Elevate Destinations

Experts in socially responsible luxury travel. We design travel experiences that support conservation and local communities without skimping on comfort.

Testimonials from our travelers to South America

Lana with Elevate Destinations did a great job planning our honeymoon! We advised that we were interested in hiking, bike riding, kayaking, and seeing Southern Chile - and Elevate Destinations put together an itinerary that was a perfect blend of outdoor activities that we were looking for and high end, socially responsible accommodations with amazing service. Vira Vira in Pucon was incredible - the fly fishing, hiking, and hot springs. Their hospitality was top notch. Torres del Paine was spectacular. Beautiful hikes. March was a wonderful time to visit - the weather was good (still warm but not too hot) and the crowds are reasonable in their shoulder season. We absolutely would recommend Elevate Destinations and a trip to Chile.

— Holly and Blaine Murphy, Chile

I loved the perfect mix of learning about Peru and its rich history and spending time in the students homes. We very much enjoyed painting at one home, gardening at the Andean Alliance, having dinner with the Peruvian Hearts girls, and working in the school with the young girls. We really fell in love with all of them and plan to be in contact with them for a very long time.

We came home and immediately made donations to each!

— Melissa Allen, Peru

Everyday was a highlight. From Machu Picchu to painting at a Peruvian Hearts scholar home - we just did not want to leave a country with so much passion for its people and heritage. The accommodations, restaurants, guide, driver - everything was perfect. The girls we met at Chicuchas Wasi and Peruvian Hearts gave us so much more than we gave them. Our scaling the cliff and zip lining down was just the thing to push our comfort zone. Our hearts will forever be left in Peru. So what can we do next year to match this year? Can't wait!

— Julie Marchese, Peru

We had an incredible 25th anniversary trip, planned by Elevate. Though we knew our itinerary, there were surprise experiences along the way as well, like interactions with the native people that were truly special and turned out to be the favorite parts of our trip. In Peru, our guide was among of the best you can have, and we enjoyed every moment with him. The hotels were all first-class, and we enjoyed some upgrades that were unexpected and just lovely. Our time in the Galapagos was perfect as well. Lana and Dominique are incredibly intuitive about what we would like. Can’t say enough really. We will definitely book a trip through them again!

— Dru Lindgren, Ecuador and The Galapagos, Peru

"It is difficult to put into word the meaning of our trip to Peru. We feel so blessed to have spent time with so many wonderful people. It was the perfect balance of volunteering, getting to know the Peruvian culture, outdoor exercise and history lessons. The hotels were supreme and we always had someone there to guide us along the way. Every activity had special meaning to us. Your planning was wonderful."

— Kathy Sharpe and family, Peru

“I’m home and overwhelmed with great memories and photographs... MANY, MANY THANKS TO YOU! You did such a great job of putting all of the pieces together to ensure a flawless trip. It was a big leap to put such a big trip in the hands of someone that I found through an online search, but I’m so glad that I did. You are really, really good at this! The itinerary was really terrific. I honestly loved every bit of it. You put together something truly special for us. I will remember it forever. I’ve been home less than 7 hours, and I’m already thinking of reasons to return to Peru.”

— The Raab Family, Peru

“Elevate Destinations provided an unforgettable experience in the highlands of Ecuador for me and my 13-year-old son. We experienced amazing adventures — rafting, biking, trekking, and horseback riding. We also delighted in experiencing the local culture through working with a farmer, spending a day at a school, and taking a cooking class.”

— Russell Family, Ecuador and The Galapagos

"Having everything organized for us - transportation, tickets, etc. - was fabulous! It enabled us to sit back and enjoy our trip and truly appreciate the experiences we had. We loved Peru - the incredible scenery, the open and friendly people, and the great food. It feels like every day was a highlight, but our top three were hiking the Inca Trail and seeing Machu Picchu; the Sky Lodge adventure; and the visit to the Chicuchas Wasi girls school. Every adventure we had, from big to small, gave us insight and appreciation into the Peruvian culture and we came home feeling like we learned so much. We cannot wait to visit Peru again."

— The Sherwood Family, Peru

"Lana Byal, my trip planner, connected with me on our very first call and never dropped one detail in creating the most perfect trip for my daughter, grand daughter and myself that I could ever imagine. She knew exactly what I was after and arranged every last detail for me perfectly. I was able to call her with some on-the-fly changes to the itinerary and she and her staff were ON it immediately! All this, and somehow we wound up with the best guide and driver you could ever ask for...and seeings how we spent nine days together, we were fortunate beyond belief. Kudos to Elevate Destinations!"

— Deborah Hart, Peru

“The trip was phenomenal, the guides were incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and great with the kids, the people were warm and welcoming, the hotels were great. Via Ferrate and the zip line was a highlight for the kids; I loved the "social experience" in the mountains, and the high activity level of the entire trip. We really felt like we got to understand the people and the culture.”

— Betsy Fishbone, Peru

“It was an amazing adventure! Although walking the Inca trail was difficult and challenging, being able to say "we did it", was quite rewarding. We stayed at some beautiful places and we were treated so well everywhere we went. I would also say that our tour guides "in country" were great! In particular, we had a great bond with Yuri in the Sacred Valley and Christian in the Galapagos. They were friendly, informative and wanted to make the trip what WE wanted it to be.”

— Mary Kay Viscounty , Ecuador and The Galapagos, Peru