Patagonia

Arrive in Buenos Aires, transfer to hotel.

Today you will tour the exciting and seductive city of Buenos Aires, guided tour and visits to typical neighborhoods like La Boca, Palermo, Recoleta, and the Colon Theater, the National Congress and the Presidential Palace. No visit to Buenos Aires is complete without attending a tango show, so tonight your transfer will meet you at your hotel and whisk you away to one of the city’s most famous events, a tango show. We will experience the intimate dance that unifies the city and its people together in a passionate embrace.  The tango expresses the heart and the spirit of Argentina.  The night includes dinner and a drink, as well as the transfers to and from the show. (B, D)

Gaucho’s Festival: The typical landscape of the Argentina humid Pampa, one of the most fertile natural prairies in the world, famous for its meat and cereal production, may be appreciated by the tourist in this tour that includes a reception with “empanadas” (meat pies) and “asado” (roast meat) and good Argentinean wines, a show with folk songs and dances and an exhibition of the gaucho’s abilities with riding, taming and the use of the lasso. (B, L)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a flight to Ushuaia, the world’s most southern city. Transfer to hotel and an afternoon tour of nearby trails enjoying the vistas that looking over the Beagle Channels. (B)

Just north of Ushuaia is the Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s first coastal national park. The trail system of easy and undemanding paths makes this an ideal place to spend a relaxing day exploring Patagonia. We’ll wander along the coastal path, undoubtedly the most beautiful in the park. The 3½-hour hike takes us through forests of high and low deciduous beech, evergreen beech, winterbark, firebrush and more. We finish the walk at Lake Roca in time for lunch. Then we climb into inflatable canoes and begin the easy downstream paddle to the Ovando River. The crystal-clear water runs into Laguna Verde, one of the most picturesque, panoramic spots in the park. Our take-out point is Lapataia Bay, where we may see petrels, albatross, steamer ducks, and on occasion, penguins. We’ll return to Ushuaia and transfer directly to the M/V Australis – a luxury passenger ship built specifically for cruising through the fjords of the Straits of Magellan. Make yourself at home on this spacious and comfortable ship. (B, L, D)

We will sail through the Beagle and Murray Channels to disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting). Cape Horn was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June, 2005. In the afternoon we will go ashore in historical Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest native settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833 during the voyage of the HMS BEAGLE. This area is also renowned for the spectacular beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest filled with lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns and other species to reach a lookout point. (B, L, D)

In the morning we sail through the desolate Brecknock and Ocasión channels, to reach Cockburn Channel in the afternoon. After lunch, we arrive at Chico Sound and disembark in Zodiac boats to explore Alakaluf Fjord, and to see its beautiful waterfalls and observe the Piloto and Nena glaciers from the sea. We will learn about the formation of glaciers and their influence in the abrupt geography of the region’s channels. (B, L, D)

Early in the morning, we go ashore on Magdalena Island (weather permitting). The island is inhabited by an immense colony of Magellanic Penguins, which can be seen during our walk to a lighthouse. In September and April this excursion is replaced by a Zodiac boat ride at Isla Marta to observe sea lions. After our visit, we sail to Punta Arenas, disembarking at 11:30 AM. Meet & greet at Punta Arenas Pier and transfer to Puerto Natales. Arrive at Puerto Natales and 2-night accommodations at selected hotel, including breakfast. Evening at leisure. (B)

Visiting the Patagonia without going to Torres del Paine National Park is almost a sin. The first stop will be the millenary Milodon Cave, a huge natural ground accident with an incalculable anthropological value, which is believed to have been inhabited by the primitive Patagonian man, and the Milodon, an extinct herbivorous animal. Arrive to Torres del Paine National Park through the Amarga Lagoon area, with stunning scenery where you can enjoy watching red foxes and condors, which usually are part of the beautiful panoramic views of the Paine Mountain. Following the route, you can see the Nordenskjold and Pehoé lakes, together with groups of guanacos and lesser rheas or ñandúes. The journey continues with a 10-minute hike, where it is possible to discover the astonishing Salto Grande (large waterfall) to continue through the front of the imposing horns towards the Grey Lake area. A stop will be made at the Grey Inn to have lunch and later we will visit the ice floes of the Grey Glacier. Return to the hotel by late afternoon. Evening at leisure. (B)

Bus from Puerto Natales to El Calafate, check-in at selected hotel. Afternoon visit to Perito Moreno Glacier, located within the Glaciers National Park, 80 kms from El Calafate. The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the main natural beauties of Argentina. Due to its wonder UNESCO has declared it a World Natural Heritage Site in 1981. Arriving at the Glaciers’ balconies, visitors will spend about 4 hours walking along pathways and admiring it from different viewpoints. Framed by a beautiful landscape of mountains, lakes and forests, the Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most spectacular scenes of nature. It owes its fame to its continuous movement, which produces a cyclical phenomenon of advance and backward motion with amazing ice toppling. Return to the hotel by late afternoon. (B)

Transfer to Calafate airport for a flight to Buenos Aires, connect to a flight home. (B)