Chile Vacation Review, Santiago Markets Tour, Valparaiso, Patagonia Scenery, Exploring Wine Regions

Review by traveler

Kari C.

11.25.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Chile

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

The trip was amazing! We cannot thank Zicasso, this travel team and our trip planner enough for your help. We were able to accomplish almost everything that we hoped to see and do during our short (7 night) trip, and it would not have been possible without your help. The itinerary was busy, but not overly packed, and it was planned logistically to make everything smooth.
We really appreciated how everything was set up for us in advance - tours, winery visits, guides, drivers, etc. - and enabled us to maximize our time. In addition, we do not really speak Spanish, and having everything arranged in advance ensured a seamless travel experience.
The planner took everything that we asked for into consideration, and created an itinerary that was completely customized to our desires! She even reached out to the specific wineries that we wanted to visit to set up tours that would give us a variety of experiences and memories.
Overall, we can't say enough about Zicasso, this travel team and the trip planner! We will be repeat customers for future travels.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Our planner helped us figure out how to maximize our time to see the most of the country during our limited time. Well, actually, our planner just figured it out for us, which was ideal! We felt very safe and well taken care of throughout our journey (2 women traveling). The trip planner selected boutique hotels that were centrally located and adorable. All of our drivers and tour guides were completely delightful! They were informative, helpful, accommodating - they made us love Chile even more!
We were able to communicate with our planner throughout the planning process and leading up to the trip, which made us feel more comfortable and helped us in planning what to pack, etc. We also were provided with several contacts that we could have reached out to during the trip, if needed. Everything was set-up and planned to perfection, so we did not need to contact anyone, though!
It is hard to say which parts were the "most memorable," but the scenery and sights in Patagonia would be hard to top! We also enjoyed seeing the different wine regions, and learning about the different approaches that various regions and wine-producers use in creating world-class wines. Finally, we enjoyed the cities of Santiago and Valparaiso as well!

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

I think that if we could do anything differently, we might have departed Santiago 1/2 a day earlier (not sure if flights are available at that time though!), to arrive in Patagonia in time to perhaps have one more (1/2 day) experience there? As it was, we still felt that were were able to see and do a LOT during our short stay!
A few more notes, that we think might be good to share with future travelers:

Suggest wearing tennis or trek shoes to "Full Day Torres Del Paine - First Class" - although there is not a ton of walking, some of the others on the trip were were shoes that could slip easily, especially in wet conditions
Should get cash (Chilean Pesos) out, or exchange for them prior to the Santiago Markets Tour. We felt that we would have liked to purchase a few things from the Markets, but without (local) cash, we were unable to do so.
Also, cash (local) is needed for Torres del Paine - Park entrance, this was noted - as well as "Balmaceda Glaciers" tour. On the Glacier tour via boat, refreshments are sold as cash-only. Just a helpful tip!
Recommend to check-in early to Balmaceda Glacier tour, to secure the best seats on the boat (window seats). All of the seats are fine...but this would be a "pro tip" :)
We received box lunches on the Torres del Paine Full Day Tour, but the other participants ate at a restaurant in the park. This was not a problem, but it did create some confusion about why that was the case.

All of these notes are simply meant to further enhance future visitors' trips, but really there is nothing that we would change about the overall itinerary or trip!

Photos

Chile Vacation Review, Santiago Markets Tour, Valparaiso, Patagonia Scenery, Exploring Wine Regions

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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