South America Tours & Vacations

Our trip to South America had been in the pipeline for several years so when it came to putting it into actuality we wanted to make sure that it was just right. We hunted around to find a travel agent who could tailor a package to suit our needs. We came up with a list of 4 travel agents in 4 different countries but eventually we chose this travel agency. Our decision was based on  the the travel agency's approachability (whenever we emailed a question we always received an immediate and comprehensive response); also our agency's flexibility in being able to add or alter different options, and their friendly and helpful advice.Our contact was with Heather who made herself available to chat on Skype at all times. (It is very reassuring to be able to personalise travel arrangements - it makes it seem less like dealing with an anonymous organisation and more like chatting with a friend and mentor.)Our agent provided us with a comprehensive written itinerary which left nothing in doubt. She organised all transfers, internal flights, tours with local operators (some private, some group). At one stage when demonstrations in Cusco interrupted train and bus services, Heather immediately stepped in to organise suitable alternatives. We understand that other tourists did not fair so well and were stranded on train platforms or forced to pay for exorbitant hotel accommodation.Our 43-day tour included visits to 6 countries -  Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. Right from the onset in Quito we were met by a wonderful guide who shared his knowledge of Ecuador - its geology, its history, its politics and its food. Our agent marked the beginning of a series of friendly, well informed and entertaining tour guides from the different regions we visited.We had an amazing holiday visiting all the well known tourist sites - Galapagos, Machu Picchu, Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Iguasu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. And a few maybe a little less touristy such as Paracas and the Ballestas Islands, the Peruvian Amazon basin, Nazca lines and the Bolivian Salt Lake of Uyuni.When we used bus transport it was reasonably comfortable, hotel accommodation was always clean and comfortable and airport transfers were always on time. All hotels included breakfast which naturally varied from one hotel to another but it was always quite adequate and healthy. At different times when other meals were provided such as on the Galapagos cruise, in the Amazon Basin, on Lake Titicaca and during the Sacred Valley tour the quality of the food was quite impressive.We are now considering another visit to South America - this time to Patagonia and we will definitely be looking at involving this travel agency again with our trip arrangements.Muchas gratias!

We just returned from a trip to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. We visited Lima, the Amazon, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco, with an overnight stay in Quito.

The Zicasso-recommended travel agency created the perfect itinerary for us. All of the transitioning from place to place was seamless, the hotels were beautiful, the recommendations for restaurants were great, and the guides we had were amazing. They were so enthusiastic and willing to share their knowledge about past and current history. We were so impressed with our travel agency that we are already considering our next journey with them.

We had a wonderful time on out recent vacation with our travel agency to Peru and Ecuador. The Sacred Valley is amazing. Those Incans really knew how to build. We were met by guides at the airports in Lima and Cusco. Natalie showed is the Sacred Valley and was very knowledgeable. We had a guide on our hike on the Incan Trail from mile 104 to the Sun Gate at Machu Picchu. He was an excellent guide. He, also, was really informative.  He kept a very reasonable pace.

Then we flew to Quito where we were met by our guides. We spent the next week exploring the highlands of Ecuador with them. It was a pleasure getting to know our guides and their culture.  They took us to several cities, some Incan ruins, and the equator. We drove to Guayaquil on the coast for our flight to the Galapagos.

There we stayed on a catamaran and sailed to many islands in the Galapagos. We snorkeled, hiked, kayaked, and rode in zodiaks exploring the flora and the fauna. The staff on the catamaran saw to our every need. The food was delicious, the ship was spotless, and the staff was friendly and courteous.

Our South America travel agency made sure we were taken care of and had a wonderful trip.

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.

First of all - Peru is an amazing country, rich with colorful culture, people and food. I was going there with my lovely wife with usual preparation information gleaned from the internet through various sites and excitement as we prepared for South American Amazon and Machu Picchu, Cusco, Sacred Valley stops on an 11 day journey.Little did I know, I would be immersed in an experience of sight, sound, taste and feel - a journey that caused many moments of deep reflection, appreciation, gratitude, and love for humanity. A huge part of this gratitude for putting together this opportunity goes to our new friends our travel planners at this travel company. They organized a wonderful cross dimensional trip across the jungle and arid lands this country offers, where we had personal and personable, highly intelligent and knowledgeable guides that left us speechless at times as we absorbed all the cultural teachings, offerings (in Spanish and English). One travel planner even met us on our last full day to personally escort our visit with the lovely teachers and children of local village house – an educational charity working in the small town of Oropesa and other villages in the surrounding rural area 25km outside of Cusco, Peru. The charity offers a comprehensive afterschool program in academic and non-academic subjects, along with helping the children with their homework, which takes the burden off the parents. Thank you so so much!!

Our travel planner organized beautiful, amazing tours with Excellent guides: Amazon lodge stay and a local tour company (loved our new friend and guide); Sacred Valley, Maras Salt mines, Moray Ruins, Cusco Community Home visit (so special, honored new friend and guide); Machu Picchu guided tour and next day Sun Gate ascend and walk down to town; Cusco 2 day visit with a San Pedro Market tour and Amazing cooking class (with honored new friend and guide/professional chef).

We HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this travel company for Peru, and we intend to schedule future Galapagos, Brazil, Chile or Argentina trips with them also – thank you guys so so much!! Words will never express our feelings of gratitude and great fortune working with and getting to know you both (especially our planner – you’re an excellent driver BTW !)

Lastly and Importantly: Bring an appetite to experience the amazingly, indescribable flavors of this country – from the earth to plate, sprinkled with local and unbelievable spiced, herbed flavor diversity, there is a treasure to be had in the various dishes and preparations that reflect local historical significance. We had amazing food throughout our journey and encourage all who visit to expand their heart mind and pallet to capture the culinary opportunity that abounds in Peru!!