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Argentina Package 4
Patagonia, Glaciers & End of the World
10 days/ 9 nights
(click on photos to enlarge)
This tour is best taken between October and April. Due to its extreme southern locale, temperatures in Patagonia may remain chilly even during these summer months, necessitating the use of plenty of warm layers of clothing.
The tour is designed for visitors who have time for only a short stay in Argentina and who wish to spend a few days in Buenos Aires and then go on to see some of the most spectacular sights in Patagonia.
What's Included
Air tickets for 3 domestic flights
Buenos Aires - Ushuaia - El Calafate - Buenos Aires
All Breakfasts
2 Lunches
1 Dinner
What's Not Included
International airfares
Meals other than those mentioned above
local airport taxes
Frequently Asked Questions
Day 1
You will be picked up at Ezeiza, the international airport of Buenos Aires, and driven to your hotel. Since most international flights arrive in the morning, you will probably want to rest up and get settled in your room. Today is a free day, but if you want to go out to explore on your own, we can make suggestions about what you can do. Checking out some of Buenos Aires' premier shopping locations such as Patio Bullrich or Galerias Pacifico might be a possibility. These beautiful shopping plazas, built on the sites of historic structures, offer high-quality European and local products at prices lower than those found in the U.S. or Europe. Taxis in BA are inexpensive and are probably the easiest way to get around to do some shopping on your own.
You might also consider visiting the large number of antique stores on Calle Defensa in San Telmo. San Telmo will be a stop on your city tour of Buenos Aires, but you might choose to spend even more time in this fascinating district.
If you plan your trip in such a way that your are free in Buenos Aires on a Sunday, then you should definitely visit the large street fair and antiques market that takes place every Sunday at the Plaza Dorrego in San Telmo. The merchandise sold at the market is generally not of the same quality as that found at the nearby shops, but the Sunday market is a lot of fun and well worth a visit. |  |
|  | Day 2
In the morning, after breakfast, we will start a city tour including lunch, visiting the most important sites in Buenos Aires.
Among them are the Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, San Telmo, 9 de Julio Avenue (said to be the widest street in the world), the Obelisk, Puerto Madero and Recoleta Cemetary, where you can see the mausoleum of Eva Peron.
This tour runs around 3 hours and will still leave you some time in the afternoon for more shopping or plain relaxing.
In the evening, you will again be picked up at your hotel and taken to one of the most famous tango houses of Buenos Aires, Esquina Carlos Gardel, named after the famous tango singer, Carlos Gardel, who was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1939 and whose photograph still graces almost every coffee bar in Buenos Aires. You will be treated to an excellent dinner and a great tango show. Return to hotel and overnight. |
| Day 3
A full-day trip to a typical "estancia" (ranch) in the pampas outside of Buenos Aires. At the estancia you will be treated to an asado - an Argentinian barbecue. In addition, there will be a gaucho show, with cattle-handling and horseback riding skills demonstrated. Return to hotel and overnight. |  |
|  | Day 4
Pickup at hotel for transfer to Aeroparque (also called Jorge Newbury Airport). This is the airport for domestic flights and it is only around a 15-minute ride from most hotels. You will be flying to Ushuaia which is the southern-most city in the world and your base for exploring Tierra del Fuego, at the End of the World. Take the rest of the day to relax, walk around the town and overnight at your hotel. The flying time to Ushuaia is around 3 hours. |
| Day 5
Drive to Tierra del Fuego National Park, around 7 miles from Ushuaia. The wildlife housed within the park is as varied and remarkable as the natural landscape. Such animals as beaver, red foxes, guanaco, and muskrats are commonly sighted, as well as the rare magellanic sea otter. There are also several non-indigenous mammals such as rabbits, musk rat and beaver, which are all thriving.
Tierra del Fuego is also a bird-watcher's paradise. On the various lakes and the seashore is an enormous range of birds, many of which are easy to identify and which do not seem to fear people. The region is home to such species as Austral parakeets, black-chested buzzard eagles, Andean condors, and South America's largest woodpecker, the Magellanic.
After stopping for lunch, you return to Ushuaia for a navigation of the Beagle Channel. The trip is on a specially designed catamaran with large domed windows offering excellent views. You can sit in enclosed comfort or wander on the outside deck. You travel along the channel as a naturalist guide narrates throughout.
The catamaran will cruise close to small islands known for their bird life and seals. The narrated tour takes you past the Isla de los Pajaros (Bird Island), where many species of birds congregate, including a large colony of cormorants.
Further along, the ship cruises around Isla de los Lobos (Sea Wolves Island), a rocky outcrop that is home to a large population of seals and sea lions.
The catamaran manages to get quite close, offering great photo opportunities. We’ll also view the Light House at the End of the World and more spectacular coastal scenery before returning to the pier. Then you return to your hotel for a well-deserved rest and dinner. |  |
|  | Day 6
A scenic drive takes you northeast of Ushaia into the mountains to Lake Fagnano and Lake Escondido, in the heart of the Tierra del Fuego range. On the way, you pass the mountains known as the Five Brothers.
From the Garibaldi Pass, you climb higher --a spectacular drive culminating in an awesome view of Lake Escondido. Then continue to Lake Fagnano, straddling the border between Argentina and Chile, 100 km. north of Ushuaia. Both Lakes, Escondido and Fagnano, offer opportunities for walks around their shores or inland. You then return to your hotel for your last night in Ushaia. |
| Day 7
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the short flight to El Calafate. From the airplane, you should get a good view of the magnificent glaciers and mountains which you will be seeing up close during the next few days. Rest of the day is free to explore the town of El Calafate. El Calafate is a small town with one main street which is full of shops and restaurants. It looks more like a European ski town than a resort in South America. Overnight at hotel. |  |
|  | Day 8
Drive to Lake Argentino for one of the highlights of this tour - a visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier. The glacier is part of Los Glacieres National Park and is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Los Glaciares National Park is an area of exceptional natural beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes, including Lake Argentino, which is 160 km long. At its farthest end, three glaciers meet to dump their effluvia into the milky grey glacial water, launching massive icebergs into the lake with thunderous splashes.
At first sight, you may be taken aback at the magnitude of the Perito Moreno Glacier. It towers 240 feet high, the height of a 15-story building, and is over three miles long. An unusual feature of Perito Moreno glacier is that it is dynamic, that is, it is changing all the time. Unlike other glaciers, which are slowly receding, the Perito Moreno is actually growing day by day. At the same time, large chunks of ice and snow are constantly falling off the walls of the glacier into the lake. This is known as "calving". The pieces fall into the water with a loud crash, making the viewing experience quite exciting as well as unpredictable. If you observe the glacier for a few minutes, you are likely to see this take place and, if you are patient, you can get a good photo or video of the calving process. The glacier will be seen in two ways. First, upon arrival, you will take a short walk (around 1/3 of a mile) to a series of 7 panoramic viewing balconies. These balconies are strategically placed to offer you unique views of the glacier. All of these balconies but the lowest are easily accessible. The lowest balcony, which brings you closest to the glacier, involves going down and then back up a flight of stairs. But most people are able to do it without much difficulty.
The second way you will observe the glacier is from the lake itself. Upon finishing the balcony walk, you board a boat for a cruise which sails right up to and along the glacier. You will be seated in the exclusive VIP section, on the upper deck of the boat. This section will provide you with better views, more comfortable seats and an exclusive guide, who will interpret the fantastic sights you will be viewing.
Then return to the hotel in El Calafate for a relaxing evening and, perhaps, some shopping. El Calafate has a number of good restaurants, with especially good seafood. |
| Day 9
Drive to Puerto Bandera for a full-day boat tour, taking you into the North Arm of Lake Argentino to navigate among icebergs and to the front of the imposing Upsala Glacier. You will be in the VIP section of the boat.
From there you continue on to the Onelli Channel and disembark in Onelli Bay. After a short and easy walk through a forest, you reach Onelli Lagoon, where glaciers Onelli (18 square miles), Bolado (6 square miles) and Agassiz (12 square miles) meet. At noon you have free time for lunch at a nearby restaurant. Then you re-embark to see still more glaciers and icebergs.
The Spegazzini glacier was named after the botanist Carlos Spegazzini, who made the first studies of the local flora. It is the highest glacier within the National Park.
After a long day on the waters of the Lake, return to your hotel to relax and enjoy dinner at a good local restaurant and a good night's rest. |  |
|  | Day 10
After breakfast, you will fly back to Buenos Aires. If you are flying home today, we transfer you from the domestic airport where you will be landing, to the international airport, Ezeiza, for your flight home. If you decide to go on to Iguazu or some other part of Argentina, you can probably schedule your flight back to Buenos Aires so that a same-day, ongoing connecting flight is possible without leaving the airport.
Hotels for 10 day/9 night Visiting Patagonia Tour
Please note that the hotels listed below for each city are the most likely to be used. However, in some cases, other hotels, similar in quality, may be utilized because the hotels indicated below may be fully booked. In any event, we will notify you of the hotel you will be booked into in each city along your tour route. We will do our best to get you the best hotels and the best rooms in those hotels available at any given time.
You may check reviews of these hotels on websites such as tripadvisor.com.
Superior Category Hotels
Buenos Aires:
Hotel Pestana
Dazzler Tower
Ushiaia:
Hotel Albatros
El Calafate:
Hotel Kosten Aike
Calafate Parque
Deluxe Category Hotels
These are among the top hotels in each city.
Buenos Aires:
Four Seasons Hotel
Ushuaia:
Las Hayas Hotel & Resort
El Calafate
Posada los Alamos
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| Trip Price per Person
This trip can be enjoyed in 2 different hotel categories
Superior Category Hotels: $3295 per person
Deluxe Category 1 Hotels: $4395 per person
- The trips we design have a very competitive price, bearing in mind the quantity and quality of services included. You will enjoy one-of-a-kind dedicated local assistance during your trip; our goal is to provide you with a worry-free experience. Our BA office and a local trip host assigned to your trip will be reachable by phone at all times --we're always just a call away!
- Prices are per person, double occupancy, and include all transfers, accommodation, tours and services detailed in the "services included" section of this trip. Please request prices for the solo traveler or for groups of 4 or more travelers.
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