Best of Argentina

A Southern Explorations guide will meet you at the Buenos Aires International Airport on arrival, take you to your hotel and assist with check-in. You'll have the rest of this first day and evening of your Argentina tour to explore the magnificent capital on your own. For a quick introduction to the history and amenities of this sophisticated city called the "Paris of South America," we suggest adding our Four Balconies tour. The night will be spent at your Buenos Aires hotel.

Transfer to the Buenos Aires international airport to fly to Trelew, a former Welsh settlement. From there, drive to Punta Tombo Reserve, the most important breeding colony of Magellanic penguins in the world, on the bank of Rio Chubut. Here a declining population of the species, still numbering over 300,000, return in early September and stay until the chicks learn to swim before heading north in the spring. Walking among these remarkable creatures is undoubtedly a memorable highlight of many Patagonia tours. Other species such as kelp gulls, skuas, guanay cormorants, giant petrels, dolphin gulls, the Chubut steamer duck, hairy armadillos and Patagonian foxes also inhabit the area. On the way back to Trelew, you'll stop for a cup of tea in Gaiman, another Welsh settlement, known for its replicas of famous murals and a park featuring sculpture made of junk. (B,L)

While many Patagonia tours focus solely on Patagonia trekking, our tour offers some history as well. On day four there is time for some sightseeing around Trelew before leaving the city. We suggest a visit to the large and fully refurbished Egidio Feruglio paleontology museum, complete with an extensive collection of dinosaur replicas, or to the nearby paleontology park. Later you will be transferred to the domestic airport to fly to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world in Tierra del Fuego. After getting settled at the hotel, you'll have the opportunity to view the magnificent Beagle Channel and the charming town of Ushuaia. (B)

You will be picked up at your hotel in the morning for a day of Patagonia hiking and paddling in beautiful Tierra del Fuego National Park. On arrival in the park, you’ll hike 3.5 hours through a beech forest to a scenic viewpoint overlooking some of the region’s top sights: Lake Roca, Lagunas Verde and Negra, Rivers Ovando and Lapataia and Lapataia Bay. The forest is inhabited by Magellanic woodpeckers, the largest woodpecker in South America, Austral parakeets, black-chested buzzard eagles and Andean Condors. You’ll enjoy lunch in the camping area of Lake Roca before starting this afternoon’s Argentina paddling excursion. In an inflatable canoe, you’ll paddle the crystal clear, quiet waters of the Ovando River which flows into scenic Laguna Verde, containing some of the park’s most picturesque views. Today’s trip ends in Lapataia Bay, a destination that attracts many sea birds including sea petrels, albatross and steamer ducks, among others. Here at the end of the world, you’ll disembark and be driven back to your Ushuaia hotel for a free evening. (B,L)

Spend the morning at leisure in Ushuaia or visit the fascinating historical End of the World Museum on your own. Transfer to the airport to fly to El Calafate. From there we will transfer to your hotel. The late afternoon is free for you to explore the charming town of El Calafate. (B)

Optional Self-Guided Tour: Glacier Museum Approximate Fees: Museum - $20 (80 Argentine Pesos); Roundtrip bus - $6 (25 Argentine Pesos) For those interested in learning about the formation and recession of glaciers during their Patagonia tours, a visit to the Glaciarium is a must. This one-of-a-kind ice museum is located six miles outside El Calafate. To get there, every hour on the hour, buses leave from the center of town. After exploring the history of the Patagonian ice fields, you may cap off this memorable experience with a drink at the museum’s Glacio Bar. The entire bar including the drink cups, tables and chairs are made entirely of ice.

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your El Calafate hotel. An hour long bus ride takes you to the Bajo de las Sombras port on the shore of Lake Argentino. From there, you will board a comfortable boat for a 20 minute navigation across the lake. The cruise offers incredible views of the Perito Moreno glacier with its massive front wall of blue ice and surrounding field of icebergs. Following a beach landing, you’ll stop at a small shelter where the trekkers will be divided into groups of less than twenty. A short walk along an ancient beech forest takes you to the edge of the glacier, a prime location for photographing this spectacular natural wonder. You will be fitted with crampons and receive a safety briefing from your guides before beginning an unforgettable two hour trek on the glacier, with time for photos and a lunch break. This moderate trek will take you past small streams, lagoons, crevasses, and other ice formations as you explore the fascinating landscape of the Perito Moreno glacier. After completing the trek, you will embark on the boat for the return trip across the lake. A short bus ride brings you to an elaborate boardwalk system located across the lake from the glacier. From here you will be able to view and photograph the glacier from many angles, and possibly witness icebergs calving thunderously into the lake. In the late afternoon, you will return to your hotel for another comfortable night's rest. (B,L)
**The upper age limit for the mini-trek portion of this trip is 65, regardless of fitness level.  Click here for the alternative tours available.**

In the morning, you'll take the three to four-hour drive from El Calafate to El Chalten, seeing glorious vistas of the Fitz Roy mountain range if the weather is clear. On arrival, you'll be transferred to your hotel to get settled and if you choose, enjoy an hour's hike to the Piedras Blancas Glacier on your own, a perfect prelude to the Patagonia trekking that awaits you. You'll hike through a beech forest frequented by Magellanic woodpeckers to view the Marconi Glacier, gateway to the Continental Icecap or take the five-hour Cerro Polo hike on your own, instead which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. Spend a restful night at your charming hotel in preparation for the invigorating destinations to come, as you travel Patagonia. (B)

After breakfast, you will start a full day of hiking a Patagonian classic: Mt. Torre, famous for its beauty but also for its climbing difficulty. This is the pinnacle of trekking Patagonia. Every year, countless expeditions attempt to reach the summit, but only a few succeed. After a half hour of hiking, you reach the viewpoint of the Fitz Roy River and Margarita waterfall. Continue for another 30 minutes until you reach the Mirador del Cerro Torre, a lookout facing the Cerro Torre and Adelas ranges. From this point, the trail descends into the valley. The trail ends on the shores of Laguna Torre, offering a stunning view of Mt. Torre surrounded by the Egger and Standhard spires and the Adelas range as a backdrop together with the glacier Torre. You will have time to enjoy the view, eat lunch, and rest before returning on the same trail to the town of El Chalten. (B, L) 
Patagonia Hiking Details: 11-12 miles / Elevation gain: 1,000-1200 ft / Average time: 7 hours

Today's segment of trekking Patagonia includes a full-day hike to the Laguna Capri base camp (Fitz Roy base camp). The hike towards Fitz Roy features spectacular views of the massif. The peak was sacred and venerated by local Tehuelche groups who believed the mists enshrouding it were volcanic ash, calling it Chalten (God of Smoke). You will begin hiking south from El Pilar, passing Laguna Piedras Blancas on the way to Laguna de los Tres, at the base of Mt. Fitz Roy. Three glaciers drain into this emerald lagoon with majestic Mt. Fitz Roy towering above. Stop en route for lunch and then resume the hike to Laguna Capri, where the image of Mt. Fitz Roy is reflected. You'll enjoy spectacular views of the sweeping Patagonian steppe and Fitz Roy, highlights of any Patagonia tour. After a full day of hiking, return to your hotel for a good meal and night's sleep. (B, L)
Patagonia Hiking Details: 13-14 miles / Elevation gain 2200-2300ft / Average time: 9 hours

Transfer to the El Calafate airport for your return to Buenos Aires and transfer to the hotel. On your last night in the capital, we suggest a tango experience offered by our two tour extensions. Overnight in a Buenos Aires hotel. (B)

On the last day of your Argentina tour, you'll be able to enjoy a few more Buenos Aires sights before transferring to the Buenos Aires International Airport to fly home. (B)