Rough Guides Reviews 

We were told that we would be met at the airport by by-lingual drivers. Upon arrival we could not locate our driver, who gave us a specific location. When we finally met up with him after another 15 minutes, we discovered he did not understand or speak English, however he was able to get us to our hotel.
The Hotel in Buenos Aires was not a 4-star hotel, with smelling hallways and rooms that lacked basic services. We were told our booking did not include a heating pot for coffee/tea! this is a basic service in hotels in the US.
The hotel in Bariloche was the worst hotel we stayed in, if you stretched your imagination maybe it would qualify for a 3-star hotel! I specifically requested 4-star hotels and I paid for 4-star hotels. The rooms were tiny, breakfast was beyond mediocre and you couldn't stretch your arms in the bathroom...
The only qualifying 4-star hotels were in Mendoza and El Calafate.
I was unable to connect a representative unless I called the emergency #,
Your representative were not aware of flight cancellation, luckily the local guide in Mendoza was capable to find out and communicate with you to change our flights.
All local agencies were terrific, but Tangol as our main tour operator gets a NON-PASS RATING!
Arranging our domestic flights created a lot of stress and forced us to spend two days in Buenos Aires Airport. I did not come to Argentina to spend time in airports. The connections should have been better coordinated to avoid unnecessary layovers of 4-5 hours, .
This created significant aggravation and stress for me.
I always relied on the local tour guides to help me.
As a tour operator you are not competent to address and coordinate a smooth trip, you are missing the "human" connection and when I called your operators had no clue about our itinerary, even though i gave them details.
I will NEVER recommend you to any of our friends who are looking to visit Argentina.
Your services were sub-par / terrible

Encontramos esta agencia recomendada en la Rough Guide y, con una vida ocupada, decidimos confiar en ellos para organizar nuestro viaje por la Patagonia argentina. Buscábamos un agente local con experiencia que nos ayudara a navegar las opciones. El proceso de reserva:
Casi toda la comunicación fue por correo electrónico, lo cual resultó tedioso y lento. Un par de videoconferencias por WhatsApp lo hubiesen hecho todo mucho más fácil.
Tuvimos una conversación telefónica con el agente, pero fue al final, después de haber pagado todo el dinero. Al ser por email, no sabíamos si las preguntas se evitaban intencionalmente, si no sabían la respuesta, o simplemente se habían olvidado de responder.
No nos proporcionaron un desglose de precios individuales (hoteles, excursiones, etc.).
El presupuesto final superó lo que habíamos solicitado inicialmente.
Después de preguntar tres veces por los costos para poder ajustar el presupuesto, nos rendimos y asumimos que era un paquete cerrado.
Puntos positivos:
∙ Si el dinero no es un problema y solo quieres lo mejor de cada lugar y lo que la mayoría hace, ellos realmente se encargan de todo el trabajo - no tienes que preocuparte por nada. Trabajan con buenos guías y los alojamientos son buenos.
Los vuelos internos estaban organizados (aunque no siempre con las mejores conexiones). Asumo era por cuestiones de presupuesto, pero como no sabemos cuánto costó cada cosa, quizás hubiésemos preferido quitar algo de otro sitio en vez de perder casi un día en el aeropuerto.
Si no tienes peticiones muy individuales o específicas, y tus intereses coinciden con lo que hace la mayoría de la gente, es una muy buena opción.
Puntos negativos para nosotros:
Información incorrecta dada como asesoramiento experto:
Nos dijeron que no había buceo disponible. Después de hacer el pago final, encontramos información sobre buceo desde Buenos Aires y descubrimos que había buceo incluso en las cristalinas aguas de los lagos de Bariloche. Nos perdimos algunas de estas actividades porque no sabíamos que existían.
Para poder hacer el buceo que encontramos, tuvimos que cancelar dos excursiones de día completo que ya habíamos pagado.
∙ Nos informaron que no podríamos ver perros de trineo porque íbamos en verano, pero luego encontramos varias opciones. Fuimos a Siberianos de Fuego en Ushuaia - mi día favorito del viaje. Una experiencia hermosa que recomiendo totalmente si te gustan los animales y que casi nos perdemos por esta información incorrecta.
Las razones que nos dieron para elegir ciertas actividades u hoteles estaban desactualizadas. Con información actualizada, quizás otras opciones hubiesen sido mucho mejores.
Falta de personalización:El itinerario parecía hecho con “copiar y pegar” de las actividades con las que ellos trabajan habitualmente, en lugar de ser personalizado.
No se adaptó a nuestras peticiones específicas.Lo peor para mí fue que cuando pedíamos algo diferente, nos decían que no estaba disponible o parecía muy difícil de encontrar, pero luego descubríamos que sí existía y era muy fácilmente accesible pero ya habían cosas pagadas
Conocimiento local insuficiente.
Nunca nos dieron precios individuales para poder tomar decisiones informadas.
No nos dijeron qué opciones estaban disponibles de excursiones. No preguntamos más porque pensamos que estaban buscando cosas individuales para nosotros, pero cuando llegamos a los sitios, las excursiones que hicimos eran en su mayoría excursiones estándar que podríamos haber reservado nosotros mismos.
Lo que yo consideraría ahora, sabiendo lo que sé, si vas a usar esta agencia:
1. Pide algunas conversaciones  - en lugar de solo emails.
2. Pide un desglose completo de precios -
3. Define tu presupuesto máximo claramente -
4. Pregunta sobre la política de reembolsos y ajustes después de haber pagado -
5. Verifica la información por tu cuenta si puedes - La verdad es que no nos dieron toda la información hasta que pagamos, lo cual entiendo, pero hay cosas que todavía puedes mirar. Investiga en foros, oficinas de turismo locales, o contacta directamente a operadores turísticos
6. Sé específico con tus interesesinvestiga por tu cuenta también porque puede que te digan que algo no está disponible cuando sí lo está. Pueden reservarte los vuelos/hoteles y dejarte días libres para que organices tus propias excursiones.
7. Revisa las opciones de vuelos -.
8. Pregunta por la experiencia reciente del agente - ¿Cuándo fue la última vez que visitó los lugares? ¿Cada cuánto actualiza su información?
Mi recomendación principal:
COMPARA CON OTRAS AGENCIAS. Nosotros no lo hicimos porque confiamos ciegamente en la recomendación de la Rough Guide, y fue un error para nosotros

This is the second time we have used Rough Guides. Last year a trip to Madagascar was brilliant in all aspects so we decided to used them again for a long trip to Malaysia and Thailand totalling over 4 weeks door to door. I created a custom itinerary which after some weeks of planning with the RG team we had a game plan. It was a private tour so expensive as holidays go but the way the RG system works one gets the chance to work with 3 different agents from 3 different local companies and one can choose levels of hotel luxury. The only downside of this was 3 times the work to do the detailed planning, after receiving the 3 proposals I discarded 2 and concentrated on fine tuning the 3rd one, with the agent who I felt was listening to my needs
The actual trip was amazing and everything worked pretty seamlessly even though we were looked after by 2 local companies, one in each country.

Tilila Travel gave us personal, prompt, polite, and extremely solicitous attention to all of our requests and travel needs. They arranged beautiful lodging, sensible schedules, and excellent local tour services. A great outfit to deal with.
Our driver Tawfiq was a hoot. We spent many hours on the road in conversation about Morocco and life on both sides of the ocean. He had boundless energy and enthusiasm, and always bent over backwards with great local advice for touring, eating, and sightseeing. We all laughed and sang a lot on our long travel days, while we listened to his playlists of Moroccan folk and dance music. He was on call for us in the evenings, and drove us to restaurants and entertainment, taking all of the worry out of navigating the cities. Tawfiq was more like a travel buddy than a driver, and infinitely better than Uber!

Abdul from Resfeber Holidays planned and delivered an excellent 18 day tour of Sri Lanka for us.

My trip was amazing! The service provided by our agency, the guides and support team was flawless. I highly recommend hiring Rough Guides and Your Egypt Tours to ensure an unforgettable experience.

Yassin helped make our trip and experience in Morocco so enjoyable. From his knowledge about each area we visited and culture to providing seamless transport experiences from place to place. We had such an amazing time. I’d recommend Yassin and the travel agent to anyone wanting to visit and tour Morocco. Thank you!!

Rough Guides, through their agent in Argentina, Paulo at MacDermott’s, did a fantastic job helping us plan and bring to life our ideas for an adventure-filled few weeks through Argentina and Chile. Paulo and his team were always available during the trip to help with anything. Thanks, Paulo!

We booked a guided tour of Vietnam and Siem Reap (Angor Wat) for end of Oct and Nov of 2025. The itinerary was Hanoi>Hue>Siem Reap>Hanoi. While in Hanoi on a Halong Bay cruise our justravelasia agent Han Pham contacted us and informed us of massive flooding in Hue. We were scheduled to board a flight to Hue the next day and already had confirmed air tickets for Hanoi>Hue>Siem Reap>Hanoi and confirmed hotel reservations and local guides at all locations. After a brief discussion about the extent of the flooding Han was able to change all of this to a Hanoi>Saigon>Siem Reap>Hanoi itinerary with different flights, dates, hotels, and local guides, and get it all done in a matter of a few hours. I fully expected to pay extra for all the changes because generally flooding is considered an "act of god" and not subject to any sort of refund/credit by airlines or hotels. Not only did Han get the changes done in a matter of hours, but she did this at no additional charge. I also expected a few glitches with the new hotels, transportation and guides in Saigon and Siem Reap but every step of the trip was absolutely flawless. We have been to Asia about a dozen times and I usually do the planning myself but this was a last minute trip. We were booking this only about 2 weeks in advance (in celebration that a very likely fatal cancer diagnosis that turned out to be a false alarm.) I didn't shop around for a travel agent. Han was literally the first one who responded to my inquiry and after a fast first response to a Rough Guides inquiry I went with her justtravelasia agency. I think it was the incredibly fast and thorough response to my many questions, her ability to suggest an itinerary very close to exactly what we wanted, and just a gut feeling that Han really knew what she was doing and really cared about her clients. Han kept in contact with us on an almost daily basis throughout the trip to make sure we were getting everything we needed. It was an amazing feeling to not have to worry about anything on this trip. The hotels were were considerably above our expectations, the fluent english speaking guides very knowledgeable about the history, culture, and areas of interest. We agreed that we have never felt so well taken care of and pampered on a vacation.

This is the third time we’ve used Rough Guides Tailor made service to plan a holiday. This time it was Sri Lanka. They put us in touch with a local company which organised a fabulous trip with a driver/guide who could not have been better. They were very responsive to our requests and gave very helpful advice on what to do and where to go. They deal with payments etc and all contact with is through a safe Rough Guide portal.
This is a great way of using a local company knowing that you will be looked after well from start to finish

Through Rough Guides, I hired Jeferson Paucar (Responsible Travel Co.). Jeferson assisted me in all aspects of our wonderful vacation to Colombia. He assisted in developing the itinerary and recommended the various tours and outings that we participated in. He managed every driver, every tour guide, every event. Everyone single driver was reliable, timely and professional. Every guide was knowledgeable, fun and spoke English (we speak minimal Spanish). Every outing was educational and interesting. The New Year’s Party he sent us to was spectacular. The hotels he recommended were excellent. I simply cannot rave enough about his excellent service, communication skills and event planning. We had a totally wonderful trip and Jeferson was a huge part in making that happen. Muchas gracias Jeferson.

My Kenya safari experience with Beyond the Plains Safari through Rough Guides was amazing. The experience from the first Park to the best Safari Park helped build up the momentum and expectations. From the beginning when I reached out to them until I returned back home John was there to help, respond and accommodate our needs/requirements. He helped us build the best itinerary based on how we wanted to pace it and what we wanted to do, selecting the right hotels and stops along the way. Our driver and guide Dennis was amazing! His expertise in driving in the most difficult of conditions and his brazen chase of the animals got us to see the most number of animals every single day. Every day we saw many of the big five as well as a number of other animals enhancing our experience. His knowledge of the animals and the area was fantastic, he helped me with comfort stops as many times and places as requested. The weather was hot and dusty but the safari experience by far made us forget our surroundings. The hotels - though non-airconditioned - were amazing as well from the ambience, to the room comfort to the fantastic food. The service and staff of each and every hotel were exceptional. Most hotels also give you the animal experience enhancing the safari. And ofcourse the shopping was great too! Just one tip if you have a day or even half a day in Nairobi then look for the Masai Market which is help each day of the week in a different shopping mall parking lot and you will get most things much cheaper there compared to the souvenir shops along the way.
Big shout out to the team of Beyond the Plains Safari Kenya team!

Jeferson took care of every detail from constant communication to follow up on drivers , hotels and tours.

From the begging (planning and suggestions) until the end we always had a support from their local agent (Moonika). No matter what questions my husband or me had, she answered rapidly. All transport, attractions, excursions,...were as agreed and superb organized.

We booked our Galápagos trip with Rough Guides and were in the very safe hands of Jef initially and then Benjamin in Quito nothing was too much trouble and our itinerary ticked all the boxes, from land based to sea based experiences, everything was first class. From airports, taxis, to boats and horses everything ran like clockwork. Benjamin’s service went above and beyond, always checking in with us on a daily basis and post trip as well. I would have no hesitation in using and or recommending Rough Guides for future travel plans

Deciding to use Rough Guides for our trip to Colombia was a great decision. Maria Jose and team were great from the start. The preliminary planning meetings were easy to arrange and the team listened to our requirements and planned a great trip. We were a bit nervous as the final itinerary was late getting to us, but everything worked out so well and was even better than described. The drivers and guides were top quality, always on time and very knowledgeable. In country support was very responsive and helpful- it couldn’t have been easier for us as a multi-site trip.

If you are planning a trip to Colombia, we would recommend Rough Guides but would suggest you don’t need a guide for the Salt Cathedral or the Thermal Spa (Santa Rosa). Main sites are very busy first week of January so bear this in mind. If you like nature, we wish we had stayed overnight in Tayrona National Park so do look at that as an option.

Would definitely use this team again. Thank you for a wonderful trip.

This was my first experience with Rough Guides. They connected me with Justravel Asia who created an unforgettable Vietnam trip. Having a trusted company to facilitate coordinating with a local guide is essential to ensure quality and peace of mind when making a large purchase in a foreign country. Rough Guides came through with flying colors.

Han Pham with Justravel Asia created a customized itinerary and was happy to make several changes until we got it just right. The tours and activities Han chose for us were all wonderful. They were personalized and we felt removed from the tourist masses. We had local guides from airport pickup to drop off, but also plenty of free time to explore on our own. Since I was interested in exploring Vietnam from the food side, Han suggested and booked several food oriented activities, including my favorite - a vespa tour of street food and dining spots in Ho Chi Minh City. Riding on the back of a vespa through Saigon motorbike traffic will be a lasting memory.
I highly recommend Han and Justravel Asia, and I wouldn't have found them without Rough Guides.

I had the pleasure of working with Jefferson at Responsible Travel on my trip to Ecuador which included the Amazon and the Galapagos. Jeferson’s daily check-ins, schedule reminders, and advice about local spots were essential in making our trip smooth and seamless. I appreciated the company’s overall organization and coordination of the trip, many thanks to Jeferson!

I had a great tour of Rio Roosevelt including a stay with the Cinta Larga tribe. I would like to thank my translator Rebecca, driver and guide Izaias Gomes, Jeff the local team coordinator and Eric from Rough Guides. They all did an excellent job for my custom tour and I highly recommend them.

The team at MacDermott put together an amazing agenda for Argentina & Chile. They were very hands-on and made sure that everything went smoothly. The hotels, guides and experiences they booked for us were awesome!