South Patagonia Tour Through Legendary Ruta 40

It was a memorable trip with seamless operation.  We will use this travel company for future S. America travel and recommend it to our friends.

My husband and I have been taking Argentine tango for a few years.  Many friends had visited Buenos Aires and raved about the experience.  We'd been planning a trip to pay homage to the birth place of tango, to soak up on the history of the land and culture.  We also wanted to visit Patagonia for the landscape, its flora and fauna.  

We researched several travel sites to review our options.  This travel company became our top choice, not only for the high marks on customer feedback, but for its commitment of introducing tourists to the land in a socially and environmentally "Responsible" manner.

Thanks to our travel agents, we had an itinerary for early March, 2018, that combined tango in Buenos Aires with Patagonia.  Our travel team came to the hotel to greet us and brought a gift set of yerba mate with ceramic cup and wooden scoop crafted by local disadvantaged artists.  We appreciate that!

We had a wonderful "tango' guide to show us the Buenos Aires through tango lens.  We spent an afternoon sightseeing the city, the streets of La Boca and Carminito, learned the life and culture of the era, the art of Benito Quenquela Martin, Carlos Gardel, Filiberto, their influence in the development of tango.  At night we attended a milonga to see how the porteños do tango.  The next day our travel company arranged a tango lesson and a spectacular performance at the iconic La Ventana.  In addition to tango, the gaucho culture was well represented by a guitarist with a 12-string guitar and a lasso performance.

After BA we spent 3 days each in Ushuaia and El Calafate.  The transition to local operators was seamless.  We had a great time seeing 3 species of penguins, Magellanic, Gentoo and king penguins on Isla Martillo.  We also saw sea lions, fur seals, grey foxes, imperial cormorants, turkey vultures, southern giant petrels, black brow albatross, skuas, cauquens and caracaras, to name a few.  We saw the flag trees of the Tierra del Fuego bending to the force of wind, much like the tuckamores of the Newfoundland, Canada, we saw on a visit there. 

We visited the Penitentiary and Maritime Museum in Ushuaia, did zip line at the Cerro Frias, ice walk on the Perito Moreno Glacier, and horse back riding at the Estancia. 

Our travel company's recommendations on food were also remarkable.  We particularly enjoyed our hotel in El Calafate, its Patagonia lamb and pasta dishes were excellent.

I don't think we got the best agent for what could've been an amazing family trip. We traveled with our children (9yrs & 13yrs old) throughout Argentina over the past Xmas holiday season - Buenos Aires-Ushuaia-Calafate-Bariloche-Iguazu-Buenos Aires. I have a keen interest in travel and hotels and knew pretty much what I wanted from this trip but thought I would engage this travel agency through Zucasso to help with the itinerary. They seemed to be engaged in the planning process but once on location, things didn't run as smooth / didn't  make a lot of sense. A lot of the local experiences were not well thought out or the local suppliers were not great which was a tax on our high expectations for a fun family trip in Argentina moreover that for the price, we had pretty high expectations. Our schedule was fairly busy - 5 locations and 6 domestic flights and our travel agency was supposed to book the best local excursions suitable for a family and arrange transfers. We were somewhat disappointed that a lot of the trips weren't what we wanted - e.g. we had a day out to Ushuaia steppes it's a boat trip to the penguin island but turned out the trip we were on couldn't land on the island as the company wasn't licensed - instead we were booked on a 3hr trek through a rough marshland and terrain hardly suitable for children. Also, in Calafate, we were booked on a completely unessential trip to the Upsala glacier (which we couldn't see close anyway) involving 3hrs crowded ferryboat trip each way to estancia Cristina (where there isn't much to see/do) while it was perfectly fine to just do the one day trip to the Perito Moreno glacier which is a great day out with fantastic view and easy transfer. Finally, at Iguazu falls, we staid on the Brazillian side (at a great place) but for some bizarre reason, our travel agency thought it was a good idea to put us on a day trip to the Argentinian side involving two border crossings (as a bonus our driver got stopped by the police due to irregular documentation and we had to get a random taxi after an hour in the heat) - while it was perfectly fine to stay the two days at the hotel we stayed at and see the falls from there which actually had the best views! Luckily, parts of our trip went well as we were well looked after at the hotels in Buenos Aires and Bariloche - great properties with professional service. Nevertheless, we never felt like we get much out of our travel agent and at times it felt the opposite. It's disappointing as the company's manager seemed like a nice man who knows his stuff professionally. Maybe he wasn't engaged or his people responsible for our itinerary didn't deliver but it just didn't work for us. I am not sure what kind of standards Zicasso requires from its partners but I feel a bit conned to have chosen this agent in a market with so much competition and choice.

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!

Our trip started on November 7, 19 with our first stop at Santiago del Chile.  Our guide (from a local agency) spent two wonderful days with us. Even though our visit at Valparaiso had to be cancelled due to some street riots, the travel specialist has secured a visit at a winery in Casablanca Valley, as well as a winery where we had a tour, vine testing and a very good lunch.

Our next stop was at Puntas Arenas, from which a minivan had taken us to the Hotel in the Las Torres Del Paine .  The hotel and the staff were wonderful, very attentive and provided all services with big smiles.  Our first hike to Las Torres took us a whole day but what a view we did experience ... we will never forget the Las Torres view and excellent guides hotel had provided.

From Las Torres the minivan had taken us to El Calafate where next morning we were met by our guide - a wonderful lady, very experience and knowledgable tourist guide - we highly recommend her services. We spent a day visiting Glaciar Perito Moreno.  We spent two night at a Boutique Hotel, a very classy yet modern hotel.

From El Calafate we took a short flight to Ushuaia, where we stayed at a hotel.  Our trip to see the penguins and other water animals was very well organized (the captain of the boat could wear a more professional cloths but then he was a captain......).

From Ushuaia we traveled to Iguazu via Buenos Aires.  The Suites Hotel was spectacular; it was situated literary in the middle of jungle with lavish green vegetation in front of our balcony.  The Iquazu Falls are impossible to describe, one needs to see them from both Argentinian and Brazilian sides. Our private guide was superb - extremely intelligent, knowledgable, resourceful and very helpful - we highly recommend his services.

Our last stop was at Buenos Aires where we met our guide, a very educated city guide.  We had a wonderful time with her and  highly recommend her services as well.  The Tango Show was superb, not to mentioned a very tasteful meal.

We, Peter and I have planed this trip for a long time and with your help it was the trip we will never forget.

In Buenos Aires we met with our travel planner from this travel company; she was interested in our comments and suggestions with regards to provided itinerary. It is always better to provide more details rather than less or information which is  not quantifiable.  For example: "At appropriate time."..... rather than around 3 pm the van (it is important also to specify what van?) will pick you up from the airport.  This example is for the Puntas Arenas airport where nobody was waiting for us......

Overall, our trip was fantastic and we will always remember it.  Thank you for making it happen.

I have already reached out to your office for the itinerary for our next trip to Japan in September 2020. 

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.