Compare Best of Argentina Trip 15 Days by Say Hueque vs Ice, wine & estancias in Argentina by Audley Travel

Day 1:  Start Your Itinerary to the Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires

Transfer from the airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we will drive you to the city and you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy Buenos Aires at your own pace. Buenos Aires is a marvelous, energetic, cosmopolitan city, full of color and different styles of architecture.

The capital of Argentina, and described as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires proudly embraces its title, and also shows off plenty of its own culture! Argentinians are usually eager to host visitors; if you walk the streets with a map, someone will surely stop and ask if you need directions…that’s just our spirit!

Day 2:  City Tour & Tango Show - Buenos Aires

Half-day city tour through Buenos Aires

In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel to enjoy our 5-hour Buenos Aires city tour—you will be swept away by the highlights of our beloved Buenos Aires! Throughout a half-day, you will have the chance to visit the historical and political center of the city; Plaza de Mayo, and the Pink House (the presidential house).

Next, we’ll move on to San Telmo, with its cobblestone streets and the oldest residential neighborhood, and then to La Boca where Buenos Aires turns colorful and tango is ever-present. Come walk Caminito Street and dance with the locals. The next stop is the chic and aristocratic Recoleta, where the big palaces remind us why Buenos Aires is called the “Paris of the South”.

Dinner and tango show

In the evening we’ll pick you up in a private service from your hotel to take you to a mystical place where you’ll discover one of our most ancient traditions. Tango is more than our national dance… tango is our immigrant origins, the talent of our local artists, the sensuality of Argentine women, and our way of dealing with a broken heart; dancing our way through tragic, and yet eternal, love stories.

Tonight you will enjoy a 3-hour professional display of tango and music with a group of local artists onstage immersed in an elegant and alluring place. The manners, ambiance, clothes, and dance steps that tango lovers used to practice 100 years ago will come to life again and you will travel back in time for a night.

This spectacular tango show in Buenos Aires will be accompanied by delicious Argentine and international cuisine. Dinner is all-inclusive, beverages included so you can lose yourself in the ethereal taste of Malbec wine. At the end of the evening, around midnight, you will be driven back to your hotel in a private service, fully in love with the bohemian spirit of our incredible city.

Day 3:  Start Your Argentina Patagonia Itinerary - El Calafate

Transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

We’ll pick you up from your hotel to start your travel itinerary through the best of Argentine Patagonia in El Calafate, the perfect place for adventure travelers. Upon arrival, we will bring you to your hotel and have the remainder of your day to relax or explore the surroundings.

El Calafate is a starting point for adventure-seeking travelers who want to unearth the most spellbinding natural wonders of Patagonia, like the Perito Moreno Glacier.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the only glaciers in the world that’s still advancing. Though it’s not the only glacier in the area, it’s the one that made the city of El Calafate famous worldwide. For many years now, El Calafate has been considered the capital of the glaciers. Located at the shore of Lago Argentino (the southernmost, largest Patagonian lake) it’s also home to the Spegazzini glacier, which forms the natural border between Argentina and Chile, and the Upsala Glacier, named Glaciar del Gigante (Giant’s glacier) It’s the biggest glacier that sits at the mouth of Lake Argentino.

But there is much more to see in El Calafate than glaciers. Make the most of your free day and discover other secret gems of the region.

Day 4:  Perito Moreno Glacier - El Calafate

Perito Moreno Glacier tour, meet the icy giant of Patagonia

During the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Glaciers National Park to enjoy the 6-hour Perito Moreno Glacier tour. You will travel about 25 miles from El Calafate to the park, enjoying the views of the Patagonian steppe. Once inside the park, you will take walkways to explore the different viewpoints, and you’ll feel unbelievably close to Perito Moreno Glacier. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a piece of ice break off and fall from the glacier wall, sinking forever into the lake below.

Over the course of about one hour, a bilingual guide will provide you with all the information you might want to know…and things you may have never thought about. After this visit, you will take a boat ride that will bring you close enough to fully appreciate the 262-foot ice walls of Perito Moreno! You’ll never feel closer to this gigantic and impressive natural masterpiece. At the end of the day, we will drive you back to your hotel.

Day 5:  Optional Tours - El Calafate

Optional tour to a Patagonian ranch

El Calafate has much more to offer than just its magnificent glaciers… we recommend that you complete this adventure by taking a day tour to immerse yourself in the rural culture of Patagonia.

Inside Glaciers National Park, at the end of National Route 15 and after a 1 hr 30 min drive over a rubble road, sits one of the oldest and most traditional Patagonian ranches in the area. It’s the only ranch that continues to maintain sheep and Hereford cattle breeding as its main occupation. You can take a day trip to visit its 30,000 acres of land, learn about its history, and witness a sheep-shearing demonstration and horse training. At the end of the day, a grilled lamb will await, sizzling on its traditional Patagonian rotisserie.

Day 6:  Continue Your Argentinian Patagonia Itinerary - Ushuaia

Transfer from your hotel to El Calafate airport

This morning we’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport to take your flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the globe.

Transfer from Ushuaia airport to your hotel

Upon arrival, we’ll be waiting to take you to your hotel, and after you’ll start exploring Ushuaia with a boat tour through the famous Beagle Channel!

Beagle Channel boat tour, visit Ushuaia’s famous islands

In 1833 Charles Darwin sailed the Beagle Channel and found something great. Today it’s your turn: become another explorer of this channel, primitively named Onashaga Channel since the Onas were its first discoverers.

Make your way to the tourist pier (located downtown) to embark on a 4-hour Beagle Channel navigation in a fully equipped boat with a capacity for up to 26 people. With Argentina on your left and Chile on your right, you’ll sail this natural border until you reach the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, which is still in operation.

On the way, enjoy uplifting panoramic views of Ushuaia Bay, crowned by the Martial Glacier’s diverse marine wildlife, such as cormorants (flying birds, closely related to penguins) and fur seals. Hop off on Bridges Island to explore its vegetation, and visit the archeological remains of the Yamanas (the native inhabitants) accompanied by a specialized bilingual guide.

During the trip, enjoy bottomless hot cocoa and cookies, or try the maté (loose herbal tea), which is every Argentinian’s favorite drink. Once we get back to the port, you can make your way back to your hotel or stop in a local cafe or brewery to enjoy an amber craft beer paired with a traditional Patagonian appetizer.

Day 7:  Trekking and Paddling in the National Park - Ushuaia

Discover Tierra del Fuego National Park wildlands

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel to start a 10-hour, moderate-difficulty, adventure in Tierra del Fuego National Park, just 7.4 miles away from the city and bordering the shore of the famous Beagle Channel.

Upon arrival at Ensenada Bay, you will have time to enjoy the view over the Beagle Channel before you start hiking along the coast. Four miles of trail await you, where you’ll discover native flora, wild fauna, and the remains left by the Yamanas, the native inhabitants of the area. After this 3-hour hike, you will reach Lake Roca, where lunch will be served.

After a full homemade picnic, you will start the second part of this adventure. Take your oar and plunge into a 1hr 30 min paddling trip along the Lapataia River (only available for children over 5 years old). Make it all the way to Lapataia Bay, where the Panamerican Highway and National Route 3 end at an awe-inspiring landscape.

After discovering the unique vastness of this stunning setting, we’ll take you back to your hotel to rest and enjoy another Patagonian evening.

Day 8:  The Best of Argentina Itinerary Continues - Andes Mountain Tour

Transfer from your hotel to Ushuaia airport

Today, we’ll pick you up at your hotel and drive to the local airport—Time to fly to the Wine Country!

Transfer from Mendoza airport to your hotel in the city – Day at leisure

Upon arrival to Mendoza, we’ll meet and drive you to your hotel. Mendoza is Argentina’s main wine region, the heartland of the Malbec grape (and other tasty types), and home to impressive mountains like the forbidding Aconcagua, the tantalizing summit for seasoned climbers around the world.

Mendoza is also the land of pleasure-seeker travelers. Enjoy your free day swimming in the pool facing a gorgeous mountain view or in wild hot springs. You can also take lunch in a vineyard—pair your relaxing evening with cutting-edge local wines. People travel from afar to taste that heavenly drop squeezed from the unique Malbec grape.

Day 9:  Wine Tours and Tasting - Chacras de Coria, Mendoza

Wine tour in Mendoza – Visit two of the best wineries in Luján de Cuyo or Maipu Valley

Take a 4-hour trip to visit two of the best wineries in the area with a small group and a bilingual guide. Discover Argentina’s most famous wines and learn the secrets of the wine-making process directly from the experts.

We’ll travel for 30 min. away from the city of Mendoza to Lujan de Cuyo or Maipú Valley, where the perfect combination of fertile valleys and high mountains creates the perfect conditions for world-renowned wineries to settle down.

You’ll travel around the area and soak up the wine philosophy, all while tasting the delicious, locally-produced Cabernet and Malbec grapes guided by a wine expert. In the afternoon we’ll take you back to your hotel to enjoy another relaxing evening in town.

Day 10:  Cordillera de los Andes and Mt. Aconcagua - Mendoza

Full-day visit to the Cordillera de los Andes viewpoints and Mt. Aconcagua
Have you ever climbed high in life? Today is your chance! You’ll visit the Cordillera de los Andes, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world, and the backbone of Latin America.

This day starts bright and early in the morning, right after breakfast. We’ll pick you up at your hotel and take you on a 12-hour trip to visit stunning viewpoints and discover stunning views of Mount Aconcagua (22600 f.a.s.l), the second-highest peak in the world after the Himalayas Range.

Make sure to bring your coat! Even in Summer, it always gets cold at higher altitudes. We’ll take National Route 7 to get to the impressive Potrerillos viewpoint, where you’ll see a colossal dam at the edge of the enthralling Cacheuta Valley, famous for its thermal waters.

Further ahead, the Puente del Inca will arise at the verge of the Las Cuevas River. This beautiful natural monument is famous for its healing hot springs and its golden-tinted rocks. There was a time when this bridge didn’t even exist. The legend says that a group of Inca warriors, trying to help the emperor’s son to reach the healing waters, grabbed their hands and made a human bridge which the gods decided to transform into the actual rocky bridge.

From here, you’ll also appreciate the magnificence of Mount Aconcagua, the “Colossus of America”. We’ll continue visiting Los Penitentes, the famous ski center, and in the town of Las Cuevas (at 10500 f.a.s.l) we’ll stop to have lunch (not included) before heading to the Cristo Redentor de los Andes (Andes Christ Redeemer).

Only available in Summer and if weather permits, we’ll drive to the giant bronze statue, created in 1904 to preserve peace between Chile and Argentina. In the afternoon, after having visited this paradise in the sky, we’ll take you back to your hotel.

Day 11:  Your Best of Argentina Itinerary Continues - Iguazú Falls

Transfer from your hotel to Mendoza airport

This is the end of your wine trip, but the beginning of your jungle exploration of Puerto Iguazú, the hometown of the world-famous Iguazú Falls. At the appropriate time, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the airport to take your flight.

Transfer from Puerto Iguazú airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we will meet at the airport and drive you to your hotel in Puerto Iguazú, the small border town that is the gateway to visit the impressive Iguazú Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 12: Iguazú Falls - Argentinian Side

Wander Iguazú Falls National Park and meet The Devil’s Throat

Today our driver and bilingual guide will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the National Park, on the Argentinian side. Enjoy a 7-hour tour wandering through the rainforest!

The falls are surrounded by a humid subtropical forest where the exuberant vegetation is home to many different animals and birds. Our guide will help you spot some of them: antbirds, toucans, manakins, parrots, and coatis, just to name a few of the most common birds. Lower and upper walkways weave in and around falls permitting up close and personal experiences with this magnificent spectacle of nature.

The Argentine side of the falls is filled with a myriad of paths walkways and stairways which allow you to have an experience from many different perspectives. You will have the chance to meet “The Devil’s Throat”: the largest of the falls and for many the most spellbinding. To get to the “Devil’s throat” you take the ecological train and then walk out along boardwalks. After walking and taking pictures of animals and plants, you will have some free time to eat lunch in this amazing environment. At the end of the experience, we will drive you back to your hotel.

Day 13: Iguazú Falls Tours - Brazilian Side

Tour to Iguazú Falls, Brazilian side

After breakfast, enjoy a 4-hour excursion to the Brazilian side of Iguazú Falls. You’ll be crossing borders today so please, don’t forget your passport!

While Argentina has 80% of the falls on its side, Brazil has the best panoramic view. On the Argentine side you will have the sensation of being right inside the falls, but only by visiting the Brazilian side will you fully appreciate the immensity of Iguazú Falls.

Take your time to enjoy it and feel it, to stroll the different walkways and feel the spray of water on your face. Take the boardwalk over the Salto Santa María; it feels like walking on the water. Get closer to the “Devil’s Throat” and experience the power of the water! Although you’ll be looking into Argentina, your feet will be on the ground in Brazil! Where does Argentina start and Brazil end? Well, it’s time to walk the line.

Back from the footbridge, you’ll have some free time to use the restrooms, visit the gift shop, and take a special elevator to an especially high viewpoint. At the end of the tour, we’ll drive you back to your hotel.

Day 14: Travel Back to the Capital - Buenos Aires

Transfer from your hotel to Puerto Iguazú airport

Time to say your goodbyes to the falls! In the morning we’ll drive you to the airport to board your flight back to Buenos Aires.

Transfer from Buenos Aires airport to your hotel in the city – Day at leisure
Upon landing in Buenos Aires, we’ll be waiting to bring you to your hotel. Enjoy your last day in the city exploring the cobblestone, tree-lined streets of Palermo Soho in search of some one-of-a-kind Porteño fashion stores, the district’s notable graffiti circuit, and the beautiful Botanical Garden.

Day 15: The End of your Travel Itinerary to the Best of Argentina - Buenos Aires

Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

This is the end of your travel itinerary to the best landscapes of Argentina and Patagonia. After saying your goodbyes to our marvelous city, we’ll take you to the international airport to take your flight back home. If you want to continue traveling, Argentina still has plenty to offer! Check out some more of our travelers’ favorite trips to Argentina and Chile.

Day 1 : International outbound flight

Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Buenos Aires.

Day 2 : Candelaria del Monte

On arrival in Buenos Aires this morning you will be driven direct to your estancia in the Pampas region.

Day 3 : Candelaria del Monte

Relax in your estancia or perhaps undertake some horse riding.

Day 4 : Buenos Aires

You will be driven back to Buenos Aires this morning direct to your hotel. The afternoon is free to explore a little. In the evening you can enjoy a tango show.

Day 5 : Buenos Aires

Enjoy a guided tour of Buenos Aires' most famous sites.

Day 6 : El Calafate

Transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. You will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Day 7 : El Calafate

Today you will sail across the placid waters of Lago Argentino to visit the vast Perito Moreno Glacier. Also enjoy a short trek on the mighty glacier (age restrictions apply)

Day 8 : El Calafate

At leisure in El Calafate with optional additional glacier visits.

Day 9 : Mendoza

Fly to Mendoza via Buenos Aires. On arrival you will be transferred to your hotel.

Day 10 : Mendoza

Enjoy a tour visiting some of regions wineries.

Day 11 : Mendoza

Free day for further explorations or simply relax and enjoy some wines at your hotel.

Day 12 : International return flight

Fly back to Buenos Aires and connect with your flight home.

Day 13 : International return flight

Arrive home today to complete your journey.