Location
Multiple Locations +2
  • Peru
    • Cusco
  • Ecuador
    • Quito
Length
4 - 12 weeks
Program Tags
Adventure Travel Conservation Cultural Immersion Language Immersion Post-High School Volunteer Abroad
Financial Support
Payment plans
Health & Safety

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Backpacking City Exploring Hiking Rafting Sightseeing Surfing Trekking
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse Host Family Hostel Tent
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
18

Pricing

Starting Price
3850
Price Details
4 weeks: $3850.00
7 weeks: $5450.00
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Tour Guide Transportation Wifi
What's Included (Extra)

Pre-departure briefing and support
Airport pick-up
Gapforce Leader
Local guides and support staff
Welcome and orientation briefing
All accommodation
Spanish lessons
All tours on itinerary
Project donation
Meals listed in itinerary
Social activities
24/7 UK emergency back-up

What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Feb 22, 2024
Nov 25, 2023
39 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Discover the lost lands of the Incas! Whether the awe-inspiring spectacle of Machu Picchu; the sensation of waking up to the sounds and sights of the rainforest; or intimate encounters with incredible animals, you are sure to encounter something to astound you at every turn of this journey across Peru and Ecuador. Volunteering opportunities in wildlife conservation and mean you can leave your mark and give something back as you travel this vibrant, surprising corner of South America.

Conclude your adventure with a tour of the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago of unparalleled marine biodiversity. Hike, sail and snorkel your way round the islands made famous by Charles Darwin, encountering sea lions; dolphin; turtles; sharks and more. Wrapping up with a return to Quito for the nights of your adventure where there is a chance to explore the city and visit the Mitad del Mundo, zero degrees of latitude and longitude - the centre of the world!

Video and Photos

Impact

Sustainability

We are committed to exert a positive impact on the regions, countries and communities which we visit. For us it is paramount that the local organisations and communities benefit from our cooperation by working with trusted local businesses and project partners who align with our sustainability objectives.

Ethical Impact

We are passionate about travel and the positive impact it has on young people’s outlook and future prospects. Our mission is to help people become global citizens through authentic, socially and environmentally responsible travel experiences which aid self-discovery and personal development.

As a small team, we are committed to providing a highly personalised service from your initial contact right through to your chosen adventure. We achieve this through our dedicated team of program leaders and support staff, all of whom are passionate travellers united by a common purpose to help young people explore the world.

Program Highlights

  • Stunning 5 day Andean trek to Machu Picchu, one of the seven modern wonders of the world
  • Surf the pacific waves off the coast of Mancora, Peru's best known beach town
  • Navigate your way through the rapids with some white water rafting near Baños, Ecuador's adventure sports capital
  • Get up close and personal with a vast range of animals whilst volunteering at an Amazon Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary
  • Trek the Quilotoa Loop, arguably one of the best multi-day trekking routes in South America and one of Ecuador's most popular treks!

Program Reviews

4.76 Rating
based on 38 reviews
  • 5 rating 78.95%
  • 4 rating 18.42%
  • 3 rating 2.63%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.5
  • Support 4.5
  • Fun 4.6
  • Value 4.7
  • Safety 4.6
Showing 1 - 8 of 38 reviews
Default avatar
Julian
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South America Explorer honest review

This is the trip if you would like to experience every activity there is to offer from Peru and Ecuador. It is well thought and well planned with an intense week always followed by a relaxing week.

Prior to the adventure it has been easy to contact and seek help from gap force and the guides we had during the trip have been more than kind and helpful.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip and am glad that I have been exposed to such a different part of the world and culture. However, I do hope that we could’ve gone to more countries and deeper into the Amazon rainforest or at least the galapogas islands. I guess South America is too big for a single trip, even if it’s 7 weeks long.

Pros
  • Wide range of activities
  • Kind and caring guides
  • Reasonable intensity
Cons
  • Not the best for foodies
  • Lacking galapogas
  • only limited to Peru and Ecuador
28 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Hannah
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South America

A variety of lots of different activities and places which made it unique. We toured a lot of different cities and town and did new activities everyday and all the activities were fun and interesting. We also had the freedom to choose wether we wanted to do everything or not and also we visited a lot of different activities places and we also had enough free time to explore on our own which I really liked but at the same time there was always something fun to do everyday the was planned that we did as a group.

Pros
  • Fun
  • Adventure
  • Expirience
Cons
  • Hotel problems
  • Food not always good
  • Long travel
32 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Oscar
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience in South America

I had the most amazing experience of my life on this trip. Even though parts of the actual trip were slightly different from the itinerary, such as activities in Tamandua the Jungle Retreat, we still had a really fun time, and generally seeing all of the amazing sites. Occasionally, we had issues with our accommodation being unavailable through the hotels fault not Gapforce’s, and we ended up staying in different places which was a hassle. However the amazing, fun guides we had sorted it out as quick as they could, and Leaders like Colin and Raul also made sure we were safe. In places such as Quito where it’s more dangerous, they were well knowledgeable and made us as safe as possible. Money belts are really important so defenitely bring one!

Pros
  • The friends you make
  • Amazing views
  • Plenty of downtime especially the second half of the trip
Cons
  • A lot of moving thorough different hostels
  • Difficult treks
  • A lack of food variety at times
30 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ella
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South America Explorer

The South American Explorer has been an amazing experience a memory that I will remember for life. I have had highs and lows on this trip. The highs are getting to the top of Machu Picchu. Another high is Yanacocha. I had amazing time there and wanted it to carry on. A low is getting altitude sickness for both of the treks. Another low would be having my biking accident in Banos. In this experience I have made friends for on this trip. This trip as been the best to end a year of traveling around the world.

Pros
  • Machu Picchu
  • Yanacocha
  • Seeing different culture
Cons
  • Tamandua food
  • My bike accident
  • Saying goodbye to everyone
31 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Zara
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing

I did this trip just before everything locked down and I can safely say this was the best trip of my life. The treks have amazing views and are hard enough to make seeing machu picchu rewarding but not too tough for those who want an easier walk! The itinerary for this trip is completely action packed with ziplining, white water rafting, paragliding, horse riding and so much more and it's all made so much easier by the gapforce organizers who make signing on to these trips safer and much quicker. The way the trip is run is also quite loose in the sense that we generally had one thing to do in a day and could spend the rest of the day exploring. The kinds of people this trip attracts are amazing and I'm sure there will be no issue with making great friends on it!

I would definitely recommend going in for the full 7 weeks you would not regret it!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
If you're a vegetarian you may not be entirely interested in this but let it be known that cooked alpaca and guinea pig meat is an option!
124 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ruby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

South America Explorer with Gapforce Review

I couldn't recommend this trip more highly. I was so nervous to go previously as I didn't know what to expect with the people and dynamic of the trip but I can definitely say I have made some friends for life. The trip is well organised with a high standard of accommodation (all the hostels/ hotels were fun and good quality). The trip was a lot less regimented than I expected which was good, there was the perfect amount of free time for you to go and do your own thing and the group leader was reasonable but not strict. All the activities we did were so worth it and were all very well organised. The leader was friendly, fun and organised and kept everyone in the loop about what we were doing or where we were going. South America is a beautiful continent and the experience was made better by the opportunities that SA explorer gave us.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
As much as it is a trip where you could definitely go with a friend, don't worry about going alone. You'll meet the most amazing people who you'll create bonds with for life.
Don't worry too much on the physical aspect, as much as it was challenging at some points like on the trek to Machu Picchu, it was easy to get through with friends by your side and was so rewarding and worth it by the end.
125 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alexander
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Recommended

I chose this program because I wanted to travel through South America, see a lot but also do some volunteering work. This program combines these two aspects very well, with the first three weeks consisting of a lot of travelling, the next three weeks a lot of working and the last week travelling again. You see a lot of both Peru and Ecuador and get a great feeling for each country. The volunteering work was very interesting and you definitely learn a lot. In general the atmosphere on the trip was great, the travel group was pretty small and very nice. I think that this trip definitely helped me growing as a person and learn a lot of new things

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Jumping down eight meters into a tiny pond while doing canyoning
127 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Carmel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Unforgettable!

This trip included everything I could’ve hoped for, from Spanish lessons to hiking and volunteering in the animal center. Our guide Colin did everything to make our experience even more enjoyable and was a real asset to making the trip this amazing. He organized extra activities such as yoga in Lima and made sure we had the best busses for each journey. The hostels were great and we got to see the best parts of each city/town. Colin made sure we were safe throughout the trip. Glad I booked it with Gapforce and will recommend it to everyone. I absolutely loved every bit of it!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would make the Spanish lessons less long. Just 3 days instead of 5.
127 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers