Family Experience: Patagonia & The Great Falls

• Transfer from your hotel to the airport / Transfer from the airport to your hotel

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel in Buenos Aires and drive you to the airport to take your flight to El Calafate and start your family Patagonian adventure! Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and take a private transfer to your hotel. No matter how early you get to the hotel in the morning, your room will be ready upon arrival: early check-in is guaranteed. 

• Optional tours – Visit a Patagonian estancia

El Calafate is a starting point for adventure travelers who desire to unearth the natural wonders of Patagonia, like Perito Moreno Glacier. But is El Calafate only about the glaciers? Well, yes and no… though glaciers are the main attraction, you will also have plenty to discover about Argentina’s rural, indigenous culture. 

Start your family adventure trip to Patagonia with a visit to a traditional Patagonian ranch. Depart from your hotel in a minivan headed toward Glacier National Park. Leave El Calafate behind and travel for 1hr 30mins with the snow-capped Cerro Frías as your backdrop. Once inside the National Park, make your way to Nibepo Aike Ranch, the only ranch in the area that has maintained the traditions of sheep shearing and Hereford cattle breeding as its primary focus.

Enjoy an inviting hot drink and a delicious snack in the classic quincho (rustic dining room)! Walk the coast of Lago Argentino, watch how a real gaucho (the Argentine cowboy) works the shearing shed, and view a unique demonstration of gaucho horsemanship. Depending on the day’s activities, you might help milk the cows, herd sheep, or learn the history behind the founders of the estancia. At the end of the day, return to the quincho, where a mouth-watering grilled lamb awaits, sizzling over the traditional Patagonian fire pit. Take the same road and transportation to return to El Calafate.    

• Why your kids will love it

The kids will have varied options for outdoor activities to discover the terrain, and the native fauna, and to be in contact with locals. They will also get to taste some homemade traditional dishes— this is the perfect time to leave hamburgers and french fries behind!

• Why you will like it

This is your opportunity to immerse yourself in some famous, wild Patagonian landscapes, and to come into true contact with nature, speak with locals, and enjoy a delicious asado (barbecue).

• Full-day Mayo Trek boat trip – Discover the Perito Moreno Glacier!

Get ready to explore secluded glaciers, only reachable by boat, in an 8-hour day trip combining short boat trips and hikes. Start the day with a pick-up at your hotel, travel to Puerto Bandera inside Glaciers National Park, and embark on today’s first navigation.

Sail Mayo Channel and disembark at Toro Bay to hike through the Patagonian forest; your specialized guide will tell you about the vegetation of this area (very different from other varieties inside the park) and show you the ancient cherry tree and its 10-foot-diameter trunk. Tell your kids that they can call it El Abuelo (grandpa), as locals have nicknamed it, and prepare yourselves to discover a waterfall!

Set sail again towards Cerro Negro (Black Hill), where you’ll do a soft, half-mile hike to the base of the hill to admire the massive Black Glacier.

Enjoy your free time in this place that not many travelers have seen, before departing for our third stop, the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. As the boat passes by the immense icy wall, put on your beanie and grab your camera, because you may see a piece of ice breaking off and crashing into the water below!

Finally, you’ll disembark at Puerto Moreno, where you can enjoy your free time wandering across the traditional catwalk circuit that surrounds the glacier before sailing back to Puerto Bandera.

• Visit the Glaciarium Museum 

On your way back to El Calafate make a stop at the Glaciarium Museum and learn about the history of the glaciers and their first explorers. Interactive screens, a synchronized projection, and the natural sounds of ice caves playing throughout the museum’s hall will immerse you in the glaciers’ fascinating history. At the end of the day, we’ll drive you back to El Calafate.

• Why your kids will love it

The special boat trip is always a thrilling and memorable part of the family trips to Patagonia, especially for the youngest members of your family! They will feel like little sailors and explorers of the lake. Plus, this tour is the perfect combination of short navigations and hikes, which will keep little explorers entertained and active. 

• Why you will love it

Apart from the amazing landscapes, you’ll enjoy the comforts of free-flowing tea and medialunas (Argentine croissants) on board the tour boat. Also, you’ll get to see the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier up close, passing right by its huge ice wall, and end your visit with a modern multimedia museum.

• Optional tour to Cerro Frias adventure hub

For your free day in El Calafate, if you still want to get active and visit another highlight of the area, we recommend that you visit Cerro Frías, an outdoor activity center. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you 20 minutes outside of Calafate to Alice Ranch in Cerro Frías.

This ranch still maintains its traditional activities, its cattle, and its natural guanaco reserve. Enjoy any of the activities offered at the ranch: 4×4 rides to explore the area, horseback riding along beautiful slopes, or gliding down South America’s longest zipline. There’s an option for all ages and interests! 

At the end of the day, enjoy lunch or dinner in the elegant quincho (this is the typical place to gather and cook asados, the Argentine barbecue), and during tea time, enjoy maté (Argentine herbal tea) and traditional Argentine pastries. At the end of this 6-hour tour, we’ll drive you back to El Calafate to have some relaxing family time. 

• Optional walk to Laguna Nimez

If you would prefer to stay in town, you definitely must stop by Laguna Nimez, an ecological reserve that hosts 80 different types of birds, including the Chilean Flamingo, and includes a fun, little hike that’s perfect for kids! Then, enjoy a hearty lunch at Buenos Cruces restaurant; try the guanaco meatloaf or the nut-crusted trout while your kids run around in the play area.

• Transfer from your hotel to the airport/Transfer from the airport to Puerto Iguazú

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel in El Calafate and drive you to the airport to take your flight to Iguazú, the last stop on your 10-day family trip to Argentina. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. No matter how early you arrive in the morning, your room will be ready for you upon arrival: early check-in is guaranteed.

This little, relaxing town is the gateway to visiting the impressive Iguazú Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Take your time and settle in, check out the facilities (most of the Puerto Iguazú hotels have a pool!), and explore your surroundings

Puerto Iguazú is a quaint, relaxing destination to share some quality family time. You’ll be impressed by the verdant landscape, covered in dense vegetation that is visible from the moment you step out of the airport. 

• Full-day visit to Iguazú Falls, Argentina

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the moment you’ve all been waiting for…” After breakfast, we’ll begin your 8-hour-long adventure to the Argentine side of Iguazú Falls, where you will enjoy intimate views of this unforgettable section of the Iguazú River.

The falls are surrounded by a humid subtropical forest where the lush vegetation is home to a variety of different animals and birds. An experienced guide will help you to spot toucans, coatis (raccoon-like animals), butterflies, and more! They will guide you through the park to avoid crowds and discover the most awe-inspiring views. No man, woman, or child can hide their amazement at Iguazú’s 1.5 million liters of water cascading from heights of over 80 meters!

During the day you will walk through the lower and upper walkways that allow visitors to get up close and personal with this magnificent spectacle of nature. To get to the most impressive views, you will hop aboard a picturesque ecological train that will transport you for 2 miles to the Devil’s Throat (the largest of the falls and for many the most spellbinding). At the end of this exciting tour, we’ll take you back to your hotel.

•  Why your kids will love it

They will have the chance to wander around a myriad of paths and stairways surrounded by dense vegetation, they will have fun spotting coatis (which are everywhere). There are more than 200 waterfalls to discover in the park —welcome to endless fun.

• Why you will love it

To start, this is a stroller-friendly tour, so it is ideal for families with little ones. In addition, you’ll get to see one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, all while assisted by a knowledgeable local expert. For most people, being in front of the powerful falls is a very touching experience between oneself and pure nature.

• Half-day visit to Iguazú Falls, Brazil, and Parque das Aves                 

Today we’ll pick you up at your hotel and take you on a 3-hour visit to Parque Nacional Do Iguaçu (Brazilian side) (Don’t forget to bring your passport!). While other overcrowded tour buses don’t make any stops other than the Park itself, you will be able to visit Parque Das Aves, an amazing bird park, with species from all over Brazil. Here you’ll be able to walk amongst flying toucans, see butterflies of all sizes and colors, and discover birds you’ve never seen before. 

From Parque Das Aves, you can walk to the entrance of the Parque Nacional Do Iguaçu. Take a bus and head to the beginning of the only footbridge inside the park. While Argentina has 80% of the falls on its side, Brazil has the best panoramic views.

You’ll be thrilled by the landscape, but this is also a great opportunity to learn about the region’s geography: rivers, waterfalls, jungles, and more! Walk around, accompanied by your guide, and enjoy the views of the massive Argentine waterfalls until you reach Floriano Waterfall, the natural highlight of this side, and the Salto Santa María, where it feels like you’re walking on the water.

Although you’ll be looking into Argentina, your feet will be on the ground in Brazil! Where does Argentina start and Brazil end? Well, it’s time to walk the line… Back from the footbridge, you’ll have some free time to use the restrooms, visit the gift shop, and take a special elevator to an especially high viewpoint. 

• Macuco boat trip experience, drench in Three Musketeers Fall!

Inside the National Park of Foz do Iguazú, take one of the busses that connect the different areas of the park and reach the entrance of Macuco Safari Experience. Take a 2-mile trip across the jungle in eco-friendly electric trucks and enjoy a 20-minute walk accompanied by a specialized guide who will tell you all about the native vegetation and wildlife that you’ll discover. Arrive at the port and embark in inflatable boats, sailing across the river up to the Three Musketeers Falls, where you’ll take part in the famous ‘water baptism’ of getting drenched underneath the cascading falls, an experience that none of your family will ever forget. After 1hr 30mins of enjoying a full jungle exploration, you’ll return to the port and we’ll take you back to your hotel in Puerto Iguazú (Argentina).

• Argentine dinner experience   

At night, enjoy a 4-hour dining experience where you’ll learn all about our traditional dishes in a cozy (and hidden!) restaurant in downtown Puerto Iguazú. Make your way to the closed-door restaurant where our bilingual guide will be waiting to greet you. 

First, you’ll pass through a hidden winery, and then approach a large table where your materials will be waiting for you to start your cooking class and dinner. Get all dressed up in your professional chef outfit and start preparing your first Argentine cocktail with delicious Malbec wine (and its non-alcoholic version); some serious shaking is involved here, which will be a blast for your kids! 

After competitions and videos with your finished beverages, it’s time to taste some appetizers and get ready for the empanada contest. Learn how to properly fill the empanada and practice your skills with the “repulgue” (a special way to close and seal the empanada). 

Then, it will be time to order your steak! Learn how to ask for your desired cooking point in Spanish. Led by passionate hosts, learn about the classic social customs used by Argentines to enjoy plenty of funny moments at the dinner table. Finish the evening sipping on maté and making ‘alfajores de maicena’ (sandwich cookies overflowing with dulce de leche). Finally, make your way back to your hotel with full bellies and fabulous memories.

• Why your kids will love it

The kids will love seeing all of those exotic birds at Parque Das Aves and discovering the immensity of Iguazú Falls by taking an elevator to an especially high viewpoint. The safari and boat trip and the cooking class will just be the cherry on top of this fun-filled day!

• Why you will love it

This is a relaxing excursion, shorter than the previous one on the Argentine side. You’ll get to see a bit of Brazil, which is always an exotic and colorful destination, and have a close-up experience in the jungle, in a completely safe and informative way. Plus, the Argentine dinner experience will be the perfect introduction to Argentina’s rich culture, and the cooking will encourage your children to try new foods and expand their palettes.

• Transfer from your hotel to the airport

This is the end of the 10-day family trip to Argentina. At the appropriate time, we’ll drive you to the airport. Check out some other family trip ideas to continue your travel adventures.

• Optional full-jungle experience, bikes, and falls

Enjoy your last morning in Iguazú by immersing yourself in a brand new experience, the outcome of the effort and inspiration of freelance guides who decided to show off another local side to Iguazu’s attractions. Conveying both beauty and some rough-around-the-edges adventure, this 4-hour excursion injects some excitement and freshness into the more typical tourist activities in Iguazu.  

We’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to the operative base, Jungle Bike, where a guide will meet you and prepare you to take your bikes for their mile-and-a-half ride along a gravel road up to the Parque Natural Municipal Arroyo Mbocay.

The trek will start here, at Don Carlos’ jungle campsite, where this native resident of the area will take care of the bikes while you go off on your adventure. You’ll follow the same road that children in the neighborhood take to go play in the jungle, which leads you into a purely local, hidden part of Iguazu!

Walking through the jungle, skirting a stream, and crossing a handmade bridge, we’ll get to the first small waterfall to take our first dip of the day. Get prepared to experience a natural hydro-massage under stormy waters. 

After freshening up, the path gets steeper, so get ready to work up a sweat on our way to discover the renowned giant jungle vines and arrive at Mbocay Fall, which offers an enthralling scenery for pictures. After enjoying a sunbath, we’ll get on our way and return to the Jungle Bike base with our bikes.