The Experience

Argentina is much more than the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires with its elegant boulevards, parks, shopping, superb restaurants, and nightlife. Visit Calafate in the glacier district of southern Patagonia, where you will see some of the world,™s most impressive glaciers. And no one visit to Argentina would be complete without seeing spectacular Iguassu Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world. These are just a few of Argentina,™s attractions. If you have more time, we can show you more!

Includes:

• All ground transfers
• 3 nights Buenos Aires
• City tour
• 2 nights Calafate
• Perito Moreno Glacier tour
  with navigation + lunch
• Calafate National Park fees
• 2 nights Mendoza
• 1 day of winery visits
  + lunch
• 2 nights Iguassu Falls
• Argentina Falls tour
• Daily breakfast

Day 1 – Arrive Buenos Aires:
The capital and the country,™s largest city, Buenos Aires has a population of around 14 million people. This sophisticated, world-class metropolis is a port city situated on one of the world,™s largest rivers, the Rio de la Plata. Tree-lined boulevards, parks and plazas are abundant, and the locals, who call themselves porteños (people of the port), take pride in their walkable city. Airport greeting and transfer to your selected hotel. Rest of the day at leisure to beginning exploring the city. Overnight.

Day 2 – Buenos Aires:
Morning city tour of Buenos Aires. A perfect introduction to South America,™s most elegant capital city, this half-day city tour will show you the highlights of Buenos Aires. The tour begins with a drive along 9th of July Avenue, with its 8 lanes, the widest avenue in the world. In the middle of the avenue is the Obelisk. A symbol of the city, it was built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city. Another landmark is the Colon Theatre, the city,™s famous opera house. Continue to the historic center, to the Plaza de Mayo, a lovely plaza with flower gardens and tall palm trees; the scene of many of the city,™s historic political events. Surrounding the plaza are colonial buildings of interest: the Casa Rosada (Pink House), the seat of the executive branch of the government; the Cabildo (Town Council) with its historic museum; the Metropolitan Cathedral, which holds the tomb of General Jose de San Martin, the father of Argentine independence.

No tour would be complete without a visit to the picturesque La Boca district, the old port area that reflects its Italian heritage. You will see Caminito Street, famous for its colorful houses. Continue to San Telmo, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Originally a center for immigrant settlers, it is a neighborhood of colonial houses, cobblestone streets, and antique shops. On Sundays there is an antique fair in Plaza Dorrego. The area has also has a lively nightlife as there are many restaurants, bars and tango houses. The tour passes the developing new district of Puerto of Madero (the port area), and continues through Palermo where the Zoo, Botanical Garden, Palermo Woods, the National Polo Field, and the Planatarium are located. Palermo is also a fashionable residential area. On the way back, we will visit another residential area, the sophisticated district of Recoleta, with its restaurants, coffee shops, nightclubs and boutiques. We will visit the famous Recoleta Cemetery with its ornate memorials, including the tomb of Eva Peron. The tour finishes at your hotel. Overnight.

Day 3 – Buenos Aires:
Day at leisure to explore the city, or arrange an optional tour. Enjoy an optional evening tango show with dinner. You will be picked up at 8:00 pm at your hotel, if you decide to book this popular option.

Tango is the music of Buenos Aires par excellence. Its origin can be traced back to 1880 to the slums inhabited by Italian and Spanish immigrants, Africans, and gauchos,. Their music appears as a mix of Cuban and Spanish rhythms, some polka, and, a little bit of African music. Their lyrics, difficult to be understood and impossible to be translated, are deeply poetic and have a story to tell about the city, its history and its people. Despite its humble origins, in the 1920,™s, tango left the brothels and the underworld districts, and moved into the high-class ballrooms. But in order to do this, it had to travel to Paris, and return to Buenos Aires as a popular dance form. During this period in history, high society has always looked at Europe for its models. Tango then became firmly entrenched in the Tango is still very much alive. To feel its spirit, visit one of the restaurants that offer a high-quality tango show, and enjoy tango,™s sensual magnetism performed by some of the best dancers, singers and musicians in Buenos Aires.

Overnight Buenos Aires.

Day 4 – Buenos Aires to Calafate:
Airport meeting and transfer to your selected hotel. The charming town of Calafate, located on the shores of Lago Argentino is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park. Formed more than 20,000 years ago, these massive glaciers located in this southernmost part of the Andean mountain range, cover an area of 170 miles long and 35 miles wide. Perito Moreno, Upsala, and Spegazzini Glaciers are visually stunning with various shades of blue and turquoise reflected in the ice, against a majestic background of snow-covered Andean peaks. You will be visiting these amazing glaciers during your stay in Calafate. Overnight Calafate.

Day 5 – Calafate:
Early morning departure at 9:00 a.m. for a full day excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier. Travel one hour from Calafate (50 miles) to the glacier, with stops for picture taking. You will spend three hours on the glacier balconies, walking along pathways and stopping at viewpoints. Late afternoon return to your hotel in Calafate.

Day 6 – Calafate to Mendoza:
On this day you have your choice of 2 excursions: the full day Spegazzini Glacier Tour (lunch not included ,“ it will be necessary to order a box lunch from your hotel); or the Discovery Estancia Cristina excursion which will include lunch.

Day 7 – Mendoza:
After breakfast you get to enjoy a full-day of visiting the wine country outside Mendoza.

Private Full-Day Wine Cellars Tour to Lujan and Maipu – With Lunch – Departures: Avanti will provide departure time upon confirmation of booking.
Set off from Mendoza at 8:45 in the morning, heading towards Lujan de Cuyo, about a 30 minute drive. Here Argentina’s best Malbecs are produced in quaint historic wineries and modern boutique wineries, which makes for a unique wine tasting day with interesting contrasts and, of course, some great views of the Andes. The focus of this day is to provide you with a truly memorable, authentic Mendoza Wine Experience, with some information about winemaking, some history, great conversations and, of course, lots of reserve to top end wines at some of Mendoza’s most reputable wineries.

The first winery you visit is Bodega Alta Vista, a French-owned winery with the speciality of producing Malbec wines from different terroirs. You will learn about the wine making process in Mendoza and taste, amongst others, their special terroir reserve blend.

You then continue to Bodega Achaval Ferrer, a gem of a winery that regularly produces wines that rank above 90 points in Wine Spectator, and we get to taste them – all the way up to their highest range – from the barrels.

In the afternoon you visit Bodega Tempus Alba in Maip a winery which is doing a fascinating study of hundreds of different Malbec plants on their quest for the best Malbec in Mendoza. Return to Mendoza around 5:30 p.m.

Day 8 – Mendoza to Iguassu Falls:
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Iguassu Falls from Mendoza. It has been said that Iguassu Falls surpasses the grandeur of both Niagara and Victoria Falls. Situated on the borders of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, Iguassu Falls is one of South America,™s greatest treasures. Taller than Niagara by 65 feet, and twice as wide, Iguassu Falls consists of 275 cascades spread across nearly 2 miles. It is ideal to view the Falls from both the Argentina side and the Brazil side (but it is necessary for US citizens to have a visa to enter Brazil). On the Argentina side, the walking tour will take you to a magnificent vantage point above the Devil,™s Throat, where the water plunges 240 feet. The best panoramic views of the falls are from the system of catwalks on the Brazil side. Airport greeting and transfer to your selected hotel. Overnight.

Day 9 – Iguassu Falls:
Day at leisure. Arrange an optional boat ride, the Gran Aventura, on the Argentina side of the Falls, which will take you up close to the cascading falls; or a visit to the Brazil side of the Falls (for these tours, U.S. citizens are required to have a visa). Overnight.

Day 10 – Depart Iguassu Falls:
Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Buenos Aires. Airport greeting and transfer from the domestic airport to the international airport for your return flight.

Day 9 – Depart Iguassu Falls:
Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Buenos Aires. Airport greeting and transfer from the domestic airport to the international airport for your return flight.