Compare Buenos Aires, Iguazu & Classic Patagonia Adventure Tour by Say Hueque vs 8-Day Argentina & Patagonia Tour From Buenos Aires: El Calafate & Ushuaia**Discover Patagonia from the Southern Glaciers to the End of the World City** by Tours4Fun

Day 1:  Welcome to Your Trip to Argentina - Start in 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 also 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 just our spirit!

Day 2:  City Tour & Tango Show - Buenos Aires

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. Come 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, the talent of our local artists, the sensuality of Argentine women, and our way of dealing with a broken heart; dancing our way through tragic, and 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, fully in love with the bohemian spirit of our incredible city.

This is one of the most interesting cultural experiences in your 2-weeks travel itinerary in Argentina!

Day 3:  Start Your Travel Itinerary to Patagonia

Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

It’s time to leave the city and start your adventure trip to Patagonia. Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport to take your flight to Puerto Madryn, the wildlife paradise of Patagonia.

Transfer from Puerto Madryn airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

You’ll land in Trelew and then we’ll drive you one hour to your hotel in the city of Puerto Madryn. Puerto Madryn is the closest city to the famous Peninsula Valdés, where the Southern Right Whales migrate every year to mate and raise their calves. Thousands of travelers make the annual journey to participate in this natural spectacle.

In fact, the Peninsula Valdés Natural Reserve was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to many different mammals and birds which can only be seen in this part of the globe. Come to see the whales, as well as short-haired sea lions, magnificent (and huge!) elephant seals, black and white dolphins called ‘toninas’, and the always-adorable Patagonian penguins. This will definitely be one of the highlights of your 3-week journey to Argentina and Chile!

Day 4: Whale Watching in Peninsula Valdes - Puerto Madryn

Get closer to the whales!

Your first adventure tour in Patagonia starts with a visit to Península Valdés. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you to explore this amazing wildlife reserve for 10 hours. Get your camera ready for some breathtaking pictures of whales, elephant seals, sea lions, guanacos, and rheas!

To get to Peninsula Valdes, you will cross an incredibly narrow strip of land that is sandwiched by the sea on either side. Further along the journey, you will arrive at Caleta Valdes, a large natural creek that is home to a colony of elephant seals who will happily pose for photos.

After admiring Caleta Valdes and its animal inhabitants, you will continue along the road as it winds through a crescent of golden cliffs overlooking the bright blue bay of Golfo Nuevo and the picturesque village of Puerto Piramides. This is a classic spot for whale watching; every year whales arrive at the bay to mate and raise their calves, which is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle to see.

In Puerto Piramides, whale watching starts. You will take a 2-hour boat trip around Golfo Nuevo Bay and watch these immense creatures gliding past. This peninsula navigation allows you to get incredibly close to the whales! Enjoy the experience of sailing side-by-side with these beautiful and peaceful animals. At the end of the tour, we will drive you back to your hotel in Puerto Madryn.

Day 5:  Penguins in Punta Tombo - Puerto Madryn

Walk among the Magellanic penguins of Punta Tombo

We will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and drive 75 miles south of Puerto Madryn to Punta Tombo, home to the largest colony of Magellan penguins in South America to continue exploring the beautiful Patagonian wildlife.

The colony’s population reaches over half a million birds during peak season, and you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy some waddling with these adorable creatures. You’ll have 2 hours to walk around the reserve, learning about how they feed their babies, build their nests, and swim beneath the waves!

After the penguin encounter, you’ll have time to eat a quick lunch at a bar near the reserve, and then head to the Punta Tombo Interpretation Center, where you’ll learn some interesting facts about the lives of Magellanic Penguins. How many types of penguins are there in the world? Why can’t they fly? All of your questions will be answered today!

To end the day, you can choose to visit the Paleontologist Museum in the city of Trelew or return directly to Puerto Madryn.

Day 6:  Continue Your Adventure in Patagonia - Travel to Ushuaia

Transfer from your hotel to Trelew airport

Continue your adventure tours through Patagonia visiting the popular “End of the World” destination! We’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport to take your flight to Ushuaia.

Transfer from Ushuaia airport to your hotel in the city – Day at leisure

Upon arrival in Ushuaia, we will drive you to your hotel in the city. Enjoy your free day to wander the streets of the southernmost city in the world. 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, to establish a permanent Argentine settlement.

Day 7:  Trekking & Paddling in Ushuaia

Discover Tierra del Fuego National Park wildlands

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel to start a 10-hour, moderate-difficulty, adventure in Tierra del Fuego National Park, just 7.4 miles away from the city and bordering 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 ends 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 8:  Patagonia Adventure in Ushuaia - Beagle Channel cruise - Travel to El Calafate

Beagle Channel boat trip and Patagonian wildlife

In 1833 Charles Darwin sailed the Beagle Channel and found something great. Today it’s your turn: become another explorer of this channel, primitively named Onashaga Channel since the Onas were its first discoverers.

Make your way to the tourist pier (located downtown) to embark on a 4-hour Beagle Channel navigation in a fully equipped boat with a capacity for up to 26 people. With Argentina on your left and Chile on your right, you’ll sail this natural border until you reach the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, which is still in operation.

On the way, enjoy uplifting panoramic views of Ushuaia Bay, crowned by the Martial Glacier’s diverse Patagonian marine wildlife, such as cormorants (flying birds, closely related to penguins) and fur seals. Hop off on Bridges Island to explore its vegetation, and visit the archeological remains of the Yamanas (the native inhabitants) accompanied by a specialized bilingual guide.

During the trip, enjoy bottomless hot cocoa and cookies, or try the maté (loose herbal tea), which is every Argentinian’s favorite drink. Once we get back to the port, you can make your way back to your hotel.

Transfer from your hotel to Ushuaia airport

At the appropriate time in the afternoon, say goodbye to the city at the ‘end of the world and catch your ride to the domestic airport to take your flight to El Calafate

Transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel in the city – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we will bring you to your hotel and have the remainder of your day to relax or explore the surroundings. El Calafate is the starting point for adventure travelers who desire to unearth the most spellbinding glaciers of Patagonia, like Perito Moreno Glacier, the only one in the world that’s still advancing. Though it’s not the only glacier in the area, it’s the one that made the city of El Calafate famous worldwide.

Day 9:  Perito Moreno Glacier tour

Perito Moreno Glacier tour – Meet the icy giant of Patagonia

During the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Glaciers National Park to enjoy the 6-hour Perito Moreno Glacier tour. You will travel about 25 miles from El Calafate to the park, enjoying the views of the Patagonian steppe. Once inside the park, you will take walkways to explore the different viewpoints, and you’ll feel unbelievably close to Perito Moreno Glacier. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a piece of ice break off and fall from the glacier wall, sinking forever into the lake below.

Over the course of about one hour, a bilingual guide will provide you with all the information you might want to know…and things you may have never thought about. After this visit, you will take a boat ride that will bring you close enough to fully appreciate the 262-foot ice walls of Perito Moreno! You’ll never feel closer to this gigantic and impressive natural masterpiece. At the end of the day, we will drive you back to your hotel.

Day 10:  Visit a Patagonian Ranch - El Calafate

Optional tour – Visit to a traditional Patagonian ranch

El Calafate has much more to offer than just its magnificent glaciers… we recommend that you complete your adventure trip to Patagonia by taking a day tour to immerse yourself in the rural culture of Patagonia.

Inside Glaciers National Park, at the end of National Route 15 and after a 1 hr 30 min drive over a rubble road, sits one of the oldest and most traditional Patagonian ranches in the area. It’s the only ranch that continues to maintain sheep and Hereford cattle breeding as its main occupation.

You can take a day trip to visit its 30,000 acres of land, learn about its history, and witness a sheep-shearing demonstration and horse training. At the end of the day, a grilled lamb will await, sizzling on its traditional Patagonian rotisserie.

Day 11:  The End of Your Adventure Tours in Patagonia - Travel Back to Buenos Aires

Transfer from your hotel to El Calafate airport

Today you’ll fly to Buenos Aires for a one-night stop, and then fly from Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls the next day. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport.

Transfer from Buenos Aires airport to your hotel

Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, we’ll be waiting to bring you to your hotel in the city. Enjoy the evening in one of the many trendy restaurants or bars in Palermo Soho, or maybe visit a ‘milonga’ (local tango house) in the city. Don’t be shy! If you can cross the Patagonian glaciers and cruise next to giant whales, then you can definitely mingle with Argentine locals in their favorite dance spots.

Day 12:  Start Your Tour to Iguazú Falls From Buenos Aires

Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

Prepare to fly from Buenos Aires to the Iguazú Falls and discover the Argentine jungle! We’ll pick you up and drive you to the local airport to take your flight to Puerto Iguazú.

Transfer from Puerto Iguazú airport to your hotel – Day at leisure
Upon arrival, we will meet you at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Puerto Iguazú. The small border town of Puerto Iguazú is the gateway to visit the impressive Iguazú Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage site, making it a must-see destination for any traveler visiting Argentina.

Day 13:  Iguazú Falls - Argentinian side

Wander Iguazú Falls National Park and meet The Devil’s Throat

You flew from Buenos Aires to Iguazú Falls to live this experience! Our driver and bilingual guide will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the National Park, on the Argentinian side.

Enjoy a 7-hour tour wandering through the rainforest! The falls are surrounded by a humid subtropical forest where the exuberant vegetation is home to many different animals and birds. Our guide will help you spot some of them: antbirds, toucans, manakins, parrots, and coatis, just to name a few of the most common birds. Lower and upper walkways weave in and around falls permitting up close and personal experiences with this magnificent spectacle of nature.

The Argentine side of the falls is filled with a myriad of paths walkways and stairways which allow you to have an experience from many different perspectives. You will have the chance to meet “The Devil’s Throat”: the largest of the falls and for many the most spellbinding.

To get to the “Devil’s throat” you take the ecological train and then walk out along boardwalks. After walking and taking pictures of animals and plants, you will have some free time to eat lunch in this amazing environment. At the end of the experience, we will drive you back to your hotel.

Day 14:  Iguazú Falls Tour, Brazilian side - Travel back to Buenos Aires

Visit the Brazilian side of Iguazú National Park

After breakfast, enjoy a 4-hour excursion to the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls. While Argentina has 80% of the falls on its side, Brazil has the best panoramic view. On the Argentine side you will have the sensation of being right inside the falls, but only by visiting the Brazilian side will you fully appreciate the immensity of Iguazú Falls.

Take your time to enjoy it and feel it, to stroll the different walkways and feel the spray of water on your face. Take the boardwalk over the Salto Santa María; it feels like walking on the water. Get closer to the “Devil’s Throat” and experience the power of the water! Although you’ll be looking into Argentina, your feet will be on the ground in Brazil! Where does Argentina start and Brazil end? Well, it’s time to walk the line.

Back from the footbridge, you’ll have some free time to use the restrooms, visit the gift shop, and take a special elevator to an especially high viewpoint. At the end of the tour, we’ll drive you back to your hotel.

Transfer from your hotel to Puerto Iguazú airport

In the evening we’ll drive you to the airport to board your flight back to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you will have a transfer to your hotel.

Day 15:  The End of Your Trip to Argentina

Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

At the appropriate time, we’ll drive you to the international airport where you’ll take your flight back home, ¡buen viaje! (Good trip!).

For more trips in Argentina, you can read about our favorite experiences or contact us to create a tailored trip to South America.

Day 1 Arrival at Buenos Aires

Upon your arrival at Buenos Aires airport (Ezeiza or Aeroparque), you will be met and transferred to the Europlaza hotel in the city center. The rest of the day will be free for you to spend at your leisure.

Day 2 Buenos Aires - El Calafate

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the Jorge Newbery Airpark for your domestic flight to El Calafate (airfare is not included). Upon arrival at the El Calafate Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Hosteria Hainen, where you can relax for the rest of the day. El Calafate is a picturesque village close to Lago Argentino, one of Patagonias largest and most stunning lakes. It's also the entrance to the amazing land of the glaciers.

Day 3 Perito Moreno Glacier Boat Safari

Today's Los Glaciares National Park excursion is perfect for those nature lovers who want to explore lakes, rivers, mountains and trails to discover one of its greatest wonders. What makes it really special is the boat tour, which allows you to get closer to the Perito Moreno Glacier area, providing a unique experience, because of the views and landscapes, which are impossible to see any other way. After breakfast, we will pick you up from your hotel and we will head towards Los Glaciares National Park. We will drive along the scenic Route 11, which runs alongside the main course of Lago Argentino on our way to Brazo Rico. Once in the park, we will go to Curva de los Suspiros, where we will get off the vehicle to take a first look at the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is certainly an amazing image. Later we will make another stop at the Muelle bajo las Sombras, where we will navigate to get closer to the southern wall of the glacier. By boat we will approach to the stunning Perito Moreno ice walls, getting close enough to contemplate its immensity and also to observe the ice landslides that continually take place. As we get to the front wall, the boat will stop for a few minutes to get a better look at the landscape, giving us a very good opportunity to take interesting photographs and film the scene. Then we will go to the front catwalks of the glacier, where we will see it from several balconies located at different heights, allowing to appreciate it from different angles, each more beautiful than the last one. Finally we will enjoy some free time to spot the different detachments that continually take place, and those who want to, can enjoy lunch at any of the restaurants near the runways. In the afternoon we will return to El Calafate and we will drop you off at your hotel. The rest of the evening is yours to enjoy El Calafate.

Day 4 Full Day Boat Trip on the Ice River From El Calafate

Our journey to the Ice Rivers of Patagonia will take so close to the glaciers you will feel Patagonia's heartbeat against your fingertips. Early in the morning, after breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will head towards the Port of Punta Bandera, 47 kilometers away from the city of El Calafate. You will drive by the Route 11 to Los Glaciares National Park and will skirt the main part of Lake Argentino to Puerto Bandera's private port, arriving around 8:30 am. You will be quickly informed about the safety and seaworthiness and you will then embark on modern Catamaran at 09:00 am, to start navigating between icebergs in the north and Upsala Glacier to the namesake. Travelling through another arm of Lake, you will observe the highest Glacier, Glacier Spegazzini with almost 100 meters of height. After spending the day being impressed by the landscapes and unique experience, you will be taken back to shore and take ground transportation to El Calafate.

Day 5 Flight to Ushuaia From El Calafate

After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the El Calafate Airport for your domestic flight to Ushuaia (airfare is not included). Upon arrival at the Ushuaia Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Villa Brescia Hotel, where you can relax for the rest of the day. Ushuaia is the most Southern city of the world and its proximity to Antarctica makes it special for its climate and sunlight.

Day 6 Tierra del Fuego Half-Day Excursion With End of the World Train

After breakfast in your hotel, you'll be picked up by your guide and head towards the Tierra del Fuego National Park, located 11 km away from the city. We will be able to appreciate lakes, lagoons and rivers within its limits, and their exit towards Beagle Channel. Departing from Maipu Avenue towards the southwest by the national route 3, we will drive out of the city, passing by the slope of the Susana Mount, and witness the ancient work of the prisoners, the Southern Fuegian Railway. Continuing through the valley to the deviation that takes us to the Ensenada Bay, where we will be able to view the Redonda and Estorbo Islands and, on the other coast of the Beagle Channel, the snow-white mountains of the Sampaio Chain (Chile). Back again on the national route #3 with the fuegian forest and its flora close to the road, we will go to the Roca Lake to do a long walk by the lake coast and by the Lapataia river, originated in the lake. From this point we can see the Cóndor Hill, the natural border with Chile. We will go towards the other end of the Park, where route 3 ends at Lapataia Bay. On the way we will observe the Green Lagoon and the Black Lagoon, a large growing peat bog. Finally we will pass by the beaver dams, whose footpath will lead to Lapataia Bay. Then, after being surrounded by wildlife, you will be taken back to your hotel in Ushuaia.

Day 7 4x4 Excursion to Escondido and Fagnano Lakes

After taking breakfast in your hotel, we will pick you up between 8 and 8.30 am, heading to the lakes. The minibus will take Route 3, which runs along the fueguina cordillera and allows access to the Garibaldi passageway, panoramic point from which you will be able to see the objectives of the journey : the Escondido and Fagnano lakes. The descent will begin, diverging from the road to follow woodcutters´ancient traces.Land Rovers allow to get to places with impossible access otherwise, because of the forest, the clay and rocks. Around 12.30 pm, you will arrive at the refuge where you will wait for a delicious asado criollo (typical barbecue). While the guides prepare the food, the passengers can have a walk around to appreciate the forest and beavers' constructions who are part of the landscape. After the lunch and gaining energies, the adventure goes on with the hectic Fagnano lake's shores to reach an intern path leading to the Escondido lake, with minor dimensions but surrounded by an incomparable natural context. Around 2 pm, the way back to Ushuaia city will start, taking parts of the old Nacional Road 3. You will arrive at your hotel around 3 pm. Free night

Day 8 Ushuaia - Buenos Aires

After breakfast at your hotel you'll be met for your transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires (or elsewhere, airfare is not included). Once in Buenos Aires, a private car will take you to the Ezeiza International Airport for your flight back home.