Middle East & North Africa Travel Agents and Reviews

Zicasso’s travel company planned an outstanding trip. From the tours and excursions to the transfers and accommodations, the trip was excellent, a great balance of activity and education for our family of four.

We were delayed getting into Milan, but the driver was updated, so we had no challenges getting to our hotel.

Our Zicasso travel representatives met us every step of the way. The guides and drivers were exceptional, especially the Egyptologist who accompanied us throughout Aswan and Luxor, who was very well-informed, interesting, and a lot of fun!

The hotel in Aswan was remarkable. The hotel in Cairo was extremely nice. The only issue we had, which our travel agent handled beautifully, was that even though the hotel in Luxor was five-star, the rooms we were originally assigned were definitely three-star. The hotel bent over backwards and gave us a lovely suite, a reserved table at breakfast, and a felucca sailboat ride on the Nile. The hotel in New Cairo was okay because it was close to the airport for our return trip, but was basically a convention-type place; nothing special.

Five stars aren’t enough! This Zicasso company was extraordinary! It was perfect because we didn’t just tour, we experienced it. Their planning team worked with us ahead of time to accommodate our out-of-the-box requests and our itinerary was the best planned and laid out that I have ever seen. I felt they got to know us well, truly customized our experience, and matched us with the right guides and drivers. Their choices of accommodations were absolutely beautiful. We are both seasoned travelers who felt we got the trip of a lifetime at a very reasonable price.

Our driver was extraordinary. His bright smile never faded over 10 days and many, many miles. He anticipated our needs and interests masterfully and provided incredible service. His driving was excellent, his heart pure and kind, and his knowledge and love of his country were a treat. We even really enjoyed our time in the car because he was a delight to talk with. He also had great command of where the best-quality experiences were in every situation. He was clearly well respected at all of our stops by his counterparts throughout the country. Impeccable!

Our guide in Marrakech was a perfect match for us. He not only had great command of his job, he was so fun and so spirited. It was like hanging out with a very knowledgeable, joyful, and interesting friend. I felt like he had my best interests at heart when he chose where to take us in our limited time and when he helped negotiate good prices in the market. You could tell from the many people who greeted him very warmly as we moved about that he had many great relationships, a telltale sign of just what a great guy and consummate professional he is.

Our guide in Fes was delightful. She was excellent at her job and a joy to spend the day with. Our other guide there helped to make our special requests come true for memories of a lifetime. Both of their relationships with the people they work with helped to make our experience more than a tour.

In the desert, our guide, who wore more hats than I could keep track of, had a powerful presence that made it clear from the minute we arrived that we were in good hands. His grace, clarity, warmth, and ease were remarkable for such a very hard-working and dedicated man whose service and staff demonstrated, from beginning to end, excellence in every way. Who knew you could get five-star accommodations, food, management, and staff in the desert?! We were fortunate to have extra time with him to hear about his Gnawa roots, resulting in us having a deeper understanding than we would have from our time in their village. The evening fires, camel ride, and sandboarding were a big part of what made our trip so special.

All of these people were great at their jobs, but you can’t teach what they brought to those jobs. Our travel personnel were some of the best in the business; not just in Morocco, but in the travel industry.

The trip was marvelous and well planned by Zicasso’s tour operator. There were no major hiccups and all of our travel connections worked without major incident. Our itinerary included a variety of accommodations, giving us a complete African experience, and the unique experiences we had in the field will be remembered forever.

The Zicasso tour operator was friendly, accommodating, and helpful. He told us he wanted us to have the best possible trip and that nothing was too much trouble. I believe that was his intention.

For example, when the Wi-Fi aboard the cruise turned out to be very poor, our guide immediately got a data SIM for our phones. We had two guides, one for Cairo and the north and one for Luxor and the south. Both were very experienced and well-versed in their knowledge of the history of Egypt and the monuments they were guiding us through.

Our hotels in Cairo and Alexandria were entirely acceptable. We were, however, disappointed that sometimes we were taken for lunch at tour bus restaurants. It would have been much nicer if a quieter and more intimate restaurant had been selected. By contrast, in Suez, we were guests at a private social club and treated to an incredible lunch as we watched massive ships glide by so close to us. It would have also been nice to have had more information on tipping customs, since every country is different.

Zicasso’s was a fabulous travel company to work with. Our agent was a delight. He was responsive and had wonderful communication skills. His ideas for keeping our granddaughter engaged were excellent. He listened to what we were looking for and investigated at least one hotel with which he had no experience. Our driver was not just a driver or guide; I felt as if we could have been brothers from a different mother. He was well read and inquisitive as we had many interesting conversations along the many miles we traveled together.

Overall, the travel agency arranged an amazing and unforgettable tour for us in Israel. LeeAnn is extremely organized, positive, and knowledgeable about Israel. She was able to propose an amazing itinerary and worked with us on edits until it was perfect.During the tour itself, she was very hands-on and reached out to us frequently to ensure everything was running smoothly. There were some minor scheduling issues (as can be expected on a nine-day tour), but she was very hands-on and proactive at fixing.

I would highly recommend this travel company and look forward to working with them again.

Our trip was to Istanbul. We spent five full days there. Our Zicasso travel specialist did an amazing job. Every detail was thought through and last-minute requests were handled very quickly and very well.

We had a marvelous, very knowledgeable private guide who knew a great deal about history, architecture, and local culture, just as we had requested. We visited all the major sights in great depth: the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar, spice market, and much more, then added on a few, like the Basilica Cistern and a later mosque by the architect of the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. Our guide was very flexible and focused on our interests. Lunch was included every day and no matter where we were, our guide was able to find a great choice, with local food, as we wanted, and with air conditioning, which was pretty important given the temperatures were in the high 80s at peak.

On that note, our agent’s team was able to help us out by getting private transportation at a discounted price when the extra walking in the heat needed to use public transportation started to trigger my migraines. Overnight, his team arranged private transportation for us, which really saved the trip for me.

Overall, I highly recommend our agent and his team for a trip to Turkey. The excellence of the arrangements, our amazing guide, and the quick response to last-minute issues make me confident they would be an outstanding choice for anyone.