Best of Machu Picchu and Galapagos: 9 Day Discovery Tour

Overall, the trip was amazing, and we had a great time.

The Positives: 

The Galapagos cruise selection was the highlight—truly spectacular.

Every single hotel and lodge was outstanding.

The local guides and service were consistently great.

We loved the treehouse lodge experience experience (a conservation must-see for nature lovers) and the hotel in Cusco was perfect.

The premium domestic flights and Quito lounge access were nice touches.

What could be improved :

These are minor issues, but fixing them would make a massive difference to client experience.

Post-Booking Communication: After final payment, email responses for details like tipping and permits got really slow. It felt like the expectation was to use the provided app, but that wasn't clear. Also, we expected a quick check-in from the travel company a few days into the trip.

Quito Hotel and Sleep: The hotel in Quito was super far from the airport. Given our late arrival and early departure, prioritizing sleep with an airport hotel would've been much better than seeing the historic area.

Cusco Acclimatization: Arriving late afternoon in Cusco and starting the hike the next day is not enough time for altitude acclimatization. We think the original plan for three nights in Cusco got lost when the itinerary changed.

Lares Hike Mix-Up: There was a misunderstanding about the two extra hikes for the Lares Trail—only one was booked. We couldn't get the second permit last-minute, even though it was in the trip description.

Mountain Lodge Experience: This part was different than expected. Since our group was small, we only had one guide and felt that not all available activities were properly shown to us. Also, there was a lot more driving between locations than we expected.

Our trip was beyond awesome. We made memories for a lifetime in Peru and the Galápagos Islands. Standing on the equator in Quito and the different experiments on the equator were a hit with kids and adults alike. There was excellent planning and execution by our Zicasso travel specialists. All the guides and excursions were great and we made good friends with them. They went above and beyond to recover our (lost/forgotten) items in a hotel and plane. Two thumbs up.

Zicasso's travel specialist was spectacular in every way. From the inception of communication and planning, through arranging for all of our tickets, hotels, transport, and amazing dining experiences, to the incredible support and guides we enjoyed along the way... they were outstanding and we received five-star service.

We were a demanding group of 13, ranging in ages from 17 to over 60, and we all had an absolute blast! We had an absolutely amazing trip. The Lares Trail and Machu Picchu (and our climb up Huayna Picchu) are by far some of the most memorable experiences we've ever had.

Our guide and driver were awesome... kind, professional, and accommodating, and our guide especially was very knowledgeable, with so much respect and love for the surrounding nature and culture.

Our travel specialist was timely, attentive, and responsive to all of our requests, and helped us collectively achieve one of the greatest vacations we have ever experienced.

They were 100% accurate in terms of how to prepare us for the altitude and allow us enough time to acclimatize in Cusco (and with a great, long, mountain bike ride at high elevation). Our specialist provided excellent recommendations for how to fill some additional time in Cusco while we acclimated. We loved touring Cusco itself, and seeing Sacsayhuaman, several spots in the Sacred Valley, and the Maras Salt Mines were all unforgettable experiences. We also loved the hotel she had us at in Cusco. It was a great spot to be able to explore the city on our own time.

After seeing all of the coordination, especially for the Lares Trail and Machu Picchu, we're so relieved we chose to go through Zicasso for this trip and were connected with our travel specialist and her company. Everything was well planned and thought out, and if anything was not right, they sought to immediately correct it. Our guide was on top of every detail and it was great knowing our agent was just a text or phone call away.

Zicasso’s travel agent was great to work with. Our guide while we were in the Sacred Valley and Cusco was amazing! And our driver was amazing too! The Amazon jungle stay was a highlight as well!

Overall, the trip and Zicasso’s tour partner were top-notch. The travel company was very accommodating in tailoring the trip to our expectations, while offering suggestions when our expectations might not have been viable or logistically reasonable—all good though. The hotels suggested were quality properties, though our children’s hotel room in Cusco (two queen-sized beds and a separate sitting room) was bigger than our room, which had a king-sized bed, not much extra room other than the bed, and no separate sitting room.