November 13 Peru & Galapagos Island tour

parkerce

Anyone going on the November 13 Peru & Galapagos tour? This is our first Tauck tour. We have read our Tauck documents forward & back. Any insider suggestions from anyone that has done this tour? We have traveled with Backroads in the past; how do the two compare?

AlanS

Cparker10 wrote:

Anyone going on the November 13 Peru & Galapagos tour? This is our first Tauck tour. We have read our Tauck documents forward & back. Any insider suggestions from anyone that has done this tour? We have traveled with Backroads in the past; how do the two compare?

I never heard of Backroads, but based on a quick look at their website, they appear to cater to a younger, more energetic and "active" clientele- MUCH younger than the typical Tauck demographic. They offer a more active experience: "Biking & Multi-Adventure Tours," "Walking & Hiking Tours," and "Active Ocean & River Cruises.
" If that is what you seek, Tauck may not be what you are looking for. You'll find a lot of info in the forum archives about this tour. It is a great one.


I think the Backroads subheading: "The Worlds #1 Active Travel Company" and the intro paragraph on their website: "I simply can't imagine a better way to immerse yourself in the life of a region, to explore hidden corners and appreciate nuances while enjoying the benefits and enormous satisfaction of traveling under your own power. These are experiences you cannot have behind the wheel of a car, or on a train or a tour bus. . . . " say it all. Tauck tours have "active" moments, but most people travel with them to see and feel, culture, history, and geography in relative comfort and are not so concerned about physical activity.

If I were to imagine an example of the differences in approach to this tour I would guess with Backroads you might make the 3 or 4 day trek on the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and while there climb Huayna Picchu, while with Tauck you ride a train from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes and a shuttle bus up to the ruins.

Sealord

That being said, there are few buses in the Galapagos. I’ve done the trip three times with X, and I think there are only three places that have vehicles. At least 90% of the Galapagos touring is done either walking or swimming. Ninety five percent of the Galapagos is national park. The airport at Baltra does not even have jet fuel. The planes have to be fueled for a round trip. As Alan said, however, don’t expect the ‘Backroads’ crowd or experience. I would guess that the average age on our 3 Galapagos trips with X was between 50 and 65. There were no ‘children’ but I did see a couple teenagers. I don’t know about the Tauck boat, but X never docks in the Galapagos. You always travel via ‘panga’, a Zodiac inflatable boat that holds around 17 people.