Off the Beaten Path in Spain & Portugal: Marvelous December Tour

The custom trip and itinerary were developed by Zicasso’s travel company and they made numerous recommendations for exploring, starting in Spain, in Madrid, and continuing down to numerous Andalusian cities, including Seville, Granada, Gibraltar, Málaga, and Córdoba.

Not only was the itinerary prepared with great detail and consideration, but every effort was taken to ensure the lodging requested met five-star requirements. Drivers and guides were assigned to us at all of our destinations, and this included airport arrivals and departures. Drivers and guides were not only punctual, they were personable and extremely knowledgeable, with decades of experience.

Our trip continued to Morocco, where we flew into Casablanca from Málaga. Again, airport connections were perfect and we had VIP arrival service on landing. Our driver and guide were aligned with us for the week we spent between Oualidia and Marrakech. Lodging was exceptional and our expectations were certainly exceeded.

Furthermore, the travel company made it a point to communicate with us openly over WhatsApp, answering the few questions we had in a prompt manner and checking in with us throughout the trip.

This is the first time I have 100% used a travel company and I could not have been more pleased with the delivery of the trip and the overall cost.

Where to begin? I had a seamless experience with Zicasso and specifically our travel company in Madrid. Our travel specialist created a trip hitting everything I asked for…culture, food, and great hotels. The extra bonuses were the terrific guides and detailed itineraries.

Our trip to northern Spain (Basque Country and Asturias) was a spectacular success, and our work with Zicasso’s travel specialist and the travel company were a huge part in making that a reality. The travel specialist was easy to work with, flexible, and efficient in the planning process. She did a wonderful job of listening and responding as we finalized our itinerary. She was also an awesome resource when we were in Spain, communicating with us proactively to check in and also responding promptly to any questions that arose.

Thanks to Zicasso’s tour operator, we had an amazing visit to Portugal. Here are the main reasons for the visit being so exceptional.

Accommodations: The hotels recommended were outstanding. They were located in the perfect areas in the cities we visited. They were updated, the rooms were excellent, and the amenities were plentiful.

Tour Guides: This is the biggest reason for our five-star review. The tour guides did not feel like employees of the tour operator. They felt like they were our friends. Our guides were very knowledgeable about all the places we visited. They were able to provide information that allowed us to understand the history of the places we were visiting. They truly wanted to make sure we had a great experience. They consistently made recommendations around places to eat, other sights to see, etc. Superb job by these gentlemen!!!!

Communication: From our first interaction until the end of the trip, communication from the travel specialist was excellent. The planning on what we should see and the order of the trip was perfect. She communicated with us during the trip to make sure we were aware of every detail. Great customer satisfaction.

Zicasso’s travel specialist was amazing; so patient with me as I asked silly questions, and when blizzards snarled our departure plans four times (!), she rolled with the punches and made adjustments quickly and easily so we didn't miss out on any of the fun and memories! Thank you, I can't wait for our next trip!

Zicasso’s travel specialist designed a wonderful trip for my husband and me. He listened to our desires and picked specific activities and tours that really fit us perfectly. Everything was fantastic. Our tour guides were amazing, hotels were in fantastic locations, and the attention to detail in planning our trip was so evident. This is a trip we will remember forever. A member of the travel company was quick to help when needed, gave us great reminders, and made sure everything ran smoothly.