Off the Beaten Path Tour of Argentina for Season Travelers

We take great pleasure in saying our Patagonian adventure through Zicasso and the tour operator was near perfect. Our sincere thanks to our travel specialist and everyone at the tour operator for the red-carpet treatment we received at every destination on our itinerary: namely Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Bariloche, El Calafate, and El Chalten. We commend everyone involved in the personalized communication, planning and execution of our two exciting weeks traveling throughout Argentina.

Beginning in December 2025, the travel specialist and his team worked out every detail of travel in Argentina's fall season: all our domestic flights, customized tours, airport transfers, and, most importantly, the most knowledgeable, engaging guides we could ever have imagined. We can't make enough positive comments about our first Patagonian adventure.

Every driver arrived promptly, putting us immediately at ease. Every evening, team members messaged us on WhatsApp to remind us of the next day's transfers and tours. They followed up immediately with answers to any questions we had.

All of our guides were exceptional. Their passion and depth of knowledge made our tours more fascinating and entertaining than any we've ever experienced. We could not have planned anything remotely close to the guides the tour operator included for each tour.

We will most assuredly utilize the services of the travel specialist at the best tour company we have ever found for adventures in South America.

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!

We wanted to visit Buenos Aires and Uruguay for a week in June of this year. This is my second time using Zicasso. I had an excellent experience with them for a trip to Switzerland two years ago and wanted to give them another try. I was not disappointed.

I was offered two proposals from local travel experts in South America, both of which were promising. I made the choice because our Zicasso travel specialist was personally familiar with the places I wanted to visit, so he got the nod. I identified the places I wanted to visit and the kind of experiences I wanted to have, and he turned that around with a specific itinerary in a few days, after asking some qualifying questions about hotel, location, and traveling preferences.

For the Uruguay portion of the trip, he partnered with our travel specialist, our concierge for Uruguay and guide for Colonia del Sacramento, and travel through Montevideo.

Our guide for the tour of Buenos Aires was so knowledgeable that describing her that way is quite an understatement, given her mastery of the neighborhoods and their historic, cultural, residential, and shopping aspects. But even better, she had a talent for describing what real life in Buenos Aires was like historically and now.

Our hotel in fashionable Palermo was more than comfortable, with staff inviting us to share their sandwiches and pulling up chairs for the Argentina-Austria match being watched in the lobby. Very hospitable people, which we found everywhere, actually. We did a tango night with dinner and a show that left us speechless at a cabaret in Buenos Aires. We’ve never seen such grace, athleticism, and talent so up close. Bravo!

We reached Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay by ferry and were met there by our travel specialist for a tour (with our driver) of the colonial old city, where she explained how to tell which street or which building was built by the Portuguese or the Spanish during the contentious colonial period by looking at the stone arrangement and roof treatment. We had lunch and a lovely drive along the coast to Montevideo. Along the way, our travel specialist and our driver carefully explained how to avoid getting caught inadvertently by the prevalent speed cameras and be in compliance with local driving practices. Our hotel in Montevideo was our world-class HQ for touring the city, the beaches, and the wine country, before renting a car and driving to Punta del Este and surrounding areas.

From our hotel in Punta del Este, we could cross the road and walk along the beach for long distances. The dining staff greeted us like old friends after the first meal. The car always appeared immediately when we wanted it. The place is also rumored to throw one of the best New Year's parties in South America, but we weren’t there at the right time of year for that. Yet.

Our travel day home included a couple of hours' drive and rental car return (very easy), then boarding the ferry to Buenos Aires for a two-and-a-half-hour cruise. In Buenos Aires, we were delighted to meet up with our guide, who recommended that we spend our few hours until leaving for the airport at an excellent restaurant on the water, and then easily accommodated our need to buy some gifts for family back home. Along the way, he showed us how previous strangers can become good friends in a very small amount of time.

We saw and experienced everything we wanted to on this trip, and then some. It was well organized and scheduled, and the people were terrific. I would strongly recommend these people for traveling in South America. They really know their stuff.  

Communication with Zicasso’s travel specialist was great. The itinerary, for the most part, was good and the experiences were excellent.

Two of the days had very early start times and it would have been beneficial to know that prior to the night before.

While the tour guide in Buenos Aires was good, the city tour seemed a bit disorganized and we didn’t seem to follow the itinerary we were given.

The food experiences were exceptional.

Our family had a fantastic trip to Argentina, traveling from Buenos Aires to Patagonia to Iguazú Falls. Zicasso’s travel specialist did a great job making the trip seamless and easy for us—from making itinerary suggestions, as we shared our hopes for the trip, to finding us tour guides for our private tours, to making dinner reservations when we had difficulty reaching a restaurant. He ensured reliable transportation for us from place to place and was always available if we had a question or issue.

I would highly recommend Argentina and our travel specialist for anyone who has a love of travel and hasn’t visited Argentina yet.

Fabulous is the word that comes to mind. From the very beginning of the planning process to the end of our trip we felt in good hands. Zicasso’s travel specialist, our direct contact, and her team, including the travel company’s principal, were one text away when we needed them for last-minute reservations at restaurants, tickets to events, or minor changes to our itinerary. In Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Iguazú, the local drivers, guides, and hotel operators were true professionals in every sense of the word.