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Exploration Journeys

5.0 (31 reviews)
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Della B.

I can wholeheartedly with recent personal experience attest to all the statements and wonderful things that the prior traveler testimonials have made about Exploration Journeys (EJ) with Fred and John. I have traveled much of the world with much of it having been arranged painstakingly by me. As such I am acutely aware of the challenges and the multitude of complexities that surround planning and then flawlessly executing an aggressive itinerary with multiple domestic flights, hotels, pick-ups/drop offs, and excursion service/providers for all the exciting adventures. So many things can go sideways or upside down. EJ did it for us so meticulously and provided so much more enrichment that I could ever have attempted on my own. During my research for our Argentinian trip, I found Exploration Journeys and became intrigued with their website, offerings, customizations according to preference and budget, and the testimonials. I'd never seen such a transparent and comprehensive website and decided to reach out. I knew that building my desired a trip given my language barrier and complete lack of local knowledge in all the locations, would be daunting and probably impossible without a lot of error, omission, and compromise. Fred was IMMEDIATELY responsive, patient, and very accommodating. Together he built an itinerary that surpassed my abilities and expectations within my budget - I could never have dreamed to visit all the locations we did and partake in the exciting private and very small group activity/adventures we did in the limited time we had (14 days). With each of the amazing experiences (including transports) we met such incredible interesting people, stayed at first rate hotels in great locations, were provided a plethora of very good local recommendations, and loved the private tours and one on one attention. Exploration Journey's took the work and stress completely away from us pre-trip and during, enabling us to simply enjoy and share with our family and friends back home as we reflected each day. We didn't think of work back home AT ALL. Another bonus is that we made lifelong friends of a few of our guides. We only had one incident of a domestic flight cancellation after we'd been checked in, but it was handled in the middle of the night and a note slipped under our door with coordination by the hotel staff. I don't think Fred or John ever sleep - their response times were always either immediate or within the hour, not to mention disaster prevention such as ours in the middle of the night. Our 3:00 am under door envelope contained new boarding passes and timelines that prevented a complete ruin of our day nor loss of activities at our new location. All of this was completely seamless to us based on EJ's constant monitoring of their client's flights and activities. Our only concern was to confirm our acknowledgement that we'd be ready for an earlier pick up for the airport. There is simply no way I could have rearranged a new flight myself without several unintended consequences and STRESS. Throughout our trip we stayed in contact with either Fred or John via email as reminders and confirmations. Other service providers used WhatsApp and so we were never at a loss of where we were going or when we needed to be ready. With the booklet, email, and other communications provided by EJ and their network, we were never at a loss for what to pack, including the priceless suggestion of goggles to wear when going under the Iguazu waterfalls, and all the options for what we could do to enhance our Argentinian experiences in our free time at each of the locations. I can't imagine having gone to Argentina without EJs as our guardian angels. It was such an easy, worry free, enriching trip that we could never had pulled off on our own. We have already referred them to friends/family. We visited: Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, Bariloche, El Calafate, and Ushuaia.

Neena V.

If you want a stress free five star holiday with a personal guide stick to Exploration journeys. They look after the minutest details. Kudos to the main man Fred, Gabriel from Buenos Aires, Sandra from Mendoza, Silvana from Iguazu and Facundojose from Bariloche make the best team. Highly recommend Exploration Journeys.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Exploration Journeys!! When I first began my vacation search, I knew very little about Argentina. The helpful staff took my limited wish list and gave me personalized choices. They were so kind and patient and ended up with 9 itinerary adjustments before we put together our perfect trip. Their travel booklet was priceless. It answered so many questions ahead of time and made me feel much more comfortable about traveling to a continent I'd never visited.    Once finalized we were going to visit Ushuaia, El Calafate, and Mendoza and have 6 planned days of various tours and sites. Several weeks before traveling, they encountered some flight changes and took care of everything to rearrange and still allow our trip to be the same. The day of departure to Argentina, we had some airport issues and were delayed a full 24 hours. I contacted the staff of Exploration Journeys and they had my itinerary recovery plan before I woke up the next morning.    When we arrived at every airport, every hotel, and every tour or event, we were welcomed by amazingly nice drivers and guides. Everything was on time, efficient and seamless. We had special seating areas and elite services that I would have never found or known about on my own. I have never been on a trip that was so well organized. This made it as stress free as possible and I was able to enjoy every minute.    I wish that Exploration Journeys was available in every traveling destination!

We had a 10-day trip organized by Argentina Exploration Journey. We visited Buenos Aires, El Calafate, and Iguazu. It was an unforgettable experience. We started planning this trip about 4 months ago. However, my wife had a knee injury, and we were unsure if we should proceed. We decided to take the risk because we weren't sure when we would have another opportunity like this if we canceled. In the end, the trip exceeded our expectations. Fred was an excellent communicator. Before the trip, he responded to my emails within 3-4 hours, and in most cases, within 15 minutes. During the trip, his response time was typically 10-15 minutes. Everything was well-organized, and Exploration took good care of us. We spent 2 days in El Calafate to see the Glaciers and another 2 days at Iguazu Falls, exploring both the Argentine and Brazilian sides. Time was tight, but everything was perfectly arranged by Fred. As my wife needed wheelchair service throughout the trip, from airport transfers to tours, Fred called the airlines to check us in and arranged wheelchair service on our behalf. The local tour guides ensured my wife had a wheelchair during every part of the tour at Iguazu Falls and Bird Park. Overall, we had a wonderful time. Although we initially thought the trip was expensive, we now believe it was worth the investment considering the convenience and VIP treatment we received.

Watching Argentina win the World Cup was a once in a lifetime experience
Anya T.

We cannot be more emphatic in our endorsement of Fred and his Exploration Journeys team of expert guides. I have to admit when I first read the reviews online I was skeptical...no one can be that good...but they really are! They exceeded our expectations -- the best tour operators -- I wish they would expand their services to other countries. We booked our trip with less than 4 weeks notice, but it couldn't have gone better if we had planned it a year in advance. Communications both pre and during the trip were incredible--very thorough and incredibly responsive. We all appreciated the digital and hard copy itineraries Fred produced which not only included our agendas but also a lot of helpful Information to take the guesswork out of traveling abroad. We had requested a mix of cultural, historical and nature adventures. The options we were presented with were fantastic and varied. Once we selected our preferences, Fred arranged the schedule in such a way so as to maximize the time we had available to tour, sightsee and explore at a very comfortable place. The hotel accommodations were spot on. The tour guides Anna and David and the drivers were also terrific. We really connected with them over the 2 days we spent with each. You felt like you were being shown around Buenos Aires and Iguazu by friends who were eager to share their love and passion for their country. We arrived the morning of the World Cup finals--so you can imagine the atmosphere during our visit. We will definitely be back to Argentina to explore Patagonia and other areas--anything to have another opportunity for Fred to plan a fabulous vacation for us!

Iguazu Falls, Brazil side

First class travel experts! This was our first time using a travel company and we were thrilled with the level of expertise as well as the flexibility to plan our own adventure. Fred and his team are truly professional and we would recommend them without hesitation!

On Perito Moreno Glacier
Vince K.

We just got back from a trip that we planned with Exploration Journeys, and they were amazing! From the first quote until the end of our trip, this was hands down the best experience I've ever had with a travel agent or tour operator. They have sample itineraries on their website, but they're happy to customize your itinerary to how you want to travel and what you want to do. After you book your trip, they send you a printed Travel Booklet, which is filled with the most comprehensive pre-trip information that I've ever seen! From your hotels and flights to suggested restaurants to Spanish phrases and tipping customs - they've really thought of everything. And, if you still have questions, they happily answer your emails quickly. While you're traveling, they have a "trip host" who is never more than a phone call or email away. The trip host monitors your trip and thoughtfully checks you in on your next domestic flight and has the boarding passes delivered to you. Our trip host noticed that Aerolineas Argentinas pilots were intending to strike on the weekend that we were supposed to fly to El Calafate. He proactively booked us seats on a LATAM flight, so we wouldn't have to worry about our trip. This is true customer care! I highly recommend Exploration Journeys if you want a worry-free vacation. Especially if you're not fluent in Spanish.

Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier

We just returned from a truly outstanding trip to Argentina. We arrived in Buenos Aires on December 24, 2021 and covered 5 cities in 16 days. Patigonia is very beautiful and so diverse that there is something for everyone. The people of Argentina are very friendly and we had a chance to experience a very unique culture. Fred planned every aspect of the trip with us and his attention to detail is outstanding. From hotel bookings, to airline online check-in, to first-class English speaking tour guides, to punctual transfers, to the great custom guide book, Exploration Journeys managed everything flawlessly.

In front of the mighty Perito Moreno glacier from the boardwalks
Kundan S.

We are freshly returned from an extended 12-day trip to Argentina - covering Buenos Aires, El Calafate, Bariloche, and Iguazu, with Fred's Exploration Journeys as our travel guide / tour operator. Fred's Exploration Journeys has a tagline of "Worry free and First-class". I was not able to grasp the depth of how truly he means that until right about now. I'll try my best to explain, but it is really difficult unless you experience this first hand. As a background - we have taken vacations that are operated as a group, have taken cruises where the schedule is planned out for all on the ship, and have mostly taken vacations where we use online tools to make reservations for accommodation, transportation, and activities, and then use an integrator app (like TripIt) to string them together. We did not entirely appreciate the mass-entertainment model of the large tours (including cruises). On the other hand it is difficult to get the time to plan out a long vacation ourselves - all the research, the planning, the tracking, let alone the complexities of doing these on a foreign land speaking a foreign language. This is where Fred showed a service that is unimaginable and unparalleled. We just returned from a trip cross crossing over a country where we did not speak the language, with no more planning from our side than booking the international flight into and out of Buenos Aires. Fred and the incredible team he built around his service throughout Argentina gave us a trip to remember a lifetime. Once we explained our party - 2 adults, 2 young kids, and what we were looking for (glaciers, waterfalls, and city life - basically a taste of all there is), he meticulously planned out our entire itinerary. Every hotel was perfect, every room was booked to our tastes. Every activity was not only planned - they were tracked for changes, rescheduled as appropriate, we were informed about the updates, all tickets and permits were in our and before the activity started. It was like an extended version of the Flash Pass in adventure parks - we skipped practically every line there was and were zoomed into the core of the activity. Even when the activity was in a group - such as on a catamaran - our seats were in a VIP section, and we had a tour guide with us who took us on a personalized, intimate journey through the destinations instead of the generalized tour the rest of the boat had. A quick summary of our itinerary - Day 1: Land at Buenos Aires, short city tour Day 2: Fly into El Calafate, 4x4 Nativo Experience tour Day 3: Icy Blue Giants - glaciers, icebergs Day 4: Perito Moreno glacier Day 5: Fly into Bariloche Day 6: Bariloche and Nahuel Huapi from land Day 7: Nahuel Huapi water tour Day 8: Fly into Iguazu through Buenos Aires Day 9: Iguazu from Argentina Day 10: Iguazu from Brazil + Bird Santuary, Fly into Buenos Aires Day 11: Tango experience Day 12: Fy home In numbers: - 12 days - 7 flights - 3 national parks (Los Glaciers, Nahuel Huapi, Iguazu) - 10 personalized tours Fred: - Planned all of this - Checked us into every flight - Had the hotel print out and deliver our boarding passes - Informed us about who would receive us at each airport - Had each guide aware of who were, what we liked, how strenuous a day we could take - Constantly was in touch with us, like a lifeline in a foreign land - Answered a zillion questions, including what should we buy as gifts to bring home and where to go - When we had free time, gave us personalized recommendations with maps on multiple attractions we could choose from - Guided us on the norms of each place, restaurant recommendations, what food to order where

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Excellent!! Service, flexibility and response were great! Would work with them again when we return. Best trip ever!

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Review Highlights - Exploration Journeys

I would like to give my highest recommendation to Fred, John, and the team that makes up EXPLORATION JOURNEYS!

Mentioned in 23 reviews

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Oyster Travel - The sunset near our hotel.

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Exploration Journeys - travelagents - Updated May 2026

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