Highlights of Argentina

Free day to optional activities (ask as for things to do) or to enjoy at leisure.

In the evening, Tango Show with dinner at Rojo Tango or at the iconic Café del os Angelitos. We’ll enjoy a delicious menu and then witness professional Tango dancers performing on stage, with a live band.

Morning flight to Iguazu, so we can take advantage of the day there. A transfer will be waiting for us in the airport to take us to a lodge in the jungle.

After the check in at the hotel, we will make the Brazilian side excursion. We will see the best panoramic view of the falls, where you can capture in one photo most of the falls.   Optionally, you can combine this with an overfly in a helicopter.

After breakfast, we will leave the hotel to go on a visit the Iguazu National Park, where we will be able to approach, see and feel most of the falls (with the Devil’s Throat as the pearl of the Park) in every way possible.

We will be able to walk the falls in 3 different circuits: Upper circuit, Lower circuit and Devil’s throat. Each circuit lets you see a different angle of the falls, and they are all breathtaking!

After the falls, transfer back to your hotel, in order to take a deserved rest.

During the morning we will board a flight to Salta.  Salta is one of the gates to visit the Northwest, definitively one of the Highlights of Argentina, and a place full of contrasts and culture.

Once there, at a set hour, we will have a private City tour, to see the main attractions of this beautiful and picturesque city.

Full day excursion “Safari a las Nubes”, on our way from Salta to Purmamarca, where we will spend the night. Today we’ll drive towards the Puna (Altiplano), following the trail of the Train to the Clouds until reaching San Antonio de los Cobres. Then we’ll head north, driving all the way across the Altiplano until reaching Salinas Grandes (Salt field).  After the Salt fields, we’ll descend to Purmamarca through the picturesque and steep Cuesta de Lipán.  Arrival in Purmamarca and overnight.

Today, we’ll visit the Quebrada de Humahuaca (Humahuaca’s Gorge – UNESCO site), visiting its traditional villages and landscapes, such as Tilcara, Humahuaca, Uquía, Paleta del Pintor, etc.  Afterwards, we’ll head back to Salta city.

Full day excursion to Cachi and then to Cafayate.  First, we’ll return to the Altiplano but in another area different than before. We’ll ascend through Cuesta del Obispo until reaching Los Cardones National Park, plenty of cactuses. Then, we’ll continue to Cachi, an ancient village in the middle of the Puna. We’ll descend again from the Altiplano but taking another way, through “de las Flechas” gorge, a very peculiar road surrounded by sharp rocks that will lead us to the valley where is Cafayate: the wine region of the Northwest of Argentina.

After a relaxing morning in Cafayate, around noon, we will start the way back to Salta thru “Quebrada de las Conchas”, with its natural monuments carve in the rocks: the amphitheater, “Garganta del Diablo”, etc. Return to Salta city.

Today we are just going to take a flight to El Calafate.

The rest of the day is free, for you to enjoy and go around the town.

After breakfast, we are going to go on an excursion to the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier, for many people the best of all the highlights of Argentin.

We’ll walk along the walkways and visit other areas of the National Park as well.

We’ll have, optionally, the chance of walking on top of the glacier and navigate as well to the southern wall of it!

After breakfast, we will start our excursion to this majestic area of the Andean Patagonia.

TOUR DESCRIPTION

The Upsala Glacier is one of the largest in Los Glaciares National Park. To sail through the Argentino Lake among icebergs and mountains and then visit Estancia Cristina is an interesting combination of nature, adventure, history, and pleasure.

This full day program offers alternatives for those who prefer a quite day of touring and history as well as for those who look forward to activities with adventure, like trekking and going on a four wheel drive. The excursions that are surrounded by the Andes mountains, glaciers and Argentino Lake leads us to get in touch with a natural, unique, remote environment, with culture and lifestyle of the pioneers and the interesting relationship of them with famous explorers of the past century.

The program includes:

Duration of 4 wheel drive: 3 hours

• Drop: 550 m.o.s.l.
• Level of demand low
• Boarding and departure at port Punta Bandera (NPC), 08.15 hrs, in our modern and comfortable boat.
• Sailing among icebergs and stunning scenery overlooking the western front of the Upsala glacier and then through Cristina Canal to the point of disembarkment at the Estancia.
• Arrival at Estancia Cristina 11:30 hs.
• Stay at the Estancia for 6 hours
• Lunch at the Estancia with a 3-course menu
• Guided visit to the Costumbrista museum (old shearing shed)
• Ascent in all-terrain vehicles, travelling 9.5 km through mountainous roads
• Arrival to the Continental ice shelter
• 30 minute walk
• Visit the oriental front of Upsala Glacier. Lake Guillermo, Southern Patagonian Ice and Andes.
• Return to the farm house of the Estancia and board at 17:30 hrs. Arrival to Puerto Banderas at 19:00 hrs approximately.

NOTE: If the maximum number of passengers is exceeded, visitors will be divided in turns
by the tour coordinator of the Estancia.

Transfer back to the lodge.

Morning transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén, which is 3 hours away driving along the emblematic Ruta 40.  Pick up from your hotel and drop off at the hotel in El Chaltén.

El Chaltén is one of the highlights of Argentina for trekking (actually, the National Capital for trekking), and where the Fitz Roy and Torre Mounts are located as well. From the village, start dozens of different trails with different difficulties. The most iconic ones are the one to “Laguna de los 3” (Fitz Roy view, takes around 10 hours –back and forth from the village – with calm rhythm and normal difficulty except from 1 part which takes around 1 hour of a difficult 45 degrees ascent. The other great hike is the one to Lago Torre (Cerro Torre), which is less demanding and shorter than Laguna de los 3 (around 8 hours), without pronounced pendants but that also demands a certain level of fitness. Also back and forth from the village. Both are self-guided trek with marked trails, but if you want a private guide it could be hired for you. There are also many other trails such as “Lomas del Pliegue Tumbado” or shorter ones such as “Lake Capri”;  there are as well other optional activities such as the navigation to Lago del Desierto, visiting Glacier Huemul afterward,  biking, horseback riding, rafting, etc.

Day for trekking or optional activities in El Chalten.

Day for trekking or optional activities in El Chalten, and transfer back to El Calafate.

Morning flight to take advantage of the day in Ushuaia.  Welcome to the southernmost city of the world!

In the afternoon, we are going to enjoy navigation in the Beagle Channel, where we will see the wildlife of the area (Birds & Sea Lions islands). Going to Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and back, doing a little trek in Bridget Island.

In the morning, half day excursion to the Tierra del Fuego National Park, in a 4×4 land rover. We will visit one of Ushuaia’s classics in the best possible way: in a small group and against the crowds. Throughout the excursion, we are closely in touch with nature and the tranquility that it conveys.

We stroll along with the principal and most important trails in the National Park, which are of low difficulty. In half a day we would´ve walked enough to have a special and unique impression of the Fuegian ecosystem.

Our well-trained guides will pass on to you all of their experience and passion for these surroundings giving away a once in a lifetime experience. Lapataia Bay, Roca Lake, and Ensenada Bay will be the southern spots we will introduce you to during this unforgettable excursion.

In the afternoon, we will walk among penguins! We will head in the direction to the oldest ranch in Tierra del Fuego – Harberton Ranch, from where we will take a zodiac to the Martillo Island, right in the middle of the Beagle Channel. There we will find a colony of Magellanic and Gentoo penguins, where we will walk for around 1 hour.  These amazing animals gather every season (from November till March), sharing the area with other kinds of birds.

Full day excursion to Fagnano and Escondido Lakes, with trekking in the forest, lunch in a private refuge in the middle of the woods, canoeing and 4×4 off-road adventure. We’ll steer towards the north part of the island -in our Land Rover Defender, as we drive along National Road N3. We will pass by a number of renowned ski centers, amongst them the famous Cerro Castor.

Once on the other side of the Andean Cordillera, the off-road adventure begins. We will cross the muddiest areas until we reach the coast of the breathtaking Fagnano Lake. After refreshing our energy, we will carry on with the adventure as we trek into an exclusive area of the forest.

The trekking will lead us right to the coast of Escondido Lake where, in our shelter, we will taste a gourmet barbecue seasoned with the pleasant company of a red wine. After lunch, the water will relax our senses as we paddle across Escondido Lake in a canoe, before heading back towards Ushuaia city with our expert guides.

OPTIONAL: Alternative for this excursion:

CAPE SAN PABLO & ESTANCIA ROLITO: BEYOND THE ANDES, OPEN SEA – FULL DAY
Today we will visit a lighthouse in a lonely cape, a mysterious sunken ship, an authentic estancia, and some other icons and unknown stories of Tierra del Fuego. We depart from Ushuaia early in the morning, heading north along the National Route 3, crossing the Andean Cordillera through the Garibaldi Pass (a spectacular panoramic point!).

Then, after the Lake Escondido hypnotizes us with its views, we will observe how the ecosystem gradually transforms from the woods to the steppe, a vast region known for breeding the best lambs in the world. We continue our way up north, passing by Tolhuin (a village in the heart of the island, with a Bakery full of delicious stuff), and at a certain point we make a turn to the east, through a gravel road,  in direction to the Atlantic Ocean and the San Pablo Cape.

Upon our arrival, we hike up to an isolated mountain, home to an abandoned lighthouse: an extraordinary solitary scene.  We will see also The Desdemona, an abandoned ship for almost 40 years ago which invites us to sail through time.

Afterwards we will visit the Estancia Rolito, a lovely ranch that keeps the spirit of a family business based on sheep farming tradition, and  the first ranch to open its gates to rural tourism. We make a pause in order to enjoy a delicious tea with home-made cakes, cookies and marmalades. We return then to Ushuaia, with our souls full of memories of Tierra del Fuego.

You can either fly early to Buenos Aires or take a late flight so you can have more time in Ushuaia. There are more activities and things to do here,  for example, to do a half day trek to “Laguna Esmeralda”, which is a colorful lagoon in the Andes; or going to a fisherman village to catch your own spider crab and cook it under the advice of local experts, etc.

Flight to Buenos Aires and transfer to the hotel.

You can either enjoy this day at leisure or opt for some of the optional activities.

Buenos Aires is a huge city with several alternatives for almost every travel style. What many people do is to explore by themselves the areas that they didn’t visit during the city tour, for example, some hidden corners of Palermo, or Belgrano, etc.

Some other things to do:

• Ferry boat ride to and from Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Where you can spend the day walking around the city. Enjoying the picturesque scenery. (Not included).
• Visit Tigre Delta.
• Thematic city tours (graffitis of Buenos Aires, museums of Buenos Aires –such as theater Colon, biking tours, gastronomic tours, cultural and artistic tours, etc).
• Visit the Markets if open on this day.
• Visit to San Antonio de Areco, following the gauchos footprints and enjoying a day at a typical Estancia (Ranch), with horses, barbeque, and a gaucho’s performance.

Transfer to the airport in order to board the flight back home, or extend your itinerary!

If you have the time, don’t miss out on the opportunity of visiting some other great places such as Mendoza, Bariloche, and Peninsula Valdes.

If you are interested in Patagonia, we invite you to check out our other Patagonia Tours.

We invite you to see our Argentina Tours, where you can experience the true Argentine culture.