All in all, we were really delighted with the service that we received from you. Thanks!
Our favourite part of the trip was the week we spent in the North West driving ourselves. We would definitely like to do that again and spend more time in some of the villages and towns.
Feedback and thoughts on the various activities and places we stayed and visited: I have written reviews on TripAdvisor for most of them, you can find me under the username fractal if youd like to read them
We liked all the hotels we stayed in. Each one was just right for its location and suited us perfectly. If we had to pick, probably our two favourites were Hacienda de Molinos in Molinos and Finca Adalgisa in Chacras de Coria.
Hacienda de Molinos had great charm and the food was excellent. We loved our room and would have liked to have spent a couple of days there. The Vinas de Cafayate had great views and the room was nice. The food in their restaurant was also quite good.. The Design Suites Hotel in Salta was great.our room on our first couple of nights was nicer than the room we had when we returned.the first room had a better view. The breakfasts were a little boring.
La Comarca in Purmamarca was really nice. It had great views of the mountains and was spacious.
One thing we did notice..Argentina is a wine country and yet only one or two of the hotels had wine glasses in the rooms.we had to ask!!
The agents on the ground were mostly very good.
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
5-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Salta, Cafayate, Calchaquies Val
Salta, Cafayate, Calchaquies Valley, Calchaqui Valley
Our travel agent, Lucila, designed the best trip ever. Everything was just perfect—from the hotels to the wild experiences. We enjoyed the trip so much; every day felt like a dream. I look forward to organizing a new adventure around the world with Lucila.
Everything was just AMAZING!
Thank you, Lucila and team!
Self-drive or vehicle rental
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
12-99 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salt
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salta, Purmamarca, Jujuy, Humahuaca, Tilcara, Cachi, Cafayate, Puerto Iguazu
As my wife mentioned, we made this tour to Argentina and absolutely loved it. The tour is great because it combines three destinations that we were willing to visit this time in Argentina which were Buenos Aires city, Iguazu Falls and the northern region of the country, which are all very different from each other. Great experience!
Rainforest and jungle visits
Tour Type
Independent TourTypically a private tour undertaken by one or two travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
1-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salt
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salta, Cafayate, Purmamarca, Iguazu Falls
We visited: Salta, Catchi, Cafayete, Salt -Flat, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Iguazú falls ,Buenos Aires. The whole trip was 100 % organized by the team. Everything was perfect, the hotels, guides, scenery, the whole itinerary. I would recommend this agency for self drive trips!"
WildlifeSightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Private Tour
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
5-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salt
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Salta, Iguazu Falls National Park, Jujuy, Cafayate, Posadas, Ibera Wetlands
If you love big landscapes, deserts, rock formations, volcanoes, geysers, remoteness and views that go on forever, then this is the trip for you. This was combined with very friendly people, local culture and good wine, making for one of the best trips I've ever had.
This was my first trip with Explore. (All the other members of the group had travelled multiple times with them). I would say the trip exceeded my expectations in every respect. Judging by the comments of the rest of the group, it was one of the best many of them had been on too. I have taken away memories that will last forever and met some wonderful people along the way.
There were six travellers in the group (all solo travellers) as well as Andres our guide, local guides and drivers. This was the first trip run on a new itinerary or at least one which Explore has not sold for a number of years. So in that respect our group were the guinea-pigs for the trip. I felt the group got on very well. I would say six was a good group size for the minibuses. It gave us room to spread out with our bags and snooze if needed on the longer journeys.
Itinerary:
The itinerary covers a lot of ground in a short space of time so is definitely full-on. However, overall, I thought it was well-paced with well-timed rest periods. Given that this was a new itinerary, there are a couple of "tweaks" I would make (mentioned below). However, they are minor changes only to what I found to be a well-rounded and balanced trip.
HIghlights for me included the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. I loved the desert, lagoons, volcanoes, flamingoes, the salt hotel and of course, our meal with our wonderful Bolivian guides - which I'll never forget. Another highlight was the sunset and moonrise over the Atacama Desert near San Pedro. I felt the trip was a gift that kept on giving. Just when you had one experience which you thought could not be topped, along came another one. The trip was cleverly planned in that sense.
In terms of amendments, I would suggest the following:
HIgh altitude is a feature of this trip and perhaps needs to be emphasised and explained a little more fully in the trip notes so that travellers can take a view. However, for me, any discomfort was more than compensated for by the remoteness and beauty of the landscapes we saw.
I particularly loved Bolivia and perhaps Explore could consider adding that another day to this leg of the trip. This would allow more time to get to know this fantastic country and its people but would also allow more time to acclimatise.
We had a wonderful day in the wine region of Cafayate. Both wine and food were delicious and plentiful. However, I think we all felt the number of tours and tastings should be reduced a little to allow us to relax into one wine tour and the meal without worrying about time.
Guiding:
Andres was our Explore guide and I cannot speak highly enough of him. Most of the group had travelled extensively over the years with Explore and said that he was one of the best guides they had ever had. Andres was excellent in every respect - professional, knowledgeable, organised but relaxed and very person-centred, attending well to the different needs of the group. The trip ran very smoothly and to time. Andres paid close attention to detail, making small changes to the itinerary as needed, He found good places to eat, and timed visits to avoid any crowds in particularly popular places. As far as I am aware, there was one small logistical glitch during the whole trip. This was beyond Andres' control but he took it in his stride, dealt with it and it did not affect the group. Definitely 5* for Andres.
The local guides and drivers in each country were very friendly and efficient. I would say the guides in Argentina and Bolivia were particularly knowledgeable. The warmth and kindness shown to us was lovely. I would single out Wilbur in Bolivia for particular praise.
Accommodation:
Before the trip, I did not have particularly high expectations of the hotels, thinking that location would take priority over hotel standard and that budget hotels would be used to keep costs down. To a certain extent this proved to be the case. I would say in most places the standard was 3*. I found all of them were perfectly acceptable although some had variable hot water and wifi which is only to be expected really given the region. All hotels were very friendly and in a very good location. Some hotels stood out as having more character and better service than others. The Salt Hotel (Laguna Salada) on the Uyuni flats was something truly special. The stunning location, the hotel design and the friendliness of the staff there were something I will never forget. The Hotel Los Flamencos at the Laguna Hedionda was graded as "simple" and we warned to take warm sleepwear as it can get cold at night. However, I found the hotel to be warm and characterful and again, the location was stunning. Standing outside the hotel (albeit at about -5 degrees Celsius), watching the flamingos on the lagoon and the sun come up over the volcanoes behind was something truly memorable.
San Pedro de Atacama was the most touristy place we visited and I would say the hotel there reflected that. It felt a bit more generic than the others, although the barman was excellent and served some knockout Pisco sours.
Overall, I would give this trip 5* without hesitation. Unforgettable - in the best possible way. Any quibbles are very minor ones to me. I would highly recommend.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Buenos Aires, San Pedro, Santiag
Buenos Aires, San Pedro, Santiago, Salta, Cafayate, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Tupiza, Uyuni, Incahuasi, San Pedro De Atacama
Explore the vibrant cities of Salta and Cafayate, traverse the diverse landscapes of the Puna region and delve into the cultural wonders of Quebrada de Humahuaca with our 10-day partially guided Northern Argentina and Chile Tour.
On this tour, you will have the chance to cross the majestic Andes and explore the arid expanse of the Atacama Desert in Chile, marvel at the famous multicolored hills, serene lagoons and surreal geological formations and discover the desert’s stark beauty and vast open spaces that offer a stark contrast to the lush valleys of Argentina.
Please see our itinerary for more details.
ExplorerDeserts and canyons
Tour Type
Independent TourTypically a private tour undertaken by one or two travelers
Age Range
1-79 yrs
Operated in
english, spanish
Destinations
Salta, Cafayate, Purmamarca, San
Salta, Cafayate, Purmamarca, San Pedro De Atacama, Calama, Moon Valley
