Cosmos Tours

Ultimate South America Reviews

13 Ultimate South America reviews from past travellers that booked with Global Journeys.
4.69
AVG. RATING 4.69 / 5
13 Reviews
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Fantastic tour of South America   4 , New Zealand, Sep 2019
Trip was fantastic, the tour director had 38 people in the group but handled each of our concerns very well. We all got along very well and made some good friendships.
Ultimate South America 6 , New Zealand, Sep 2019
We were looking forward to travelling with a group of friends whom we have known for years. Highlights included Iguassu Falls, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. It was amazing from the Brazilian side of the Falls however on crossing the border the Argentine side of the Falls was just spectacular, the cascading landscape and the serene ...read more beauty was breathtaking. Lake Titicaca with a group of approximately 40 artificially made floating islands was simply awesome and amazing in how the island was build, the homes, etc using natural materials.

I would travel with Cosmos again. The tour was well planned and organised, though the pace was a little hectic as the city tours ended around 1ish. I was quite exhausted with the early morning starts and was rather hungry for lunch. Accommodations were comfortable and centrally situated with eating places, sundry shops, shopping areas within easy reach. (In Rio de Janeiro the Copacabana Beach was just down the road from the hotel). Local guides were knowledgeable about the local history and the people, they gave us good pointers should we roam around by ourselves. Drivers were excellent in manoeuvring tight corners, busy chaotic traffic and kept us safe on the roads.

I would like to commend our Tour Director, Fernando Bordallo. I have nothing but praise and admiration for him. He gave clear and precise instructions and showed such patience when asked the same question umpteenth times. He showed engagement with his ‘Cosmos family’ as within a couple of days he knew all his travellers by name and faces. He was very responsible making sure that no one was left behind and if any member was not accounted for he would go looking for the person. He showed empathy for his ‘flock of sheep’ as when any member was unwell he kept an eye on that person.

He was as meticulous as one could possibly be with his paperwork/prep work: Boarding passes were on hand for all the flights: Iguassu Falls, Buenos Aires, Lima, Cusco, Juliaca, and finally Lima where our tour ended. Fernando and the local guides would lead us to the airport check-in counter and ensure that all his travellers were safely checked through then he would be the last to go through. Porters were organised to collect our luggage from the coach to the airport check-in counter and from the carousel of the airports when we landed. Train tickets were ready to Aguas Calientes, the quaint town closest to the "Lost City of the Incas", and he had entry tickets ready for our admission to Machu Picchu.

It could not have been an easy job to handle 35 people of different nationalities and personalities. I could not begin to imagine the after-hours he puts in when we retire for the night. His time keeping and management flair indicated his dedication to his job. He did his job to the best of his abilities and he carried himself well professionally.

I would go with Global/Cosmos/Avalon for my future trips however I would need to save up as it is quite expensive however you get what you pay for. A tip for future travellers: Set your goals and priorities. If seeing the world is one of your interests, save up and embark on the journey while you’re fit and healthy. The world is huge, there’s so much to see and so little time.

In terms of the quality of accommodation: Recanto Park, Iguassu Falls – we were upgraded to a suite which was luxurious. Kenton Palace, Buenos Aires – again we were upgraded, and the room was so comfortable. San Agustin Exclusive, Lima – the air ducting in this hotel was only for heating thus the room was rather stuffy. La Casona Yucay, Sacred Valley – this hotel was just lovely, particularly the beautiful surrounding of the majestic mountain. Jose Antonio Cusco, Cusco – this hotel was very uncomfortable and stifling. Our room had a view of the road and there was no air conditioning so we had the window opened but in doing so it was noisy and very dusty.

We travelled in September which was a good time being spring in the southern hemisphere, temperature was mild and cool. It was a big group of 35 with ages ranging from the 30s to 70s. Travellers were from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada, US and Malaysia. We all got along, we all looked out for one another, we all were concerned for each other when anyone was ill, we all stopped when one member had a fall and when one person collapsed from the high altitude. I couldn’t ask for a better group of travellers.
Great Affordable Tour   10 , NSW, Australia, Oct 2018
We enjoyed our 19 Day Ultimate South America Tour. The highlights of the tour were certainly Iguassu Falls and Machu Picchu. We were fortunate that the weather cleared for our afternoon visit to the Brazilian Side of the falls. Unfortunately the weather was not in our favour the day when we visited the Argentinian Side of the falls but our spirits were ...read more not dampened and we put on our rain ponchos and proceeded to explore. The gods were also with us when we explored Machu Picchu. Wow! this was certainly a big tick for the bucket list.

The tour manager did a great job of organising our group of 34 people with airport check in and baggage collection. The local guides were very knowledgeable and passionate about their local area. In general the hotels were good. We particularly liked the resort at Iguassu Falls and the hotel at Machu Picchu. All included excursions were very good and the included meals were mostly good. Our flight from Lima to Cusco was delayed about 3 hours due to weather so rather than miss out on the markets scheduled for that afternoon the guide rearranged the following day to make sure that we didn't miss out on anything.

We found drink prices in Brazil and Argentina quite reasonable but they are a bit more expensive in Peru. It is a good idea to check prices before ordering drinks. We only did one optional excursion to Petropolis in Rio de Janeiro. We had booked the Bird Park Excursion but this was cancelled due to weather conditions. We tended to do our own exploring in the cities. It is possible to walk to the base of Sugarloaf Mountain from the hotel but we chose to share a taxi with a couple of other guests (taxis are quite reasonable in Brazil and Argentina but avoid taxis in Santiago). As we are over 60 we were able to purchase senior tickets for the cable car.

If you want to see the main highlights of South America without a big price tag then this Cosmos Tour is for you. Thank you to Georgie for organising this tour for us and for making sure that we received our travel documents 3 weeks prior to departure. I particularly like the checklist that Global Journeys use. However, I do think that Cosmos need to change the meeting time for the 1st day of the tour as 2pm in the afternoon is too early in the day. I also think the tour manager needs to email all guests a week out to confirm meeting time.
Busy tour covering a lot of highlights 11 , VIC, Australia, Sep 2018
Excellent trip which includes a lot of the highlights of South America. We had an excellent Tour Director and top quality local guides. The accommodation was very comfortable and breakfast was included. I would recommend this tour for active people as there is a lot of travel (6 internal flights) and a lot of walking, it was actually quite exhausting. ...read more At Machu Picchu a second guide is provided for people who do not want to walk around which I thought was very good and they didn't miss out on too much. Highly recommend booking airport transfers through Cosmos as Rio is very dodgy, plus the Cosmos transfer rep assists you with checking into the hotel and when you leave stays with you at the airport until you go through security. This is most helpful as the language is a barrier if you don't speak Portuguese or Spanish.
Great tour for the fit over 60s... 10 , VIC, Australia, Sep 2018
This was an action packed tour that really did cover the highlights of South America in 19 days. The tour director was amazing! He negotiated 33 participants through 7 internal flights. We had daily typed updates on meeting times, and details on what to watch out for. Expect early morning starts but also some free mornings so that a more leisurely ...read more start to the day is possible. I did this tour at the end of September and early October and the weather was just right.

Carefully think about the offer of optional and additional side tours. I would not recommend you pre-book these. There is a lot to see and digest already. No good to have booked a dinner when you are feeling unwell or too tired to enjoy the tour. I rated accommodation a bit lower as the Puna hotel was quite ordinary and outside walking distance to restaurants and shops. The tour was well thought out, covered 80% of city highlights and I would recommend it to my family and friends.
Ultimate South America 5 , NSW, Australia, Sep 2017
We really enjoyed this holiday it was a dream come true. Our tour director was fantastic and bent over backwards for all of us. Having been on previous tours this meant a lot. The tour itself was well planned and we had enough free time. A beautiful part of the world and beautiful people live there. Lets hope Cosmos will send more and more visitors ...read more.
Three countries for the price of one? 6 , WA , Australia, Sep 2017
Very good coverage of the three countries visited. Iguasu Falls was wonderful. The Argentinian side having the better view. Waiting to cross into Argentina was slow. But believe that it was due to the Argentinian Authorities slow pace. Crossing into Argentina twice could have been avoided if hotel accommodation was made available in Argentina rather ...read more than having to return to Brazil on day 1. Hotel accommodation on the whole was good except for some Bath adapted showers could have been maintained and built to a better level. Peru was great and of course Macchu Pichu brilliant- a must see. Altogether good value for nineteen days packed with lots of sightseeing. Be prepared to walk! Victor the Tour Leader was very informative and knew his job.
Well organised tour of South America 3 , VIC, Australia, Sep 2017
We enjoyed our Cosmos tour to South America. The tour director was excellent, laid back but efficient. Each tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about their home country. Loved seeing the costumes of the ladies in Peru, countryside was also beautiful. Would highly recommend this tour.
Great trip through South America 4 , SA, Australia, Sep 2016
While generally not big fans of escorted tours, we thoroughly enjoyed the Cosmos Ultimate South America tour which exceeded our expectations. Our Tour Director, Paulo, was exceptional. Approachable, ever willing to help with anything and clearly very capable at dealing with the few issues which arose - all airline caused. Accommodations were clean ...read more and comfortable and well located where it mattered, with some very good. Overall this tour was very well paced and comprehensive with sensible inclusions. The optional Favela Tour in Rio is a must do as is the Bird Park in Iguassu. The Fiesta Gaucho tour out of Buenos Aires, while seemingly expensive, was a good day out and worth doing. Sugar Loaf in Rio is also a must and can be easily done on your own if you choose to as it’s just a short cab ride from the hotel – and the cable car offers a seniors discount if you have ID such as passport or driver’s licences!
Wonderful trip through South America   3 , VIC, Australia, Jul 2016
Cosmo's delivered yet again - our trip through South America was wonderful and a trip that will leave lasting memories. Our Tour Director Fernando was exceptional - Unfortunately I was injured on my holiday resulting in my foot in plaster - Fernando was fantastic arranging medical care and always ensured that there was a wheel chair or assistance at ...read more the variance locations & airports we travelled. Thank you Michelle from Global Journeys for making our booking and arranging our tour with Cosmos and airfares ensuring that everything was organised allowing us to have a stress free holiday - your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Fabulous tour with Cosmos 4 , NSW, Australia, May 2016
We had a fabulous tour with Cosmos. The weather was fantastic. The tour director took good care of us and he was knowledgeable. Most of the local tour guides were good, helpful and informative. The highlight of the tour has to be Machu Pichu for us but Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu, Boenos Aires are great places to visit too. Our tour group is a bunch of good, ...read more fun loving, courteous people. We got along well together. The hotel accommodations were generally good. The hotel at Puno was particularly good in food and service.
Fantastic Value For Money   5 , Australia, Feb 2016
If you want to see some of South America's most spectacular highlights in comfort but without the high-end price tag, then Ultimate South America is for you. Operated by Cosmos, you'll get to see Rio, Iguazu Falls, Buenos Aires and the wonders of Peru, including Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. The tour might have a budget price tag, but the tour was ...read more anything but budget. All accommodation was centrally located to facilitate best use of free time, and was comfortable and spacious. Many meals are included, as well as 6 internal flights, all with LAN/TAM. Our tour director James was superb. Super organised so that we could just enjoy our time in South America, James ensured that everything went like clockwork. If there were delays - and there were one or two - it was the fault of the airline. We would strongly recommend this tour to anyone. You don't just see South America, you experience it.
Definitely will be using Cosmos again 3 , NSW, Australia, Jul 2015
We were very impressed with the tour and will most definitely be using Cosmos again. The care given to all by the tour directors has been amazing. Probably one of our best vacations.
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