Private Tour is best: also seek out an ‘Albino’! - I visited Iguazu falls 25 years ago which gave me a false sense of confidence that I could now navigate through the Iguazu fall walkways without a tour guide. I flew into Iguazu , ill- prepared and naively believing I only needed to be dropped off at the entrance by a taxi into Iguazu National Park by a taxi to experience all of what Iguazu falls has to offer. When logistical concerns became apparent, I desperately booked a private tour through Viator at the last minute , in the late evening preceding the morning of my tour. My flight was scheduled to depart in the evening of the day of my Iguazu tour. By sheer luck, Viator assigned me to a private tour guide who is fully certified and well respected as a “second generation” veteran Iguazu Falls tour guide. These 2 factors resulted in me avoiding the huge crowds with NO WAIT TIME and so much more! My tour guide contacted me within minutes after I booked the tour through Viator and verified my pick-up location and time at my hotel at 7:30 am in the morning and provided information to prepare me for the walking tour: such as the need for my passport, an umbrella or rain poncho, etc. That next morning, my tour guide was punctual , professional, and courteous, as he asked about any health concerns of walking before communicating his plan to avoid traffic and long wait times as necessary to get me back to the airport well before my scheduled departure time. Being that I flew in from Argentina, the plan was to view Iguazu Falls from Brazil first and then view it from Argentina before taking me back to the airport, on the Argentine side. Once in his vehicle, we passed miles of other vehicles and tour buses ,all in a queue in a single lane, awaiting to cross the border into Brazil. We were able to quickly passed them all because we were in the fast track lane. For crossing into Brazil, we exited his vehicle and I simply gave my passport to Cristian, stood behind him, as he approached the counter with no line, and handed a customs official my passport with his certifications. The federal customs was obviously familiar with Cristian due to numerous previous encounters, as he engaged Cristian with friendly small talk, as they reviewed my passport and his certifications and quickly granted my approval to enter the park from the Brazilian side. As a result of being in the fast track lane and getting through customs so quickly, we were amongst the very first people to enter Iguazu national park from the Brazilian side, just as the park opened. Cristian answered questions not only about the Iguazu Falls, but about the indigenous population of the region including their plight and politics impacting his tourist industry. He also gave an in-depth history on the formation of the falls, the ecosystem, and issues involving Brazil’s heavy reliance on hydropower, and impacts during droughts. Cristian also shared photos from his cell phone of specific sections of the falls that I was viewing were flooded due to heavy rains and when relatively little water was flowing over the falls during droughts, such that I knew how the magnificent falls looked during both extreme conditions. He also shared video recordings of his encounters of animals during previous tours, including a jaguar and a caiman encounter and shared other interesting experiences he had as a tour guide, as well. Christian keenly listened for forest sounds and has an uncanny ability to spot wildlife, plants, insects including various species of butterflies. He even spotted a camouflaged Great Potoo, which is a rare find being that it’s nearly impossible to spot, and disclosed that is a birder in his spare time. My walking tour was more than just a tour but an educational experience. Being first to enter the park on the Brazilian side, we were stayed ahead of the huge crowds and I enjoyed the breathtaking views of the falls in tranquility without having to wait for others to leave highly desirable viewpoints and without people crowding my personal space, which made for a pleasant experience. Cristian monitored the weather closely and timed our lunch break perfectly to coincide with rains. After our meal, the rain had passed. As we left the Brazilian side, midday, I noticed that the long line of vehicles and tour buses on the opposite side of the highway had not diminished much in length, as many people were still waiting to enter the park on the Brazilian side. We crossed back into Argentina quickly, as we once again, we passed by buses and other vehicles in a queue awaiting to go through customs because we were in fast track lane, saving time. Even so, the lines of vehicles and tour buses waiting to enter the park on the Argentinian side were not nearly as long as lines in the morning because most tours start earlier in the day, and only a small percentage of tours included viewing the Iguazu Falls from both sides, such that, on the Argentinian side, in the afternoon, large crowds and long wait times were avoided as well. I was dropped off at the airport with plenty of time to spare before my flight was scheduled to depart. —— Mr. Christian Albino is a fully certified tour guide who is a Brazilian national residing on the Argentinian side of the Iguazu Falls who is also a second generation Iguazu falls tour guide, as his father was also a fully certified tour guide at Iguazu Falls before him. Christian also has a brother who, like him and their father , is also a fully certified Iguazu tour guide. He is more than a tour guide as this is his passion as it is his father’s passion. There is no substitute for proper training and certifications, a passion for the Iguazu Falls, and a reputation developed over decades, as with the Albino family. In reflection, I witnessed camaraderie amongst tour guides who knew Cristian in passing, including his brother who I met briefly. I observed the respect of park staff and federal customs officers alike, which, along with the necessary certifications all made our navigation to and through the park easy and my experience extraordinary. While others were being made to wait in long lines, both in gridlock bus traffic and in lines inside the park, and being herded in and out of tour buses like cattle with very little informative interaction with their tour guides, my experience was vastly different. I benefited immensely Cristians certifications, expertise and reputation of his family which preceded him. My recommendation is to avoid large group tour groups and to seek out a private tour guide with fast track credentials. If you are lucky like I was, you may be assigned an ‘Albino’.

The falls from both sides! - We had a great time with Chris. He guided us through a wonderful day at the falls, was very friendly and also accommodated our travel plans! Highly recommend this tour, very seamless and enjoyable!

One of our best day tours ever ! - Amazing tour ! Christian is one of the best guides we have ever had. He took care of us in a very professional and kind way. The tour had us skip lines on the border and we enjoyed every minute of both sides of the falls ! We really felt we were VIP ! And the views on both sides are so mindblowing ! I highly recommend the tour

A remarkable tour - This was a fantastic tour of both sides of Iguazu Falls. Cristian is an excellent tour guide who is knowledgeable, patient, resourceful and truly dependable. His versatility in English, Spanish, and Portugese, among other languages, made it very easy to navigate different countries without a fuss. This highly recommended tour is is an experience of a lifetime and definitely worth the money.

See the falls from both Brazil and Argentina! - If you're going to make the trip out to the Iguazu Falls, you owe it to yourself to see it from both Brazil and Argentina. Cristian is the only guide in town that will take you to see both sides on the same day. Going with a guide, you can navigate quickly between the Brazil/Argentina border. He'll take you to all the best spots to see the falls. I loved the private tour because I was able to enjoy the hiking and each view at my own pace.

Amazing Tour Guide to See Iguaza Falls - Amazing day trip to Iguazu Falls from Buenos Aires! We were a group of 6 adults from the U.S. I am so glad we booked with Cristian. He met us at the airport on time, knew a lot about the waterfall, trees, and local animals, and helped us cross over to Brazil then back to Argentina quickly. Without a tour guide, it is impossible to see both sides of the falls in the same day. I highly recommend him to others. Also his English is perfect and he is very responsive via WhatsApp.

Best tour and guide!! - What an incredible experience! We did a day tour to both sides of the waterfalls and it was spectacular. Cristian is amazing and organized our tour perfectly so that each view exceeded the last. We ended with the greatest view on the bridge! He is extremely knowledgeable and knows all the tips and tricks to make the day seamless including crossing the borders. With him we were able to get exclusive access to the park/viewpoints after hours with very few people for an unobstructed, efficient experience. Could not recommend this tour and Cristian more!

Both sides are a must see! - We had an amazing experience with our tour guide Sidnei. The waterfalls are beautiful and you MUST see them from both sides to understand the magnitude of them. Sidnei was full of great information and made crossing the border very easy. Great tour and tour guide. Thank you!

Beyond all of our expectations 🥰 - What an experience… Chris was as amazing as nature. He made our day great and manage to fit all plus boat ride in one long more than enjoyable day. He met and exceeded far and beyond all our expectations. We will recommend him to long time and just met friends. AMAZING all over 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Excellent - Beautiful trip. Thank you for a well planned day that was smooth and truly felt luxurious. Enjoy the boat ride.