Brazil, Argentina & Chile
Reviews
We had a memorable and wonderful trip to Chile, Argentina & Brazil including the Patagonia region and Iguazu Falls! The tour manager, Alex, added so much to our experience and kept things running like clockwork. The tour guides in the various countries/areas were very experienced, passionate and professional - we loved each of them as well.
David A.It's been a little over a week since I have returned from the trip, and I still can't believe I've just experienced a Drake Passage crossing and a visit to Antarctica! The trip was a once in a lifetime experience that was simply incredible. It was better than I could have imagined. Our tour guide, Andrea, was outstanding! What a joy to travel with her. The vessel we travelled on was really outstanding as well. The experience in Antarctica was spiritual. The magnificence of the unspoiled landscape and the abundance of wildlife was a special experience that words or pictures simply cannot capture. I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed visiting and wondering around Buenos Aires. In all Gate-1, you hit it out of the park with this one!
Ian G.The Gate1 Antarctica trip was the voyage of a lifetime. The ship captain said it was the best trip of the season weatherwise. All went smoothly thanks to our fabulous guide Ricardo!
David U.Our recent tour of Patagonia was wonderful, due in large part to the personalities and expertise of the guides, and especially tour manager, Alex. The sites visited were a dream come true!. Alex went out of his way to ensure that we were very well informed about the difficulty of the hikes and what we might experience. He was very good at measuring our fitness levels and making appropriate recommendations without fail. His job is certainly not easy, yet he always remained fresh, cheerful, humorous at all times. His charm is infectious, and he did a great job of making the entire group feel like one big family (not easy). He is an outstanding photographer and made sure we enjoyed similar success in our own photos. He is a real gem! The guides were all outstanding in their depth of knowledge about the places visited. Steve and Angeles should have multiple PhD diplomas, their ability to answer arcane questions beyond compare. As I write this review, I am carrying on an email conversation with a friend, recommending Gate 1 highly. Thank you!
James W.I would like to especially commend our tour manager, Alex. Alex certainly maintained our history of terrific Gate1 tour managers/guides (this is our sixth Gate1 tour) while also making his unique, inimitable mark! His deep and vast experience showed forth every day as he adjusted schedule or area so that we had optimal sightseeing views and/or activities/experiences. His information--both practical and historical/cultural--was valuable, his communication clear, his organization strong, his care thoughtful, and his humor delightful. Also, Alex is very savvy about people as evidenced by his group interactions. Preeminently, his passion and enthusiasm were inspiring and uplifting, spurring us to enjoy even more the wonders of mystical and wild Patagonia! I rate him the highest possible scores and recommend him wholeheartedly and gratefully!
Dara H.The trip was fabulous. Thank you to Gate1 for organizing the trip. The tour guide Nico was very knowledgeable and professional and weather cooperated.
Taru B.Trip was wonderful. Ricardo is a great tour guide and we had a fun large group. Beautiful sights and we learned so much about the culture and history. Exceeded my expectations.
Bonnie I.The trip was great. Guide was remarkably good - knowledgeable and in control - in a good way! Weather was perfect every day! Sites visited were interesting and accommodating! I'll give it a 10!
Jane C.Yes, my friends, Dreams Can Come True!. I have dreamed of a trip to Antartica for MANY years; however I was never able to make this adventure a reality, until Gate 1 offered a MOST AMAZING journey to Antartica with a collaboration with Hurtigruten Cruise Lines. This journey was wonderful, beginning with a tour of the interesting city of Buenos Aires and a fantastic dinner and Tango show. Our tour then traveled to the port city of Ushuaia, Argentina where our Hurtigruten ship, the Ms. Roland was waiting for us. Once boarded and most happily welcomed by the crew, I settled into my room. The room was spacious, had a large window and was very well appointed. It exceeded my expectations. The ship is fantastic, in that it has numerous science labs, multiple dining options, fantastic lounges and an incredible staff. Meals were ALL excellent, with a great variety of dining options. The serving staff addressed me by my first name on the second day of the voyage! The off ship adventures were unbelievable. We ventured on land to see penguins, seals and a close up of a most remarkable landscape. We also went on several "Zodiac" tours and witnessed humpback whales. On all of the excursions, safety was paramount and I felt safe and secure at all times. The ship was impeccably clean and well organized. The science classes conducted by the talented crew were very educational and fun. All in all, a MOST PERFECT ADVENTURE AND A DREAM COME TRUE. Thank You Gate ! and Hurtigruten for making my dreams come true.
John A.Thank you as always! G1 trip #52 for me and as have been to both Buenos Aires and Santiago a couple of times before, this was all about revisiting some favorite and new spots and getting to experience Mendoza wine country for the first time and the spectacular drive through the Andes into Chile. The whole trip did not disappoint - good and well located hotels, a couple of very nice included meals, interesting included sightseeing and optionals and as always stellar drivers and a fantastic tour manager, Marcos, to pull it all together. The pacing was great with a fair amount of free time to explore the cities more and seek out leisurely lunches and dinners, which here normally meant steak and wine at an amazingly reasonable cost! Absolutely loved Mendoza - in a beautiful setting with the snow capped Andes in the background, tours and tastings at three vineyards with an empanada lunch at the final one - picture postcard perfect in every way and a very luxurious hotel in the city with their own local wine tasting event too. Our group of 18 travelers was fun and cohesive and enjoyed every moment of this wonderful adventure! Now on to the next!
Lorraine P.I just returned from the Argentina, Mendoza, Chile tour. Our Tour Manager, Andrea, is very professional, organized, and a wonderful human being. My husband Jose and I felt like we were part of her family and felt very comfortable and enjoyed the whole tour. In the near future, we would like to take another Argentina tour with Andrea. We highly recommend the tour and the manager to everyone we meet.
Alba D.This was our first Gate 1 experience, and we definitely enjoyed it. It was organized very well, there were interesting things to do and see but what stood out in our minds was our great tour guide-Frederico. Fede was patient, friendly, funny, concerned, helpful in all our individual needs and really just made our trip the great experience that it was. I think all 36 of us on our tour came to think of him as family-if just for the 13 days! Thank you Gate 1 and Fede for the enjoyable experience.
Susan W.This is my 7th Gate 1 trip and I have always had good guides. But, Lucas, was the absolute best guide. He goes above and beyond to make it a memorable trip. He has the knowledge and expertise to keep a group organized, on time and get the most out of our trip. We kept teasing him, that he has many jobs besides tour guide... he was tech support helping us with our iPhone, got a Dr when someone needed it, went to the pharmacy to pick up medicine, took us to places to eat during our leisure time and would have been his free time, just to mention a few. I was on the 13 day tour and some in the group went on to Brazil for the 17 day tour. I was by myself and he even texted me the day I left to make sure I got to the airport and had no problems. The entire group absolutely Loved him. I also need to rave about our local guide, Marcelo, in Patagonia. He was was 1 of the best local guides I ever had. And this feeling was shared by our group. His knowledge and passion for Patagonia shows through at all times. He really is a fascinating, interesting person with extensive knowledge of the area. He also went out of his way on his own time to talk to us about the area. He is hands down, the best local guide I ever had. I hope he is paid well... because he is a huge asset to Gate 1. And I also have to mention our driver in Patagonia, Patrice.... His driving on those narrow, rocky roads was amazing. And the 8 hr trip to El Calafate went smooth and without incident. I felt very safe with him.
Debra L.I have been traveling with various reputable tour operators since the late 80s.. All tour managers were professional, courteous, and attentive. However, Jorge was by far one of the best, if not the best. Here are some examples why I think he's exceptional. In our first meeting, Jorge gave us a small card with his name, phone #, the names and phone numbers of all the hotels on it. He asked us to put the card behind our name tags so that we could referred to it when needed. No other tour managers have ever thought about doing that. All my previous tour managers would eat their meals with bus drivers and/or local guides. Sometimes they would eat by themselves. Jorge was different. After he made sure that everyone was seated, he would sit next to someone who had no one sitting next to him or her. By doing so, the person did not have to feel awkward and had some one to talk to during the meal. Jorge would give us a small souvenir every time we arrived at a new city. It's usually something the local was known for. It could be a cookie, a small bag of spices, and a refrigerator magnet. When he gave us the souvenir, he would say that it was from the local guide and him even though he was most likely the one who purchased them. It was such a generous and selfless gesture for him to include the local guides.
Shaw K.I wanted to comment independently on how very much I enjoyed my trip to Patagonia. Specifically, I want to recognize, by name, the superb guides assigned to the tour. Jorge, the tour manager, was superb. He maxed out all the characteristics the "check list" provided. He is a credit to Gate1's reputation. You should retain his services. In Chilean Patagonia the local guide, Marcello, was articulate, highly knowledgeable, and personable. He brought Chilean Patagonia to life. Similarly, on the Argentinian side of Patagonia, Guadalupe was all any traveler could have wanted in a guide. You should try to obtain her services for your travelers in Patagonia.
Jay A.I want to take this opportunity to thank Gate 1 and our very excellent tour manager, Mr. Jorge, for a fantastic journey to South America. The itinerary, lodging and food were wonderful. I am so very grateful to Jorge for his helpfulness, resourcefulness, kindness and graciousness. He really contributed greatly to the success of this wonderful tour. Our group enjoyed an amazing comradery thanks to the cheerfulness and travel magic by Jorge. Every day we awoke knowing that we faced an adventure of spectacular sights and experiences! Jorge made us all feel special and took special understanding and assistance of our needs. I also appreciate the many members of Jorge's team, local guides, and drivers. These individuals also contributed to the success of a seamless tour. Many members of our group had taken many trips with Gate 1. I now know why. Though this trip was my first with Gate 1 it won't be my last. I hope to book many trips with Gate 1 in the future.
Joyce S.We took Gate 1 trip to Brazil and Argentina from 28 August to 7 September and enjoyed it Our tour Manager was Pablo and he did excellent support and care for everyone. His guidance, tips and managing time was excellent. He gave historical information about Argentina and Brazil which was very informative. Overall we all were very much pleased with his support and care. All transfers were excellent and without any glitch All drivers were very supportive and caring for all of us. Particularly Navier in Buenos Aires. Cared for all of us. Local guides in Rio Carlo was very educational in history and places which we enjoyed. Romana in Iguazú was very supportive and caring for all of us. Food choices and suggestions were excellent Our group of 10 persons from Dallas certainly enjoyed entire trip. This was our 5th trip with Gate 1 but many had taken more than 10 trips. Please convey our deep appreciation and gratitude to Pablo and his team.
Manoj P.Our trip was fantastic. Iguazú falls, Christ the Redeemer and sugarloaf mountain were really on our bucket list. Is was amazing to see it in person especially the views from atop sugarloaf mountain and the thunderous roar of the 275 cascading waterfalls of the Iguazú falls. We like all of the hotels which were nice and clean and accessible to our needs. We enjoyed all of the optional tours. Our tour manager, tour guides and drivers were great. We are looking forward for our next tour. Probably in turkey.
George K.Our trip was excellent! This was our first trip with Gate 1 Travel and we were very satisfied with every element of the experience. Our tour guide, Rosana was the best tour director we ever had. She did a fantastic job. Our local guides were also excellent and provided us with a great deal of information in each location. Thanks for providing a wonderful experience.
Robert B.Alejandro was the BEST tour manager ever and we have been on several Gate 1 trips. Most of our guides have been outstanding so to say Alejandro was the best is quite an achievement. Our whole group was very impressed with his attention to detail and his kindness to all of us. He managed the group with ease, competence, and understanding. Our group was efficient and on-time each day. We didn't experience any issues. One day he even took us out to lunch and another evening he arranged for a free tango lesson. He was very helpful with offering suggestions or recommendations if we asked him about something. I can't imagine taking this trip without him. He was amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed this trip. We highly recommend it and if anyone has second thoughts about going to South America, don't entertain those thoughts. We felt safe and cared for the whole time. Our guide did tell us to be careful about our phones and everyone took his advice to heart adn we didn't experience any problems. We loved that one or two bottles of water were provided to us each day. The hotels were exceptional except in Iguazu Falls where it's difficult to find a fabulous hotel because of the location of the falls. We loved the Marriott in Buenos Aires and felt pampered the whole time we were there. The location was excellent. And the Lemme Windsor in Rio was great too. We wish we had discovered the rooftop restaurant a couple days earlier though. Fabulous trip and we are so glad we went. As always, kudos to Gate 1 for an excellent travel experience. We will be back for more.
Heidi M.The trip was fabulous! I can not say enough positive things about Albano (Al-B)! Very well organized and kept all 30+ of us on time and accounted for. Everything ran smoothly, from our prospective. He arranged a few surprises for the group (drinks on the beach in Rio, pizza in Buenos Aires etc) were highlights and much appreciated. He represents Gate 1 and the experience you want customers to have very well! Both of our local guides were also excellent and provided insights into their respective cultures and customs. Bus drivers were also very polite, helpful and good at their job!
Heather H.Alex was a top notch tour manager. He took care of everything for us and was very conscientious about safety. His daily recommendations for meals and things to do were spot on. Could not have been better. I don't know how you get us into these fabulous hotels but they were wonderful. The locations were super and centrally located. Everything went right on this vacation, and a big shout out to Juan in Iguazu and Vladimir in Santiago/Valparaiso--they were excellent guides.
Lizbeth K.Nikolas is the best tour operator we have ever had, either at Gate 1, or of the only two other tours we took that were not with Gate 1. He is incredibly cheerful, warm, and kind. He put the needs of his travelers above anything else. He was extremely efficient and conscientious, while at the same time is never impatient or short tempered with anyone. I have never seen a tour operator or guide that is so irrepressibly cheerful and upbeat. Nothing ever ruffled him, even when Lat Am airlines screwed up and shredded everyone's boarding passes and luggage tags that Niko had been up until 2 AM printing for us. They re-issued 3 wrong tickets out of 4 to my husband and me, and then put us on a different flight than the rest of our group, telling Niko there were no more seats available on that flight when there actually were several. Niko practically sold his soul trying to get it all rectified and took personal responsibility for the fiasco, although it was totally out of his control. I so admired his handling of that stressful situation. He is a real jewel and a wonderful asset to your company, and I thought you should know.
Judean P.Our trip to Chile, Patagonia, Argentina, Brazil, with the Iguazu Falls was one of the best travel experiences we have ever had. Emiliano...Emo...was outstanding as a tour manager. He is personable, extremely competent, able to handle us all in so many different airports with so many different needs. All our in-between travel went off perfectly. I can't say enough about how much we appreciated Emi and what a wonderful job he did for us. Vladimir, our guide in Santiago did a great job taking us around on our city tour and we enjoyed the excursion the to Undarraga Winery. Emi was our local guide in Buenos Aires, a beautiful city. He gave us excellent recommendations on where to spend our free time. My husband and I walked to the San Telmo flea market, which was blocks and blocks of handicrafts by local artisans that ended with an antiques market at the very tip. All of our hotels were great, but the Rio Serrano stood out as an amazing stay. The view from every window of the hotel was breathtaking. Our local guide in Torres Del Paine was Marcello, and how lucky we were to have him! His excitement and love of sharing his knowledge only added to the spectacular surroundings. Marcello even went out of his way to take a few of us who were interested on an evening walk to the confluence of the Grey and Serrano rivers, to show us how the colors and the flow of the waters converge. Being in Patagonia, in both Chile and Argentina is a once in a lifetime experience and we feel so lucky to have been there. The Iguazu Falls were a spectacular sight, from both the Argentinian and Brazilian viewpoints. Our tour ended in Rio, where we stayed right on Copacabana beach. The perfect ending to an amazing adventure.
Joanne K.This Gate 1 Discovery tour of Patagonia was fantastic and one of our favorite tours over the years of having used several different tour companies before. The choice of activities, the pace at which they were done, that is, still allowing some downtime or free time, our group leader(Eliana), the lodging facilities and their food quality, and the quality of the cruise line, its staff and meal and beverage offerings were phenomenal. The tour was certainly priced well for all we did and experienced. The Gate 1 Travel staff also were very helpful in their information and communications as we set up our trip. The only downside to this trip was the difficulty in getting reasonable air travel schedules. We had exceptionally long layovers at two different airports and feel that perhaps there could be better offerings through different airlines that the travel package works with. The Discovery small group type of tour offered by Group 1 Tours, using the small group (16-22) numbers, was perfect and should not be changed. We have been in groups with as high as two busloads or 45 participants and it is unwieldy and does not lead to group camaraderie, closeness, or effective communication, and the logistics of on foot touring can be a nightmare as we have seen in the past. Finally, we can't sing enough our praises for our group leader, Eliana. Her dedication to us, her persistence in doing her job and getting things right, her unique personality with a smile and style, her relationship with all her other guides and coworkers, and especially with all of us tour members were above anything else we have experienced before! We hope we can be fortunate enough to take another Gate 1 Discovery Tour with her in the future. This trip has sold us on taking more tours with Gate 1 Travel Tours in the future
Edwin W.Our trip was fantastic! We had an amazing tour guide, Jorge who was very knowledgeable. He and the other local tour guides like Bruno, Cecilia and Eduardo, the whole team gave us lots of historical and cultural information and were more than happy to answer questions. We enjoyed everyday because Jorge made it very special with his great attitude and sense of humor, and also offered recommendations of other things to do/ see and places to eat during the tour. The whole group connection was positive because of Jorge. Thanks so much Gate One for such a great first time experience with your company, I will definitely recommend it to our friends!
Yesenia K.The Chile, Patagonia and Argentina tour far exceeded my expectations. First, a big shout out for our tour guide, Al-B (Albano), while being very personable, knows how to conduct a tour. He knows how to balance history with personal stories which keeps us engaged. Our local guide for the Chilean portion of Patagonia, Marcello, was excellent. He was very accomplished and knowledgeable. I'm in awe of our various bus drivers -- Enrique, Danny and Juanca -- how they manage large buses on narrow city streets and curvy, bumpy terrain in Patagonia, is a true wonder. Thank you Gate 1 for putting together an incredible itinerary. This region and this trip should be a must on everyone's bucket list!!
Laura G.Our recent trip to Rio, Iguazu and Buenos Aires was fantastic! The accommodation locations were excellent, the facilities were clean and comfortable, food served were great. The optional excursions were fantastic. It was a fun and informative vacation. This was made possible by Mr. Flavio, our Tour Manager. The local guides (Bruno in Rio, Juan in Iguazu). Flavio was enthusiastic, funny, informative, engaging, compassionate and extremely knowledgeable. They clearly loved doing their tasks. I am definitely a Gate1 Travel fan!
William E.Having made reservations so far in advance, who knew we would be staying at the Marriott at the Obelisk in B.A. the day of the World Soccer Cup game with Argentina not only in the finals but winning it! What an experience. And we are especially pleased with how our tour manager - Fede, was able to arrange alternative activities for that day that included allowing us to watch the game one of the hotel's meeting rooms and have the hotel provide snacks and beverages. HE did a "S U P E R " job!
David R.While exhausting, my wife and I found the trip interesting, educational, and memorable! We got more than what we expected from the tour itinerary. Gate 1 Travel lives up to its motto, "More for less!" Value-for-money, the best if not one of the best escorted tours we've taken so far in our many years of world travels. Well-coordinated international & intra flights, transfers, deluxe and centrally located hotels staffed with friendly and helpful personnel, beautiful, interesting, historical, and memorable attractions that have long been in our travel bucket list, the enriching tour per itinerary and optional tours taken, etc., which would have cost us more if we arranged them all ourselves. Contributing to this wonderful travel experience were the overall leadership provided by the Tour Manager, Pablo, and the knowledgeable local tour guides, Alvaro in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo in Iguassu Falls, and Pablo in Buenos Aires. Pablo led the group in more than a couple of off the beaten paths of Buenos Aires (optional walking tours) to provide us more enriching experience about this historical and enchanting "Paris" city in South America. Alvaro, Rodrigo, and Pablo, made all the necessary arrangements in obtaining attraction tickets well in advance so that the group's visits could beat the crowds. They also provided us security throughout the tour, and they volunteered their expert services to take photos of the group members in many attractions we visited. Thank you Gate 1 Travel, Pablo, Alvaro and Rodrigo.
Romeo F.Our trip was absolutely amazing! We were so impressed with our manager Andria was OUTSTANDING! She is very professional, efficient, helpful, hardworking and funny. The entire trip with large group of 40 people was well organized. She went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great time. The best compliment also for our local guide Pablo! He was fantastic, with great sense of humor, extremely friendly and helpful. He was very knowledgeable, we learned a lot from him not only about beautiful city Rio but Brazilian history, culture, people's life, politic, nature, food, language, technology, succor etc., about everything. We were very impressed by his love & passion to his job and his country. We were also very fortunate to watch the World Cup Brazil's and Argentina's winning succor games at Rio and BA, joined the local people's celebrations, touched by their enthusiasm and happiness for their team. Thanks to Gate1, Andria and Pablo, made this trip wonderful and memorable! We definitely will recommend Gate1 to our family and friends, and looking forward to our next Gate1 trip soon,
Huiming W.I would like to comment that our tour director, Alex, for the Kaleidoscope of South America from Nov 21, 2022 to Dec. 6, 2022 was absolutely fabulous in every way. I was mortified to learn the group had 39 travelers in it. The largest group we had ever toured with was 20, and the most recent with 12, so I couldn't imagine how anyone would ever manage 39, keeping everyone happy and safe, and providing a rich experience in three different countries for everyone, bur Alex did it. He immediately built an atmosphere of fun, friendship, and caring. He was knowledgeable about every place and attraction we visited, and he always went above and beyond to provide the best experience for each person. He is the one who convinced my husband and me to try to travel again with Gate 1. We have travelled to 36 different countries, but usually on our own, and recently with CIE and Indus. We have told all our friends that this Gate 1 trip rivaled our best trips anywhere in the world, and Alex was the face of it. Food, tours, hotels, transportation were all above expectations, but Alex was simply amazing!
Linda S.Our trip to Brazil/Argentina/Chile was amazing!!! Our Tour Manager, Flavio, was OUTSTANDING! He was knowledgeable, courteous, professional, organized and above all personable! He was a family member away from our home. He was the glue to all 31 passengers. He made us all very comfortable with each other. Respectful, fun, gaining culture of the three beautiful countries we visited and connecting flawlessly with each other. Flavio is an asset to Gate1. Kudos to Flavio. He made us want to travel with Gate 1 again and again!
Sokhary N.I filled out a feedback survey, but I wanted to add a statement about what a wonderful tour manager Lucas was. He went above and beyond to make sure each of us was well taken care of and had everything we needed. It is obvious that he spends great effort to prepare every detail so we only had to show up and have fun. And we did! He dealt with unexpected emergencies (cancelled flights, serious injuries sustained by one of the group, and an unexpected family emergency requiring an early flight home) with grace and competence. We could really tell that he cared about each of us--our well being and enjoyment. Hang on to him, he is terrific.
Roslyn R.My wife and I just completed a tour of BRAZIL and ARGENTINA with gate 1 for the first time . We've done quite a bit of traveling in the past using numerous agencies and we can candidly say that none of them can compare to how organized and efficient gate 1 is. The entire experience was seamless from beginning till end . GATE 1 left an exceptionally positive lasting impression that my wife and I made a solid conjugal decision that all our future travels will only be with GATE 1 and we won't settle for less. Needless to mention , the biggest factor that truly sealed the deal for us were the tour directors who were extremely professional, respectful, friendly, funny and most importantly knowledgeable. We would like to especially mention our most favorite tour guide from BUENOS AIRES named JORJE. He was passionate about what he did and he and he most certainly made sure everyone was having a good time. He is super funny and had a very vibrant personality. He also genuinely cared about the well being of his group. I can vividly recall having panic attacks during a couple of the excursions that involved heights and without any hesitation , he personally escorted me back to a safe area while waiting for the group to come back. I feel he went above and beyond and it is small gestures like this that make a big difference to customers. To me and my wife and I'm sure our tour mates as well JORJE represents the perfect image of GATE 1. We love him and we want to see more of him in our future travels . CONGRATULATIONS JORJE AND GATE ONE FOR A JOB WELL DONE!
Manolo E.Hello! I just wanted to inform you that I have taken several tours with other tour companies and I have never experienced as high quality guides as I have with Gate 1 on this tour! Alex truly went above and beyond in every capacity. He was a pleasure to travel with and truly took care of us all and ensured we had as wonderful a trip as possible. Gate 1 should be so grateful to have someone as outstanding as Alex working on their team. All of the local guides were truly fantastic as well. I would 100% recommend Gate 1 to everyone I know and I am looking forward to my next trip!
Michelle D.I'm writing as a seasoned Gate One traveler. I want to commend you on your guide, Virginia. She was an exceptional guide on my recent tour of Brazil, Argentina, Mendoza and Chile. What a valued employee she is to you. More importantly, what a value to your customers. She was tireless in effectuating an excellent trip for all on this journey including the added requirements that were imposed by the governments of all these countries due to Covid. She kept everyone informed and encouraged cohesion throughout the group through excellent communication skills. I am proud to have been her customer and appreciate all her friendliness, professionalism, courtesy and attention to detail for everyone to enjoy the time with her. Great job on your part to hire the RIGHT person!
Carol J.I wanted to comment more about how wonderful our tour guide, Lucas , was. Lucas was excellent in every way--he went above and beyond his tour duties every day of our trip. He was beyond patient, extremely helpful, very organized, and always friendly and welcoming to all of us. Every time we had free time built into our schedule, he always offered to have lunch/dinner/walk around with us. Every time he offered, every person in our group accepted. I have been on one other Gate1 tour, and it was also great, but I, and everyone in my tour group, could tell that Lucas was exceptional. My husband and I were on the fence about group travel (for various reasons), but having a tour guide like Lucas makes us want to take more Gate1 tours. I cannot say enough about how great he was--he was just exceptionally great.
Kristin B.Our guides, Alejandro, Lucas,Jorge,and Al-B, on our trip on Fram were amazing. They went above and beyond, both on board the ship, and in Santiago to smooth any challenges, keep us having a great time, and keeping us safe. They truly went above and beyond expectations.
Linda D.We are very pleased with all tour guides and drivers, but having Marina with us the entire trip was excellent! She was not only well knowledge in the locations as well as being extremely organized/prepared or anticipated any questions or concerns we had, but very entertaining! She is a “hard working” woman. We all appreciate the excellent service she always provided with a big comforting smile and I love her jolly laugh. The itinerary provided a nice balance in learning about Rio de Janeiro, Iguazú Fall and Buenos Aires and time to explore on our own. This was another great experience with Gate 1 and we are looking forward to traveling with you again.
Carolyn P. Manassas, VAOur trip to Patagonia was fantastic! We were in awe of such beautiful landscape ! The scenery at El Calafate (Lago Argentina with birds, Perito Moreno Glacier) were stunning. It was also a nice little town to explore. The hotel in Torres Del Paine National Park was all inclusive - how wonderful it was to be able to eat and drink anything you want at any time! Other friends showed us their wonderful photos from hiking the W trail. We didn't do such a hike, but still greatly enjoyed the fresh air, wonderful scenery, and superb food and drinks. And then on to the Stella Australis cruise. We got up early for the next morning excursion on time. The cruise ship was comfortable, the food superb, room sizes and bathrooms were good, and the excursions were great. The crew made sure we know how to put on our life jackets and get on and off the Zodiacs. Our tour guide, Alejandro, was great! I think he is one of hardest working tour guides we have ever had. I liked that he showed us maps of our route, explaining our journey. He also provided local maps for our free time and was very helpful with suggestions. He kept us informed all through our long bus rides, gave us local treats, and was always preparing us for what to expect next. He checked the buses, restaurants for anything we might have left behind. He walked us to the airport gates and made sure we had our boarding passes, etc. He was always busy helping to take care of all of us. This trip let us see, do and experience many new things. It was a wonderful trip !
Susan L. Orange, CTIt was absolutely perfect! I was so impressed with our guide and all the accommodations and amazing itinerary. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip and the wonderful job Gate 1 did with organizing every aspect so well.
Carol S. Holmdel, NJAbsolutely fantastic. Exceeded expectations. Lucas, our Tour Manager was exceptional. The hotels were fantastic and food was really good.
Judith P. Port Orange, FLIt was phenomenal! Another great adventure with Gate 1! Gate 1 never ceases to amaze me everything went smoothly great hotels,food,treks and the guides always helpful,informative and friendly no complaints! A special credit to our guide from start to finish "Albano" he was outstanding,knowledgeable and invaluable he went above and beyond he is an asset to your organization! I would highly recommend Gate1!
Marie J. Carver, MAOur trip to South America was wonderful! The best compliment should go to our tour guide, Alejandro. His organization and thoughtfulness made the trip very enjoyable. The itinerary and hotels were very good too, though we had to have a very early start on couple of days. We will definitely spread the word about the trip to our friends.
Tammy H. Walnut Creek, CAThe trip exceeded my expectations. Our guide Jorge is an expert guide and a very nice person. His passion for his work is evident as is his knowledge of local history and culture which he shares in the most interesting and understandable way. The other guides were excellent as well.
Kathleen B. Portland, ORIt was wonderful. Beautiful scenery. Great hotels. A super tour director who worked overtime to make sure everyone had a great time. And, wonderful memorable visits and tours to some of the world's most spectacular sites. Gate 1 did a wonderful job at putting this tour together.
Thomas J. Springfield, VAThis was one of my favorite Gate 1 trips. My daughter, Allison and I both really enjoyed ourselves. Our tour director, Rosanna was fantastic. We had a large group, and she handled it very well. Everyone was on time . That speaks for itself. Rosanna was knowledgeable and helpful, funny, polite, and always ready to help. She is one of the best ! The hotels we stayed at were beautiful. Also, they were centrally located , which made our lives much easier for exploring on our own. Our local tour guides, Pablo and Gisella were also very good. Great personalities and fun to be with. I loved visiting the school. I think it is wonderful that Gate 1 donates money to those less fortunate. I have nothing bad to say. Thank you Gate 1, thank you Rosanna for a memorable vacation.
Claire G. Delray Beach, FLIt was marvelous! My daughter and I were in a group going to Rio de Jeniro and Buenos Aires. Our guide, Lucas, was helpful, friendly, and informative. Carlos, our city guide was also friendly, helpful and informative. They were very professional and attentive to our needs. We learned a lot of new things about the history of Brazil and Argentina. We will recommend this and other tours to friends and family.
Loretta G. Deerfield Beach, FLWe would like to thank you for a fabulous trip to Argentina, Chile and Easter Island. Everything went according to plan, hotels were great, we loved all 3 of them, the offered excursions (we took the one to Valparaiso and Viña del Mar and the sunrise over the Moai) were awesome and our tour guides were great. We would like to commend Veni, Nelson and Lili for their outstanding support and assistance. The tidbits of information they offered on the respective countries was well researched, good and helpful information regarding customs, history, politics, any topic we had a question about was answered. The professional and caring guides and their drivers were available when stated, the airport pickups were timely and I especially wanted to mention Nelson who was the one to pick us back up from when we landed from Rapa Nui back in Santiago and he made sure we all knew about our onward travel arrangements. Veni came to see us off on the morning of departure to Rapa Nui and Lili at Rapa Nui was full of anecdotes and I understand she also participates in local dances which were very well received by the participants who went to the event. In all, it was another successful Gate 1 tour and we will look forward to book with you in the future. Please extend our thanks again to the great guides we had, our group to Easter Island was small and we will stay in touch which is an added bonus of making new friends who share the love of travel.
Carroll and Sabine M. Florence, AZ