South America Mountaineering Trips & Packages Tours & Trips

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 had an amazing, outstanding trip from start to finish! We did Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Hiram Bingham Luxury train, Lake Titicaca, Colca Valley and Arequipa. All of our questions were answered and all of our requests organized promptly. The suggestions, organized tours and hotels were the best! Our guides were terrific and enjoyable to spend time with. EVERYTHING ran smoothly and nothing was overlooked….no small feat for a 16 day tour for 4 people!"

What travelers are saying

"Phenomenal! Karen was awesome. We made a potato soup with an avocado rose set on cheese in the middle of the soup. Then we made a sword fish in a cream sauce and finished with a chocolate fondue dish with a variety of passion fruit and other local fruits. It was the best cooking class I have ever taken. Thanks Karen!"

What travelers are saying

""There were so many wonderful moments it is hard to pick just a few. We loved the private, history filled tour of Buenos Aires in particular. Our guide was knowledgeable about past and current history as well as offering reflections on living in Buenos Aires. We enjoyed the Tango Dinner in Buenos Aires and the Argentine Dinner Party Experience. Ushuaia was a beautiful place to visit. We were on our own for dinner here but got excellent recommendations from our planner and another from our vehicle mates on the 4X4 Adventure Tierra del Fuego. We had three outstanding meals at 1/2 the price we would pay at home! Our driver/guide on the 4X4 trip was excellent and the whole day was filled with beautiful vistas, excellent company and food. We enjoyed the Beagle Channel Boat tour to visit the Magelanic Penguins. Calafate included a wonderful walk through the Laguna Nimez reserve (a bird photographer’s/watcher’s dream). Visiting the Perito Mareno Glacier was as awe inspiring as any other great wonder such as the Grand Canyon (many people sitting and watching it for extended periods). We thought our chances of hearing and seeing the glacier in action (calving) would be rare but in our couple of hours, it happened quite a few times. Next we spent a day at an El Calafate Ranch with horseback riding. The day was wonderful and, like many of the places we had been, the scenery was just awesome. We ended our tour with three nights and two days at a camp in Patagonia. Our two days of hiking were spectacular and included amazing vistas and views (think Ansel Adams). As an amateur photographer, it seemed only a dream that we might come across the top of the food chain (Puma) but, on our second day, we were lucky enough to we within photographic distance of one at a recent kill. The guides and entire staff at the camp were outstanding and super friendly. It was early spring and it was wonderful coming back to a lit fire in the wood stove of our Suite Dome (well worth the splurge).""

What travelers are saying

""There were so many wonderful moments it is hard to pick just a few. We loved the private, history filled tour of Buenos Aires in particular. Our guide was knowledgeable about past and current history as well as offering reflections on living in Buenos Aires. We enjoyed the Tango Dinner in Buenos Aires and the Argentine Dinner Party Experience. Ushuaia was a beautiful place to visit. We were on our own for dinner here but got excellent recommendations from our planner and another from our vehicle mates on the 4X4 Adventure Tierra del Fuego. We had three outstanding meals at 1/2 the price we would pay at home! Our driver/guide on the 4X4 trip was excellent and the whole day was filled with beautiful vistas, excellent company and food. We enjoyed the Beagle Channel Boat tour to visit the Magelanic Penguins. Calafate included a wonderful walk through the Laguna Nimez reserve (a bird photographer’s/watcher’s dream). Visiting the Perito Mareno Glacier was as awe inspiring as any other great wonder such as the Grand Canyon (many people sitting and watching it for extended periods). We thought our chances of hearing and seeing the glacier in action (calving) would be rare but in our couple of hours, it happened quite a few times. Next we spent a day at an El Calafate Ranch with horseback riding. The day was wonderful and, like many of the places we had been, the scenery was just awesome. We ended our tour with three nights and two days at a camp in Patagonia. Our two days of hiking were spectacular and included amazing vistas and views (think Ansel Adams). As an amateur photographer, it seemed only a dream that we might come across the top of the food chain (Puma) but, on our second day, we were lucky enough to we within photographic distance of one at a recent kill. The guides and entire staff at the camp were outstanding and super friendly. It was early spring and it was wonderful coming back to a lit fire in the wood stove of our Suite Dome (well worth the splurge).""

What travelers are saying

"We had an amazing, outstanding trip from start to finish! We did Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Hiram Bingham Luxury train, Lake Titicaca, Colca Valley and Arequipa. All of our questions were answered and all of our requests organized promptly. The suggestions, organized tours and hotels were the best! Our guides were terrific and enjoyable to spend time with. EVERYTHING ran smoothly and nothing was overlooked….no small feat for a 16 day tour for 4 people!"

What travelers are saying

"Unknowledgeable and don’t communicate. Stay away unless you want letting down last minute."

What travelers are saying

"The wildlife viewing was incredible! We were able to take superb photos and the knowledge guides were enjoyable. We were impressed with our accommodations and especially the tented camps. The service at the camps were first rate!"