Northwest Argentina Tour: Salta, Cachi, Cafayate, Tilcara & Buenos Aires

All arrangements were made well, and transfers, accommodations, and tours were arranged flawlessly.

We would have appreciated more suggestions and imagination on our specific locations within destinations.  When we said we would like "something like" an attraction or accommodation we had come across, without us having the expertise or knowledge to know if this was the best choice, the response every time was to simply book what we had come up with.  You want a travel agent to apply their in-country knowledge and expertise to your desires, or to research (as we did) more deeply.

Also, we originally booked a non-stop flight between two destinations, approximately 6 months in advance.  Shortly before our trip we were informed that the non-stop had been discontinued (we only discovered this by reading our final itinerary carefully; the agency never actually brought it to our attention), and so what was to have been a 2 to 3 hour journey would now take all day.  Given more notice, we might have instructed the travel agency to book us on another airline which did still have a non-stop (a choice we were never made aware of), or book flights earlier in the day so as to have more time at our destination upon arrival.  Speaking with another couple in line on the same set of (new) flights, they said they had been notified of the discontinuation of the non-stop 2 to 3 months in advance.  It would have been helpful if we had been notified well in advance too.

Finally, it would have been helpful had we been given more regional information.  For example, in our visit to Salta, we had a wine-tasting tour set up.  We also decided to visit a high-plains town called Cachi.  We envisioned the wine tasting as leisurely visiting a number of wineries during the course of an afternoon.  We were never told that the day would consist of a total of 6 hours in a car to and from Cafayate, and time for visits to only two wineries before having to head back to Salta.  Not the relaxing day we had thought.  And although Cachi was what one would assume (by mileage) to be a two hour drive, it was in fact a 4 hour drive, because two hours were on a windy gravel road straight up to 11,300 feet.  As a result when we reached Cachi we only had time to grab a quick lunch in the charming town before having to head back to Salta to avoid being on the windy gravel road (on the sides of mountains) after dark.  With guidance, we would probably have spent 1 to 2 nights in Salta, 1 night in Cafayate, one night in Cachi, etc.

As I said, all arrangements were made flawlessly; all accommodations were great, transfers and guides were of high quality.  There is a lot to be said for not having to worry about those things.  But for the price that we paid, one would hope for a smooth, exhaustively researched, tailored approach.

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!

Through Zicasso, we were connected to the travel company, a Buenos Aires-based travel group, which is excellent, and which we highly recommend. We worked with the trip planner, on every aspect of our trip. She is outstanding; one could not ask for a better, more knowledgeable, more service-oriented, more responsive and accessible person with whom to plan and execute a trip. Working with the trip planner was a delight!

Ours' was a private tour for two; we traveled through Argentina from Nov. 1--Nov. 26, with a goal of seeing as much of the country as we could in just under a month. Our itinerary took us to very different parts of Argentina: Buenos Aires (2 days at the start and 2 days at the finish); Puerto Iguazu and Iguazu Falls; Salta; Cafayate and Cachi (the Calchaqui Valley Circuit); the Salta Salt Flats; Purmamarca; Tilcara; Humachuaca; Bariloche; El Calafate; and Ushuaia. 

The arrangements made for us met and/or exceeded our expectations--4-star hotels; internal flights on Aerolineas Argentina; tours; guides; drivers; airport/hotel transfers, etc. On one occasion we had a problem with a (driving) transfer from one location to another, the travel company addressed it immediately, securing a refund for the day. On our flight from Salta to Bariloche (connecting through Cordoba), the plane could not land in Cordoba because of weather; it landed instead in Neuquén, which has no direct service to Bariloche. The only way the airline could get us to Bariloche was to fly us to Buenos Aires, then the next day to Bariloche (crisscrossing the country twice and losing two days in Bariloche). We reached out to the travel company; within a short time, the trip planner secured a car and driver to take us to Barioloche, a 5.5-hour drive with stunning scenery along the way, so our trip could stay on schedule. This is the level of service we experienced with the travel company.

We just returned from an awesome tour of Argentina. Lucas, at our travel agency listened to our interests and worked with us to develop and refine a detailed itinerary that worked extremely well for us. We spent 19 days touring the country and everything went flawlessly. We started in Buenos Aires (1 night), traveled south to El Calafate (3 nights), then to Iguazu Falls (2 nights). Leaving Iguazu, we flew to Salta where we toured the Jujuy region, with a two night stay in Purmamarca and two nights in Salta. From Salta we went to Mendoza (3 nights), then Bariloche (3 nights), and back to complete our tour in Buenos Aires (2 nights). Our trip was a perfect mix of culture, food and nature. Our guides were outstanding in every destination; even the drivers were engaging. Lucas monitored our travels through correspondence with the tour guides to make sure our accommodations and needs were being met. Lucas certainly paid attention to every detail of the trip, to make our adventure the most enjoyable. He was very professional and always quick to respond to any text or question we had during the planning stage and while in country. We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet Lucas in person during our stay in Buenos Aires which made the trip even more personal.