Luxury Villas in Bariloche Vacation Tour

Buenos Aires marches to the beat of the tango. The pulse of the city is captivating at all hours of the day. The 47 barrios (neighborhoods) have their own distinct personalities that have grown and evolved with the traditions of the culture. The city was founded in the 16th century by Spanish conquistadors and maintains a connection to its European roots, seamlessly blending with Latin American flair. Your private transfer greets you at Ministro Pistarini International Airport upon your arrival in the city. You easily settle into the comforts of your hotel situated in the charming neighborhood of Recoleta. Trees with emerald leaves shade the wide avenues.

Locals, known as porteños, sit in cafes sipping a glass of wine and watching passersby. The stunning former theater of El Ateneo Grand Splendid now houses a celebrated bookshop and coffee house. Tables stand on the former stage and books wrap around the upper balconies. Various antique shops fill the streets of Defensa in the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. Window displays create a Bohemian ambiance, depicting vintage clothing and hand carved tables and chairs. People stroll along Plaza de Mayo, the central square bordered by the pink façade of the Presidential Mansion, referred to locally as the Casa Rosada. The structure was erected in the 19th century, but the plaza was founded in the 16th century, making it one of the oldest squares in the city. The city moves quickly and highlights its captivating qualities around every corner. Consider reading some of our travelers' travel reviews of Patagonia to gain inspiration to further refine and perfect your personalized Patagonia trip of a lifetime.

In the morning, artists set out to capture the lifestyle and vivacious colors of La Boca. Tango dancers perform on the street with vibrant corrugated homes rising behind them. Music echoes throughout the cobblestone plaza overlooking the daily life of porteños and filled with café tables. At breakfast, you indulge in a rich coffee and a flaky, buttery medialuna, a croissant-like pastry. Your private transfer greets you at the hotel and escorts you to the airport for your flight south to the stunning town of Bariloche. The Andean Lakes District has gorgeous scenery all year round, whether blanketed in opulent snow or bathed in sunlight and emerald trees. The region is known as the “Switzerland of the Americas” due to his alpine ambiance.

Bariloche maintains a remarkably European quality commensurate with the German and Swiss émigrés after World War II. The scent of German chocolate drifts out of the celebrated chocolaterie of Rapanui and onto the cobblestone streets. The shop was opened in 1939 and continues its rich tradition of producing European-style sweets. Exceptional mountain peaks encircle the town, rising more than 6,561 feet above sea level and creating a picturesque skyline from any angle. During winter, the slopes transform into a wonderland. In summer, trails for trekking, mountain biking, and horseback riding take precedence. Local hardwood and unique honey-hued stone are the foundations of the main structures inside the town center.

In the morning, the chocolate shops of Bariloche open their doors. The scent of rich and thick hot chocolate fills each shop. Their window displays highlight the creative ways the seductive treats can be used to captivate imaginations and taste buds. After breakfast, your guide meets you at your luxurious hotel and escorts you to the banks of Lake Nahuel Huapi. The water surface encompasses more than 250 square miles and reaches a depth of 1,489 feet. Lenga forests line the shores. Spindly red flowers glow against the lush leaves. The flowers are known as notros, and were named “the firebush” by the aboriginals who once roamed Patagonia. You board a boat and set sail across the water.

The pristine scenery is astounding. You travel deeper into Nahuel Huapi National Park, which was established in the early 20th century and covers 1,742,092 acres. The boat is comfortable and large. The aroma of fresh coffee lingers around the café at the back. Seagulls circle the shores. The milky green color of the lake perfectly reflects the trees swaying in the alpine breeze. You disembark the boat at Puerto Blest and make your way into the woods. The trees are centuries old, including a range of forest more than 1,500 years old. You follow the wooden staircase ascending the mountain. You can hear the thundering sound of water echoing beneath the forest canopy. You reach the main viewpoint and can see the rushing whitewater of Cascada de los Cántaros cascading between the outcrops of boulders.

The morning sunlight washes over the city center and brings the stone and wooden frames of the mountain village to life. After breakfast, your guide escorts you through the winding mountain road to the small town of Pampa Linda. You have your first view of Cerro Tronador, a mountaintop rising 11,660 feet above sea level. Wild horses graze on the open prairies. Chucao tapaculo, an indigenous bird with a bright orange breast and orange streaks around its eyes nests in the trees. Tronador is an extinct volcano with an impressive outcropping of stone breaking through the snow. Your guide explains the natural history of the region as you journey to Ventisquero Negro.

The summit of Tronador disappears behind the foothills. In its place, you see the 328 feet of ice rising above the black frame. The radiant white ice above the black crags of the glacier creates an enticing contrast. The dark coloration of the ice stems from a history of sediment picked up by the glacial movement, fed by the Rio Manso Glacier above. Chunks of ice sporadically break away from the ice wall. The rumble echoes through the mountain pass, which is why the towering summit of Cerro Tronador is named “Mount Thunder.” The sound reaches you after the ice has already calved. You catch the remaining moments of the pieces of glacier falling before splashing into the lake.

The cafes fill with locals enjoying a bittersweet cappuccino in the morning air. The sunlight blankets the cobblestone streets and glints off the surface of the lakes interspersed across the region. After breakfast, you make your way to Parque Cerro Leones for a guided hike up the ancient volcano. Wildflowers and lupines blossom over the grassy hills. Trees shade the landscape. The trail up the volcano is rugged and steep. The summit stands 2,624 feet above sea level. Your guide leads you to the three caverns carved into the mountain.

The third cavern is nearly 100 feet wide and 426 feet deep. A hidden spring forms an underground lake. You can hear the water rippling in the darkness before the guide shines a light on the surface. The cool temperature fills the cavern. The area was inhabited 8,000 years ago. Cave paintings on the outside of the cave were created more than a millennium ago. You feel as though you have stepped back in time to an age before industrialization. You exit the cave and continue to the summit of the extinct volcano. When you reach the top, you have a perfect 360-degree view of the rolling hills, staggering peaks, and radiant lakes.

In the morning, the cool air drifts along the city streets. The scent of pine sweeps from the hillsides to the lakeshores. Chocolateries once again set up their window displays to entice passersby. At breakfast, you relish a hot cup of fresh coffee and enjoy the view of the shimmering lake. The remainder of the day is yours to enjoy Bariloche and its surroundings, as you desire. Revel in the view of Volcan Lanin, the volcanic peak standing at 12,388 feet above sea level and overtaking the skyline beside the Chilean border.

Stroll along the cobblestone walkways of the city’s historic center. For a unique adventure, you choose to go whitewater rafting. Your guide meets you at the hotel and takes you along the scenic roadway of Route 40 to the riverbanks in Velvet Canyon. The emerald green waters splash against the meandering walls. The river is cold when it splashes against your cheeks. The current continues at an easy pace, allowing you to enjoy the encircling scenery. Trees sweep over the walls.

Granite boulders rise out of the water. You can hear the rapids in the distance before you see them. The whitewater splashes into the air, accompanied by the thunderous sound of the rushing river. Your guide tells you to paddle. The raft picks up speed. You move with the current. The rapids propel the raft sideways. Sunken boulders push you upwards before the raft splashes back into the water. The rapids fade and return to the calm river current. The thrill of the journey remains with the exciting beating of your heart.

In the morning, visitors of Bariloche set sail for the mystic shores of Victoria Island. Lush forest overtakes the landscape. Old trees maintain a cold layer of bark, shining a bright cinnamon color. White flowers blossom against the purple sheen of wild fruit. Deer wander beneath the forest canopy and feed on the underbrush. A chairlift leads to the summit of Cerro Bella Vista and offers a spectacular view of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Outside of Bariloche is Colonia Suiza, the Swiss Colony, which has preserved the buildings from the original settlement. The town rests on the shores of Perito Moreno Lake. Fruit orchards blossom at the edge of town. On Wednesdays and Sundays, a market fills the 19th-century streets.

The village takes visitors away from Argentina and seemingly transports them to a secluded region of Switzerland. The aroma of chocolate fills the entire village. Homemade cheeses entice visitors to stroll along the streets. On the weekends, traditions of aboriginal tribes are celebrated in the form of cooking curanto (Chilean meat feast). Large pits are dug and filled with hot river stones to create a roaring fire. Meats and vegetables top beds of leaves and are cooked in the natural heat and pressure of the pit. Today your private transfer meets you in the hotel lobby whenever you are ready and escorts you to the airport in Bariloche. You fly to Buenos Aires to meet your connecting flight home.