Great Patagonia

ITINERARY

Day 01 – BUENOS AIRES

Arrival. Reception at Ezeiza International Airport, and private transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon you will enjoy a private tour of this cosmopolitan city of 12 million inhabitants, and capital of the Argentine Republic. Lodging for one night at Hotel Intersur Recoleta or similar.

Day 02 – PUERTO MADRYN/PUNTA TOMBO

Breakfast. Flight to Trelew, a city 1,200 kms south of Buenos Aires, and welcome to Patagonia! Your local naturalist guide will be meeting you at the airport. You will drive Punta Tombo, the biggest continental breeding ground of Magellan penguins. There, you will have the opportunity to meander along the park trails, which bisect the breeding ground themselves, and see over 200 thousand live nests, and more than 500 thousand penguins. Picnic lunch. In the afternoon, you will visit Gaiman. This is a picturesque small town that was settled by Welsh immigrants in the 1870s, and still maintains much of its original architecture. You may savor a delicious Welsh tea with pastries at one of the traditional teahouses of Gaiman (Optional). In the evening you will drive to Puerto Madryn. Lodging at Hotel Península Valdés overlooking the ocean. (B,L)

Day 03 – PENINSULA VALDES

After breakfast, you will drive to Península Valdés Nature Reserve, a paradise for wildlife lovers. (private excursion). Península Valdés is like an island united to the continent by a 35 km long strip of land called Ameghino Isthmus. From some sections of the road that takes us into the reserve, we will be able to view both gulfs: “San José” and “Nuevo”. The distance between them is only 7 km. at the narrowest part. You will observe birds in their natural habitat of “Bird Island”, and you will spend some time at Puerto Pirámide, a village on the south side of the Peninsula, on the Nuevo Gulf. Here you may enjoy a whale watching boat expedition to observe the magnificent Southern Right Whales that remain in the area from June through December (Optional). In the afternoon, you will likely see more of the region’s native fauna which includes foxes, maras, peludos and piches (similar to armadillos), lesser rheas (or choiques) and guanacos. The places you will be visiting are: Punta Norte, with the largest sea elephant colony on the Peninsula OR Caleta Valdés, a natural canal with great variety of marine and terrestrial wildlife; a sea lion colony, and the Salinas “Chica” and “Grande” that are the biggest depressions in South America. Late in the evening you will return to your hotel in Puerto Madryn. (B)

Day 04 – USHUAIA/ TIERRA DEL FUEGO

In the morning, private transfer to Trelew Airport. Flight to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, a picturesque town on the shores of the Beagle Channel. Reception and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure. Lodging for two nights at Hotel Tolkeyen or similar. (B)

Day 05 – USHUAIA/TIERRA DEL FUEGO

Today you will go west for a hiking excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park. You will likely see the Magellanic woodpeckers, largest in South America, Austral parakeets, black-chested buzzard eagles and Andean Condors. You will visit different areas of the park such as Ensenada Bay and Lapataia Bay, and you’ll be able to see two remarkably different ecosystems: the sea-shore and the sub-Antarctic forest which occur together only in a few places on earth and are unique in Argentina. Lunch in the park. Lodging. (B,L)

Day 06 – USHUAIA – LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK: EL CHALTEN/FITZ ROY

Private transfer to the airport to take your flight to El Calafate. Reception at the airport and private transfer to El Chalten (About 3-hours drive. Car/driver), arrival, lodging at Hosteria Infinito Sur, Hotel Poincenot or similar. (B)

Day 07 – LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK: EL CHALTEN/FITZ ROY

Breakfast. Today you will enjoy a full day trekking excursion to Laguna de Los Tres including Piedras Blancas Glacier and base camp Fitz Roy. During this excursion you will be able to enjoy spectacular views of the Fitz Roy after a short trek to Centinela Viewpoint. NOTE: Instead, you may enjoy a half day visit to Lago del Desierto and boat ride.  Picnic lunch during the excursion. Lodging in El Chalten. (B,L).

Day 08 – LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK: EL CHALTEN/FITZ ROY

Breakfast. In the morning, you will enjoy a private trekking excursion along the Fitz Roy River valley to Mirador del Torre (about 3 hours both ways).  You’ll be able to see Cerro Torre, its glaciers and the Adelas Cord. Return to El Chalten, and afternoon and evening at leisure to explore on your own. Lodging in El Chalten. (B)

Day 09 – EL CALAFATE /LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK: PERITO MORENO GLACIER

Breakfast. In the morning, you will drive back to El Calafate. Arrival, dinner and lodging at Hotel El Galpon del Glaciar. You may have time to enjoy different activities at the ranch. OR if you prefer to be in town you will stay at Hotel Mirador del Lago. (B, D)

Day 10 – LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK: PERITO MORENO GLACIER

Breakfast. Today you will visit the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier. Perito Moreno Glacier, is one of the few glaciers in the world that is believed to be still progressing.  It is only 500 ft above sea level, which makes it very accessible, allowing one to stand in front of a mountain of ice that measures 60 m (180 ft) by 5 km (2.5 miles).  The constant fall of huge towers of ice from its walls and into the Argentino Lake is an unforgettable spectacle.  Trekking Expedition: You will board a boat to cross the lake and land on an isolated beach to start trekking on the glacier. During the two hours walk you will enjoy a magnificent landscape of ice formations in different shades of blue, crevasses, streams and small lagoons. (Age restriction: 10 to 65 years old. Not additional equipment, or previous experience required.).  Picnic lunch at the park.  In the evening, return to your hotel in El Calafate.  Dinner at the hotel. (B,L,D)
NOTE: If age restriction is not met, we may replace the ice trekking excursion for a boat excursion to get closer to the Southern Wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Tour price will be lower.

Day 11 – LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK

Day at leisure to enjoy the area or take optional excursions.  Dinner at the hotel. (B,D)

Day 12 – TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK / CHILE

Today, you will have a group transfer to the border with Chile (Cancha Carrera/Cerro Castillo) where your guide will be waiting for you and drive to Torres del Paine National Park. Torres del Paine is a large park (450,000 acres) declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Today you enjoy a private excursion in the park and visit Sarmiento, Nordenskjold and Pehoe Lakes. You will enjoy a short hiking to Grey lake to view part of the glacier. The park is particularly rich in fauna, and you’ll be likely to see guanacos, lesser rheas, black-necked swans, geese, flamingos, Magellanic woodpeckers, and peregrine falcons and condors on the mountain slopes. You will arrive at your hotel late in the evening. Lunch during the excursion, lodging at Hotel Las Torres or Hotel Lago Grey or similar in the park. (B,L) Note:  Transfer to the border will be private for groups of 4 or more passengers.

Day 13 – TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK / CHILE

Breakfast. Today you may enjoy the day hiking to Las Torres (on your own) or visit other areas of the park. (B)

Day 14 – TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK / CHILE

Breakfast. Day at leisure to enjoy the park: hiking, relaxing, optional excursions. (B)

Day 15 – TORRES DEL PAINE – EL CALAFATE – BUENOS AIRES

Private transfer to cross the border to Argentina and El Calafate airport and flight to Buenos Aires.  Arrival and transfer to your hotel.  Lodging for one night at Hotel Intersur Recoleta or similar. (B)

Day 16 – BUENOS AIRES

Morning at leisure to explore the city on your own.  Private transfer to Ezeiza airport to take your international flight back to… (B)