, kitchen, dining and toilet tents are usually provided (where possible).
Tour leaders
Our group tours are led by a locally appointed leader or a native English speaking-guide living in the country you are visiting. All have long-term experience in the field.
Our leaders and guides have been chosen primarily for their knowledge of the areas they work in and their fluency in English and Spanish.
While on trekking, climbing and jungle sectors of the tour, our groups are always accompanied by an experienced and appropriately qualified local guide.
Positive tourism
Andean Trails promotes responsible tourism and tries to make only a positive impact on our destination landscapes and communities.
We are involved with a number of organisations which work to protect and conserve the areas we visit. Andean Trails is committed to contributing on a regular base to two excellent NGOs in Peru. (Huchuy Yachaq and ECOAN).
We are also members of a variety of organisations that work in nature and wildlife conservation – John Muir Trust, the Galapagos Conservation Trust, the LATA Foundation, Rainforest Concern, and Tourism Concern (in the past).
Our staff trips are carbon neutral, we make a donation to Rainforest Concern or Trees For Life.
About You
We believe that a sense of adventure and an open mind are the most important things you can bring with you.
Testimonials
J. Hill, U.K. Cloud forest and Amazon trip, Ecuador. November, 2025. I would like to thank Tom for organising my trip to Santa Lucia and Sinchi Wayra! It was incredible - he made the process really easy, and having all the information provided in sheets ready to print out and take with me was really useful. As I had a short period of time to do both places and had seen Santa Lucia trips advertised on Andean Trails' website, I felt that you were best placed to help me manage the organisation and scheduling. If I were planning another trip to South America, your website is the first place I would look. I also found the blogs really interesting to read before my departure and gave me useful information (and ideas for future holidays!). The highlight of my holiday was the cock-of-the-rock walk at Santa Lucia at 4am. Seeing the forest and the birds through the sunrise and then eating breakfast by a waterfall was a great way to start the day! I also really enjoyed the day at the community centre at Sinchi Wayra learning about the community and their traditions. Accommodation/ food/ guides/ overall organisation were all extremely good for both locations. The trip was well organised - my guide made sure I had time to see and do everything that I wanted to do. We had lots of great discussions about the rainforest, the birds and insects and also the history of Santa Lucia. No question went unanswered and I had a lot of them! The food was excellent and good portions - I was very well looked after. The cabin at Sinchi Wayra was extremely comfortable, despite being quite open to the wildlife. The mosquito net sorted any night time visitors out though and it great listening to the sounds of the forest and seeing the occasional glow worm going past! Our guide worked hard on the excursions to find us lots of interesting things to see like monkeys, parrots and caymans and also helped us get great footage. The lodge picked me up straight after the flight and dropped me off well in time for my flight back to Quito with no issues. The food here was some of the best I had in Ecuador. At both lodges, time was taken to explain their history, the various environmental and social issues that impact both environments and how tourism is essential to help keep pressures of deforestation, and particularly in the Amazon, oil extraction, at bay. I feel my visit did therefore help the lodges and communities, as it helps them push back against these pressures.
Alastair and John, UK. Tailormade Patagonia inc. Self-guided Paine Circuit. November, 2025 Andean Trails has many pluses. You get a bespoke trip: “bespoke” as in getting exactly what you want (not as in expensive) and you are not part of a group with inevitable compromises to the itinerary. Kathy is very knowledgeable about the region from personal experience. The side trips beyond Chalten and Paine, suggested by Kathy, made for a fuller experience of both countries, their culture and history. We had to make changes during the trip and were able to complete them using WhatsApp, Kathy’s availability never seemed an issue. The local agents sent us reminders for the next day in good English and were all punctual. The WhatsApp reminders were very helpful/reassuring. The highlight of the trip was just the beauty of the scenery overall. Accommodation all very comfortable/ appropriate. The hotels in Buenos and Santiago were very comfortable and with good restaurants nearby. Canelos and Senderos good walking hotels, and food in Canelos notably good. Bunkrooms in Paine were roomy and facilities generally better than a lot of what we've experienced in Alps/Pyrenees. Food in Puerto Natales was particularly good with some great fish and seafood, at great prices, We maybe benefited local people by using hotels, laundries, restaurants etc. Obviously the tourist industry in both Argentina and Chile employs lots of local people. We tipped services hopefully at a reasonable level. What I would do differently is I probably would not have bought as much data on my eSIM WiFi is pretty ubiquitous even in the park. There are inevitably a lot of transfers and bus connections. Might have tried to finesse some of that.
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