Itinerary

DAY 1: BUENOS AIRES: Arrival and meeting at the airport.  Transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon you will enjoy a tour of this cosmopolitan city.

 DAY 2: BUENOS AIRES – PUNTA TOMBO/PUERTO MADRYN: Flight to Trelew, and welcome to Patagonia! Today you will visit to Punta Tombo rookery, the most important breeding colony of Magellan penguins in the world.  You will walk through a trail that cuts deep into the colony to observe closely these fascinating birds.  Other species such as kelp gulls, skuas,  cormorants, giant petrels, dolphin gulls, the Chubut steamer duck, and Patagonian foxes also inhabit the area and may be seen here.  Picnic lunch. Later, you will visit GAIMAN, a traditional small town that was settled by Welsh immigrants in the 1870s.  There you may enjoy a cup of tea and pastries (not included).  In the evening, drive to Puerto Madryn, a charming coastal city on the Golfo Nuevo shores.  Lodging at your hotel for two nights. (B)

DAY 3: VALDES PENINSULA:  Full day excursion to Valdes Peninsula.  On your way you will stop to see the wildlife of the area: guanacos, lesser rheas, Patagonian foxes, hairy armadillos, maras and the most important rookeries protecting large colonies of Southamerican sea lions, and Southern elephant seals.  At Puerto Piramide, a village on the south side of the Peninsula, you may enjoy a boat excursion to see the right whales that remain in the area from June until the first weeks of December.  Lodging in Puerto Madryn. (B)

 

 DAY 4: TRELEW- EL CALAFATE:  Transfer to the airport to fly to El Calafate, a small village located close to the shores of Argentino Lake.  Transfer to the airport to fly to El Calafate, a small village located close to the shores of Argentino Lake.  In the evening you will visit Estancia Alice located in Los Glaciares National Park to see ranch activities such as sheep shearing and later enjoy a barbecue dinner and folk show.  Lodging at Estancia Alice or hotel of similar category in El Calafate. (B,D)

 DAY 5: LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK:  After breakfast you will depart to visit Los Glaciares National Park.  This park of 600.000 hectares (2,300 square miles) has thirteen glaciers that flow into the Argentino and Viedma lakes.  Perito Moreno Glacier, is one of the few glaciers in the world that is 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 lake is an unforgettable spectacle.  Trekking Expedition: You will board a boat to cross Argentino Lake. You will land on an isolated beach and hike on the glacier.  (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)

DAY 6: LOS GLACIARES NATIONAL PARK:  Day at leisure to enjoy the area or take optional excursions. Dinner at the hotel. (B,D)

 

DAY 7: EL CALAFATE - TORRES DEL PAINE:  Today, you will have a private transfer (car/driver) from your hotel to the  border with Chile (Cancha Carrera/Cerro Castillo) where your Chilean 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. You will visit Sarmiento, Nordenskjold and Pehoe Lakes. You may 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. Lunch during the excursion. You will arrive at the hotel late in the evening. Lodging at Hosteria Las Torres or Hosteria Serrano inside the park (B, L)

DAY 8: TORRES DEL PAINE:  Breakfast. Day at leisure to enjoy the park on your own.  We recommend hiking to Las Torres. (B)

    

DAY 9: PUERTO NATALES/ USHUAIA:   After breakfast, you will drive back to Argentina and to the airport in El Calafate to take your Flight to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.  Arrival and transfer to your hotel.  Lodging at Hotel Terrazas del Beagle, Hotel Los Ñires or similar.  (B)

 DAY 10: 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. Lunch in the park. Lodging in Ushuaia. (B,L)

  

DAY 11:USHUAIA / BUENOS AIRES:   Private transfer to the airport to take your flight to Buenos Aires.  Arrival and transfer to your hotel. In the evening you will enjoy a tango show and dinner at Esquina Homero Manzi.  (B, D)

DAY 12: BUENOS AIRES / USA or ...:  Morning at leisure.  In the evening, transfer to the airport to take your flight back to Buenos Aires. Arrival and transfer to Ezeiza International Airport to take your flight back to USA or your country of residence. (B)

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