Serene Landscapes and Famous Culture Peru Tour

Our travel company, Alejandro owner agent is exceptional in every way. Our trip was not an easy one to plan. It was 28 days and we wanted to cover 3 countries - Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. From his itinerary design to executing the itinerary was flawless. And there was a lot to get in - Bolivia La Paz and Uyuni Salt flats, Atacama desert, Chile and Patagonia both countries, El Calafate, Mendoza, Iguazu Falls, and Buenos Aires. All transitions, transfers exchanges were perfectly arranged. Our guides and drivers, our hotels and places of stay, restaurants - we are foodies, all so carefully thought out. We had a bit of everything from city life, signifiant cultural discovery, hiking and wilderness exploration. Amazing in every way. He is truly a South American expert- he has traveled to everyone of the places we visited and has first hand knowledge of every place he put us at. He watched over our trip from before we started to the very end - our final departure. He made himself available to us 24 hours. He truly babysat us. He was conscious of tourism safety and made itinerary recommendations when changes were necessary. Planning what you want to see and do is undoubtedly the most difficult part of a trip. Alejandro is an expert at coordinating , planning and execution. It was a thrilling once in a lifetime trip. BTW he provides the same expertise for India too. And probably the most important, besides being the consummate professional and interesting individual exuding hospitality and is an exceptional human being. We fell more in love with him when we had the good fortune to meet him one morning on the last days of our trip. 

A plug for Zicasso - our second planned trip using Zicasso. We had previously done another complicated voyage through south east Asia with the same success. 

We enjoyed our trip! We got to see several iconic sites, like Machu Picchu, Iguazú Falls, and Christ the Redeemer.

Our guides and drivers were on time and helped us a lot along the way. I would recommend booking through Zicasso’s travel company.

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!

My wife and I recently returned from 3+ weeks in Chile and Argentina. We started in the Atacama Desert area of Northern Chile, (staying at an all-inclusive), then on to Torres del Paine (staying at the Atacama's sister hotel), then to Estancia Christina, then to El Calafate (staying at a chateau), then to El Chalten, Mendoza (staying at a Wine Lodge), and Buenos Aires. Our primary objective was to experience the rugged beauty and hiking through Patagonia while enjoying a true first-class travel experience. WE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE THRILLED WITH THE TRIP. IT WAS PERFECT IN ALL RESPECTS. Our trip planner and his travel team delivered the most amazing experience imaginable. If you are thinking of traveling in Patagonia, you MUST stay at the all-inclusive in Atacama and Patagonia. Five-star service, food, rooms, guide services, and more. We hiked over 100 miles in the 12 days of hiking and enjoyed gourmet meals and exquisite rooms/service.

Not only did this travel team do a superior job planning our trip, but they also followed up with us every day or two to ensure we were thrilled with our trip. Every transfer went off without a hitch. The trip planner and his team are totally committed to delivering an incredible experience. I give them the highest recommendation. You will NOT be disappointed!

Finally, a word of praise for Zicasso. We have used them 3 times to assist in matching us with in-country trip planners: Australia/New Zealand, Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos, and Argentina/Chile. We have had consistently superior experiences as a result of their guidance! I recommend using them to plan your next high-end private tour.