Itinerary

DAY 1 :  BUENOS AIRES
Buenos Aires airport reception and transfer to overnight at the Moreno Hotel. Today we explore the Costanera Sur Nature Reserve, just miles from the heart of the city. Accompanied by a local conservationist we venture through a beautiful area of the Puerto Madero River which has remained largely untouched during the expansion of Buenos Aires.  Overnight at the Moreno Hotel.

DAY 2 :  TRELEW/PUNTA TOMBO
Early morning transfer for the flight to Trelew on the Atlantic Coast. The local naturalist guide will meet us upon arrival in Trelew before we embark on a visit to Punta Tombo, the most important breeding colony of Magellanic penguins in the world. Walk on trails among nearly a million penguins approaching within a few feet for excellent close-up photographs and observation. Kelp gulls, Skuas, Cormorants, Giant petrels, Dolphin gulls and Chubut steamer ducks are among the many birds that inhabit the reserve. On the way back to Trelew, if time allows, visit Gaiman, a Welsh settlement for tea. (Visit to Gaiman not included.)

Overnight at the Posada Los Mimbres. On your own time, we suggest a visit to the interesting Paleontology Museum Egidio Feruglio, especially fun for families! [BLD]

DAY 3 :  PENINSULA VALDES
Full day excursion to explore Peninsula Valdes for the finest wildlife viewing in Patagonia. The plankton-rich Falkland Current provides food for the peninsula's large colonies of South American sea lions and Southern elephant seals. Visit breeding grounds of sea lions and elephant seals, observe flocks of migratory shore birds and watch for guanacos, rheas, maras, hairy armadillos, Elegant-crested tinamous and fox running freely across the plain. Overnight Posada Los Mimbres. [BLD]

    Note: Add optional whale watching boat trip to see Southern Right Whales from July through December, approximately $50 per person.

DAY 4 :  USHUAIA
Your morning is free to walk the trails near the Posada or just relax in the hammock and enjoy the peaceful enviroment. Afternoon transfer to the airport and fly to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Time permitting, enjoy a 2-hour City Trek with amazing vistas of the town, surrounding peaks and Beagle Channel. Learn about the development of the city and its importance in maritime history. Overnight at the Hosteria Los Fuegos. [B]

DAY 5 :  ESTANCIA HARBERTON / MARTILLO ISLAND
This excursion is the perfect introduction to Tierra del Fuego and its magnificent natural history and traditions. Drive east towards Puerto Almanza, a small fishing village to reach Estancia Harberton. This estancia belongs to the descendants of Rev. Thomas Bridges, one of the first British Missionaries to reach the area. Following an overview visit of the estancia, board a zodiac boat (15 passengers) for a hike and lunch at Gable Island, the largest in the Beagle Channel. Navigate to the Penguin rookery at Martillo Island, the domain of the Magellanic Penguin and a small population of Gentoo Penguins. The unique location of this island (close to the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean waters merge) allows for an incredible variety of rich subaquatic life, making it an amazing spot for birdwatching (petrels, skuas, cormorants, sea gulls and albatross). Return to Harberton for tea and then back to Ushuaia for overnight at the Hosteria Los Fuegos. [BL]

DAY 6 :  TIERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK
Full day visit to the Tierra del Fuego National Park in a private vehicle. Upon arrival at the National Park, hike 8 kms (about 3.5 hrs on uneven terrain) to reach Ovando River. Hiking through the beech forest offers opportunities to spot the Magaellanic woodpecker (the largest in South America), Austral parakeets, black-chest buzzard eagles and Andean Condors.  At a breathtaking over-look the panoramic view includes Lago Roca, Lagunas Verde and Negra, Rio Ovando and Rio Lapataia and Bahia Lapataia. Embark on a zodiac navigation to Isla Redonda, enjoy lunch and wildlife viewing before returning to Lapataia Bay to disembark. Return to Ushuaia. Overnight at the Hosteria Los Fuegos. [BL]

DAY 7 :  EL CALAFATE
Morning free to explore Ushuaia on foot or visit the interesting End of the World Museum. Transfer to the airport and fly to El Calafate. El Calafate is the base for explorations of the Patagonian Continental Ice Cap and Los Glaciares National Park. The ice cap runs 560 miles from North to South between the 48 and 51 parallels. It is the origin of 47 major glaciers, including the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Formerly part of the Estancia 25 de Mayo, the beautiful hotel offers excellent facilities and a central, but peaceful, location. Overnight at Hotel de Campo Kau Yatun. [B]

DAY 8 :  PERITO MORENO GLACIER WALK
Drive to a spectacular lookout of Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Permanently advancing along its 3-mile-front, columns of ice over 20 stories high peel off the face and crash into Lago Argentino creating massive icebergs. We cross Lago Argentino by catamaran along the front wall of the glacier to the edge of the Patagonian Ice Cap.  Watch and listen as the glacier calves enormous shards of ice into the lake. We disembark, walk through the beech forest and have a safety briefing before strapping on crampons and hiking up onto the ice pack! Watch for Andean condor and Buff-necked Ibis. Overnight at the Hotel de Campo Kau Yatun. [BL]

DAY 9 :  BUENOS AIRES
Transfer to El Calafate airport for late afternoon or evening flight to Buenos Aires. Transfer in and overnight at the Moreno Hotel or begin your post-trip extension. [B]

    Note: Half-day tours of Buenos Aires are available on request including historical sites such as the Barrio Norte with its splendid old homes; San Telmo where the artist and musicians live and work; La Boca, a neighborhood of brightly painted Italian family homes and restaurants; and the Avenida 9 de Julio with its towering obelisk as much a symbol to Buenos Aires as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. In addition to the standard tour, we have developed a special city tour called "The Four Balconies of Buenos Aires" in which a local guide uses four parks and plazas to introduce visitors to the city, its history, its style, and the peculiar psychology of the Porteno (inhabitant of Buenos Aires). On your own free time you may also take in a tango show or visit some of the more than 150 art galleries and museums.

DAY 10 :  DEPARTURE
Airport transfer for your return flight home or begin your post-trip extension. [B]

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