Private tour Argentinian Flavours food tours on foot

Managing company only wants your money

The evening of the tour there was a downpour, complete with thunder and lightning. I reached out to the tour guide and asked if the tour was still happening or could be rescheduled. The tour guide said he would check with the managing company and get back to me. This was an hour before the scheduled tour. He got back to me rather quickly and said it was still on and that the company would not issue refunds or rescheduling. We met at the designated spot and the tour began in the rain. Within minutes the rain became a downpour and we took shelter under an awning. An employee of the business we stood in front of told us we could not stand there, we had to purchase something or move. We found another spot. The guide tried to share some history of the area and the city but the storm was too loud and we couldn't hear him even though the only ones touring were myself and a friend. Along the route to the first stop there was no shelter from the rain and with the wind it was tearing up our umbrellas.I asked what was on the menu and the tour guide listed a bunch of sandwiches from some food trucks that he said would have no shelter from the rain. At that point my friend and I were freezing and soaked and sandwiches did not seem like a good enough reason to keep trying to walk in a storm. We thanked the guide and said we were going to end the tour and try to get back safely to our Air BnB. I felt bad for the guide but he wasn't very enthusiastic or energetic and not being able to hear him, plus sandwiches that are found every 200 m throughout the city was not appealing. It might have been a good tour in better weather and this review might have been different with the option to reschedule but the managing company basically wanted the money, and wasn't interested in making sure it was a pleasurable experience. I would not recommend booking this tour or any other under the same management company.

Response from the operator: We are sorry for your dissatisfaction, but in this case the weather and the rains are conditions beyond our company's control, they do not depend on us and the guide was always in contact about this tour from the day before the tour took place. As usual, we try to use our knowledge in favor of a better experience for our passengers. The guide contacted them the day before to propose starting the tour one or two hours earlier to seize the sunlight and thus observe the beauty of the area in all its magnitude. That was not possible, because they answered that one of them worked until 6 pm. Fifty minutes before the tour began, they sent a WhatsApp to the guide asking if the tour was going to be realized despite the rain. At that time it was not raining a lot but an increase in the rain was certainly a real possibility. After consulting, they were told that it was impossible to postpone it. Half an hour in advance our representative was at the meeting point and in communication with them, who were on their way. One of the tourists showed up at the agreed time and in the ten minutes that passed until the other passenger arrived, they had a lively and pleasant conversation about Argentine gastronomy. The tour started and after a few minutes it began to rain. The guide looked for a place to take refuge and took advantage of the time to tell them about the history of the port, the reason for its creation, the meaning and architecture of the "Woman's Bridge" was explained, including a funny moment with the guide posing as a tango dancer so that they understood the reason for the structure’s form. When the intensity of the rain subsided, they continued walking, the guide shared his umbrella with one of the tourists who did not have anything to cover herself with, commenting on details of the City of Buenos Aires, its history and its architecture, repeating the information to the second passenger who did have an umbrella and had been late. When the guide was explaining the touristic points of the neighborhood, the history of the Sarmiento Frigate and answering questions, the rain intensified again, they asked the guide to shorten the circuit and go to the food trucks, they had barely traveled a block in that direction they asked to change the food trucks for one of the restaurants that were nearby, a service that was impossible to offer by the guide. At that moment they decided to end the tour. The guide tried to convince them to continue since they were no more than 500 meters from the food trucks. They insisted on leaving and said goodbye politely and respectfully with a handshake and a smile at 7:35 p.m. Although it is true that there were moments of heavy rain, they always listened to the guide's explanations and participated by commenting on what they were observing. Climatic setbacks are part of the alternatives that happen to us and we try to save them with the best disposition and will that our passengers feel welcome and accompanied. Unfortunately, once the tour has started, it is not possible to cancel or modify it. As with any tour anywhere in the world, once the tour has started, it has its costs, both financially and in terms of the work time of the tour guide. For this reason, just as we respect our clients, we demand respect for our profession and our staff, from the guides to the drivers and the booking staff.

via Tripadvisor