Patagonia Adventure - 16 Days

Arrival in Buenos Aires. Shuttle transfer from the airport and check-in at your accommodation.

On this 3-hour city tour you will discover the beauty and wonders of Buenos Aires city viewing the National Congress, The Metropolitan Cathedral next to the Government House in May Square area among other important buildings. You will catch a glimpse of the Colon Theater, one of the most important opera houses in Latin America and San Telmo, traditional neighborhood where Tango performances can be seen in many bars and restaurants. There is an important stop at the colorful neighbourhood of La Boca, originally inhabited by immigrants - mainly Italians - and now home to some artists. Enjoy Palermo, an area that combines its architecture and history with entertainment and amusement in its green spaces. Finally, La Recoleta, an exclusive and elegant neighborhood where the famous cemetery is found.

Alternatively you can explore Buenos Aires by bike. If you want a more active tour to discover the corners of Buenos Aires with a small group and pedal your way along the city streets, the bike tour is the perfect choice for you.

City Tour: Pick-up from your accommodation, drop-off downtown
Bike Tour: Make your own way to Pasaje Giuffra 308, San Telmo.

The day is free for you to enjoy the city. In the evening at 20:00 you're picked up from your accommodation for a tango show including dinner. In the very heart of Puerto Madero, the newest neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, this show represents the best of the Porteño culture. A tango show is a trip to older and passionate times. Professional artists will show you their best art, singing songs and dancing typical pieces. The show consists of several parts in which you can appreciate a live tango orchestra, dancers and singers. Includes return transfers, a welcome drink, dinner (starter, main course and dessert), wine or soft drinks and of course, a beautiful tango show.

Breakfast and check-out at 11:00. Make your own way to Retiro bus station to catch the night bus to Puerto Madryn.

Upon arrival in Puerto Madryn, find your own way from the bus station to your accommodation. The afternoon is free for you to spend as you like.

Be ready to get picked up at 07:30 for a full day tour to Peninsula de Valdés, a heritage spot that is home to many unique species. Accompanied by bilingual nature guides, your first stop is at the Carlos Ameghino Isthmus Interpretation Center for you to have fast facts on fauna, flora and the geology of the peninsula. Enjoy the panoramic view of Golfo Nuevo, San Jose and the Isla de los Pajaros. Another stop is the village of Puerto Pirámide where, depending on the month of the year, you can go on a whale watching boat trip (between 1 Jun and 30 Nov) or a snorkeling tour (both optional excursions are booked and paid locally).

Continuing on the gravel road, our next stops include Caleta Valdés, Punta Cantor and Punta Norte to observe marine elephants, penguins and marine lions (all stops subject to season, weather and tides). If blessed with good luck, the Orcinus or ill-named killer whales can be observed from the seaside at Punta Norte. The best months to see them are March and April, and also September in Caleta Valdés (with a bit less frequency). After a big day rewarding marine life observations, we head back to Puerto Madryn and drop you off at your accommodation.

This optional tour to Punta Tombo penguin colony runs from 1 September until 30 March (extra payment locally).

Be ready for a 07:30 start to visit the most important 'pingüinera' or penguin colony (where hundreds of thousands of penguins lay their eggs on the beach) on the Latin American continent. Punta Tombo serves as a habitat of the Magallanes penguin. Here you can also observe how the sea gulls, skuas, petrels, cormorants, oystercatchers and steam ducks cohabit on the coast.

Due to a big extension area, you will also observe species like guanacos (typical American camaelidae), choiques (small ostrichs), maras (big patagonian hares) and foxes that are characteristic of the steppe. You will visit the small town of Gaiman to admire its culture brought hundreds of years ago from Wales and the very particular architecture, also to taste a delicious piece of cake at a Welsh tea house (optional).

Breakfast and check-out. Spend the day as you like, and in the evening make your own way to the bus station to catch the night bus to Rio Gallegos.

The bus arrives in Rio Gallegos early in the morning, where you will change to a connecting bus to El Calafate. Arrival in El Calafate at 16:00 or 18:00. Make your own way to your accommodation.

Enjoy an early breakfast and get ready to be picked up for a full day tour to Perito Moreno Glacier. People from all over the world come to this remote place in Southern Patagonia to be a witness of the Ice Age. This is one of the few moving glaciers on our planet, and a visit is not only worth it, but a MUST. You start from El Calafate early in the morning to enjoy the landscape, nature, fauna and the wide variety of birds (trying to arrive at the glacier before everyone else). Through the gateways you visit the north face of the Perito Moreno Glacier in different viewpoints and altitudes. The Perito Moreno Glacier has the size of the Buenos Aires city and is between 40 and 50 meters high. Due to the falling angle, it receives more ice than the ice that melts, so it advances, grows and breaks every now and then. Quite a unique thing to witness! Back to your accommodation around 16-17:00.

This full day tour to Torres del Paine starts from El Calafate with pick-ups early in the morning at about 06:00. You will reach the border between Argentina and Chile at around 10:00, and go through the border control procedures. You will make a stop in the town of Cerro Castillo as well as Lago Sarmiento for you to enjoy the amazing landscape. On arrival at Laguna Amarga, you're required to pay the entrance fee to Torres del Paine National Park (not included in the tour price). From Nordenskjol Lake we are able to admire the imposing sight of Cuernos del Paine. Once you arrive to Pudeto you visit the Salto Grande waterfall where you do a light trek to get more involved with nature. At 17:00, you will leave the National Park and make 3 new stops at selected viewpoints where you can appreciate the Paine Range in its glory. You arrive to Cerro Castillo at 18:00 and come back to El Calafate. Long tour but worth a visit! You will be picked up and dropped off from your accommodation.

Free day to enjoy El Calafate. Choose from a great variety of optional activities or try one of the self-guided treks in El Chalten.

Check out 02:00 and make your own way to the bus station to catch a 3 am night bus to Rio Gallegos that connects with another bus to Ushuaia between 08:30-09:00. Upon arrival in Ushuaia late in the evening find your own way to your accommodation.

Tierra del Fuego is the only Argentine national park that combines sea, mountains and forests. This half day tour starts with pick-ups around 09:00 and takes you to the end of all Argentine routes passing by splendid local flora and fauna. On one side snow-capped mountains, and on the other, the Beagle Channel. This national park is small if you compare it with other Patagonian parks, but it preserves many miles of fragile Andean Patagonian forests. A very young ecosystem (only 8 to 10 thousand years old) that grew after the region was covered by ice of last ice age. Take the chance to walk around the local trees, along the pebble beaches of green and transparent waters and see if you can discover orange llaollaos or small local strawberries. Back in Ushuaia at around 14:00.

Make your way to the port by 14:00 and catch the boat in the direction of Alice Island (to the east) to see the colony of sea lions. Maybe a smelly moment but really interesting to see! Then you continue to the Birds Island where the king and imperial cormorants inhabit, impressive birds that are the "owners" of the channel. Nearby you will enjoy the view of the Rock Cormorants on the cliffs. Then you navigate towards the Sea Lions Island to catch, again, a glimpse of these funny animals. Finally, you find Les Eclaireurs lighthouse, constructed in 1919 that is the actual symbol of the city. Return to Ushuaia.

Duration: 2 hours 30 mins
Note: Transportation to the port and back on your own

Breakfast, check-out and transfer to airport.

Buenos Aires airport shuttle transfer
13 nights' accommodation with breakfast
Buenos Aires city tour OR Buenos Aires bike tour
Tango show with transfers, dinner & drinks
Overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Madryn
Full day Peninsula excursion
Overnight from Puerto Madryn to Rio Gallegos
Day bus from Rio Gallegos to El Calafate
Full day Perito Moreno Glacier tour
Full day Torres del Paine tour
Overnight bus from El Calafate to Rio Gallegos
Day bus from Rio Gallegos to Ushuaia
Half day Tierra del Fuego National Park tour
Half day Sea Lion Colony boat trip
Ushuaia airport drop-off