Compare Highlights of Patagonia Argentina by Say Hueque vs Patagonia 2021 by Tauck

Day 1:  Your Travel Itinerary Through the Best of Argentine Patagonia - Buenos Aires

Transfer from the airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we will drive you to the city and you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy Buenos Aires at your own pace. Buenos Aires is a marvelous, energetic, cosmopolitan city, full of color and different styles of architecture.

The capital of Argentina, and described as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires proudly embraces its title and shows off plenty of its own culture! Argentinians are usually eager to host visitors; if you walk the streets with a map, someone will surely stop and ask if you need directions…that’s our spirit!

Day 2:  Buenos Aires, City Tour & Tango Show

Half-day city tour through Buenos Aires

In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel to enjoy our 5-hour Buenos Aires city tour—you will be swept away by the highlights of our beloved Buenos Aires! Over the course of a half-day, you will have the chance to visit the historical and political center of the city; Plaza de Mayo, and the Pink House (the presidential house).

Next, we’ll move on to San Telmo, with its cobblestone streets and the oldest residential neighborhood, and then to La Boca where Buenos Aires turns colorful and tango is ever-present. Walk Caminito Street and dance with the locals. The next stop is the chic and aristocratic Recoleta, where the big palaces remind us why Buenos Aires is called the “Paris of the South”.

Dinner and tango show

In the evening we’ll pick you up from your hotel to take you to a mystical place where you’ll discover one of our most ancient traditions. Tango is more than our national dance… tango is our immigrant origins, our local artists’ talent, Argentine women’s sensuality, and our way of dealing with a broken heart; dancing our way through tragic, yet eternal, love stories.

Tonight you will enjoy a 3-hour professional display of tango and music with a group of local artists onstage immersed in an elegant and alluring place. The manners, ambiance, clothes, and dance steps that tango lovers used to practice 100 years ago will come to life again and you will travel back in time for a night.

This spectacular tango show in Buenos Aires will be accompanied by delicious Argentine and international cuisine. Dinner is all-inclusive, beverages included so you can lose yourself in the ethereal taste of Malbec wine. At the end of the evening, around midnight, you will be driven back to your hotel, entirely in love with the bohemian spirit of our incredible city.

Day 3:  Go Hiking in Argentinian Patagonia - Travel to El Chaltén

Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

Time to travel to legendary Patagonia! We’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport to take your flight to El Calafate.

Transfer from El Calafate to El Chaltén – Day at leisure

Upon arrival at El Calafate airport, we will start our 4-hour trip to El Chaltén. Let the Argentine Patagonia hiking adventure begin!

You’ll travel along the famous Route 40, surrounded by the Patagonian steppe, and pass through La Leona River, which connects Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma, and where you’ll get to see La Leona Roadhouse, where the famous thieves Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid for a while. After discovering some other gems along your journey, you’ll reach El Chaltén and we’ll drop you off at your hotel.

El Chaltén is the top-rated hiking destination in Argentina. This charming little village sits at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy and it’s surrounded by glaciers, lakes, rivers, and forests. It’s also the jumping-off point for most hiking trails in the area. A paradise for sunny walkers and trekkers alike.

Enjoy your first afternoon of leisure in Patagonia by relaxing in the local brewery or strolling around a little waterfall…

Day 4:  Patagonia Tours: Self-Guided Hikes - El Chaltén

Recommended hike- Cerro Torre

Today, we have a recommendation for true hiking lovers: trek all the way to Cerro Torre and Laguna Torre, one of the most famous hiking trails in the area. Step into the wild for about 8 hours and 12 miles. This is a moderate-difficulty hike, but there is no steep climbing involved, so no previous experience is required!

The journey starts at a notable wooden sign that reads ‘Laguna Torre’ and features a woodpecker; you probably already saw the sign if you visited the Cerro Torre Viewpoint the previous day. From there, you will continue through a stunning, multi-colored landscape; snow-capped mountains will rein over the native forest of lenga and ñire trees. You’ll pass by the De Agostini campsite and continue to the front moraine…you can hit the summit in 15 minutes! From here you can descend to the lagoon and watch the floating icebergs, or continue to the Mascardi viewpoint, 1 mile up the hill.

Day 5:  Patagonia Argentina Hikes - Self-Guided Trails

Recommended hike: Laguna de los Tres and base of Mt. Fitz Roy

If you liked the Laguna Torre hiking trail, you’ll love our next hiking favorite: Laguna de los Tres and the base of Mount Fitz Roy. Go for a medium-difficulty, 9-hour hike to the most impressive views of Rio de Las Vueltas Valley. You’ll cross Del Salto Stream, with its icy waters cradled by orange-tinted rocks that frame the breathtaking views of Mount Fitz Roy.

And here’s a little secret: You can also reach Laguna Sucia from Laguna de los Tres… It’s only a 5- minute walk away. Though this hike increases in intensity during the last bit, it’s totally worth it. This is one of the best day hikes in the world!

Day 6:  Travel Back to El Calafate

Transfer from El Chaltén to your hotel in El Calafate – Day at leisure

Time to continue with your Argentine Patagonia travel itinerary and get ready to board your bus back to El Calafate in the afternoon. The 3-hour drive back will be a good opportunity to relax while enjoying the passing landscapes out your window.

Once you arrive in El Calafate, the bus will drop you off at your hotel. Now is your chance to try some tender Patagonian Lamb, or maybe a heavenly Calafate ice cream. In Calafate, food options are varied and plentiful; from veggie delicacies to the best demonstration of national steaks, there really is something for everyone. You can choose a fancy restaurant for dinner, or a more traditional local tavern to spend an unforgettable night.

Day 7:  Patagonia Tours: Perito Moreno Glacier - El Calafate

Full-day Safari Azul to Perito Moreno Glacier

We’ll pick you up at your hotel and start our trip to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares where Perito Moreno Glacier awaits! At Bajo de las Sombras port, embark on a 20-minute sail crossing Lago Rico. Enjoy a 30-minute walk to approach the amazing spectacles of the Southern icy walls.

Continue walking through a greenwood and lakeshore and admire the Perito Moreno Glacier. Hop on the boat again and sail closer to the glacier. Get the most amazing views from the water.

Finally, the boat will leave you on the walkways, the lookout trail to traditionally observe the glacier and all its unpredictable movements. At the end of the day, we’ll drive you back to your hotel in El Calafate.

Day 8:  Optional Patagonia Tours - El Calafate

Optional tours in El Calafate – 4WD and Biking

“Adventure” in El Calafate has different kinds of colors and shapes. For your free day, our suggestion is to get those wheels in motion and keep on exploring. Ten minutes outside of town stands a 3000-foot hill from where you can get stunning views of Lake Argentino, Mount Fitz Roy, and Mount Torre.

Take a day tour and ride in a 4×4 right to the top, where you will spot the Perito Moreno Glacier emerging little by little from La Cordillera de los Andes (The Andes Range).

It’s also a perfect place to find archeological treasures (like millenary shark teeth or petrified oysters) from different geological periods of Earth

For the second part of the tour, you’ll get on your mountain bike to ride back down to El Calafate. On the way, you’ll stop to grab a bite, take pictures, spot wild guanacos, and challenge your riding abilities by climbing or crossing marshes and little lagoons until you reach civilization again. Nature, history, and adventure, all in one tour!

If you would like to add any Patagonia tours to this day, just let your travel advisor know.

Day 9:  Continue Your Travel Itinerary to Argentinian Patagonia - Ushuaia

Transfer to El Calafate airport – Transfer from Ushuaia airport to your hotel
Today we’ll drive you to the airport to take your flight to Ushuaia, the popular “End of the World” destination. Upon arrival at the airport in Ushuaia, we will drive you to your selected hotel.

Half-day Beagle Channel Navigation

In 1833 Charles Darwin sailed the Beagle Channel, today it is your turn! At the appropriate time in the afternoon, you will go on your own to the tourist pier (located in the center of the city). Embark on a 3-hour long boat trip along the famous Beagle Channel. Gain panoramas of Ushuaia Bay, where the city lies proudly crowned by the Martial Glacier. Unearth the diverse marine wildlife, such as cormorants (flying birds, closely related to penguins) and fur seals that frolic their time away on Alicia Island.

Reach the iconic Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, the ancient guard of the bay. On our way back, we will stop at Bridges Island to walk a wildlife interpretative path, hear about Yaman’s history (the native inhabitants), and see the largest shelly deposits of the region. During the excursion, you can enjoy a delicious hot chocolate with cookies or try the Mate (strong green tea) the favorite Argentine drink. Once we get back to the port, you will make your own way back to your hotel.

Ushuaia is a small town, really easy to get around on foot. The Yamanas, its first inhabitants, called it Ushuaia which means “protected bay” in their language. It was officially incorporated into the Republic of Argentina in 1884, and it soon became a penal colony, in order to establish a permanent Argentine settlement.

Day 10:  Trekking & Paddling in the National Park - Ushuaia

Discover Tierra del Fuego National Park wildlands

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel to start a 10-hour, moderate-difficulty, hiking adventure in Tierra del Fuego National Park, another highlight of Argentine Patagonia. The National Park is just 7.4 miles away from the city and borders the shore of the famous Beagle Channel.

Upon arrival at Ensenada Bay, you will have time to enjoy the view over the Beagle Channel before you start hiking along the coast. Four miles of trail await you, where you’ll discover native flora, wild fauna, and the remains left by the Yamanas, the native inhabitants of the area. After this 3-hour hike, you will reach Lake Roca, where lunch will be served.

After a full homemade picnic, you will start the second part of this adventure. Take your oar and plunge into a 1hr 30 min paddling trip along the Lapataia River (only available for children over 5 years old). Make it all the way to Lapataia Bay, where the Panamerican Highway and National Route 3 end at an awe-inspiring landscape.

After discovering the unique vastness of this stunning setting, we’ll take you back to your hotel to rest and enjoy another Patagonian evening.

Day 11:  Trek to Esmeralda Lagoon - Ushuaia

Full-day Trekking to Emerald Lagoon

Enjoy a 7-hour trip to the Esmeralda Lagoon and explore a secret hideaway of Tierra del Fuego National Park. You’ll be picked up at your hotel in a minivan (up to 18 people) to start this trekking adventure. Take a 1-hour scenic drive through lengas and cohiues, the ancient trees of Fueguian forests, until you reach the welcoming refuge.

Start your 2hr 30min trek to the Emerald Lagoon. This is a moderately difficult trek (7 miles and 700 feet of uneven terrain) which will lead you across streams and through dense forests. Reach the hidden lagoon, this is an excellent place for spotting foxes, condors, and beavers.

Marvel at the turquoise water while you take a 45-minute break to enjoy a delicious boxed lunch. After lunch, return to the refuge, from where you will be picked up and driven back to Ushuaia.

Day 12:  Last day of your travel itinerary to Argentine Patagonia - Ushuaia - Buenos Aires

Transfer to Ushuaia’s airport – Transfer to Buenos Aires International Airport
Get ready to leave Ushuaia and fly to Buenos Aires. We’ll pick you up from your hotel in Ushuaia and drive you to the airport. Upon arrival at the domestic flight airport in Buenos Aires, you’ll have a transfer to the international airport Ezeiza where you’ll take your flight back home, ¡buen viaje! (Good trip!).

If you want to continue traveling, Argentina still has plenty to offer! Check out some more of our travelers’ favorite trips to Argentina and Chile.

Day 1 Arrive Santiago

Tour begins: 6:00 PM, The Singular Santiago. We’ll meet you at the airport. A transfer is included upon arrival from Santiago International Airport to The Singular Santiago, a five-star luxury hotel in the city’s Lastarria district – an intimate, "green"-designed oasis in the heart of a sprawling metropolis set against stunning backdrops of the Andes Mountains. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel.

MEALS : D

LODGING : The Singular Santiago

PORTOFCALL : Santiago, Chile

Day 2 Travel to Puerto Natales

Fly this morning from Santiago to Punta Arenas, deep in the southern tip of the continent, near Tierra del Fuego. This “city of red roofs,” established in the 19th century as a penal colony and coaling station for steamships, is usually a jumping-off point for Antarctic expeditions, but today it’s a leg on your Patagonia travel adventure to the otherworldly landscapes of Torres del Paines National Park. From here you travel by land to Puerto Natales, a town on the shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) Sound. Named by a 16th-century Spanish explorer who became lost in the maze of channels and fjords while searching for the Strait of Magellan, the area was later settled by European immigrants as a shipping port for the local wool and meat-packing industry in the early 20th century. Arrive in late afternoon and check in to your accommodations at the Singular Patagonia hotel, formerly a waterfront factory built in 1915, now a luxury resort with dramatic floor-to-ceiling views of the sound and mountain ranges. This region of rolling plains and turquoise lakes is frequented by an anomalous assortment of wildlife, in a panorama bordered by ice-capped Andean peaks.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : The Singular Patagonia

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Natales, Chile

Day 3 Cruising Patagonia's Fjords

A cruise on the Ultima Esperanza Sound introduces you to the labyrinth of fjords, inlets, and channels that winds through this mystical landscape for miles: scenes of mountains, cliffs and caves, colonies of sea lions, plunging waterfalls, and ice-floes. Disembark at O'Higgins National Park for a hike to Serrano Glacier. Then cruise past waterfalls and Balmadeda Glacier for spectacular views of the fjords and surrounding mountain vistas that change color with the light. After lunch at an estancia and a sheep-shearing demonstration, return to the hotel. Following a late-afternoon historical tour of the Singular Hotel – converted from a waterfront factory built over a century ago – enjoy a four-course wine-pairing dinner at the hotel this evening featuring some of Chile's famous varietals.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : The Singular Patagonia

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Natales, Chile

Day 4 Torres del Paines National Park

Journey north from Puerto Natales to the heart of one of South America’s most spectacular nature preserves, a photographer’s paradise of glacier-carved fjords and valleys, steppes, and sub-polar forests, dominated by the grandeur of Torres del Paine, a range of twisted granite peaks sculpted in startling curves and serrated edges that includes a trio of rock formations known as Cleopatra’s Needles. The vivid colors of the lakes, shades of emerald and turquoise, are caused by rock flour settling from the restless grinding of the mountains by glaciers, a palette offset by rolling plains covered with red wildflowers. The rugged landscape is populated by foxes, pumas, guanacos, rheas, and large birds of prey, which you’ll have a chance to view on frequent photo stops, rest stops, and short hikes. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue touring the park throughout the afternoon. Head back to the hotel for dinner at your leisure this evening.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : The Singular Patagonia

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Natales, Chile

Day 5 Puerto Natales as you like it

Spend the day as you please at the resort – a variety of activities* are included, such as kayaking, biking, condor-watching, hiking, cave exploring, and horseback riding. The Singular hotel is officially a national monument for its significance to the heritage of the region, so in addition to its amenities it harbors a museum of fascinating exhibits on local history and restored machinery from its factory days. You can also visit the town, to learn about its unusual mix of European and indigenous cultures, where there’s also a wide choice of cafes and drinking establishments that cater to international tastes; or embark on a half- or full-day excursion to explore more of Torres Del Paines National Park. This evening, dinner is served family style at the hotel's restaurant.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : The Singular Patagonia

PORTOFCALL : Puerto Natales, Chile

Day 6 El Calafate and Lago Argentino

Your Patagonia travel adventure continues as you cross the border into Argentina this morning and arrive at El Calafate in time for lunch. A small, picturesque village on the shores of Lake Argentino, El Calafate is named for a wild bush with yellow flowers and blue berries that flourishes here; it is also known as the “Village of the Glaciers,” the gateway to Glacier National Park. Lunch in the town, which retains some of its original character as a pioneer outpost for wool-traders. Then continue on to your accommodations at Xelena Hotel & Suites. Check in, then pay a visit to a local museum, the Glaciarium, dedicated to the science of glaciers and the geological history of the area, an entree to the astonishing world you’ll meet in Glacier National Park.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Xelena Hotel & Suites

PORTOFCALL : El Calafate, Argentina

Day 7 Estancia Cristina and Upsala Glacier

Board a private boat at Punta Bandera for a cruise on Lake Argentino. The vast freshwater lake is fed by runoff from dozens of glaciers in the Southern Patagonian Icefield. You’ll sail by one of the largest of them, Upsala Glacier, a towering wall of ice (100 feet higher than Niagara Falls) that meets the water and stretches for miles through an alien landscape of wildly sculpted granite peaks and icebergs, and a startling palette of colors; the green of the lake beside the vivid blue, white and gold hues of the mountains, forests and ice offer dramatic photo ops like nowhere else on earth. Disembark at Estancia Cristina, a cattle and sheep ranch founded by an English immigrant in the early 1900s (and named after his daughter). Board a 4x4 and climb to a high vantage point for a short hike that brings you to a stunning panoramic view of Upsala Glacier. Then get a close-up look at life on the ranch, including a visit to a museum dedicated to Argentina’s ubiquitous cowboys, the gauchos. You’ll also enjoy a lunch of local cuisine, and learn the art of making mate tea (the national drink), traditionally brewed and served in a calabash gourd with a metal straw. Marvel again on the scenic return trip to your hotel for an evening spent as you wish.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Xelena Hotel & Suites

PORTOFCALL : El Calafate, Argentina

Day 8 Perito Moreno Glacier

Drive into Glacier National Park to witness one of South America's most breathtaking natural wonders, Perito Moreno Glacier. Fronting Lake Argentino for three miles, rising 240 feet from the water in dense clusters of jagged white skyscrapers, Perito Moreno is one of the few glaciers in the icefield that is advancing, its restless movement unseen but sometimes heard in its eerie groaning, cracking, and rumbling. From high walkways on the shore opposite the glacier, you can appreciate its overwhelming scale and even have the chance to see an iceberg calve away from the ice wall, collapsing like a tall building in an explosion of thunder and water. Return to the hotel this afternoon for time at leisure, or explore the shops and markets in the center of El Calafate; enjoy an included dinner tonight at your choice of three local restaurants in El Calafate.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Xelena Hotel & Suites

PORTOFCALL : El Calafate, Argentina

Day 9 Fly to Buenos Aires

Travel today on a flight from El Calafate to the cosmopolitan excitement of Buenos Aires. You’ll get an orientation tour of the “Paris of South America” en route to the Alvear Art Hotel, a stylish retreat in the middle of Retiro, a neighborhood filled with art galleries, high-end shopping, and tree-line boulevards near Plaza San Martin, one of the city's oldest squares. Dine at the hotel this evening.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Alvear Art Hotel

PORTOFCALL : Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 10 Silversmiths, Gaucho and Tango

An excursion takes you to the lush farmlands outside the city, and the artists’ community at San Antonio del Areco. In this town of charming Spanish colonial-style houses and streets, you’ll meet members of the Draghi family, world-famous silversmiths who have crafted treasures for all walks of life, from gauchos to heads of state and Hollywood stars; visit their shop and studio, where you’ll view their exquisite silver and saddlery, which evoke the cowboy culture and heritage of the region. Next up, naturally, is a private lunch and “gaucho fiesta”, where cowboys of the Argentine outback demonstrate their legendary equestrian skills: acrobatic riding, herding, ring-racing and horse dancing. Return to the hotel to freshen up, then join us for a farewell dinner and tango show in the city, where this once-scandalous dance form was born and elevated to an art.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : Alvear Art Hotel

PORTOFCALL : San Antonio de Areco, Argentina

Day 11 Journey home

Tour ends: Buenos Aires. Checkout time is noon. Transfers are included from Art Hotel to Buenos Aires International Airport. You should allow 3 hours for flight check-in.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Buenos Aires, Argentina