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argentina highlights

15-Night Trip through Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Mendoza, and Iguazu Falls!

Argentina Highlights combines culture and adventure in a 15-night trip throughout the country. Start your trip in the ‘Paris of South America’, Buenos Aires, known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and strong European influence. There is never a shortage of things to see, hear, and experience in the bustling capital city. Then fly to El Calafate, located deep in Patagonia’s snow-capped netherlands where you will spend a day exploring the Perito Moreno Glacier. You’ll also spend time at an Eco Camp, where you can spend time glacier trekking, hiking around lakes, or visiting a local ranch. From there, fly to the Bariloche Andes. Spend your days hiking and soaking in the beautiful vistas. Then, you’ll head to Mendoza, home to some of Argentina’s greatest wines and olive oils. Finally, you’ll end your trip in Iguazu Falls. Iguazu Falls is the largest waterfall system in the world, offering spectacular views.

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Itinerary

Day 1 – Buenos Aires: Upon arrival at Buenos Aires International Airport (Ezeiza), a local representative will transfer you to your hotel in a private vehicle. After check-in at your hotel, you will be taken on your first tour. Explore the highlights of magnificent Buenos Aires in a four-hour guided sightseeing tour. This excursion kicks off in one of the city’s most significant spots: Plaza de Mayo square, the political heart of the city laid out by Don Juan de Garay in 1580 during the second founding of Buenos Aires. Continue to San Telmo neighborhood, with its cobblestoned streets, where the original porteños (Buenos Aires residents) settled in the early days. After a short drive south, stop off at picturesque La Boca, the colorful working-class port neighborhood, and walk along Caminito Street, where local artists display their artwork to the tune of tango performed on the street. Pass through Puerto Madero and see this regenerated area where redbrick warehouses have been transformed into trendy restaurants and bars before finishing the tour in Recoleta and its renowned cemetery to glimpse stunning mausoleums, the final resting place for many of Argentina’s key characters.

Day 2 – Buenos Aires: Enjoy a full day to Estancia La Bamba de Areco with barbecue lunch. A 90-minute drive north of Buenos Aires city leads guests San Antonio de Areco, a traditional gaucho town whose colonial buildings are straight out of the 19th century. A place with history and tradition, this is where Don Segundo Sombra, Argentina’s most famous literary gaucho is from. A picturesque town, this is the place to discover the gaucho lifestyle and customs, particularly at Ricardo G’fciraldes Gaucho Museum. It’s also home to some of the best leather designers and silversmiths’ ateliers that produce regional wares from yerba mate gourds to belts. In November, the town celebrates Argentina’s Day of the Tradition for a week, culminating in a parade showcasing gauchos’ skills on horseback as well as folk music and dances. Close to the town of San Antonio de Areco, La Bamba de Areco estancia is located in the heart of the pampas on the banks of the Areco stream. La Bamba de Areco offers precisely what its Celtic name translates to; a place to rest. A welcome drink and empanadas await, followed up by a range of activities such as equine and folkloric demonstrations. Enjoy a barbecue lunch after which guests can relax by the swimming pool, take a stroll in the park, or go horseback riding or cycling before a traditional English tea. Return to the hotel and later this evening, you will go to Rojo Tango, a unique venue located inside Faena Universe, for an evening of Buenos Aires culture. Enjoy dinner and a tango show at a cabaret designed by Philippe Starck, created to bring back nostalgic times when the tango was danced in the streets of Buenos Aires, with the strength of a performance full of fantasy and sensuality. Prepare to be enthralled by the talented dancers, musicians, and singers.

Day 3 – Buenos Aires: Enjoy a full day exploring Buenos Aires on your own.

Day 4 – El Calafate: After breakfast, you will be privately transferred to Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery local airport for your scheduled flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival, you will be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

Day 5 – El Calafate: After breakfast, enjoy a full day at the Perito Moreno Glacier with nautical safari. One of the few remaining advancing glaciers in the world, a full day is without doubt needed to enjoy Perito Moreno glacier, a unique ice field due to its easy access, its steady-state and its famous ice break. During the journey to the national park, travel across the Patagonian steppe and the Patagonian Andean Forest, seeing the distinctive notro small tree with intense red flowers and arrive at the walkways in front of the glacier, which forms the source basin of Argentina and Chile glaciers. Walk along the footbridges to catch majestic views and hear the cracks and roars of the incredible living mass that is Perito Moreno. With a five-kilometer (three-mile) long front wall, soaring 60 meters (180 feet) high and a 257 square kilometers (100 square miles) ice field surface, it’s currently grinding its way down the mountains directly into an arm of the enormous Lake Argentino. Los Glaciares National Park has been a UNESCO natural heritage site since 1981 and is the third-largest ice mass in the world, after Antarctica and Greenland. Box lunch included.

Later, board the ‘Yagan’ at Bajo de las Sombras bay for a nautical safari experience. Cruise across Lake Rico, passing icebergs calved off the front of the Perito Moreno glacier. Reaching the Icebergs Channel, your boat, the ‘Yagan’, stops at a safe distance from the glacier and continues to sail past its front, allowing a spectacular view of the high ice wall. Your excursion lasts around one hour and provides a different perspective of the Perito Moreno glacier, where you can see walls of ice dropping into the lake relatively frequently. This is a unique opportunity for photographers and nature lovers alike.

Day 6 – Argentina: After breakfast, you will be transferred to Adventure Domes Eco- Camp (Spanish speaking driver only). The eco-camp is located 43 miles (driving) from the Perito Moreno Glacier, amid gently undulating fields, due to different glaciations. Its geolocation is ideal, considering the landscapes and the surrounding wildlife. Driving time to camp is about 1 hour and 30 minutes, driving more than 40 miles by paved and gravel roads.

Your stay at Adventure Domes includes:

-Accommodation (without private bathroom and heating)

-01 Classic Dome double with twin beds

-Full board: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Dinner with non-alcoholic beverages and soft drinks.

-Trekking and hiking inside the property.

-Wildlife spotting

EXPERT TIPS – What you would need to bring:

Day backpack, trekking boots, waterproof parka & pants, inner isolating layer (fleece or wool), changes of clothes, sun hat, sunscreen, hiking socks, sandals (for after hikes), bathing suit, sunglasses, trekking poles (optional), long underwear, extra change of socks, flashlight/headlamp, extra insulating layer (fleece, wool, or expedition weight long underwear).

Day 7 – Argentina: After breakfast, enjoy a full day of camp activities. You will have the option to choose one of the following activities:

Trekking of the Glacier –

Duration: 4-5 hours

Difficulty Grade: Medium

Geolocation: Inside the peninsula

Maximum size of the group: 16 people

Method: Guided Activity (English & Spanish)

Departing from the Eco camp, this trekking proposes to cover the south section of the Peninsula de las Colonias. The footpath has more than 12 kilometers long, allowing to the Perito Moreno Glacier to hide between lakes and nothofagu’s forests, thanks to the slopes of the area, result of the glacier area. The presence of indigenous fauna, like the Magellanic woodpecker, Austral parakeet parrot, and Magellanic inland goose complete the landscape. After a few kilometers of walking, you will be able to arrive to the “ravine of the trunks”, where will be able to see hundreds of specimens washed by the rises of the lake, being able to see some of 2 meters in diameter. Further on the trail, we’ll get to the “beach of icebergs”, from where you can appreciate the majestic glacier in its closest point (12 km). During the way back to the camp we’ll walk close to the “angostura” of the Roca Lake, enjoying great views of Estancia Cerro Moreno and Estancia Nibepo Aike – just in the other shore of the lake.

Trekking of the Lakes –

Duration: 7-8 hours

Geolocation: Inside the peninsula

Difficulty Grade: Medium

Maximum size of the group: 16 people

Method: Guided Activity (English & Spanish)

Departing from the Eco camp, this trekking proposes to cover the north section of the Peninsula de las Colonias. The trail runs just over 22 kilometers, shifting from the shores of Roca Lake, the Brazo Rico and the lower sections of the peninsula. During the tour, it is common to cross some guanacos, black-faced ibis, lesser rhea and if we are lucky, a group of condors. Getting close to the “puesto” of the estancia Two Lakes, the path covers the lowest section of the peninsula, where ponds are formed according to the rainfall. These ponds are ideal places for the birdwatching, being possible to spot black neck swans, great bustard, and ruddy ducks. The end of the trekking offers great views of Cerro Buenos Aires, the Moreno Glacier, and the Cerro Glass.

Estancia Cerro Moreno: The Pioneer’s World –

Duration: 2 hours

Geolocation: Inside the peninsula

Difficulty Grade: None

Maximum size of the group: 16 people

Method: Guided Activity (English & Spanish)

Just five kilometers away from the Eco Camp, we’ll find the Estancia Cerro Moreno, an “endangered place” to this globalized and immediate world. There, lives Don Jorge, a strange kind of man: a mixture of the gaucho, mechanical, businessman and wild spirit of Patagonia. During his youth, he lived thousands of adventures in Patagonia, to finally establish in this piece of heaven. Jorge has chosen to spend his life here, free as the wind. His days go by raising Hereford cattle, others labors of the Estancia and the company of his two sons: Martin and Gustavo. We have the chance to visit the estancia and the stables of work, sharing a little bit of the daily life of these pioneers. It doesn’t matter if we can share a “mate” or just sightseeing the estancia, this experience is something that is going to last in his memories.

Day 8 – San Carlos De Bariloche: After breakfast, you will be transferred to El Calafate airport (Spanish-speaking driver only) for your scheduled flight to Bariloche. Upon arrival, you will be privately transferred to your hotel. Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

Day 9 – San Carlos De Bariloche: After breakfast, enjoy a half-day Bariloche welcome hike. A short walk through majestic coigue (bamboo) woodlands, surrounded by native vegetation and the occasional exotic plant makes this tour a colorful one. A medium-intensity (30 minutes) walk, a 40-minute ascent through mountain cypress woodlands leads you to the impressive viewpoint overlooking Lake Nahuel Huapi. Return to your hotel and enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.

Day 10 – San Carlos De Bariloche: After breakfast, enjoy a full day in the Bariloche Andes with wine and picnic lunch. An array of activities and breathtaking panoramic views create a perfect day in the Andes. Depart in the morning for Bahía López. An easy 30-minute walk takes you deep into the woodland and to the natural balconies at Brazo Tristeza on Lake Nahuel Huapi. The journey itself provides magnificent views across nearby mountains and the ravishing lake. A short ascent leads to another balcony perfect for soaking up stunning Cerro Tronador mountain and its seven glaciers. Push the adrenaline boundaries and make a 40-meter rappel descent. At the base, enjoy a mountain lunch with Patagonian delicacies and wine. After lunch, walk back to the starting point and choose to either clamber into double adventure kayaks and paddle across one of the lakes in the area or return to your hotel. Difficulty level for this activity is medium (40-minute walk with mild altitude gain, 20-minute ascent) and it requires a basic fitness level.

EXPERT TIPS – What you would need to bring:

Wear sports footwear (running shoes-type), sandals, bathing suit for kayaking, synthetic warm clothing, sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen.

Day 11 – Mendoza Wine Region: After breakfast, you will be transferred to Bariloche airport for your scheduled flight to Mendoza. Upon arrival at Mendoza airport, you are welcomed to wine country by your local guide and transferred to the hotel.

Day 12 – Mendoza Wine Region: After breakfast, enjoy a full-day visit to some of the top wineries in the Areglo district. The wineries you will visit are as follows:

Bodega Catena Zapata – Catena Alta Tasting –

The family winery led by revolutionary Argentine vintner Nicolas Catena, Bodega Catena Zapata is widely recognized as the pioneering winery which has shown the international wine community the true quality potential of the Mendoza terroir. International wine guru Robert Parker named Bodega Catena Zapata as the only South American winery in his book, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates.

Finca Decero Winery

Once a patch of dirt in the foothills of the Andes, Finca Decero is a one-of-a-kind vineyard, where each vine is nurtured by hand and the winemaking is without compromise. Free from restraint and tradition, the creators of the winery developed an a mano or ‘by hand’ approach that is human, sustainable and sensitive to natural differences. A gourmet lunch is included at the winery and is paired with wines.

Benegas Winery –

This traditional winery belonged to Gladys Alurralde Norton’s family, mother of current owner Federico J. Benegas Lynch. Federico was born at the property’s main house, where he still lives to. Throughout childhood he worked every step of the way, helping his father in the winemaking process. Benegas is focused on quality and celebrating its Finca Libertad terroir. They believe in the judicious use of oak, maintaining it as a background component in the wine, while tannins are balanced and the finish long. Total production is only 30,000 cases. Consultant winemaker Michel Rolland says: “Benegas wines have a strong personality, the result of a unique terroir for its quality and the combination of French and Argentine traditions. The wines are a reflection of Federico Benegas Lynch’s passion and his constant search for excellence.”

Included in your tour: Lunch, top-shelf wine tastings, chilled water, snacks. Wine and restaurant tips included.

Day 13 – Mendoza Wine Region: After breakfast, enjoy a hike in the Pre-Andes. Hikes are usually from 4-to-5 hours, stopping to admire the scenery and re-fuelling. Expert guides, with several successful climbs of the Aconcagua, will accompany you on this journey. All places chosen will be off the beaten path and undiscovered by tourists. Some of the possible hikes: Chorro de la Vieja, Veguitas, Quebrada del Durazno, etc. The guide will carry an on-the-go lunch, chilled waters, and cereal bars.

Day 14 – Puerto Iguazu: Today, you will fly to Iguazu Falls and spend the rest of the day at your leisure.

Day 15 – Puerto Iguazu: You will be staying just a 15-minute walk from the falls. Spend the day exploring the area and relaxing at the resort.

Day 16 – End Of Itinerary: After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Aeroparque Jorge Newbery Airport in Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you will be met by a local representative and transferred to Ministro Pistarini International Airport for your departing international flights home.

Interested in this trip? Give us a call or drop us an email.

Quick Facts

Perfect for:

  • Perfect for Cultural Visits
  • Perfect for Walking Safaris
  • Perfect for Adventure Seekers
  • Duration 15 Nights
  • Departures Anytime
  • Fitness Rating Moderate
  • Safari Type Cultural/Historical
  • Style Deluxe
  • Land-Only Price* $$

*Pricing is per person and an estimate. Contact a Journey Specialist for a customized quote.
$ = Call for Pricing | $$ = $5,000 – $9,999 | $$$ = $10,000 – $20,000 | $$$$ = >$20,000

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