Golden Hill Travel has many years experience of providing adventure travel to some of the world’s most beautiful mountain areas. Our trips are based on personal knowledge from many years of travel in the Himalayas and South America, and are carefully planned to allow you to make the most of your holiday time. On our website you can choose a trip from 10 days leisurely trekking to more strenuous expeditions. We believe our destinationsl have much to offer the visitor. Justly famous for high mountains and trekking possibilities there are other holidays available of a less strenuous nature that combine the best experiences our destinations have to offer.

Responsible Tourism

We have carefully selected our ground agents for their reliability, quality of service and their like-minded philosophy of supporting the mountain communities and people that make for a special holiday experience.

Some examples of this philosophy include assisting with the education of our trekking guides children, helping with the restoration of Khumjung gompa and employing people from the areas we visit to generate income for local families.

Kanchaa with his children Chuti and Pasang at their boarding school in Kathmandu

Porter Protection

In the Himalayas we support the work of the International Porter Protection Group and the guidelines that they set:

1. That adequate clothing be available for protection in bad weather and at altitude. This should include footwear, hat, gloves, windproof jacket and trousers, sunglasses, and access to a blanket and pad above the snowline.

2. That sick porters never be sent down alone.

3. That sufficient funds be provided to the porter to cover the cost of their rescue and treatment. All our porters and staff are fully insured.

4. That porters not be paid off because of illness without the leader or trekkers being informed.

5. That leaders and trekkers provide the same standard of medical care for porters as they would expect for themselves. We carry medical kits not just for the trekkers but extra provision for porters.

In Peru we have worked with Amazonas Explorer to develop a porter protection policy

PORTER PROTECTION POLICY

According to Peruvian legislation the definition of a porter is "an independent worker who offers his services and who with his own body carries gear, personal equipment and other goods necessary for touristic expeditions." Each individual can establish working relationships with one or more employer, subject to the laws being obeyed by the operating company.

1. The payment for porters has been established as a percentage of the UIT (an official tax code) - Amazonas Explorer pay their porters the correct amount on time for their work done in accordance with this legislation. This wage has been agreed by Amazonas Explorer and their porters and is also accepted by the Porters' union in Cusco.

2. Porters are contracted by a designated Head porter and Payment is made directly by the Head guide, thus avoiding any intermediaries or other possible conflicts.

3. Whilst the legislation is unclear at present, we pay the $10 Inca trail Porter fee and do not take it out of their wages.

4. The Inca trail rules state they can not carry more than 20Kg of company equipment and 5kgs of personal equipment. We abide by this and it is enforced by the Inca trail governing body at several weigh stations on the way.

5. We provide a large communal tent with carry mat floor for them to sleep in. It is not the clients' dining tent.

6. We provide our porters with plenty of good food. This is not the same menu given to the passengers, but it is nutritious, abundant and what they are used to eating. They have their own cooking facilities so do not have to wait for the clients to finish eating before they get their food.

7. We provide the porters with return train tickets (with designated seat allocation) from Aguas Calientes to Ollantaytambo.

8. We only use registered Inca trail porters (as Inca trail rules stipulate) - these have to pass several forms of ID, Character reference and a letter of good health and to have attended an Inca Trail Porter Awareness course.

9. All porters work freelance and our governing body APTAE is working on providing individual cheap good insurance policies for their health care. When this is in place we will donate to this directly.

10. We provide a porter uniform.

11. As good quality sporting equipment is unavailable in Peru, we encourage clients to donate any excess outdoor clothes, sleeping bags etc directly to the porters.

12. Tipping porters is also encouraged and guidelines are provided at the pre-departure meeting. The tip is administered by the clients with assistance from the head guide whose tip is completely separate.

Our treks and tours are designed to offer that extra insight into the local culture. Our small group size mean that you can be invited into our guides home, meet his family and learn about the Sherpa traditions. We believe that it is the contact with the local people when combined with the magnificent scenery that makes for a memorable Himalayan experience.

In Peru we offer Treks to Machu Picchu with a difference. Taking that little extra time and careful planning to avoid the crowds, our trips provide a truly special Inca Experience in the company of knowledgeable guides. Treks can be combined with white-water rafting and/or canoeing to create an Andean Adventure in the company of expert guides using only the best equipment.  

We offer a professional and friendly service with no hidden costs.

‘I just want to let you know that Konna and I have been extremely impressed with the friendly and professional nature of your emails.  We will certainly recommend Golden Hill to others.’

 Peter and Konna Parker.

Our tours are not the cheapest but we believe that they offer excellent value for money without compromising the safety and well-being of either travellers or our porters and guides.  Our tours are never packaged and have the flexibility to take advantage of local situations and the wishes of our clients.  We are dealing with an increasing number of tailormade treks and special interest programmes including student groups, family treks and Tibetan Performing Arts.

Welcome to the world of Golden Hill Travel. We hope you enjoy our website and we look forward to hearing from you.

WHY TRAVEL WITH GOLDEN HILL

• We have specialist knowledge of the areas we visit and a wealth of personal experience to help you choose your holiday. When you travel with Golden Hill you receive a personal service that does not end with your booking. Two of the most important considerations for safe, enjoyable travel are accurate preparation and realistic expectations. With this in mind we work hard at providing the Himalayan Experience that is right for you and encourage you to question us freely.

• Safety and the well being of our groups is of paramount importance. Our leaders and Sherpa guides are both well trained and highly experienced in leading groups in the Himalayas. In the unlikely event of an evacuation being required you have the back up of one of the most experienced organisations in Nepal with access to their own helicopters.  Our Sherpa crews pay strict attention to matters of hygiene and good cooking. We ensure that all our staff are well paid, insured and properly equipped.

• We advocate genuine small group travel. Our maximum group size is 12 and many of our departures operate with a minimum of only two persons. This means that you are less likely to face small group surcharges or cancellation. Small groups minimise our impact on the environment and allow for greater cultural interaction that is often the most memorable aspect of a holiday in Nepal.

• There is increasing concern over the global impact of tourism. Golden Hill Travel promotes responsible tourism through cultural and environmental awareness of the countries we visit. Copies of the Himalayan Tourist Code, as advocated by Tourism Concern, are made available to all Golden Hill Travellers.

• In the Everest region our knowledge and expertise are second to none. This is combined with our access to the best lodges in the region that are pre-booked on behalf of our clients. This means you can enjoy your trek in the safe knowledge of a comfortable bed at days end, even in the peak trekking season.

• We save you valuable time and effort. You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Our ground representatives are on hand to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Our cultural guides are the best in the business and speak excellent English. We assure you a seat on internal flights to airstrips at Lukla and Pokhara which are often difficult to obtain on your own. We reconfirm your return flight as a matter of course - an essential task as these flights are frequently oversold.

• We provide clear guidelines on the true cost of your holiday and ensure that you are fully aware of any extra expenses.

• Most importantly we ensure comprehensive Financial Protection for our travellers and are approved members of the Travel Trust Association TTA No R4164 and are ATOL bonded No T7087. For more information on the Travel Trust Association visit http://www.traveltrust.co.uk

• Finally don't just take our word for it. Client references provided upon request.

' We really appreciated the small group size, personal service and attention to detail in the planning and operation of our trek'

David Clitheroe Everest Panorama

'The trek was excellent. We had some really good views, stayed in some good places and the walking was well planned. We will certainly go for another trek in the future.'

M. Griffiths Annapurna Sunrise

'Thank you for your incredible support, co-operation, attention to our questions, price, and commitment to making our trip valuable to us. Timeliness, thoroughness, attention to what the traveller wanted/needed was always present – both in Kathmandu and Tibet.'

N. Morales Tibet Explorer

‘Andy Binns was very easy to get along with, a good laugh and he knows a lot  about Nepal, the Sherpa people and the area.  The Nepalese sirdar was called Kanchaa and he was excellent.  He lives in Khumjung and obviously knows the mountains very well.  The sherpas are very proud people and take their jobs as guides very seriously.

I did a lot of research into the different companies offering similar holidays. Golden Hill seemed to have the best links with the local people and offered the most personalised service.  I probably sound like an advert for Golden Hill travel, but seriously I am  pretty well travelled and I would rate GH as one of the best companies I have travelled with.’

‘The Sherpas were wonderful, very friendly and helpful. After comparing notes with other trekkers I think we were fortunate as all our guides were great’

‘If I could afford it, I would book on another trek with Golden Hill Travel for this summer !  I have compared my experiences with a friend who did a slightly different trek at the same time as I did with a different company.  Neither of us ‘got to the top’ (although she was going a lot higher than us) but I have very fond memories of the trek, whilst she just remembers all the things that went wrong.’

‘The organisation was absolutely superb – from the greeting with a garland of fresh flowers to a farewell with prayer scarves. Our guide on the Kathmandu tour was excellent and took us to places we would never have found on our own. Our trekking guide was friendly, helpful and kind and ensured that we saw the best views of Everest.’

A personal service that matters - We appreciate that it is often difficult to discuss your holiday plans during working hours. Please do not hesitate to contact us at any time - telephone, fax, write or email. We look forward to sharing our experience and enthusiasm with you.