Galapagos Cruises for Seniors

Zicasso's trip planner is excellent! She planned a personalized itinerary for me and my family, with activities for all different ages in our travel group. We truly enjoyed our experience in Quito and the Galápagos Islands. 

Our tour guide did a wonderful job taking us around Quito and ensuring we got to fully experience the city (including historical landmarks and local spots). In addition, one of our family members had altitude sickness and he put a lot of effort into helping her get assistance and even medical care in the airport. 

Five stars for our agent and our guide.

The trip went great. We asked for some significant travel in a short period of time and Zicasso’s travel company was able to make it work for us. I really liked using the travel app; it made it easy to keep track of activities. The local guides were also great. The guide in Quito was especially detail-oriented and kept on schedule. The Galápagos was a real highlight; for those interested in nature and animals, it's a must-see.

Overall, fabulous. It was a trip of a lifetime. Zicasso's tour agency planned the perfect combination of the Galápagos and Machu Picchu, with time in Ecuador and Peru as well. They made great suggestions on the number of days and boat for the Galápagos, as well as which hike to plan. The guides the travel specialist set us up with were top-notch.

All aspects of our trip were extraordinary. From the first conversation with Zicasso’s trip planner, I knew she was the right person to plan our Ecuador experiences. She understood that we wanted to avoid crowded tourist attractions, preferring to interact with locals and the flora and fauna that surround them. 

Our guide made these things possible, taking us to eat at some of his favorite cafés as we traveled from Quito to the hotel near Nanegalito, and later from this one to the one in Imbabura. He was more than a guide, catering to all of our needs and sharing his personal contact information with us should we have any problems along our journey. He was an excellent guide. Although he was raised in the cloud forest region, he was knowledgeable and loves the entire country and its history. He could answer any question about the indigenous population, religious practices, food, or sports. As an academician, I recognized his teaching potential. He could be a professor one day.

The trip was well organized on a short notice and I truly appreciated it. All staff was courteous, responsive, and punctual. Zicasso's travel agent was instrumental in putting the details together and was always available to answer questions or address concerns. The entire trip also involved many connections and transfers, and almost all were handled well. All of the drivers drove professionally and in a safe manner. A few areas where improvement would be helpful are those of communications within the various members of the team, attentiveness of the guides to clients for the entirety of the visit, and of receiving relevant information earlier. For example, on at least three occasions, conflicting information from different sources required unnecessary followup clarification. Additionally, the guide in Cusco, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu never went beyond providing the most basic information about the sites. It felt to us that it was just a job for him, not his passion. He also spent an inordinate time on his phone. Lastly, it would be helpful to receive the General Travel Advice documents at least a month before the trip, and not 10 days before as was the case.