Argentina Tour of a Lifetime

This morning you will land at the airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s captivating capital, and one of the great cities of the world, known as the “Paris of Latin America.”  A private driver will meet you at the airport, ready to take you to your incredible accommodations for your stay in Buenos Aires. Your hotel will be in the heart of the elegant barrio (neighborhood) of La Recoleta, which has been the center of Argentine high society for more than eight decades. The central location is a large part of its undeniable appeal, as you will find yourself mere minutes away from the financial district and surrounded by some of the stores, bars, and restaurants in the city.

The evening can be spent perusing the excellent antique stores that line Santa Fe Avenue or check out the fine leather goods at local shops. Enjoy dinner at an incredible local establishment.

After a delicious and hearty breakfast, you’ll hit the streets of Buenos Aires, ready to explore all of its unique charms and singular attractions in a once-in-a-lifetime way. A professor from the local university will lead you on a private tour of some of the city’s great parks. From the stirring political past and grand structures that haunt the Plaza de Mayo, to the moving and impressive monuments that fill Plaza San Martin. From the vibrant colors and boisterous street scenes of La Boca to the subdued splendor of Recoleta and Palermo, you’ll learn all about the incredible people that have made the stories of this remarkable country.

The afternoon can be spent studying your favorite areas in greater depth, like the magnificent Teatro Colon or the gorgeous cemetery in Recoleta. Or simply stroll the streets of San Telmo before dinner at one of the city’s famous parrillas (grills) which have made Argentina’s beef famous around the world.

Today will be dedicated to you discovering the environs of this massive and multicultural metropolis. Foodies will love the incredible culinary traditions that surround the area. From the famed baked goods made at local bakeries and the festive scene surrounding the outdoor market of Adrogue to the sumptuous wines that come from mere hours away. The renowned Malbecs of Mendoza have swept up the wine world.

Nature buffs will want to take the scenic train ride out to Tigre, a city on the northern outskirts of Buenos Aires that is known for its idyllic setting and fascinating architecture that line the streets. History buffs will enjoy one of the many excellent museums of the city, and art lovers are sure to enjoy the many galleries offering works for sale and displaying the oeuvre of some of the great artists in the world. And, of course, the evening can be spent in true Argentine fashion at an underground tango show, enjoying the sizzle of a delicious steak and the steam of a sultry tango, the delicious, velvety texture of a Malbec and the stirring passion of the steps of one of the world’s most famous dances.

This morning, you will leave the capital and turn far to the south to near the Antarctic Peninsula and the very far edge of the South American continent. Get ready to explore the wild edge of the world that has been romanticized by writers and explorers since the days of Ferdinand Magellan. You’ll board a plane from Buenos Aires and land in Ushuaia, the provincial capital, and the home to your scenic alpine resort. The resort will offer spectacular views of the rising ridges of the Andes and the sleeping town of Ushuaia and the bay of the Beagle Channel below. The resort facilities are truly second-to-none, with a full gym, a relaxing sauna, and an elegant and secluded massage cabin. Everything can be found in the modern health club that you reach by crossing a suspended glass bridge that affords spectacular views of the countryside.

After lunch, you’ll set out to navigate the tempestuous waters of the Beagle Channel. The channel was discovered by the first exploration that brought Charles Darwin on his famous journey to the New World in the 19th century. The Beagle Channel is also home to an incredible panoply of wildlife, from seals that teem the nearby shores to the seabirds that fill the air.

The next day, you will set out for the breathtaking scenery of the Tierra del Fuego National Park, a rugged and wild landscape that is filled with some of the world’s most wonderful wildlife and most captivating countryside. You’ll start with a two-mile hike to a crowning vista that offers a spectacular view over the lake-filled countryside, from Lake Roca, Laguna Verde and Laguna Negra to the serpentine stretches of Rio Ovando and the winding reaches of the Rio Lapataia. The journey to this incredible site will bring you past some of the area’s most fascinating creatures, like black-chested buzzard eagles and Austral parakeets, the stunning wingspan of the Andean Condor and the immense size of the Magellanic woodpecker, the largest such bird in South America.

You’ll then embark on a Zodiac cruise toward the primeval Isla Redonda. You'll have the chance to send a postcard from the southernmost post office in the world and to witness the majestic beauty of sea lions and sea birds before you enjoy an incredible guide-prepared lunch. An invigorating hike to Laguna Verde will finish your day, and the evening sees you back in Ushuaia.

Today will be one of exploration and adventure filled with the awesome grandeur of Argentina’s nature and the incomparable charm of its people. The morning will start with a picturesque drive east along the shores of the Beagle Channel to the quaint streets of Puerto Almanza, a fishing village that has since become a major jumping-off point to explore the nearby areas. You’ll be ferried to the pastures of the Estancia at Haberton, which was founded by the descendants of the first British missionaries that reached these shores in the 19th century and is now the center for some of the most progressive conservation efforts in the country. Your visit will include an incredible cruise to Gable Island, the largest island in the Beagle Channel. A challenging, but rewarding, climb will leave you with an awe-inspiring view right in time for lunch.

Those wishing to relax in the serene setting of south Argentina may do so while those looking for a little more excitement can set out on a three-hour hike of the island to take in its rising crags and its fecund surroundings. Following the hike, you’ll board a Zodiac boat to take you to the penguin rookery at Martillo Island, where Magellanic and Gentoo penguins nest along with other seabirds, from active and elegant petrels to stoic cormorants, from the cries of gulls to the stately immenseness of the albatross. After the visit to the penguin rookery, you’ll return to the Estancia at Haberton before returning to Ushuaia in the evening.

The next morning, you will leave the fringe of Argentine Patagonia and set out today for its soulful center, deep into the glacier country that is among the most gorgeous areas on Earth. A private driver will take you to the airport in time to board the plane that will take you to El Calafate. Nestled on the southern border of Lago, El Calafate is on the edge of the famous Los Glaciares National Park.

While in El Calafate, you’ll stay in rustic splendor where modern comforts meet the stunning panoramas of the sensational glaciers that fill your every glimpse. You’ll be sure to enjoy the relaxing and reinvigorating services at the hotel’s spa as well as the many adventures, activities, and excursions organized and led by local guides that are as engaging as they are informative. The evening will be spent in contemplation of the truly amazing landscape that surrounds you.

The area surrounding El Calafate is known around the world for its incredible natural scenery and its range of outdoor activities. Today, you will set out for the sensational Los Glaciares National Park to take in the immense wall that is the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the largest in the world and a remarkable geological formation. The glacier is so reactive and expressive that it almost seems to be alive.

You can take guided excursions to the national park, or take a daylong boat tour to explore all of glacier country from a truly unique perspective. You’ll marvel at the incomparable expanse of this UNESCO World Heritage Site and delight in the wide swath of wildlife that calls the area home. You’ll revel in the wide expanse of the great outdoors and celebrate the inimitable romance of the power of nature. You’ll truly experience the world in an entirely new way, and in a way that you will never forget.

The next day, you will discover that El Calafate is also an incredible place to explore the towering heights of the greatest peaks of the Argentine Andes, which are known for their intimidating ridges and their fearsome prominence. Hikers will enjoy the dizzying sight of the rime-covered mile-high spike of granite known as Cerro Torre. Cerro Torre was once regarded as the world’s most difficult mountain to climb and is still an incredible monument to the awesome powers of nature and the undeniable adventure of the human spirit.

You will also have the opportunity to gaze upon the famous face of Mount Fitz Roy, also know as Cerro Chalten, which was first ascended in the mid-20th century. Cerro Chalten is now internationally recognized for its elegant and imposing silhouette that graces the logo of the Patagonia clothing company. After this incredible voyage into the teeth of Argentina’s mountain country, you’ll enjoy an evening nestled in the valleys of these towering monuments in the comfort of your room and the elegance of the common areas.

The following day, you will leave the spectacular south of Argentina and turn north, as you sail over the borderlands that Chile shares with Argentina and above the rigid, rocky embankments of the Andes. You will arrive on the outskirts of Bariloche, one of the major cities of Argentina’s west and a spectacular start to all of your continuing excursions.

During your time in Bariloche, you'll stay in a luxurious and unforgettable hotel where the architecture melds beautifully with the surrounding countryside. The mountains crown the horizon and give way to the beryl blue of Andean lakes, and the setting sun casts a sensational warm glow over the stretch of this eye-catching area. The afternoon will be spent walking the grounds of this incredible facility, grabbing a quick nine or eighteen at the hotel’s celebrated golf course, and enjoying the unsurpassed offerings of the hotel's truly scintillating restaurant.

Today will be packed with forays into the rugged wilderness that encircles Bariloche. Prepare yourself for a brush with nature unlike any you will have ever experienced before. You’ll start by making your way along Bustillo Avenue towards Playa Bonita on the shores of awe-inspiring Nahuel Huapi Lake, where the scenery is sure to leave you breathless. After this sublime drive, you’ll board a cable car at Campanario Hill to get a glimpse of this verdant and rich environment from the air. From the cable car, you will enjoy the magnificent vista over the sapphire stretch of Nahuel Huapi Lake that rises effortlessly and endlessly into the slate-gray faces of the towering Andes dominating the horizon.

Then it will be on to the spectacular viewpoints at Bahia Lopez, where a naturally occurring balcony at the aptly-named Panoramic Point affords simply unforgettable views over the surrounding area. The afternoon will see you back in Bariloche, where you can explore the exhibits at the Museum of Patagonia, which features stuffed models of native wildlife as well as informative and interesting displays on the cultures and lives of the pre-Hispanic and indigenous peoples.

Encounter the enchanting and scenic lakes around Bariloche on this full-day tour of the nearby lake region, where you’ll find fascinating wildlife, gorgeous plant life, and some of the most scenic waterways in the country. From Nahuel Huapi to Moreno, in the heart of Argentina’s most amazing national parks and past some of the country’s most incredible scenery, you’ll find yourself falling in love with the splendor of this incomparable country before you land at Victoria Island, a tree-covered atoll in the middle of Nahual Huapi that is one of the most beautiful stretches of land in all of Patagonia. The full and impenetrable canopy of the ancient oaks and primeval cypresses will leave you feeling dwarfed by the awesome size of nature, and you’ll be astounded at the wide variety of wildlife that fills the boughs and branches of the pines and sequoias, the gentle pitter-patter of the world’s smallest deer and the brilliant plumage of the innumerable species of birds that fly through the air.

Following this incredible exploration, you will head into the ancient groves of Arrayanes trees in the incredible Bosque de Arrayanes, one of only two forests of its kind in the world and home to a remarkable nature preserve. You will find red foxes, Andean condors, fantastic trees, and other phenomenal animals that fill your eyes with amazement.

Today, you will venture north out of the luscious and enchanting region of Patagonia to reach the wide cobbled avenues of Mendoza where you will enjoy the shading, rustling trees. Locals sip wine or coffee at the outdoor tables of cosmopolitan cafes while fountains trickle at the heart of historic plazas, which strikes a welcoming, tranquil ambiance. Narrow irrigation channels run alongside the streets to bring water from the snowmelt of the Andes to the center of the ostensibly desert town that results in a charm with which you can easily fall in love. Mendoza is known as the capital of Argentina’s winegrowing region but is also celebrated for the delicious culinary delights of ice cream, chocolates, and traditional Argentine barbecue known as parilla.

In the evening you will have the opportunity to learn the key aspects of Argentine cuisine with a private cooking class that provides unique insight into the delicious food culture of the country and more specifically Mendoza. Your personal chef offers guidance on your knife skills for preparing the meat bound for the grill before explaining the remarkable wines chosen exclusively for pairing with the seasonal ingredients you will use during the lesson. Learn the art of starting a fire, as well as how to properly stuff, fold, and bake empanadas for the ultimate class that demystifies the finer details of Argentine gastronomy.

Mendoza provides the perfect starting point to explore the delicious wineries of the Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, the latter of which hosts nearly 197,700 acres of vineyards between 3,000 and 3,900 feet above sea level. The terrain outside of the Mendoza reveals the dry grain of the arid desert that stretches to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Pristine snow caps the highland peaks, wh the western edge of Argentina. Visit a curated list of elegant wineries known for their stunning wines, friendly ambiance, and distinctive cultivation techniques highlighting the special qualities that have brought Mendoza to the forefront of the world’s vinicultural and oenological community.

You will visit a winery known for its cult status among Malbec and cabernet sauvignon varietals, as well as a Bordeaux-style blend that results in a stunning aroma of earthy berries and roots, as well as a combination of savory roasted plumbs and sweet tomatoes. Meet with local estate owners who have hidden their wineries off the beaten path but have become fabled among oenophiles for producing fascinating wines with bio-dynamic, organic, or avant-garde techniques for a different perspective on the celebrated wines of the Mendoza region.

Today you will leave Argentina, filled with memories of the past two weeks and the magic of this incredible country. Your flight home will be filled with the reminiscences of your favorite activities, the laughter from your favorite stories and the romance of the magnificent countryside. You will start making plans for your return trip to this one-of-a-kind nation.