Best of Argentina in Seven Days

We visited 6 different places. In Argentina, Buenos Aires, Bariloche in Patagonia, then Mendoza including a day trip to Aconcagua.  Then Iguazu falls, both the Argentinian and Brazilian side of the Falls.  In Brazil, Rio and a jungle lodge on the Rio Negro (Amazon) 3 hours outside of Manaus.   Our travel specialist at this South America travel agency spent a lot of time with me organizing the trip, picking hotels, deciding on activities.  We had a good mix of planned activities and free time.  The private guides and tours that our agency arranged for us were great.  Our agent was always available if we had any issues or questions - very responsive and helpful.  I would absolutely recommend this company for a South American trip.

We had a very good experience with the tour company. The tour designer was very easy to work with and a good communicator. The process to narrow down the trip itinerary was very efficient. Booking the trip was easy. 

As for the trip, we were very happy with our choices of destinations. We enjoyed all the natural attractions- Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Calafate and Buenos Aires. The falls and the glaciers were amazing to see.

The guides were very good. We particularly liked a guide who showed us the Brazilian side of the falls and a guide who did a great job for us in Mendoza.

The guides were very good. We were disappointed in the amenities at some of the hotels, for example, a hotel website indicated there would be coffee making ability in the rooms, but there was not. When I asked for a coffeemaker in the room, they said no even after I referenced their website. 

Overall, the beauty of the destinations made this one of our best vacations.

My wife and I just returned from a 13 day argentina tour to Buenos Aires, calafate, Iguazú and Mendoza and we are so sad it’s over. This travel agent's team were exquisite hosts. We had 4 different destinations and at each location we were greeted by members of the team with our name on a sign. Our bilingual guides in Buenos Aires, calafate, Iguazú and Mendoza were all extremely friendly ran through the itinerary upon pick up at the airport and were always on time for all excursion pick ups. They each have their personal recommendations for places to eat in the relevant towns and we must say they were all excellent choices.

Our accommodations were all conveniently located and of high quality especially the hotel in calafate. The view of the bay and the morning breakfast deserves special mention. 

All of our tours, Buenos Aires city tour- excellent and set the mood for our days at leisure knowing exactly what to do, Perito Moreno, two Iguazú tours (Argentina and Brazil side of the falls) and Mendoza three wine tours were all excellent and we wouldn’t have changed any of it. 

The only factor I would change would be our flight time from calafate to Iguazú. We left calafate at 2pm and arrived in Iguazú around 10pm leaving little option for dinner. It may have been better to leave earlier in the morning to facilitate an earlier arrival in Iguazú. 

If you are visiting Argentina, take advantage of the services provided by these agents and their company, and you will be completely satisfied from initial planning all the way to your return home.

They have first hand knowledge of guides, drivers, lodging, air travel, restaurants, shopping, and almost anything else you might want to do.

In the beginning stages, after you have a general idea of where you want to go, schedule a phone session or two with their agent.  We were three couples (two coming from New York and one from Colorado) who traveled (March 5 to March 23, 2016) to Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and the tropical rain forest, Mendoza wine country and Mt. Aconcagua, and El Calafate and the glaciers) You will find that their agent personally knows hotels and hotel managers, can give advice on minimum lengths of stay, how best to navigate (mostly by plane) through a very large country, give you several choices for each stage of your journey, and even provide advice on exactly when and how to do various excursions (such as visiting Iguazu Falls, trips to Mt. Aconcagua, and visiting glaciers).

Our drivers were always there (at the airport, at hotels) when we wanted them, our boarding passes were delivered personally the night before each plane trip, all our reservations were executed flawlessly for trips, food, wine, and excursions.

All our guides and drivers treated us like friends and family, knew the answers to all our questions, accommodated all our requests, and were unfailingly pleasant and attentive.

When we wanted to walk to a small folk museum in Buenos Aires, our agent was just a phone call away to provide directions.  When we arrived 30 minutes early in Mendoza, a call to our agent assured us our driver was just two minutes away.  At the end of the trip they personally escorted us to the airport to wish us a fond farewell.

These agents, and Argentina—a perfect match for a wondrous journey. 

There are not enough words to describe how magical this trip was. It was 26 days and every day was an adventure filled with unexpected surprises. This trip touched the highlights of Argentina and just a tiny portion of Antarctica. Even though I was not able to see the whole of Argentina and the whole of Antarctica, the experience remained beautiful, all thanks to Zicasso's travel agent and his team, who made this trip very much a magical adventure. Yes, it was aggressive, as I covered many different parts. However, my agent and his team made it possible for me to feel comfortable and enjoy my experience. He and I worked together from March 2024 to October 2024 on customizing this trip. We talked about the budget and certain modifications. The result was a trip I will never ever forget.

Buenos Aires: I was there for one night and got a great overview of the history of Argentina from my guide. In the six hours I had on the tour, I understood I needed to stay in Buenos Aires longer to appreciate the city. There are many districts and each has its own history and, in a way, its own culture. I have to return to explore Buenos Aires a little bit more because six hours is not enough to explore this beautiful city. I was amazed at how green this city is. I appreciated the guide for giving me an overview of the history of Argentina. However, I know I need to come back to really get an in-depth education of the history of Argentina, especially the history of Buenos Aires.

El Calafate: This is a relatively new city in Santa Cruz province. Let me tell you, it is absolutely gorgeous. It has a different, country-style feeling. One of the biggest attractions of El Calafate is definitely Lago Argentino, with branches of its glacier river surrounding the city. The Perito Moreno Glacier was absolutely magnificent. I can't believe I was able to trek on top of the glacier. The guides were awesome. They helped me a lot while I was struggling to trek on this glacier. They made me feel comfortable and gave me the courage to trek on just a small part of the glacier. 

The next day, I visited El Chaltén. My guide was awesome. She made me comfortable during the three-hour ride and told me lots of interesting facts. She was very patient when I was hiking up to Laguna Capri. The hike, which is four kilometers from the base, was very challenging, but I was able to do it. On the ride back, I was able to see the cloudless peaks of Mount Fitzroy. That was really a lucky day … it reminded me that life can be very unpredictable, with many twists and turns.

Ushuaia: I cannot believe I came to the southernmost city in the world! I hiked eight kilometers in the Tierra del Fuego National Park and paddled in the Lapataia river. This was definitely a very challenging excursion, but my guide made me feel very comfortable and helped me all along this challenging trek. Everybody in my trekking group made me feel comfortable as I was struggling to hike along the steep path. However challenging this trek was, I still loved it and enjoyed it, and was able to inhale the beauty of this pristine forest. 

The next day I did a five-kilometer hike into Laguna Esmeralda, which was again breathtaking. Even though this track was not as challenging as the previous day, it was still challenging because of the muddy path. My guide was very patient with me and made us all feel very, very comfortable. This hike was worth it, as after five kilometers hiking, I was able to see Laguna Esmeralda. This beautiful green glacier lagoon was breathtaking; again not enough words to describe its beauty. I was very appreciative of my guide and all the group members who helped me as I was struggling to hike.

Antarctica: What can I say? I visited the coldest, driest, windiest place on our planet. Even though it was not fun journeying through the Drake Passage for 48 hours, going in and coming back, it was definitely worth the experience and risk-taking. After all, adventures are known for their challenges. The expedition team was excellent. They were highly and made sure everyone on the ship had a great experience. Every one of the crew cared about us. Again, there are not enough words to explain how beautiful this continent is. I have never loved winter, snow, or even ice, but it taught me how to fall in love with ice. There were so many beautiful icebergs. And I fell in love with the penguins. I can definitely see myself sitting down in a place and just watching penguins all day. I even did the polar plunge. This trip taught me that I have the capacity to do a lot of things I did not expect to be able to do.

Mendoza: Usually, people come to Mendoza for wine. I came to Mendoza for something else besides wine. I can't believe I was able to see Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain peak in all of the Americas. It was Mount Aconcagua that was my inspiration to come to Argentina. I saw Mount Aconcagua and learned about the different mountain ranges. I even enjoyed the beautiful ride along the mountain ranges through tunnels. I learned about the oasis and the irrigation system. I was very, very impressed with the irrigation system and how they divert the glacier river to feed the town and water the trees in the cities. I even visited an olive oil and balsamic vinegar factory. It was amazing to learn how olive oil was made before newer technologies came into place. I finally was able to taste different types of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette, which I fell in love with. This was all thanks to my guide, who was wonderful throughout the trip. She was what made the trip so memorable. I definitely had a great time interacting with her and learning from her. I cannot believe that during my short stay in Mendoza, I was able to see many things and learn many things.

Salta/Jujuy: Again, my words come up short in describing how much I enjoyed these two beautiful provinces. They reminded me of Peru, having once been part of the Incan civilization. There is so much history and countless natural beauty within these two provinces. It was my guide who made this trip unforgettable. He made this trip very educational and fun at the same time. I visited some small towns, both colonial and pre-colonial. I visited many breathtaking areas, such as Quebrada de Las Flechas, Cafayate, Cachi, and Humahuaca. It was unbelievable how the topography changed on different points of my journey. I am so happy that he was my guy, as I learned so much from him, especially about geology. I sincerely do not have enough words to describe how grateful I am to have learned from him.

Iguazú: One word, spectacular! I cannot believe I saw the Iguazú Falls from the Argentine and Brazilian sides. It was hands down one of the most beautiful waterfalls I've ever seen. I even did a boat ride to get a river-level perspective of these falls. I'm glad to have had a guide who was so excited and enthusiastic in showing me different parts of the waterfalls along the different trails in the national park. He was excited to show me the national bird reserve in Brazil on my last day. I could feel myself coming back to Iguazú Falls and just standing there and enjoying the beautiful, spectacular view of this magnificent group of water bodies.

Once again, I thank my travel agent from the bottom of my heart for arranging this beautiful and majestic adventure for me. I learned so much history and geology. I also learned that I had the capacity to undertake difficult, challenging trekking that I didn't think I was able to. I came out of this trip feeling like a stronger person. I cannot wait to work with him again for another adventure!