Tour Full Agentina Program
Reception at the International airport (EZE, Ministro Pistarini): located in Ezeiza. Meet and greet. Drive in private vehicle for 45 minutes / one hour to downtown hotel.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight: Alvear Palace hotel or Park Hyatt or Hub Porteño hotel
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel to visit the city.
Half day City Tour
- Duration: 4 hs
- Sightseeing
The most important sights of Buenos Aires arise from the centerpiece of this half-day tour. Start driving through the narrows streets of the old city and the broad avenues that mark Buenos Aires modern growth. On South America’s broadest avenue, 9 de Julio Avenue, we see Colon Theater and the “Obelisco”. Around the “Plaza de Mayo” (May Square), we will see the “Casa Rosada” (Pink colored House, which houses the mythical balcony from where Evita used to address people), the Cathedral (with the mausoleum of General San Martín, Argentina´s independence hero), and the “Cabildo” (Town Hall). We continue our way through May Avenue, that joins the “Plaza de Mayo” with the Congress, with its Art Nouveau buildings, old hotels, theaters and cafes.
We continue our journey towards San Telmo, a neighborhood of bohemians, artists, antiques shops and cobbled streets. We will pass around Dorrego Square, where each Sunday thousands of tourists and “porteños” (Buenos Aires inhabitants) visit the antique fair that is held there. Our tour goes on to the neighborhood of La Boca, with its colorful tenements, where a lot of artists open their studios and workshops. We will walk along the mythical street of “Caminito”.
We continue our visit in Puerto Madero (formerly: “The Docks” port area). In constant development, this gentrified neighborhood was totally redesigned in the nineties
Its new residential area, very close to the river, houses three design hotels, chic restaurants and exclusive apartment buildings.
We head towards the north where we will stop at San Martín Square, surrounded by elegant buildings with French architecture, and one of the most aristocratic areas of Buenos Aires.
We continue our tour in the traditional neighborhood of Palermo, strolling along its large parks, rose gardens and lakes, the porteños favorite place to practice sports or give long walks.
We end our tour in Recoleta district, one of the most fashionable parts of the city, which includes South America’s most opulent and extraordinary cemetery, the resting place of Eva Peron.
Dinner & Tango Show at Rojo Tango
- Pick up time 20:15 hs / return 23:30 hs
- Show duration: 1 h 20 min
Rojo Tango is red hot and devilishly delicious; a one of a kind experience in Buenos Aires. As soon as you walk into the impressive and imposing central hallway of the Faena Hotel + Universe and into El Cabaret, where Rojo Tango performs nightly, the experience begins. The high ceiling and clerestory windows of Faena resemble a church nave, but that’s how Philippe Starck, the revolutionary French designer, imagined it. It’s not your regular dinner and show despite the presence of all the tango standards: somber mood, emotional madness, lost love and lovers.
Between curtain calls the well-stocked bar of El Cabaret turns its lights out and converts into a stage. The dancers, four pairs in all and led by the very creative and talented Sandra Boots and Gabriel Ortega, will leave you breathless with their seductively balletic movements, performed mesmerizingly in Piazzolla sounds of the very young Quinteto Viceversa’s bandoneons and violin.
The space of El Cabaret somehow puts the audience right in the middle of the show, so that you’re watching here, there, and everywhere. Add to that Vanesa Quiroz and Esteban Riera’s haunting renditions of “Pedacito de Cielo” and “Milonga del Trovador” and the luxurious and vivid costumes and you’re assured of a show that deserves a lengthy ovation.
All the numbers are perfectly executed but what evokes passion most are El Ultimo Café and Zum. The group’s interpretation of Moulin Rouge (a cut from Tanguera-Roxanne) is the only piece done in English and easily takes you back to Carlos Gardel’s times, sublimating the elegance of old days. Then there’s the Julio Bocca touch. Perfectly illuminated in the right angles by Marcelo Cuervo’s magical lighting, the sizzling pas de deux in Libertango by the brilliant Boots and Ortega, in which the tasteful disrobing of the bodies exudes passion. Quite simply, this is tango the way it’s meant to be staged.
The Faena Tango Salon is intimate, well designed and the intrusion of photography is forbidden. 120 people can dine in comfort, viewing stage and show with ease.
Among other additional activities, we can arrange:
- Art: Visit to museums and art galleries off-hours and to private collections and ateliers. Private vernisages” with local artists.
- Customized wine tastings at private properties with experts.
- Thematic specialized city tours (historical,architecture, gourmet, religious, etc)
- Private concerts or tango lessons, combined with wine tasting or dinner at thematic or special properties. Colon theatre musicians performingat a Convent downtown is one of the possibilities
- Cooking lessons at private schools and private dinners with dedicated chef.
- Private sailing on yachts, along the River Plate and Tigre area with first class onboard gastronomy.
- Golf at some of the most exclusive clubs in town and suburbs.
- Polo practices and clinics at dedicated properties and exclusive estancias
- Estancias sojourns near town and provinces.
- Sports and cultural events arrangements.
- Old classic and vintage car rides and tours
- Dedicated personal shopper.
- Private jet, plane and helicopter sightseeing & flights.
Overnight: Alvear Palace Hotel or Park Hyatt or Hub Porteño (B + D)
Transfer from the hotel to domestic airport Jorge Newbery (AEP) and fly to Trelew. Reception at the airport and transfer to Puerto Madryn and onto Península Valdes.
Driving time: 2 and a half hours drive.
Peninsula Valdes is an area protected by its beauty, mainly because it is rich in marine life: right whale, Magellanic penguins, Orcas, and Sea lions. Declared “World Heritage Site” by the UNESCO, it is the most important fauna reserve of Patagonia where you can also observe herds of guanacos, foxes, and Martinet piches. The predominant landscape corresponds to the Patagonian plateau with flat or steep slopes in their coasts, and three large enclosed depressions. At Puerto Piramide you have the option of embarking on a tourist boat to watch the southern right whale.
The right whale can be observed from June to December, when it is approaching the coast of the Gulf posted to mate and give birth to their offspring. It is also possible to see dolphins. This excursion is subject to weather conditions. (Duration time: 1 hour) After this experience you will continue to Punta Delgada where hundreds of sculls, sea lions and Southern elephant seals lie around. Return to Puerto Madryn.
Overnight: Territorio Hotel (B)
Estancia San Lorenzo and its Penguin rookery
- Driving time: 3 hours
- Difficulty: easy with short walks Wildlife
You will begin with a drive across the flat and arid Patagonian plains to Estancia San Lorenzo, located in the northwest extreme of the Valdes Peninsula. Estancia San Lorenzo overlooks the gulf and is home to an exclusive Magellan penguin rookery extending approximately two miles down the beach. As the road to the rookery is barely a path, leave your motor coach to join a 4x4 vehicle for the last 20-minute leg of your journey to the penguins. From a carefully selected vantage point overlooking the beach, you may see teams of penguins swimming through the turquoise ocean as they approach shore. A sharp eye may spot sea lions swimming by as well. After approximately an hour at the rookery, return to the estancia for a barbecued lamb lunch. Following your meal, proceed to Punta Norte to view sea lions and sea elephants in their natural habitat.
From a cliff overlooking the ocean, your guide will point out huge elephant seals huddled on the beach. Easily mistaken for large outcroppings of gray rock, they occasionally give themselves away by yawning.
Return to Puerto Madryn.
Optional activities:
- Backstage visits or conferences, by directors, museum authorities or palaeontologists.
- Foto Safaris. Birdwatching tours led by specialists.
- We also suggest spending a few days at Bahia Bustamante: and old Seaweed village, refurbished and now open to tourism, located 255 km South of Trelew. Penguins, sea lyons and birds can be seen. A petrified forest is also located nearby. This place is hidden in Central Patagonia, and offers a private experience next to nature.
Overnight: Territorio Hotel (B)
Transfer from hotel to Trelew airport. Fly to Ushuaia. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel. During the afternoon visit Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Duration: 4 hours (half day)
- Difficulty: easy
- Sighseeing with short walks
This is the only Argentine National Park that combines sea, mountains, rivers, forest and peat bogs. It is located 11 km from Ushuaia. While entering the park, you can make a detour to see Ensenada Bay, a great spot where you can take good pictures of the Channel waters and Redonda island.
Back on the road, flanked by a dense green forest of lengas, ñires and cohiues, you will reach a bridge over Lapataia River. At this spot you can get a first glimpse of the surrounding area, and do some walking around Laguna Negra, Lake Roca, Walk of the Island, Sendero de las Lengas and Mirador Lapataia. Following the winding gravel road, you will get to Lapataia Bay, where a sign indicates the end of the National Road 3.
On the Bay Shore you will have the chance to see steamer ducks, clovers and cauquenes.
Overnight: Arakur Hotel (B)
Beagle Channel Navigation
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
- Sightseeing
Depart from local port on a catamaran, and sail along the Beagle Channel, named after the expeditionary vessel that took Charles Darwin and Captain Robert Fitzroy on their pioneering journey here in 1832. Catch sight of the Martial mount and glacier, which provide a backdrop to the city. As you pass “Isla de los Pajaros” (Bird´s isle) we will learn about the birdlife in the area. There is also a chance to spot sea lions and seals that live along the foreshore of “Isla de los Lobos” – the rocky outcrop known as ‘Seal´s Island’. You head out as far as the historic lighthouse of Les Eclaireurs, which standing on an outcrop of barren rock is one of the most remote in the world!
Among other activities, we can arrange:
- Private sailing on a yacht, along the Beagle channel, with the possibility of participating in the activities aboard
- You can join CADIC scientist on their work with penguins on the Martillo island, staying at estancia Harberton
- Cooking lessons at one of the restaurants downtown, or bakery lessons at and Old Drugstore
- Private backstage visit to the Sea birds Museum, the Fueguian mammals Museum or the Former Prison,accompanied by one of the authorities.
- Between March and April, every year there is a Music Festival in town, with re-known participants from all over the world (Lyric singers, orchestra directors, piano & violin players). We can organize music clinics related to violin, piano or singing.
Transfer from hotel to local airport to take a flight to El Calafate. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel (1 hour driving).
Overnight: Eolo Lodge (B + D)
Perito Moreno tour
- Duration: 4 hours
- Walking difficulty: easy. Sightseeing with short walks.
- Driving time: 80 km / 1 hour
- Restrictions: none
Depart from the hotel towards Los Glaciares National Park’ entrance and Ventisquero Perito Moreno, to visit to main vista point, boarding Lago Roca lake shores. Upon arrival, stop for short walks in the area along the 3.5 km “pasarelas” vantage point in front of the glacier (up and down wooden and fenced loop-trail). The Perito Moreno glacier was declared a “Mankind Heritage Site” by the UNESCO. It descends to Argentino Lake and its 35-kilometer long and 70-meter (230 ft.) high wall above water level can be admired, with vibrant colors ranging from white to turquoise. During the short walks, you will be able to witness the ice detachment phenomena, with the hollow sounds of ice falling and becoming smaller floating glaciers. Periodically the glacier advances over the L-shaped Argentino Lake forming a natural dam which separates the two halves of the lake when it reaches the opposite shore. With no escape route, the water-level on the “Brazo Rico” side of the lake can rise by up to 30 meters above the level of the main lake. The enormous pressure produced by the height of the dammed water finally breaks the ice barrier holding it back, in a spectacular rupture event. This dam/rupture cycle is not regular and it recurs naturally at any frequency between once a year to less than once a decade. Return to Calafate is by the same route.
Optional activities at the glacier:
- minitrekking with crampons
- Big Ice: minitrekking with more difficulty and longer time on the ice
- Nautical safari: one hour navigation on the lake
Overnight: Eolo Lodge (FB)
Full day Estancia Cristina
- Duration: departure 07.00 am / return 07.00 pm
- Walking difficulty: easy
- Elevation gained: none
- Driving time: 46 km / 45 min to the port / 3 hours boat ride from Port to Cristina
- Restrictions: none
Estancia Cristina was founded in 1914 by Joseph Percival Masters, an Englishman who came to Patagonia with his wife in 1900. They had two kids: Percival Herbert Masters in 1902 and Elinor Cristina Masters in 1904. Mr Masters named his home Estancia Cristina in honour to his little daughter. They lived in tents set near the lake for the first year.
Needless to say, the first years were times of hard work, effort and restraint. The estancia grew and had up to 22,000 hectares of land surrounded by glaciers, snow peaks and lakes of great natural beauty. Cattle then consisted of 27,000 sheeps, 30 cows and some 50 horses. When Mr. and Mrs. Masters died, the estancia went into Herbert´s hands, who was then married to Janet Mc Donald. Herbert died in 1984, leaving Janet to manage the property alone. Janet died in 1997. Nowadays, the idea is to keep well alive the history of this family who -with the effort and endurance common to every old pioneers- left an everlasting mark in this unique region.
After breakfast, early pick up for a 30 minutes drive to Puerto Banderas. Departure at 8.15 am on board of modern and comfortable ships. Sailing among icebergs on the Argentino lake and watching the breathtaking views of the occidental front of the Glaciar Upsala. Arrival at the port of Estancia Cristina at 11:30 hours.
Activities include a visit to the Costumbrista Museum (old shearing shed), a 4 WD ride up to the Continental ice hut and a short trekking to the Upsala viewpoint. Visit the oriental front of Upsala Glacier. Lake Guillermo, Southern Patagonian Ice and Andes.
- Duration of 4 wheel drive: 3 hours
- Drop: 550 m.s.n.m.
- Level of demand Low
Box Lunch at the estancia is included
Afternoon departure back to Puerto Banderas, arriving at 7 pm approximately.
There is an option to overnight at the estancia and experience the isolation and privacy of this unique place.
Overnight: Eolo Lodge (FB)
Optional activities:
- Visit to “La Leona” petrified forest with pre-historic fossils, where one of the biggest dinosaurs on Earth remains (“Puertasaurus”) was recently discovered (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puertasaurus)
- Visit to the new Glaciarium, a unique Glaciology museum
- Four wheel drive outings in the area
- Hiking, trekking and adventure and outdoors explorations around Fitz Roy area: mountain bikes, mountaineering, kayaking, river rafting, etc.
- Crossing across the Southern Continental Icecap around Fitz Roy and to Estancia Cristina for awesome views of the second biggest non-polar field on Earth.
- Horseback ridings around Calafate
- Lodging and visiting most important working estancias in the area.
- Overfly the Perito Moreno glacier in helicopter
Transfer from the hotel to El Calafate airport to take a flight to Bariloche. Reception at the airport. Located at the foot of the Andes on the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi, sits Bariloche, heartland of the Argentinean Lake District. On sunny days, spectacular views over the lake and to the snow-caped Andes mountains can be enjoyed.
Explore Nahuel Huapi
Overnight: Llao LLao Hotel & Resort (B)
Full Day Isla Victoria Experience
- Level of Difficulty: Low. [2:30 hour walk on even terrain. 40 minute sailing (private motorboat) to get there and 40 to return, depending on lake conditions]
- Departure: 10:30 am / Return: 4:00 pm
Isla Victoria has a universe of natural attractions and unique places. Sailing across Nahuel Huapi’s crystal clear waters we reach the island. Centennial cypresses and coihues woodland and native and exotic fauna will host our every minute.
An exclusive transfer will take us to the pier [5 minutes from Llao Llao Hotel] where we will board the motorboat to cross the cold waters of Nahuel Huapi Lake up to the millenary island in 45 minutes.
There, we will bike or hike (you can choose) through the woodlands inner trails, to watch its varied flora and fauna and learn about its history. The trails we will follow for about two hours pose no technical challenge, there are no significant slopes; being quiet and with a little bit of luck, we might even spot some deer or pheasant.
Our Chef, who will make this experience more enjoyable and relaxing through culinary delicacies, will prepare lunchtime for us.
Another part of the island remains to be discovered and we do so on the way to Puerto Pampa, enjoying the landscape and we take our time before embarking for the 40-minute navigation that will take us back to Port.
Overnight: Llao LLao Hotel & Resort (B + L)
Full Day Andes Wine
- Departure: 10:30 am / Return: 3:30/ 4:30 pm
- Level of Difficulty: Medium. [40-minute walk/, 20-minute ascent]
A simple 30-minute walk will take us deep into the woodland and to the natural balconies at the Brazo Tristeza of Nahuel Huapi Lake. The journey itself will provide magnificent views over the nearby mountains and ravishing lake.
We access another balcony after a short ascent where we will rejoice with the beauty of the Cerro Tronador and its seven glaciers. Those who dare to go a little further can join us and make a 40-meter rappel descent.
Our Chef, who will make this experience more enjoyable and relaxing through culinary delicacies, will prepare lunch for us. While resting, you can enjoy the moment of art we will offer, providing a cultural evening immersed in nature.
In the afternoon, after walking back to the starting point, we can get aboard Double Adventure Kayaks and navigate through one of the lakes in the area or go straight back to the hotel
Among other activities we can arrange:
- Private motorboat outings on the Nahuel Huapi lake, with optional short trekking at one of the many isolated and beautiful hidden bays.
- Golf and summer sport activities.
- Horseback riding excursions, from half or full day. Spectacular multi-days fully supported horseback ride adventure across the Andes into Chile.
- Private fly fishing arrangements at some of the most exclusive fishing lodges and estancias
Overnight: Llao LLao Hotel & Resort (B + L)
Transfer from the hotel to Bariloche airport to take a flight to Mendoza (through Buenos Aires). Meet and greet at domestic airport and transfer to the hotel.
Finca Adalgisa is located at Chacras de Coria, 30 minutes from downtown.
The Vines is located at Valle de Uco, 1h30 from downtown.
Overnight: Finca Adalgisa / The Vines
In case you overnight at The Vines you can choose among different activities as wine tasting, trekking the surroundings or horsebackriding.
Full day Lujan de Cuyo (in case you overnight at Finca Adalgisa)
- Duration: full day (8 hours)
- Difficulty: easy, mostly driving
On the wine route we will head for Luján de Cuyo to visit until 3 wineries of the region.
In every one of the wineries we will find a distinctive mark, either for its architecture, its History or the modernity, the applied technology, for being a boutique winery or for producing organic wines, just for giving an example.
As we take the tour we will mix different characteristics in order that you can be able to know the variety of wineries, with which one can find while taking a tour through the wine routes.
Your first visit will be to Decero Winery.
In its short history, Finca Decero has become one of the most important wineries in Argentina. Whether you discover the wines of a single vineyard and winery particular international level, or to enjoy lunch in the restaurant or participate in exclusive events, each visitor enjoys a sublime experience at Finca Decero.
With the Andes as a backdrop, the tranquility of the vineyards and the imposing architecture of Finca Decero, is of little surprise to those who have visited us, that Finca Decero was awarded the trophy for ‘Best Landscape and Architecture’ in the assistance of the Great Wine Capitals in 2009.
After your tour, we will visit Dominio del Plata Winery
In 1999, after working more than 20 years as a consultant winemaker for national and international wine companies, Susana decided to have her dream come true and started to build Dominio del Plata in the heart of Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. After more than 10 years of steady growth in foreign markets, another one of her dreams was fulfilled: her children, José, winemaker graduated from UC Davis (California) and Ana, Bachelor of Business Administration from University San Andrés (Buenos Aires) decided to go on with the family tradition and join Dominio del Plata team.
Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, Dominio del Plata is characterized by its simple and unique architecture, designed for the production of high-end wines. Each grape variety is hand- picked and carefully handled so as to maintain the fruit expression and achieve wines with a singular unique style.
During the last years, Susana and her team have been working tirelessly on meeting the international highest quality standards and have showed their commitment to some of the major issues of the 21st century: food safety, environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
After your tour and tasting we will lunch and visit Belasco de Baquedano Winery.
A wine tourism project , original , pioneering and farreaching , with 46 flavors , it becomes the largest room aromas of America . Belasco Family aims to bring the public to deepen the culture of wine, helping them to enjoy more and better wines when tasting. The Hall of Aromas is the most complete of America,it has 46 flavors identified , structured and ordered , in addition, a panel explains the different types of aromas that exist in wine: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
The Hall of Aromas is a walk through the world of wine. An interactive educational room that invites visitors to exercise their senses and stored in its memory scents and smells that will allow him to discover and enjoy each wine, nuances and sensations. The aromas, accompanied by visual and informative supplementary material, encourage visitor interactivity. The tour of the room ended with a panel of short questions that will win prizes to the winners.
Restaurant Belasco de Baquedano:
Located on the top floor, the Navarra Restaurant offers a generous lunch elegantly set in a room and a large terrace with spectacular views of the Andes. With 50 seats, the restaurant service is open from noon to 4 pm every day of the year. Their 5 steps menu, Navarro-Argentina merger is designed to pair all wines from winery to achieve the best expression of Malbec at each step.
Return to your hotel.
Overnight: Finca Adalgisa or The Vines (B + L)
Today we suggested several activities such as:
- Morning cooking class
Enjoy our art in the kitchen and making wine from the hand of our professionals.The food, wine, landscape and people of this region let others know more about our customs.
Cooking classes are a unique and rich experience in which the passion and knowledge of the Cuyo Region can be shared and transmitted. We invite you to go for a trip led by our chef to experience the flavors of our Terroir.
Classes take 3 hours plus lunch time and can be led in Wineries of the Cuyo Region from Lujan, Maipu, or in the Uco Valley. We could offer this activity also in Mendoza’s Cooking School.
Half day trekking
- Duration: 5 hours / Driving distance 1 hour each way / 3 trekkking hours
- Difficulty: moderate
- Hut San Antonio (2550 msnm), Vallecitos, Lujan de Cuyo
We will take route 40 to the south and then route 7 towards the west. We will admire the mountains called Cordon del Plata while we go up the hill up to San Antonio hut.
We will trek to the Rio Blanco valley to reach the Quebrada del Estudiante (2900 msnm). We will continue towards Lomas Blancas – Arenales (3300 msnm) and then towards the summit (3500 msnm) from where we can admire the view of the Cordon del Plata and Valle de Potrerillos. Lunch and the return to San Antonio hut to go back to the hotel.
Half day rafting
- Duration: 5 hours
- Driving distance 1 hour each way
- Difficulty: Class III
We offer rafting trips year round for the adventurer looking for class III+ water. All of our runs are upstream of the Potrerillos Dam and Reservoir.
The trips are run by our river guides with international experience and swift water rescue certificates.
Safety kayakers join the group for additional support. All paddlers will be equipped with life jackets (pfd), wetsuits, splash pants and tops, river booties and helmet. Our river equipment is impeccably maintained and renewed often. We use selfbailing Hyside Hypalon 14’ boats.
Includes: Professional Bilingual Guide. Short Course, Safety Talk. Safety Kayaker.
Overnight: Finca Adalgisa or The Vines
Transfer to the airport to board your flight to Salta through Buenos Aires. Upon arrival meet your guide and transfer to the hotel.
Salta is an invitation to adventure. Valleys, canyons, forests and high country challenge you to experience nature. South, north or to the west, Salta offers diversity. Rivers to raft, mountains to climb, rough territories to embark on challenging trips to be done by vehicle, horse or on foot. Nature, tradition and history merge throughout Salta
Overnight: House of Jasmines (B)
- Salta – Cachi 160 km. 3h30
- Cachi – Molinos 46 km / 1h00
Morning departure towards the “Valles Calchaquies”, going Southwest via Chicoana, in the Lerma valley. Drive along the partly sealed RP 33, a scenic road that squeezes through the dank Quebrada de Escoipe, before climbing the “Cuesta del Obispo” and reaching the 3720 mt. with a colorful view to the “Valle Encantado” and the mountains, blanketed in olive-green vegetation and eroded by countless brooks. Continue driving along the “Tin Tin” stretch (part of the old “Inca Road”) and passing by “Los Cardones National Park” (abundance of giant pascani cacti). Cardones grow painfully slowly, less than a couple of millimeters a year, and their wood has been excessively exploited for making furniture, crafts and firewood. That´s why it is now being protected.
Cachi is located 2280 m.o.s.l. It is shadowed by the permanently snowcapped Nevado de Cachi (6380 mts), whose peak looms only 15 km to the west. Cachi is a place to wander, investigating the various local crafts, including ponchos and ceramics, or climbing a bit to get a panorama of the pea-green valley.
Brief stop at Cachi and then we will continue to Molinos.
Overnight: Haciendo Molinos (B)
- Molinos – Estancia Colome 25 km / 00h40
- Estancia Colome – Cafayate 230 km / 3h00
After breakfast, we will visit Estancia Colome with its winery. Founded in 1831, Bodega Colome is one of the oldest wineries in Argentina and it´s located in the upper Calchaqui Valleys, sitting between 2300 and 3111 meters above sea level. Today Bodega Colomé is known for its production of organic and biodynamic wines. Highlights include the property´s new modern art gallery “James Turrel”, an impressive museum which it is worth visiting. Lunch at the restaurant and we will continue to Cafayate. The mostly unsealed RN 40 takes you along some corniche roads alongside the Calchaquí river, offering views on either side of sheer mountainsides and snowcapped peaks. The route passes by the “Quebrada de las Flechas”, where the rough dirt road winds through rock formations of wind-eroded reddish brown sandstone strata folded and fractured by the upheavals of the Andean orogeny.
Cafayate, located 1700 m.o.s.l., in the center of the Calchaquí valleys (Salta province), is internationally recognized for the quality of its wines, the affability of its climate, the friendliness of its people and the beauty of its landscapes. The torrontés grape, grown uniquely in Argentina, flourishes in the 350 days of sunshine received every year. Once arrived, stop at the main square, to admire the Cathedral, the picturesque Old Stone Mill, and the museums.
Overnight: Viñas de Cafayate (B)
- Cafayate - Salta
- 186 km / 4h00
After breakfast, departure from Cafayate. We will take the 68 route and drive along the scenic ‘Quebrada de las Conchas”gorge (97 km), with colorful and curious sandstone rock formation , called ‘El Sapo’(Toad), ‘El Anfiteatro”(amphitheatre), ‘Garganta del Diablo’(Devil’s Throat), etc.
The gorge is seen at its best in the mellow late afternoon or early evening light. The “Sierras de Carahuasi” (the northernmost range of the Calchaquí mountains- 1900 mts), loom behind as a backdrop, while the foreground rock formations have been eroded and blasted by wind and rain to form buttresses, known as “Los Castillos” (the castles) and a huge monolith dubbed el Obelisco.
Upon arrival at Salta, rest of the day on your own. We suggest to visit the “9 de Julio” main square, the white “Cabildo” (Town Hall), the Neoclassical Cathedral (with its gold-leaf altar), San Francisco Church (with the image of the pregnant Virgin Mary) and the anthropological museum with its mummy, a little girl of 7 years old found in the beginning of the XX century.
Overnight: Villa Vicuña (B)
- Duration: 8 hours.
- 215 km away from Salta
- Difficulty: easy
- Sightseeing
Drive through “Camino de Cornisa” (a zigzag mountain road), surrounded by an enchanting subtropical environment of mosses, trees, bromeliads, and epiphytes. This lush environment shelters a rich variety of Andean birds. Arrive in Jujuy (1260 m.o.s.l.) and pass by the central square to appreciate the 17th century buildings around it. Spectacular geological formations accompany us throughout our journey. Located 3 km west of Route 9, Purmamarca is at the base of the polychrome Hill of the Seven Colors
Stop by Tilcara and its Archeological Museum and the rebuilt old Indian village of “Pucara de Tilcara”. Continue to the charming village of Humahuaca (3000 mts), with its Handicraft Fair and cobbled streets, lined with colonial-style or rustic adobe houses.
Return to Purmamarca.
Overnight: La Comarca (B)
- Drive 45 km. 1 hr & 20 minutes one way
- Difficulty: low
- Sightseeing with short walk
Salinas Grandes lies north of San Antonio de los Cobres and Southeast of Susques. With over 12,000 hectares of salt opencast, an infinite vastness of whiteness, it is located at 3,350 meters above sea level and salt is from 10 to 50 cm
You will see enormous glistening expanse of the aptly named Salinas grandes, one of the country’s biggest salt-flats and certainly the most impressive, ringed by mountains on all sides and beneath almost perennial blue skies. This huge rink of snow-white crystals, forming irregular octagons each surrounded by crunchy ridges, crackling like frozen snow under foot, acts as a huge mirror.
The enormous expanses of salt often create cruel water mirages, though there are in fact some isolated pools of brine where small groups of flamingoes and ducks gather.
Return to Purmamarca.
Overnight: La Comarca (B)
After breakfast, transfer to Salta airport to board your flight to Iguazu (through Buenos Aires). Upon arrival at Iguazu, meet your guide and transfer to the hotel.
Declared “World Heritage Site” by the UNESCO. Located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones, the falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The waterfall system consists of 275 falls along 2.7 kilometers (1.67 miles). Some of the individual falls are up to 82 meters (269 ft) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 ft). Two thirds of the falls are within Argentine territory. About 900 meters of the 2.7-kilometer length does not have water flowing over it. The edge of the basalt cap recedes only 3 mm (0.1 in) per year. The water of the lower Iguazu collects in a canyon that drains into the Paraná River at Argentina, shortly downstream from the Itaipu dam.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight: Loi Suites Iguazu Hotel (B)
Brazilian side of the falls
- Duration: 3 hours
- Difficulty: easy.
- Sightseeing with short walks
Arrival at the Visitors Center, at the entrance of the Iguassu National Park, about 10 kilometers away from downtown Foz do Iguazú. Short stop to see the exhibition and continue onto the National Park, along a paved road that will take us to the magnificent Iguassu Falls. Start a walking tour along the catwalk, measuring one kilometer of easy hike, with several panoramic views of the Falls and a close-up to the Devils’ Throat.
It is a completely different tour when compared to the Argentine side, since you get in front of the falls, as if you were on a balcony. We recommend you to see the falls from both sides.
The tour ends at the upper part of Iguassu Falls accessed through a panoramic elevator; from where you get to a lookout point with a view to the upper Iguassu River. Return to the hotel.
Holders of U.S. passports are required to obtain tourist visas for Brazil. The Brazilian visa must be obtained prior to departing the United States. Visas cannot be obtained at the Brazilian border. It is each traveller’s responsibility to obtain all documents necessary for admittance to Brazil.
Transfer to Iguazu airport to board your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival at the domestic airport Jorge Newbery (AEP), meet your guide and transfer to the hotel (20 minutes).
Overnight: Alvear Palace hotel or Park Hyatt or Hub Porteño hotel (B)
Transfer to the airport to board your international flight back home (1 hour driving). (B)
IMPORTANT NOTES VISA SECTION
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