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Travel guide
Everything worth knowing before you go
The practical advice our specialists give over the phone, written down — plus destination notes for every place we work in.
Before you travel
Six things to sort early
In roughly the order they matter. None of it takes long; all of it saves time later.
When to book
- Peak-season group departures fill five to six months ahead; Inca Trail permits sooner still.
- Shoulder-season trips are usually bookable eight to ten weeks out.
- Flights are typically cheapest 10 – 14 weeks before departure on long-haul routes.
Insurance and health
- Insurance is required on every trip and must cover medical repatriation.
- Trekking policies must state the maximum altitude on your route.
- See a travel clinic six weeks before departure for vaccinations and antimalarials.
Money abroad
- Carry a small amount of local cash for markets, tips and rural transport.
- Tell your bank you are travelling, and take a second card kept separately.
- Always choose to be charged in the local currency, not your own.
Packing
- Broken-in walking shoes matter more than anything else on the list.
- A shell layer belongs in every day pack above 2,000m, whatever the forecast.
- Carry one change of clothes and all medication in hand luggage.
Flights and transfers
- We do not sell flights, so our advice on routings is independent.
- Allow three hours minimum for connections when checking bags through.
- Tell us your flight numbers as soon as you book so transfers can track them.
Before you fly
- Check passport validity — six months beyond your return date for most countries.
- Photograph your passport, insurance and visas and store them offline.
- Download offline maps for every place you are staying.
Destination notes
Country guides
Language, currency, best months and recommended trip length for every destination we work in.
Common questions
How booking works
If your question is not here, call us. We would rather spend ten minutes on the phone than have you guess.
Talk to a travel expertSend an enquiry or call us, and a specialist for that region will come back to you within one working day with an outline itinerary and a price. Nothing is charged until you are happy with the plan and pay a deposit, typically 20% of the trip cost.
Group tours travel with a lead guide throughout and local specialists at particular sites. Tailor-made trips can be arranged either way — fully guided, guided on selected days, or self-guided with everything booked and a 24-hour support line.
You can move a departure date free of charge up to 35 days before travel. Cancelling more than 35 days out refunds everything except the deposit, which stays on file as credit for two years. Between 35 and 14 days, half the trip cost is refundable.
We do not sell flights, which keeps our advice about them independent. We will tell you which routings work with the itinerary and which to avoid, and we hold your place while you book.
Yes, for every trip. It must cover medical repatriation, and for trekking itineraries it must cover the maximum altitude on the route. We ask for the policy number before departure.
Around half our bookings are private departures. Any itinerary on the site can be run privately on your own dates, and we regularly adjust pace, walking distances and accommodation for families and multi-generational groups.
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