Argentina & Chile: Glaciers, Lake District & Capitals

Departure from your chosen airport bound for Buenos Aires with connecting flight(s) on the way.

Whether it is the wide boulevards, the impressive architecture, the cosy colourful neighbourhoods or just a mish-mash of it all that makes the Argentinian capital so charming, you will have to judge for yourself. You will spend three nights in the wonderful city, so there’s plenty of time to experience its different neighbourhoods and really feel the atmosphere.

You will be picked up from the airport by your guide, who will drive you to your hotel, which is centrally located in the city. The rest of the day is yours to do as you please.

Spend the afternoon strolling down the wide boulevard, Avenida 9 de Julio, or sit on a bench in General San Martín Square, named after José de San Martín, Argentina’s national hero who helped lead the revolutions against Spanish rule in Argentina.

We recommend purchasing the “Taste of Argentina” excursion, which provides an exciting insight into Argentinian food culture and traditions. If you are going to participate in this excursion, you should consider just having a light lunch, as a feast of delicious Argentinian specialities awaits you.

Look forward to a taste of the city’s major attractions on today’s 4-hour guided tour.

You will visit many of the city’s charming neighbourhoods, including the old working-class district of La Boca, known for its colourful houses on the small street “caminito”. The area was originally an old shipyard, and the poor workers built their houses from surplus materials and paint from the ships. As there was usually never enough paint to paint an entire house, the neighbourhood ended up in an array of bright colours.

San Telmo is an exciting artists’ neighbourhood and the oldest neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, where you will find the famous tango bars.

You also visit the upscale neighbourhoods of Recoleta and Palermo. In Recoleta, there is a stop at the cemetery where many famous Argentinians are buried, including Eva Perón, who was the much-loved first lady, better known as Evita.

The port area of Puerto Madero is the city’s most modern area, buzzing with life, fabulous restaurants and bars. This is also where you can see the unique footbridge, Puente de la mujer, the shape of which is inspired by a couple dancing the tango.

The guided tour continues down the world’s widest boulevard, Avenida 9 de Julio, to the famous obelisk, one of the city’s historic landmarks. You will also visit Avenida Corrientes, where the city’s theatres and cinemas are gathered, among them Teatro Colón – their beautiful opera house.

The city has numerous magnificent squares, and you will visit Plaza de Mayo, where the iconic Casa Rosada government building is located, as well as Plaza de las Naciones Unidas with its beautiful flower sculpture, Floralis Genérica.

The excursion is by minibus, with photo stops along the way.

In the evening, you have the option to purchase an excursion to experience a real Argentinian tango show. After a delicious Argentinian dinner with big steaks and good wine, you can sit back and enjoy the talented dancers giving you an insight into the melancholic tango and also music and dance from other parts of Argentina. A wonderful experience in beautiful surroundings.

You have the day to yourself to explore Buenos Aires. You can also purchase an optional excursion to the Tigre Delta, north of Buenos Aires, or how about experiencing the city from the saddle of a bicycle?

Perhaps there’s a neighbourhood you’d like to get to know better, or you’ve opted for a local Parilla (steak house) for lunch.

On the eastern side of Puerto Madero, you will find a beautiful oasis in the heart of the city: the 8 km² Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur nature reserve. It’s a lovely area for a walk, and there are several marked trails you can follow, offering the chance of seeing birds and iguanas. On the other side of the reserve is the Rio de la Plata river. From here, you can look over to neighbouring Uruguay. Please note that the reserve is closed on Mondays.

You leave the capital and head south to El Calafate in Patagonia, where breathtaking nature experiences await you. You will certainly notice the contrast on your arrival at the quiet little town in the middle of Patagonia’s windswept plains, where the only neighbour is the scenic Lago Argentino, Argentina’s largest lake, with the majestic Andes in the background.

You have the rest of the day to yourself to go on a walk along the city’s cosy main street, which is lined by small restaurants and shops. For dinner, we recommend a dish made with guanaco or lamb, which the area is famous for. The guanaco lives in the wild in Patagonia and is related to the llama.

El Calafate is the starting point for tours to Los Glaciares National Park, the largest national park in Argentina. The park covers an area of more than 6,000 km2 consisting of huge glaciers, snow-capped mountains, the turquoise glacier lake and barren plains. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason.

You will visit the most famous and most accessible glacier of them all, the mighty Perito Moreno. The glacier is enormous, measuring roughly 30 km in length, 5 km in width and, in some places, more than 70 metres in height. Perito Moreno is special because it is not getting smaller year by year. Most glaciers in the rest of the world are melting due to global warming, but Perito Moreno is managing to replace as much ice as is melting away.

After arriving at the national park, you will go on a short boat ride in front of the glacier, giving you a good idea of the sheer scale of it. You might even be lucky enough to see the glacier calve, as it is called when large pieces of ice break off with a loud crack.

Afterwards, there is time in the park to walk off the marked trails and experience the glacier from several different angles. Lunch (not included) can be purchased in the park’s cafeteria before you start the walk and then enjoyed in unique surroundings overlooking the Perito Moreno Glacier.

After spending a few hours at the glacier, you will be driven back to your hotel, and the rest of the evening is yours to do as you please.

You have the day to yourself in El Calafate, where you might like to go for a walk around Lago Argentino. There are a lot of birds here, and if you’re a bird lover, you can continue on to the Laguna Nimez bird sanctuary, which is home to birds including the black-headed ibis, the black-necked swan and the colourful flamingo.

Just outside El Calafate is the fascinating Glaciarium, the ice museum where you can learn more about glaciers and the history of the area. There is a free hourly shuttle bus to/from the museum from the centre of El Calafate. There is an ice bar at the museum with temperatures below 0 degrees, where your drinks are served in glasses made of ice. If you are not interested in the museum but would like to experience an ice bar, there are two other ice bars in the centre of El Calafate.

Roughly 200 km north of El Calafate is the popular El Chalten trekking area, where you will discover impressive nature with picturesque lagoons and dramatic mountains including the iconic Mount Fitz Roy (optional extra).

You will be collected from the hotel and driven to the airport for your flight to Bariloche. When you land, you will be met by a driver who will take you to your hotel.

Bariloche is located on the border with Chile, and is often called the ‘Switzerland of the Andes’. The city is famous for its flora and fauna, and it is surrounded by deep blue lakes, broad rivers and snow-capped mountains. It is without doubt one of the most beautiful places in the world.

The day begins with a half-day excursion. The tour starts at Ezequiel Bustillo Avenue, which follows the shores of the Nahuel Huapi lake. The route brings you to the beautiful Playa Bonita beach, from where you can see Huemul island in the centre of the lake, before continuing on through the magnificent scenery to Campanario Hill. You will then ride a lift to the peak (1,050 masl), from where you can enjoy the impressive view out over the capital city of San Carlos de Bariloche and the rest of the region, whose features include the Nahuel and Moreno lakes, the El Trebol lagoon, the San Pedro and Llao Llao peninsulas and the four mountains called Otto, Lopez, Goye and Catedral. Another point of interest is Victoria Island, whose myrtle bushes are said to have inspired some of Walt Disney’s advisers when they were designing the backgrounds for the film Bambi.

As you pass along the Llao Llao peninsula, take the time to admire two architectural gems: the San Eduardo chapel and the Llao Llao hotel, which lay forgotten for years but has now been painstakingly restored and reopened. The tour then continues alongside Pañuelo harbour and crosses the bridge that spans the Angostura River that links the Nahuel Huapi and Moreno lakes. The next stop is Panorama Point, from where there is a magnificent view of Moreno lake and the Llao Llao peninsula. The return trip to Bariloche takes you across the bridge over Moreno lake and along the shores of El Trebol lagoon to Ezequiel Bustillo Avenue.

The afternoon is yours to do with as you wish.

Today, you’ll leave Argentina and head towards Chile. You will be picked up at the meeting point, a five-minute walk from your hotel; you’ll find the address on your voucher. From there, you’ll travel to Puerto Pañuelo, where a catamaran awaits to take you on a picturesque journey across Lake Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest – a journey of about an hour. Once you arrive at Puerto Blest, a bus will be ready to take you to Puerto Alegre by Lake Frias. Here, you’ll sail on the deep green lake, with views of the snow-capped Tronador Mountain standing 3491 metres above sea level, to Puerto Frias surrounded by lush vegetation. From here, you’ll continue by bus to the town of Peulla through the magnificent Andes Mountains. During the journey, enjoy the lush vegetation and views of the snow-capped Tronador Mountain with its 9 glaciers. You’ll enter Perez Rosales National Park and arrive at Peulla, situated by Lake Todos los Santos.

The morning is yours to do with as you wish, so make the most of the opportunity to explore this beautiful place.

The afternoon will see you sailing on a catamaran across Lago Todos los Santos, also known as ‘the emerald lake’ on account of the deep green colour of its water. During the trip, sit back and admire the view of the snow-clad volcanoes Osorno, Tronador and Puntiagudios. After a voyage of around two hours, the catamaran will dock at Petrohué, where you can visit the impressive Petrohué Falls. You will then continue on your way by bus, following the shores of Lago Llanquihue lake against the impressive backdrop of the Osorno volcano and the Calbuco landscape. Your destination for the day is Puerto Varas, which enjoys a truly idyllic location next to the lake, with the snow-capped volcanoes in the background. Puerto Varas is a beautifully preserved town, founded in 1854 by German immigrants – as is clearly reflected in the local architecture.

You will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Puerto Montt airport, from which you will fly to Santiago de Chile, the capital of Chile. You will be met by your guide at the airport, who will drive you to your hotel.

Of Chile’s 18 million or so inhabitants, 6 million live in Santiago de Chile.

The Chilean capital enjoys a beautiful location, backed by the snow-clad Andes mountains to the east and the coastal mountain range to the west. Santiago is a modern and inviting metropolis, with tall skyscrapers and charming quarters; moreover, some of the finest vineyards in the world are located just outside the city.

Today, you will be going on a 3-hour guided tour, taking you to the main sights of the city.

You will be picked up from the hotel and start out with a visit to Piedras Australes, a craft shop which specialises in making jewellery out of the rare, blue lapis lazuli stone, found only in Chile and Afghanistan.

The tour then proceeds to the heart of Santiago de Chile, where you will be able to see the contrast between the capital’s rich history and its impressive, modern buildings.

Here, you will visit Santa Lucía hill, which is believed to be the place where Santiago de Chile was founded by Pedro de Valdivia and from which there is an incredible view of the city. Afterwards, you will visit the central square, Plaza de Armas, which is framed by beautiful buildings such as the Correo Central post office, the country’s largest cathedral with its impressive Baroque-style interiors and the National History Museum, where you can learn about Chile’s history.

Finally, you will see the magnificent neoclassical presidential palace, Palacio de La Moneda, where President Allende committed suicide during the 1973 military coup. You will have the chance to walk around the traditional streets of La Moneda before being driven back to the hotel.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore the city on your own or simply relax at the hotel.

The time has finally come for you to bid farewell to Argentina and Chile. You will be driven to the airport to catch your flight back to Europe. You will fly to your chosen airport with connecting flights along the way.

Arrival at your chosen airport after an eventful tour of Argentina and Chile.