Glaciers & Lakes of Patagonia

Glaciers & Lakes of Patagonia

Request Info
  • On this Patagonia trip, visit the imposing Perito Moreno, the only glacier on earth that is still advancing.
  • Wander through the crystal lakes and magic woods of Bariloche.
  • Soak up Buenos Aires diverse culture wandering the streets as a local. 
  • Best time to travel: From October to April
 

In this 9-day trip to Patagonia and Buenos Aires, you’ll visit El Calafate, world-famous for being the gateway to the Argentine glaciers, Bariloche, better known as the “Lake District”, where the best chocolates of Argentina is made, and Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, where culture, dance, and history merge within its cobblestone streets.

Itinerary

Your 9-day trip to Patagonia & Argentina
Buenos Aires

 

  • Transfer from the airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival,we will drive you to the city and you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy Buenos Aires at your own pace. Buenos Aires is a marvelous, energetic, cosmopolitan city, full of color and different styles of architecture. 

The capital of Argentina, and described as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires proudly embraces its title, and also shows off plenty of its own culture! Argentinians are usually eager to host visitors; if you walk the streets with a map, someone will surely stop and ask if you need directions…that’s just our spirit! 

 

Say Hueque Tips

  • Our recommendations for your first day in Buenos Aires:

Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, che! (“che” means “guy” in Argentina). For this first day, feel free to wander the cobblestone streets lined with outdoor cafes, enjoy the mouthwatering aroma of world-famous Argentine beef sizzling on an open parrilla (barbeque), and browse the local antique and artisan markets that offer plenty of bargain shopping.

Day1

Buenos Aires city tour & tango show

 

  • Half-day city tour through Buenos Aires

In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel to enjoy our 5-hour Buenos Aires city tour—you will be swept away by the highlights of our beloved Buenos Aires! Over the course of a half-day you will have the chance to visit the historical and political center of the city; Plaza de Mayo and the Pink House (the presidential house).

Next, we’ll move on to San Telmo, with its cobblestone streets and the oldest residential neighborhood, and then to La Boca where Buenos Aires turns colorful and tango is ever-present. Come walk Caminito street and dance with the locals. The next stop is the chic and aristocratic Recoleta, where the big palaces remind us why Buenos Aires is called the “Paris of the South”.

 

  • Dinner and  tango show 

In the evening we’ll pick you up from your hotel to take you to a mystical place where you’ll discover one of our most ancient traditions. Tango is more than our national dance… tango is our immigrant origins, the talent of our local artists, the sensuality of Argentine women and our way to deal with a broken heart; dancing our way through tragic, and yet eternal, love stories.

Tonight you will enjoy a 3-hour professional display of tango and music with a group of local artists on stage immersed in an elegant and alluring place. The manners, ambiance, clothes and dance steps which tango-lovers used to practice 100 years ago will come to life again and you will travel back in time for a night.

This spectacular tango show in Buenos Aires will be accompanied by delicious Argentine and international cuisine. Dinner is all-inclusive, beverages included so you can lose yourself in the ethereal taste of Malbec wine. At the end of the evening, around midnight, you will be driven back to your hotel, fully in love with the bohemian spirit of our incredible city.

 

Say Hueque Tips

  • What you have to know about tango ambiance in Buenos Aires

Tango is, all in all, a cultural experience that’s deeply rooted in Argentine hearts. Where do regular people go dancing tango? There are an immense number of dance halls or milongas in Buenos Aires. Some of our favorites are La Viruta -beginners friendly- and Salon Canning -with more advanced clientele- in Palermo neighborhood. Tango has evolved a big deal in the past years, and now there are also LGBT milongas that encourage a most inclusive practice.

Day2

Patagonia Trip, the Adventure Begins
Fly to El Calafate

 

  • Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

Today you will fly to El Calafate, home of Southern Patagonia’s crown jewel: the Perito Moreno glacier. The Perito Moreno glacier is one of the only glaciers in the world that’s still advancing.  Though it’s not the only glacier in the area, it is the one that made the city of El Calafate famous worldwide.

 

  • Transfer from El Calafate airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Your Patagonia trip welcomes you with open arms. Upon arrival, we will bring you to your hotel and have the remainder of your day to relax or explore the surroundings.

El Calafate has been considered the capital of the glaciers. Located at the shore of Lago Argentino (the southernmost, largest Patagonian lake) it’s also home to the Spegazzini glacier, which forms the natural border between Argentina and Chile, and the Upsala Glacier, named Glaciar del Gigante (Giant’s glacier) it’s the biggest glacier that sits at the mouth of Lake Argentino.

But there is much more to see in El Calafate than glaciers. Make the most of your free day and discover other secret gems of the region.

 

Say Hueque Tips 

Our recommended activities in El Calafate for your day at leisure:

  • Glaciers are the main attractions that you can visit via hiking or a boat ride, but you have a lot more to discover about Argentine rural culture. On your free day, you can visit a typical Patagonian finca (ranch) and learn all about  Argentine rural culture, the traditions of the gaucho (cowboy) and enjoy a great asado (barbecue).
  • If you feel like exploring a bit on your own today, you can visit Laguna Nimez, a nearby nature reserve where pink flamingos – and many other native species – roam freely!
Day3

Adventure to Perito Moreno Glacier
El Calafate

 

  • Meet the icy giant of Patagonia – Full-day visit with boat trip

During the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Glaciers National Park to enjoy this 6-hour experience.  You will travel about 25 miles from El Calafate to the park, enjoying the views of the Patagonian steppe. Once inside the park, you will take walkways to explore the different viewpoints, and you’ll feel unbelievably close to Perito Moreno Glacier. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a piece of ice break off and fall from the glacier wall, sinking forever into the lake below.

 Over the course of about one hour, a bilingual guide will provide you with all the information you might want to know…and things you may have never thought about. After this visit, you will take a boat ride that will bring you close enough to fully appreciate the 262-foot ice walls of Perito Moreno! You’ll never feel closer to this gigantic and impressive natural masterpiece. At the end of the day, we will drive you back to your hotel.  

 

Say Hueque Tips

  • Walk over the Big Ice

Have you ever imagined walking across the surface of a glacier? Well, this is your chance! The Mini Trekking tour will allow you to trek on Perito Moreno Glacier… This is one of our favorite Patagonia outings; we’re sure you won’t regret it.  This is an optional excursion you can add to this day.

Day4

Continue your Patagonia Trip
Bariloche Tours

 

  • Transfer from your hotel to El Calafate airport

Continue your Patagonia trip traveling to the capital of the Lake District. At the appropriate time, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and take you to the airport to take your flight to Bariloche.

 

 

  • Transfer from the airport to your hotel in Bariloche – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we’ll drive you to your hotel in Bariloche. Then you will have the day to explore the city or the surroundings.

Bariloche sits on the southern coast of Nahuel Huapi, a glacier-water lake with enthralling islands and beaches. Hills and mountains framing the area allow visitors to enjoy all sorts of hiking trails and winter sports (Cerro Catedral is home to the biggest ski slopes in South America), as well as some mesmerizing views of the natural wonders of Patagonia. This region has it all — horseback riding through the Patagonian steppe, navigations through pristine blue-green waters, and the most mouthwatering chocolate in the country!

 

Say Hueque Tips

Our recommended Bariloche tours  for your day at leisure:

  • Visit Playa Bonita, it is on km 8 of Av. Bustillo (there are public buses leaving from downtown every twenty minutes). During summer months, on hot days, it gets full up with families and brave people who jump into the cold waters of Nahuel Huapi!
  • Take a horseback ride through a long-living cypresses and coihues forest, surrounded by mountains and glacier streams until reaching an excellent panoramic view of the outstanding Patagonian landscape. Set off along the shore of the lake to complete this beautiful two hour horseback riding experience.
Day5

History and nature of Bariloche

 

  • Full-day visit – History and nature of Bariloche

Bariloche tours can be completed if you don’t visit legendary places like Cerro Campanario and famous Hotel Llao-Llao. We’ll pick you up from your hotel and for around 6 hours you will tour the area in an active way. Your guide will be constantly focused on sharing the vast history of the area and the most relevant facts about the natural heritage of Bariloche.

 

You will visit Campanario Hill, considered by National Geographic to be the 8th-best view in the world, and one of the most visited places here—1500 people go to enjoy the view every day. Our guides are local experts and know the perfect time to visit. They will bring you there before the crowds swarm, so that you can have a close-up and intimate experience.

Other fabled places you will visit include Nahuel Huapi and the mild waters of Moreno Lake, Lopez and Capilla mountains, and the world-renowned Llao-Llao Hotel. Get ready to walk between millenary arrayanes trees on a nature-oriented outing through the impressive forest in the Llao-Llao Nature Park.

After filling your lungs with the refreshing air of the forest, you’ll enjoy your boxed lunch, and at the end of the day we’ll take you back to your hotel.

Day6

Puerto Blest & Cascada de los Cántaros
Bariloche Tours

 

  • Full-day visit to Puerto Blest and Cascada de los Cántaros

Today, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and drive you to Puerto Pañuelo on the Llao Llao peninsula where you’ll set out by boat. After one hour of sailing, passing by Centinela Island, the resting place of Perito Francisco Pascasio Moreno, one of the first explorers of Patagonia, you’ll arrive at Puerto Blest. 

Puerto Blest is one of the heavenly ports of Nahuel Huapi Lake and one of the most famous Bariloche tours. A secluded place that has amazed travelers from all over the world with its beautiful vegetation – one of the most varied in Bariloche – and a relaxed atmosphere created by the mountains and the surrounding Valdivian Forest.

Once there, you’ll be able to tour the bay, eat your boxed lunch and walk the shores of Lake Frías to see its peculiar green waters, which help to form the natural border between Argentina and Chile.

From there, and after a short 5-minute sail later, you’ll visit Cascada de los Cántaros (Cántaros Waterfall) and take a walk through the lush vegetation of the Valdivian rainforest, arriving at Lago Cántaros, where the overwhelming 1,500-year-old larch tree will be waiting. At the end of this full-day tour, we’ll drive you back to Bariloche.

 

Day7

Patagonia trip, the end of the journey
Fly back to Buenos Aires

 

  • Transfer from your hotel to Bariloche airport

Time to end your Patagonia trip. Today, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and bring you to the airport to take your flight to Buenos Aires.

 

  • Transfer from Buenos Aires airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we’ll be waiting to drive you to your hotel in the city. Enjoy your last night in one of the trendy restaurants or bars in Palermo Soho, or maybe visit one of the many milongas (tango houses). Don’t be shy! If you can cross the Patagonian lakes and reach forbidding glaciers in the wilderness, you can definitely mingle with Argentine locals in their favorite dance spots.    

Day8

The end of your 9-day trip to Argentina & Patagonia
Buenos Aires

 

  • Transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires airport

Today we’ll drive you to the airport, where these 9 days in Argentina and your Patagonia trip come to a close. But don’t be sad! You can return whenever you want (we’ll welcome you with open arms), or… continue your trip towards the North of Argentina, to beautiful Salta or the wine region in Mendoza. Argentina still has plenty to offer! Check out our travelers’ favorite trips to Argentina and Chile.

 

Day9

If this trip doesn’t meet your expectations we can tailor it to your needs and budget.

Prices per person

INN & B&B

From

USD 2770

View INN & B&B Hotels

Comfort

From

USD 3105

View Comfort Hotels

Superior

From

USD 3340

View Superior Hotels

PRICING

  • Prices in US Dollars.
  • Valid until April 2024 (ask for prices at Christmas and New Year).
  • Prices are per person, based on 2 people in double occupancy. Single rates are available on request.
  • Flights are not included in the price but can be arranged on request.
  • We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you book with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset. We are working to create more sustainable, responsible, and meaningful ways of exploring South America.

PEACE OF MIND THIS IS A CARBON NEUTRAL TRIP

We care deeply about our planet, as we know you do. When you book with us, the carbon emissions from your trip are 100% offset. We are working to create more sustainable, responsible and meaningful ways of exploring South America. It feels good to do it right. Learn more about our actions against climate change here.

INCLUDED

  • 3-night accommodation in Buenos Aires
  • 2-night accommodation in El Calafate
  • 3-night accommodation in Bariloche
  • Daily breakfast
  • Meals according to the itinerary: Snacks and dinner on day 2; boxed lunch on day 6 & 7
  • All transfers and tours mentioned
  • Bilingual local guides (English / Spanish)

NOT INCLUDED

  • International or domestic flights or buses
  • National Park Entrance Fees
  • Bariloche Eco Fee: this is a mandatory tax that you have to pay once you get to your hotel in Bariloche. It’s about $5 usd per guest, per night, and it varies according to your hotel category. Only cash is accepted.
  • Boarding tax is not included on day 7
  • Travel / Medical Insurance – To get a free quote please follow this link: World Nomads

FLIGHTS NEEDED
FOR THIS ITINERARY

Buenos Aires ­– El Calafate – Bariloche – Buenos Aires

Flights in South America cost approximately $150 to $300 USD per segment (destination). We offer special rates on flights for this tailor-made itinerary.

FLIGHTS NEEDED
FOR THIS ITINERARY

Buenos Aires ­– El Calafate – Bariloche – Buenos Aires

Flights in South America cost approximately $150 to $300 USD per segment (destination). We offer special rates on flights for this tailor-made itinerary.