Argentina: To The Ends Of The Earth
Studded with incredible natural wonders and endowed with one of the world’s most fascinating cities, Argentina is a vast and varied land. Argentina stretches from the Tropic of Capricorn towards the tip of Antarctica. Thereby it encompasses a vast diversity of terrains from the wetlands of the Litoral and the Andean plateaux of the Northwest to the end-of-the-world archipelago of Tierra del Fuego. This tour gives travellers the chance to discover Eastern Argentina from North to South.
Starting in Buenos Aires, the ‘Paris of America’, the tour continues with a day cruise down the Panará Delta. The tour continues in southbound direction. A highlight is a visit to the largest Magellan penguin colony in the world, which lives near Puerto Madryn. After visiting the Valdez Peninsula, the tour continues to the Tierra del Fuego National Park. The next stop of the tour is the must-see attraction of Patagonia, the Perito Moreno Glacier. It is located in Los Glaciares National Park, an UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a contrast to the glaciers, the last main attraction are the Iguazu Waterfalls in the north of the country.
Dates
Dates on request
Suggested Itinerary by Air
Day 1-2
Depart the UK and travel to Buenos Aires
Depart from London Heathrow or from your regional airport and travel overnight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 3
Buenos Aires
After breakfast you will enjoy a city tour of Buenos Aires. During this tour you will visit the most iconic places of the “Paris of America” such as the Obelisk, Colon Theatre, Recoleta Cemetery, May Square and many more. You will also visit different neighbourhoods such as La Boca, San Telmo, Recoleta and Puerto Madero, ranging from modern to classical and from lively urban to residential. In the evening you will enjoy a tango show dinner at one of the traditional tango houses of Buenos Aires.
Day 4
Buenos Aires
Today will include an excursion to the Paraná Delta. Following breakfast you will head north of Buenos Aires towards the Tigre pier. You will board a cruise and navigate through the Delta, stopping for lunch on one of the islands. Following your excursion, you will be transferred back to your hotel and have the remainder of the evening at leisure.
Day 5
Buenos Aires – Puerto Madryn
Today you will transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Trelew. On your way to Puerto Madryn, you will visit Punta Tombo, a natural protected area which is home to the largest Magellan penguin colony in the world. The tour will last about two hours, which will give you enough time to observe the 175,000 reproductive pairs as well as their behaviour and way of life.
Day 6
Puerto Madryn
Today you will tour the Valdez Peninsula. You will travel to the peninsula through the Carlos Ameghino isthmus, stopping along the way to discover the particular flora and fauna of the region. Depending on the season you will continue your journey to Caleta Valdes, Punta Delgada or Punta Norte where you will be able to observe elephant seals and penguins. You will then head to Puerto Piramides where you will have the opportunity to board a little ship and sail near the village to observe the peninsula’s landscapes from the ocean.
Day 7
Puerto Madryn – Ushuaia
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Ushuaia. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 8
Ushuaia
In the morning you will enjoy a visit to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Located 12 km west of Ushuaia and near the Chilean border, the park was Argentina’s first coastal national park and extends 630 sq km from the Beagle Channel in the south to beyond Lago Fagnano in the north. The public has access to only a couple of thousand hectares along the southern edge of the park, with short, easy trails. Enjoy the prolific flora and fauna of the region whilst you visit tourist spots such as Ensenada Bay, Roca Lake and Lapataia Lake. You will also visit the End Of The World Train Station where you will have the opportunity to add a train ride. The afternoon is at leisure. Sailing on the Beagle Channel, spotting Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse or visiting the penguins’ island are all options to keep you busy.
Day 9
Ushuaia – El Calafate
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 10
El Calafate
This morning you will transfer to Perito Moreno Glacier which is a must-see attraction of Patagonia. Together with twelve other glaciers, it is part of one of the largest sliding masses of ice and snow in Los Glaciares National Park. The Glacier has front wall of 5km long and is 60m high above Lake Argentino. At any time during the year, chunks of ice can be seen collapsing and shattering into multiple floes. The Glacier can either be seen from the footbridges in front of it or you may decide to opt for a boat trip that will take you closer.
Day 11
El Calafate
Today you will navigate through the river of ice, north of Lake Argentino and visit several other glaciers of the National Park. The glaciers are the Upsala Glacier, the Spegazzini Glacier and the Onellis Glacier. Because of its exceptional natural beauty, with rugged, towering mountains and numerous glacial lakes, Los Glaciares National Park has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 12
El Calafate – Iguazú
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Puerto Iguazú via in Buenos Aires. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 13
Iguazú
Following breakfast, you will visit the Iguazú National Park where you will find more than 200 waterfalls ranging from 30 to 80 meters high. The Argentinian side of the falls is divided into 3 trails. The park was declared a Natural World Heritage in 1984 due to its scenic beauty and the great biological diversity of the subtropical jungle. The visit will start at the local museum before continuing with the three trails. Additionally, you have the option to book boat trips that will take you closer to the falls and allow you to discover the falls from another perspective.
Day 14
Iguazú
Today you will visit the Brazilian side of the falls. Due to the fact that eighty percent of the falls are located in Argentina, the Brazilian park only offers one walking trail of 1 km length. However, this trails also offers the best panoramic views of the falls from both countries.
Day 15
Iguazú – Buenos Aires
Following breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your domestic flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.
Day 16-17
Return to the UK from Buenos Aires
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your international flight back to the UK.
Argentina springtime (October to mid-December) and autumn (April to mid-June) are generally the best times of year to visit Argentina, avoiding the tourist crowds and peak season prices.