Europe Trekking Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

What travelers are saying

"Very nice organisation and amazing group of people!"

What travelers are saying

"The variation in the scenery from La Brigue to Menton was spectacular, especially as we took it day by day and could see the gradual difference as we descended through the Maritime Alps. Our favorite towns were St. Agnes and Menton. We did our one-week tour in June, with super weather both in the Alps and down on the coast. This was the perfect way to get away for one week, but feel like we had been on a two-week holiday - fresh air, exercise, good food and nothing to arrange or worry about. Thank you"

What travelers are saying

"First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfortable and happy (MTSobek tour guides are independent contractors. Tomomi also works for other Adventure/Tour companies) Secondly, Japan is beautiful, clean and the Japanese people are very welcoming. The hiking in the national parks was amazing. It could have been a truly five-star experience if MtSobek had not cut corners so egregiously. The website said (at the time) group tours are 5-22 people. The tour gets canceled if the minimum is not met. When I paid there were TWO other people booked-a mother and daughter duo. Shortly before our departure date I called to see if the tour would be cancelled. I wanted my money back but Mt Sobek was “pleased to say that the trip would not be canceled”. In other words, I could not get a refund. At the last minute a guy named Matt signed up so there were four of us. Five days into the trip Matt left and took a train back to Tokyo. I said to him “You realize Mt Sobek is not going to refund you”. He said, “I don’t care, Mt Sobek scammed us.” With tax, the tour costs $11,645 for 13 nights. For that price there is an expectation that the accommodations Mt Sobek chooses would be decent and clean. We all fully expected a ‘traditional Japanese experience’ which often means no private bath and 8 out of the 13 nights we slept on futon mats on the floor. However, Mt Sobek consistently booked us in the cheapest Ryokans (hotels) in each area in which we travelled. Most of these hotels were unclean and very out-dated. One Ryokan they booked us in was listed on a hotel website for $40 USD/night when there were much nicer accommodations nearby for $100 USD/night. (The Japanese yen is way down, the luxury Park Hotel in Tokyo was $200 USD/night. A comparable hotel would have been about $800/night in Austin.). We were the only people staying in several hotels that accomadated many more people. The most egregious example of MtSobek’s booking the cheapest rooms is when we were booked at a large traditional ski lodge at the base of a spectacular mountain. It was beautiful on the website but had two very different wings. One wing was modern, clean and beautiful with simple beds. The other wing was very old (similar to a cheap Motel 6 that had not been updated since the 1970’s). The carpet and bathrooms were disgusting and like many of the Ryocans where we stayed the futon mats seemed as though they had not been cleaned In 30 years. Only after our tour guide checked us in did we realize we had been booked in the cheap rooms. I asked Tomo why. Immediately someone from MtSobek reached out to me and said, “gosh, I’m sorry you did not realize you were going to have a traditional Japanese experience”. Really? “Traditional” experience depends upon one’s budget. In the US, “traditional” to some people may be the Marriott, a Motel 6 or the Four Seasons Hotels. We were paying for a Marriott experience and received the one-star Motel 6 experience. Upon arrival in Tokyo I expected to be met at the airport by a driver (as many tour companies do). However, several days before our arrival dates in Tokyo, MtSobek sent an email telling us how to locate taking a city bus from the bustling Tokyo airport. That is interesting if you do not speak Japanese. MtSobek cleverly uses great photography and elaborate descriptions of the national parks and the hiking while using terms like “traditional Japanese experience with tatami-mat sleeping” to disguise sub-standard accommodations. At one point we were looking on-line at the very hotel where we were staying and did not even recognize it from the website pictures. The hiking was amazing. The group size was disappointing with just the three of us. I would absolutely recommend a hiking tour through Japan, just not with MtSobek."

What travelers are saying

"We did a tour with them to Blarney Castle with a few other castle stops put in (Cashel Rock and Cahair) and it was wonderful! Great experience and we had the best guide ever, Jim. Jim was wonderful with a great sense of humor! Very knowledgeable, or at least blessed with the gift of gab. If you’re thinking about one of these tours do it! You’ll be glad you did, like me. We will definitely be booking another tour with them, especially with Jim!"

What travelers are saying

"Very nice organisation and amazing group of people!"

What travelers are saying

"I had no idea what to expect, but what I experienced was way over what I could even imagine! The landscaping was eye candy for the soul no matter where you looked. It was enjoyable even when driving between sites. Hotels were well appointed, employees accommodating . . . loved the horse park accommodations!!!! Glacier climb, kayaking in glacial bay, hiking along the coast, Diamond Beach, etc. were all exciting and beyond words."

What travelers are saying

"The variation in the scenery from La Brigue to Menton was spectacular, especially as we took it day by day and could see the gradual difference as we descended through the Maritime Alps. Our favorite towns were St. Agnes and Menton. We did our one-week tour in June, with super weather both in the Alps and down on the coast. This was the perfect way to get away for one week, but feel like we had been on a two-week holiday - fresh air, exercise, good food and nothing to arrange or worry about. Thank you"

What travelers are saying

"Everything worked flawlessly and you got value for money, I recommend it."