Poncho Tours Reviews 45

My friend & I arranged a week long private tour with Poncho Tours to explore the high mountain area of NW Argentina from Cafayate south to Mendoza. Nick was excellent in answering all our questions & offering us excellent advise in the planning of our trip along with a Zoom call which was very helpful. Nick has lived in Argentina for 18 years & is a wealth of knowledge on the culture,sights & history of this amazing country. The scenery is spectacular & everyday was filled with drives high up into the mountains & stops at some very interesting museums, wineries & picnics along the way. We saw sights that far exceeded our expectations & wouldn't have been possible to do on our own. It was very helpful having Nick give us suggestions on our accommodations . He was an excellent guide & driver. An amazing trip & we highly recommend travelling with Poncho Tours to show you this beautiful area of Argentina.

We’ve travelled to many places all over the world, but this tour is going to be an outstanding memory.
Over six days, Nick took us to places we’d never have reached on our own, and where we talked with lovely people we’d never have met otherwise (Nick, we’ll definitely never forget giving a lift to the two ladies and their pet lamb!). We moved from the Calilegua cloud forest up to the Puna, from the coloured rocks of Hornocal to the paleness of Salinas Grandes salt flats, and from places of total silence to the happy celebrations of the Day of the Dead.
Nick was an excellent guide and great company. Everything went really well and we highly recommend Poncho Tours.

Hard to write a summary of how good our experience was. Nick was simply fantastic. We had arranged a 3 week trip in Argentina for our honeymoon of which a third of that was navigated by Poncho Tours. Not only did he help us plan our trip to ensure we were getting the full experience during our time there he made it feel so personable and created some beautiful moments we will never forget. Considering how hard the weather or terrain can be, Nick navigated our destinations seamlessly and would always do his very best to pick out the perfect spots. Always being conscious to stop to let us take pictures, stretch our legs or even treat us to some local snacks and Yerba mate. It’s a big landscape and there can be long times spent in the car but Nick makes the journey, full of fun facts and history of the country you explore. It was a heartfelt goodbye at the end, his personal touch made the experience something we will never forgot. Would recommend to anyone!

A truly amazing tour with Nick from Poncho tours, would absolutely recommend. We enjoyed every minute of this trip, each day was perfectly planned allowing us to cover the areas of NW Argentina and sites we were keen to see. Nick is an expert driver and guide and so knowledgeable. He helped us to plan the itinerary prior to our arrival with excellent advice and recommendations and everything was perfect. Easily contactable and always prompt responses throughout planning and the trip itself! Thank you again for ensuring this part of our bucket list honeymoon trip was everything we hoped for and more!!

Great experience travelling with Poncho Tours across Salta, Catamarca and Jujuy region ! Recommend to everyone to do that ! One in the life time !

My partner and I recently completed a poncho tour from Mendoza to Salta, 1640 km.This was not our first tour with a driver and we were careful to go through Nicks suggested itinerary thoroughly beforehand. Requesting hikes, visits and interesting stops where possible. He came back with an 8 day itinerary which included these.
Our first day started 2 hours late as our driver had 'things to do in Mendoza' and it didn't improve from there. The drives were long and hot, with very few breaks. After a few days we felt ill from dehydration. The itinerary was unrealistic and unachievable. Drive times being much longer than expected, meaning we only managed 2 visits out of a possible 9. We voiced our concerns to Nick during and after our tour and his standard reply was 'after 17 years I have had no complaints 'adding that 'this was a road trip, what did you expect'. Refusing to take on board any criticism or responsibility for his misguidance. My advice is to save yourself money ($400 a day), time and stress. Get the bus to Salta and do a more interesting tour from there. We wish we had.
In all your replies to us, including this one, the key word is YOU. You recently did this trip (I'm sure it was similar, but not exactly the same), you have done this trip many times. However, we did this tour with your driver, not you. So you actually have no idea what we did or didn't do. Mariano had driven for over 20 hours the day before collecting us, with 5 hours sleep. Not surprising then that he missed out one of the hikes on the first day. This was sold to us as a tour not a road trip. You should have been more transparent with the drive times, you had plenty of opportunity to do this, irrespective of the zoom chat.

I did a 6day trip 7 months ago,starting & ending in Salta.
I loved it so much I have just been back and done a 12day, 5000k trip, starting in Mendoza.
Nick and Rodrigo made sure that there was hardly any overlap with the first trip. 6 days of it was in the puna, above 3,500m and the landscapes were indescribable and immensly variable.
i wish there was another one I could do!

My husband and I selected Poncho Tours based on their excellent online reviews and we could not be more pleased. Nick was very responsive to our inquiry. He provided detailed information, was prompt with emails, and flexible with our planning for 3 days of touring in the Salta and Jujuy provinces of Argentina. Similarly, our on-the-ground guide Rodrigo was great! He was friendly, easy to get along with, knowledgeable, willing to adjust our daily schedule if needed, and proud to share his love for the region. Don't hesitate to contact Poncho Tours for an A+ experience! So glad we did!

I did a 3 day private tour taking me from Salta in Argentina to San Pedro in Chile with Nick who was both the driver and guide. He is such a nice guy and so easy to get on with. I felt like I was travelling with a friend for the 3 days. Nick provided me with lots of recommendations of hotels for me to choose both in Argentina and in Chile and also took care of all the paperworks in order for us to have a smooth border crossing into Chile. During the tour Nick provided a lot of information about the sites we visited and I learned about the history of Argentina and the folklore of the region. At the end of the tour I was provided with recommendations of places to stay and things to do for the remainder of my time in Argentina which helped to enhance my experience. I wholeheartedly recommend using Poncho tours for an unforgettable experience in north west Argentina and would definitely use them again.

Our incredible, wonderful nine day trip from Mendoza to Salta was tailormade for the two of us by our expert guide and driver Nick, the founder of Poncho Tours.

Nick is a true renaissance man, enthusiastic to share his deep knowledge of Argentine and South American flora and fauna, geology, history, politics, and social customs. He is a thoughtful and kind companion, who was always helpful, considerate, and patient.

Nick went through four iterations of the itinerary and took two Zoom calls with us before our trip started. He was determined that we had the best experience possible.

He gave us various options for eight hotel nights, always with a range of prices and good advice. As it was, we stayed in the best hotels of our six week trip to South America.

Our journey took us through the Andes from Mendoza to Barreal, then Villa Union, from which we visited the national parks of Talampaya, Ischigualasto, and then travelled high in the Andes to Laguna Brava and its white flamingos. Next stop was Chañarmuyo, then Belen, and Cafayate. Then finally La Paya and on to Salta. It was absolutely tailored to our interests and preferences.

Nick and Alicia, and their team, care very deeply about their guests and about their business. For them, it's obviously a labour of love, not a cynical job.

Importantly, the trip was significantly cheaper than the off-the-shelf options offered by the big name tour operators.

If you have the chance to take a trip with Poncho Tours, then grab it!! You'll remember it as one of the very best experiences of your life!

I do not recommend Poncho Tours. This is because days before our trip, they replaced the guide and sent us a driver, who drove well, but was not a tourist guide. We were left to our own devices to find out about the regions visited, what to wear and where to eat. We received no indication or guidance on absolutely anything. Not even the amounts to be reserved for entrance fees to the places to be visited were informed to us. A disappointment. If we had known, we would have hired just one driver. For the price we paid ($2000.00/four people), it would certainly be much more affordable.

Get well away from the crowds and prepare to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes, warm people and fabulous food and wine.
We had a fantastic three day trip with Mariana from Poncho Tours. Great, safe driver, informative guiding and plenty of tips of where to eat and drink. The private, tailored tour is definitely the way to go. We will return next year.

We had an amazing time during our 4 day Essential Humahuaca and Colome trip with Poncho Tour. Nick was very easy to work with to organize the itinerary. We had a great experience with both our guides Rodrigo and Alejandro. We really appreciated that Alejandro shared so many interesting insights about the region we visited and the Argentine culture.

After a few pre planning sessions with Nick, we undertook a five day demanding tour of approximately 1100km, much of it on unsurfaced roads. The route started in Salta and covered Tilcara, Humahuaca, Purnamarca, Salinas Grandes, San Antonio de los Cobres, Abra del Acay, Cachi, Cafayate and then back to Salta. Our guide and driver, Rodrigo, was careful at the wheel and knowledgeable in his commentary. The route is fantastic and fascinating. I have no hesitation in recommending Poncho Tours for this adventure.

Eight-day private tour from Mendoza to Salta.

Everything was very pleasant, Mariano -our guide- was all the time explaining details of places from geographic, topographic, historical and whatever you can imagine. An expert and super amicable guide.

I travelled with my young adult son who has been delighted with all places visited, their magnificence and life in such remote places.

We appreciated the visits of recommended and not easy to find craftsmen, particularly in the Calchaqui region, unless with an expert guide as Mariano. I am from Buenos Aires and had been in the region but would have not discovered these places if it not had been because of Mariano.
For those novice to Argentina and the Nordwest it is an excellent opportunity to see, learn and buy many objects of craftsmanship direct from the people who live there from their own work.

We particularly enjoyed also our stays in Cafayate (at Cafayate Wine Resort hotel), the several bodegas visited and wine tastings as well as our stay in Salta (at hotel Alejandro I). I shall mention also that we loved the location, foo and wines at restaurant Puna, of bodegas Patelli in Cafayate (Salta).

A great half day Cloud Forest excursion with a local guide who lives in the Yungas and can show and tell you all about people, flora and fauna. My best nature experience in years. Highly recommended

My partner and I spent 3 weeks in Argentina and Uruguay, visiting also Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Punta del Este and this tour was our favourite part of the trip.
We booked a four-day tour from Salta in January 2023 and we can't recommend it more highly to experience a different side of the country.
The booking process was v smooth and we were in contact with Nick before we arrived to plan the itinerary. Nick collected us from the airport once we had landed and our tour started the next day with Rodrigo. We travelled from Salta to Jujuy and back again over four days, saw the incredible Fourteen Coloured Hill of Hornocol, Salinas Grandes, Tuzgle volcano (which was covered in snow!) and visited Cafayate. Along the way the scenery and landscape were unbelievable, and we also stopped off in some beautiful towns and villages. We particularly enjoyed walking with llamas – for the magnificent landscape and pictures but also for learning more about the remarkable history of the people from this part of Argentina.
Rodrigo, our guide, was extremely knowledgeable on the nature and history of the area and very easy to spend time with and chat to (which is important when you’re spending four days together!). He also knew exactly where to stop off along the way to get the perfect pictures, empanadas, and trinkets. Rodrigos English was brilliant which was a bonus for me as I speak no Spanish unfortunately. The trip was paced perfectly, not too rushed but plenty to do and see. We can’t fault our experience with Poncho Tours or this beautiful part of the country.

After a last minute change of travel plans, we decided to head to Northern Argentina. Even though we only had two weeks to plan, Nick was very helpful and attentive to our questions and wishes. Once we arrived, he made sure our holiday included all the things we enjoyed (including numerous photo stops for llamas and cacti!). He was knowledgeable about the area in terms of both history and geography and tried to answer our numerous questions. We are very glad that we chose to go with Poncho Tours, rather than doing the driving ourselves, as we would not have gotten to see or do as much as Nick was able to show us. We whole-heartedly recommend Nick and Poncho Tours for anyone planning to go to Salta/Jujuy!

We did the four day Acay Adventure with Poncho Tours and it was absolutely fantastic! From the get go, communication with Nick was easy and he was so helpful in recommending a tour that would suit us best given the time we had available and where we needed to start and end. He was an excellent host throughout, incredibly knowledgeable and flexible; and we felt in very safe hands! Whilst booking our trip we were debating hiring a car and driving around the area ourselves, or booking a tour. We are so glad we went for Poncho Tours as we would not have seen or experienced so many of the incredible places we did with Nick. We would absolutely recommend Poncho Tours and we certainly book again!

We contacted Nick several months before we went to Argentina and he was very helpful and flexible when explaining options for our trip and suggesting possible hotels for each night. He also explained how best to negotiate the currency situation and get the best deals for hotels.
My husband and I plus our son and his partner were met at the airport by Nick and it immediately felt as if we had been met by a friend who was going to take great pleasure in showing us around the area that he loved. We did two 3 day tours with Nick returning to Salta inbetween. The first trip is described as Salt & 7 Colours and took us north of Salta through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, to the Salinas Grandes salt flats and along the iconic unmade Route 40. We spent night one in Tilcara, night two in Susques and the third night back in Salta. There were so many highlights I don’t know where to start but the light on the Seven Coloured Hill at Purmamarca was certainly one of them. The second trip is described as the Classic wine Route. It took us through the Parque National de los Cardones on day one and I will never forget the magnificent sight of the the masses of huge cactuses that give their name to this wild and beautiful area. The picnic off road among the cacti under the shade of one of the few trees to be found was a great interlude. This was one of several picnics that Nick organised, finding places to buy fresh bread etc in the most unlikely places. On other days we lunched on delicious empanadas in little local cafes. Nick also provided great suggestions for restaurants at each place we stayed.
On day two we travelled through the Quebrada de las flechas, more glorious scenery, and enjoyed a wine tasting in Colomé plus a surprising and stunning art gallery attached to the vinery! On day three we explored the area around Cafayate including the Quebrada de las Conchas. We spent night one in Cachi, night two in Cafeyate and after the third day Nick dropped us off at a lovely hotel near Cafayate where we spent the few days remaining of our holiday.

Nick was a great companion throughout. He is an excellent driver and we were able to sit back and enjoy the landscape. The van is comfortable if a little cramped for three in the back. Nick has an extensive knowledge of the area having lived in Salta for many years and speaks Spanish. He knows all the best places to stop for pictures, walks, picnics and lunches, and he has extensive knowledge of the history of the area and the current political and social situation so you learn a lot as you go along.

Nick put himself out to be helpful to us and always offered options and adapted the days to suit our preferences. All in all we had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend Nick and Poncho Tours to anyone thinking of going to the Salta area.