Argentina Complete- Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Salta, El Calafate & Ushuaia

Bienvenidos & welcome

Upon arrival at EZEIZA International airport & after clearing the mandatory Argentina Immigration & Customs procedures you will be met & warmly welcomed as you enter the Public Arrivals gallery by one of our professional fluent English speaking guides who will have a signboard with your surname clearly printed on it & then by way of a private air-conditioned vehicle, we will transfer to your confirmed centrally located city hotel. 

It is a journey of approx 37km from the International EZEIZA Airport to the city so sit back & take in the sights en-route.

You are checking in for the coming three (3) nights on a B&B basis.

Buenos Aires is a vivacious, buzzing & alluring city, which stretches south-to-north along the Rio de la Plata.  It is the cultural and economic capital of Argentina, with approx 4.5 million people living in the inner city and over 14 million in the greater metropolitan area.

The city is full of offerings that will captivate  those international visitors who venture here with it`s historical  Spanish, Italian, British, German, & French influences all of which can be experienced throughout the city’s design & cuisine.  Visitorswill experience a blend of Victorian architecture & cosmopolitan construction around the city. Beautiful parks, squares, restaurants, & boutique shops blend the European lifestyle while keeping the authenticity & fervor of the Latin America. Local cuisine is famous for the quality & quantity offered, especially beef. And Argentina is the world’s fifth largest producer of wine & varieties of superb Malbec, Syrah, Tempranillo, & Cabernet Sauvignon are widely available & in high demand.

And no matter where you go, the city’s love of music & dance can be felt throughout. Argentina gave birth to the Tango & it plays a vital role in Argentine culture. All visitorshave the opportunity to experience this romatic & stirring dance throughout the many tango  auditorium , some specialist Tango milonga clubs & bars, principally in the city neighbourhoods of San Telmo & Caminito.

Please note that the city of Buenos Aires is 100% smoke free in all bars, restaurants, & public places.

Buenos Aires has some of the best shopping in the world. The Palermo district,is the trendiest part of Buenos Aires. It is full of boutique shops stocking worldwide high profile name brands catering to men & women alike. San Telmo is the essential place to go if you are looking for antiques. Explore San Telmo on a Sunday, when the streets are closed off & become a large market where individual merchants selling all kinds of things flood the streets. El Centro, the downtown of Buenos Aires, is filled with all different kinds of stores. Recoleta is the most upscale neighborhood of Buenos Aires central city & you can expect to find high end brands here. Visit the Villa Crespo neighborhood if you are looking for leather goods.

Above all make the most of your stay here - it is afterall South America`s most vibrant & cosmopolitan capital city.

Breakfast

This morning after breakfast you will be picked up from your hotel to embark on a guided 3 hour  Buenos Aires historic city sightseeing excursion.

Sense, feel & soak up the emotions & ambiance of South America’s most glittering capital city. Take in all the major plazas: Plaza San Martin, Plaza 25 de Mayo, Plaza Congreso & Plaza San Martin; traverse the major boulevards & avenues: Av. Corrientes, Av. Cordoba, Av. 9 de Julio, Av. Callao & Av Libertador; visit the historic districts of San Telmo, La Boca, Montserrat, Once, Recoleta, Puerto Madero & the elegant neighborhoods of Palermo & Belgrano. You’ll see the historic civic buildings, fountains & monuments for which this city is standout: pause in Plaza 25 de Mayo at the Presidential Palace - Casa Rosada, the reverence within Buenos Aires Cathedral, the famous Cabildo & the iconic Obelisco, all the while gaining a knowledge & education through the descriptions & in-depth commentary provided by your local expert bi-lingual English speaking guide.

At the conclusion of the morning’s historic sightseeing excursion you will be returned to your hotel or, if you prefer to continue on & strike out alone, a set arrival point. 

The afternoon is free of any pre-arranged activity, therefore giving you free reign & your own timetable for the remainder of the day

Breakfast & dinner

This is your chance to strike out on your own & explore Buenos Aires as today is free of any pre-organized activities, until this evening.

After breakfast if you want to shop or just browse, then we suggest the many boutiques that are on both sides of Avenida Santa Fe, or down Calle Florida a famous pedestrian shopping street & Galeria Pacifico in the central city. Whatever you decide to do today, please be sure to be back at your hotel, dressed in smart casual attire by 1930hrs in time to be picked up shortly before 1945hrs for an evening of traditional charm & romance. 

Tango is the trademark dance & rhythm of Argentina & there is no better place to be exposed to this sensational pulse than at a dinner & tango show, with professional tango musicians, singers & the best of tango dance couples.

Dinner includes appetizers, various choices of a main course, deserts, accompanied by with fine local red & white vintages of wine & soft drinks, then tea & coffee, should you wish. This is an evening that will captivate & live on with you as the essence of not only professional Tango, but Buenos Aires itself.  Exceptional professional musicians & traditional cutlurral performers will mezmerise before the professional tango dance couples wow the audience.

It is likely you will not be returned to your city hotel until approaching midnight in the shuttle vehicle that is included,, where no doubt sleep will come easily.

Breakfast

This morning after breakfast, check out of your hotel & by way of a private vehicle transfer, you will be driven to the local Aeroparque Jorge Newbery principally domestic airport to check in for a flight to Iguazu falls. This is a 1hr.45 min sector with a light snack & a drinks service aboard.

Upon arrival to Iguazu after collecting your checked baggage from the carousel in Baggage Claim, on exiting to the Publis Arrivals area you will be met by a fluent local English speaking driver / guide ,& transferred in a private air-conditioned vehicle, to your confirmed hotel be that in Puerto Iguazu or Foz do Iguassu on the Brasil side of the international border..

Check in for a two (2) night stay on a B&B basis.

Breakfast

After breakfast this morning you will be picked up & by way of a regular of coach you will be  driven to the Iguazu National Park Headquarters entrance, to embark on full day regular excursion of the Argentinean side of our planets most majestic waterfalls, accompanied by an English speaking guide.

Iguazu Falls is made up of more than 270 cataracts, spread around three large half-moon shaped valleys.

There are two basic circuits, an upper & a lower walking trail The upper path leads to incredible panoramic views of the falls from an extensive steel walkway, also an unforgettable experience, & he lower trail leads down a series of steel stair cases & viewing platforms to the base of the San Martin cataract where the intense water volume releases a misty spray into the air. Then also as an included part of your Iguazu experience, the ´People Mover` narrow gauge train gives guests access along a track of some 3.5km, to the steel walkway that goes out across the mezzanine level of the river to the point where physically Argentina & Brazil’s international border is defined by the thunderous ´Garganta del Diablo` – the Devil’s Throat.

At the conclusion of your day’s activities here at Iguazu Falls, you will be returned to your hotel where the remainder of the evening is free of any pre-organized activities so you are free to do as you please..

Breakfast

This morning after breakfast you will check out of your hotel & at a time that will be advised to you well in advance, transfer by way of a private air-conditioned vehicle to Iguazu airport to check in there for a flight across the country to the far NW quadrant, with a destination of the city of Salta. 

Upon your arrival to Salta airport you will be met & by way of a private vehicle, transferred to your confirmed hotel.  

Breakfast

Today you will be picked up to embark on a 3 hour comprehensive regular historic Salta city sightseeing excursion hosted by a bi-lingual English speaking local expert guide, including most important historic buildings, churches & monuments. Provided the weather God is smiling & conditions are right, the panoramic views from San Bernardo hill overlooking the city are awesome. This region is well known for its subtropical microclimate. A short visit to the summer villa of San Lorenzo in a tranquil valley located some 6km from downtown is also included.  You will be returned to your hotel at the conclusion of the excursion.  

Breakfast

Today  you are in for a marvellous overland day excursion, one of the greatest attractions of one of the most enigmatic scenarios of the Argentine Northwest: the Andean desert of the Puna de Atacama. A unique territory, where among other attractions, you will find the most famous salt flat in Argentina: Salinas Grandes, a gigantic natural salt deposit, located between the territories of Salta and Jujuy.

This amazing Tour in Salta starts at the door of your hotel, when a vehicle passes by you in the morning, to take you along the path that crosses the canyon of the Quebrada del Toro, on the route that follows the Train of the Clouds. On the way you will stop to visit Santa Rosa de Tastil and the town of San Antonio de Cobres. In this charming Andean settlement located at an incredible height of 3,776 meters above sea level, you will be able to learn about the artisan lifestyle of the inhabitants of northwestern Argentina and take a break for lunch (see Observations).

After this break, this tour through the main attractions of Salta and Jujuy will continue on Route 40, until you reach the famous La Polvorilla Viaduct, where you will stop for a few minutes, before turning off the road to enter the immense salinas of Salinas Grandes : the most important salt deposit in the Argentine Northwest. An amazing place where you will want to have your camera at hand to carry an unforgettable memory of the mysterious landscapes that the Puna de Atacama keeps. At the end of the stop, you will find the exotic Hill of the Seven Colors. A wonderful gem of the geology of Jujuy, which adorns the landscape of this picturesque rural town, where you will stop for a while, before taking the road back to the city of Salta.

Breakfast

This morning after breakfast, check out of your room & at the appropriate time, by way of a private vehicle you will be transferred from to Salta airport for an onward flight via Buenos Aires, to El Calafate in the heartland of Southern Patagonia & gateway to the Los Glaciares National Park. 

Upon arrival to El Calafate you will be met directly outside the baggage claim & in an air-conditioned private vehicle, transferred to your confirmed hotel. 

Breakfast

This morning you will need to wake early & have breakfast as you will be picked up at the hotel to embark on a regular day excursion by coach out to the viewing platforms & wooden deck walkways in front of majestic Perito Moreno Glacier. Departing by road you will travel around Lake Argentino & Bahia Redonda. This region is home to a large variety of birds & in particular, black-necked swans, flamingos, wild ducks & coots. Yellow broom sedge (coiron) grasses dominate the open fields as you cross the Patagonian plains. Entering the National Park, the different types of trees: ñires, guindos & lengas are striking. Upon arrival at Glacier Perito Moreno the immensity of this awesome river of ice is evident. Perito Moreno Glacier is born high in the Andes cordillera & as a massive river of frozen ice, creaks & groans as it is slowly pushing forward on the journey down a valley some 50km to its terminal face which stands almost the equivalent of a building 24 stories high, above a lagoon that has been made by the ice melt. You will have ample time to leisurely wander the marked wooden deck walkways & the viewing platforms that offer the most stunning views of one of the most magnificent glaciers on the planet.

An `optional` short cruise on the lagoon is available, but not included in the excursion, so that would need to be paid for on the day you are here separately at the kiosk. At the conclusion of the day, the excursion will retrace its journey of this morning & return guests to their El Calafate hotels. 

Breakfast

No activities are booked for today so you can choose exactly what you wish to do. However we suggest that guests undertake one of the most spectacular Nautical excursions in this area called  “Glaciares Gourmet".  You would have to pre-reserve this excursion & you can do so through Sundance Spirit’s office in El Calafate, or through the hotel concierge. In high season availability is limited by high demand, so we recommend you considering booking as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment. For guests who do not wish to indulge in an outdoor activity, El Calafate township offers a good range of things to do & the many artisan boutique have wonderful handcrafted locally produced products that typify this region of Southern Patagonia.

Breakfast

This morning after breakfast, you will pack your luggage & check out of the hotel as at a pre-arranged time that will be advised to you, a private air-conditioned vehicle will pick you up & transfer you out to El Calafate airport. Here, check in for a flight to the southern most city on our planet, located on the island of Tierra del Fuego - Ushuaia. 

Upon arrival to Ushuaia, you will be met directly outside the baggage claim & a private air-conditioned vehicle will transfer you to your confirmed hotel.

Breakfast & BBQ lunch

This morning after breakfast , you will embark on a fabulous excursion around the indigenous forests surrounding Lago Fagnano called “Lago`s Off Road”. In many ways this is a fun filled relaxing day, on board the Land Rover Defender & experience an unforgettable journey, mixed with a bit of adrenaline pumping serious off-road muddy tracks & the lake itself. From above the Andes, get a view of a little gem hidden in the valley, Lago Escondido (Hidden Lake). Soon after the breathtaking & impressive Lake Fagnano will surely be the main attraction. At lunch time your driver/guide will cook an exquisite steak for you in a small `refugio` located deep in the indigenous forest. Here, as well as all kinds of delicious meats, fresh salads & a desert platter you ´ll have the chance to enjoy a glass of top quality Argentine Malbec overlooking the magnificence & quietness of Lago Fagnano. 

Breakfast

After breakfast this morning, time to pack the luggage & check out of your hotel as a private air-conditioned vehicle is scheduled to pick you up at a pre-arranged time that you will have been notified of, to transfer you to Ushuaia Airport, there to check in for your departure flight.  

This brings to a conclusion the services of Sundance Spirit.