Andean Discovery - Weston, Massachusetts

Liliana K.

My family of 5 just got home from our 2 week vacation arranged by Andean Discovery. It was an experience we’ll always cherish. Our guides were all amazing and we already miss spending time with them! The accommodations, food, and activities were planned perfectly for our family and we always felt safe and well cared for. Everyone traveling to South America should work with the Andean Discovery team!

Chip K.

So happy that I used Andean Discovery on a trip to Peru / Machu Picchu!

I took a trip with my brothers to Peru and we could not agree more that Andean Discovery made it the trip of a lifetime. From taking the time to understanding what we wanted out of our itinerary, to helping with all of the pre-departure details, to using the best local guides in every leg of journey - the Andean team was incredibly knowledgable, flexible, and helpful.

We spent 10 days camping and hiking on the Inca train, volunteering with a school, mountain biking, horseback riding, and exploring multiple towns all over Peru. We were looking for adventure, and the Andean team made sure we had the best local guides, each who was perfect for every part of our adventure.

Our trip ended with a visit to Aquas Calientes and Machu Picchu. The Andean team went out of their way to make sure we had the best tour guide that Machu Picchu had to offer, set us up with a breathtaking luxury hotel to relax in after days of hiking, and took care of every detail so that we could our Peruvian adventure on the best note possible.

I didn't know that a single trip could hold so much adventure, education, luxury, and culture engagement - Andean exceeded every one of our expectations!

Zachary K.

Best trip ever!! My two brothers decided to get together and visit Machu Picchu for some adventure. We called up Andean Discovery to help with the planning. They went above and beyond. We told them, what we were looking for, how much we wanted to spend, whether there was a possibility to volunteer, etc, and within days they had put together an incredible itinerary. Andean Discovery helped book the flights so we all flew in to Lima together, from there we flew to Cusco, where we spent a day with our guide Gaby touring the city. We then underwent a three-day hike from Cusco to Aquas Calientes via an alternative Inca trail. On the way, we went horseback riding, mountain biking and swimming in waterfalls. Andean Discovery even helped find us a volunteer project, during the first day of our hike, we spent a day at a primary school in the Andes, painting it and playing with the kids. The hiking itself, was serious, long and grueling, and the high altitude was tough, but the views were STUNNING!
Following the hike, we spent a night in Ollantaytambo, then took the train for Aquas Calientes where we stayed for two nights. For our first night, we stayed in a three star hotel. The following day we did Machu Picchu. That night Andean Discovery had managed to get us a night at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo hotel, a five-star hotel in town. The hotel was easily the best I have ever seen, words can’t describe how amazing it was. That was incredible

Kudos to the pre-trip planning team for coming up with such a vacation that satisfied our needs and our budget, all while exceeding our expectations. They were very helpful. While I had traveled to Ecuador previously, my brothers had never been to South America, and Andean Discovery did a great job on what to expect.
On the ground, the guides were amazing, we did not expect such a level or service. We had a lot of fun with our primary guide, Gaby, who took on tours of Cusco and found us great chicha. She also showed us a great restaurant with live music. For camping, the guide staff carried all our gear by horse and set up/broke down camp every night. There is nothing better than arriving to a setup camp with dinner cooking after a strenuous day of hiking. All we had to do was pour the pisco. Each morning we awoke to hot coca tea and breakfast. It was the peak of luxury.
The guide staff had gone above and beyond and every way but the hotel upgrade in Aquas Calientes absolutely blew us away. I cannot recommend Andean Discovery enough, they delivered an exceptional adventurous yet luxurious vacation, and I hope to use their services again.

Batia C.

My wife and I are experienced world travelers. Every year we go on one or more trips overseas, either planned by ourselves or with a tour company similar to Andean Discoveries. We felt that the company was top rate, expertly planning the trip, and responsive to any and all concerns. Their knowledge was comprehensive, they hired competent guides and drivers, and they provided us a thoroughly memorable vacation. I would unquestionably suggest this company for your trip to South America.

Linda K.

I just got back from a land based trip to the Galapagos with my adult son. I had to book a list minute trip as the original group got canceled. Damon and staff were amazing at getting us rescheduled!! We had Markus Medina as a guide who was extremely knowledgeable and made sure we got to all of our activities on time. It was a tour group of just the 3 of us. We had a lot of flexibility -like my son went to every skate park on the 3 islands we visited. I loved traveling with so few people. The accommodations and food were great, especially as we were vegetarians-not common in the Galápagos. The people were very friendly and it was VERY safe. Of course, the views, animals, and birds were spectacular.I plan to travel back to South America and will definitely use Andean Discovery again!

JT T.

We just returned from a trip to Quito and the Galapagos Islands. Having never traveled to South America before I felt it wise to organize this trip through a travel agent. After reading the reviews, I chose Andean Discovery and I was very glad I did. Their planning was meticulous, coordinating airport transfers, hotels, Covid testing, excursions and of course the 5 day cruise through the Galapagos. Everything went perfectly. I highly recommend Andean Discovery! Damon and Melissa were absolutely fantastic in the planning of the trip. Our in country guide Carolina was a delight, knowledgeable, and did everything to make sure we had a great time. Once aboard the Alya Luxury Catamaran, Carlos our guide was superb. I cannot imagine a better trip than the one we just experienced.

Victor E.

We traveled with our family of 3 people. Andean did a wonderful job helping us select an itinerary that was able to accommodate our various ages. We had no glitches in a fairly complicated itinerary and everything came off as planned. Our local guide in Quito Johanna was terrific. I can't recommend Sacha Lodge more highly. Our experience in Galapagos on the Coral 1 was magical. While the crew of the Coral 1 could have been more charming and smiled on occasion they were helpful, the food was very good and the rooms were kept clean. I have no reservations in recommending Andean Discovery for your South American Holiday

Yolanda C.

Experience of a Lifetime in the Galapagos -- Andean Discovery is a Gem!
For nearly three months, I worked with Andean to plan a special private trip to the Galapagos for my extended family (including a whole bunch of nieces and nephews). I had loads and loads of questions and Andean patiently answered every one of them, no matter how many times I called or emailed. In addition, very close to the date of the trip, I had an unfortunate situation where one person had to drop out and Andean helped me replace that person with another person. They also helped secure luggage completely misplaced by the airlines and helped get it to the final destination when the airline fell down on the job. Additionally, our guide helped us find a suitable place to buy hiking boots for the unfortunate person whose luggage was mishandled. The guides also made us feel welcome and taken care of from the moment we were in Ecuador to the moment we were leaving again. But those are just some of the logistical benefits of selecting Andean. The trip itself was extraordinary and their guidance in selecting the right activities for our group and their outstanding guides (on on the mainland and one in the Galapagos) is where the magic of the trip appeared before our very eyes. We hiked, we swam, we snorkeled, in extraordinary places. We saw species of animals that we'd never seen before in a pristine environment, up close! We ate delicious food. We stayed at lovely places on the islands and on the mainland. The trip itself was so well-put-together. I haven't read about any sites or special things on the islands that we didn't get to do! Priscilla, our guide in the Galapagos, is one of the most wonderful people we've ever met. Patient, intelligent, knowledgeable and fun. We truly felt she was part of the family by the time we left and we really missed her. She had to contend with 10 unruly people and she did it expertly. She showed us the wonders of the Galapagos through her eyes and helped us to have an extraordinary time. Back on the mainland, we only had 1.5 days with Antonio, our guide in the Mindo Cloud Forest and back at Quito, but he truly made such a powerful impression on us that we recommend requesting both Antonio and Priscilla in the strongest possible way. Also, please ask for Wilson as your driver on the mainland in Ecuardor -- he is excellent! I am so very happy we were lucky enough to find Andean Discovery and I truly truly recommend them without hesitation.