Buenos Aires, El Calafate, Torres del Paine, and Santiago

Depart to Buenos Aires via overnight flight.

After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our inbound services representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Buenos Aires.

Note: Check in time in Buenos Aires is typically 2:00pm. We can request early check-in for you but cannot guarantee it.

In the afternoon, you will have a panoramic city tour of Buenos Aires. This tour will cover the most important sights in the city. You will visit the impressive National Congress (the Parliament), the Civic Centre, Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, the headquarters of the executive branch of the government, and the town Hall. You will also see one of the best Opera Houses in the world. The tour will continue with a visit to the neighborhood of San Telmo, and you will learn about its history. On Sundays, you will be able to enjoy a flea market. You will go next to La Boca, known for its colorful architecture and for being the first port in Buenos Aires. This neighborhood was originally settled by Italian immigrants. You will also visit the Palermo and Recoleta areas of the city and modern neighborhoods such as Puerto Madero, with big mansions and great parks.

In the evening, you will enjoy typical Argentine dinner and wine, and a Tango show with a re-creation of the original style and melancholic rhythms of the 1940’s. The impressive lyrics will be interpreted by some of the best singers in the city. You will also hear some folk music from the Altiplano region of the country. Overnight in Buenos Aires. (B,D)

Transfer the airport for your flight to El Calafate. El Calafate is named for the local blue berry that when eaten, guarantees your return to Patagonia. Located on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, it is the main hub for visitors to the southern part of Los Glaciers National Park. Upon arrival, you will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in El Calafate. (B)

Today, you will have a full day excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier, the highlight of any visit to southern Patagonia. The glacier is 19 miles long, three miles wide, and 200 feet high, and is one of the only advancing glaciers in the world. You can observe, hear, and take photos of the glacier from steel catwalks on Peninsula de Magallanes. The sound of huge icebergs calving into the Canal de los Tempanos (Iceberg Channel) is a truly unique experience. Overnight in El Calafate. (B)

Today you will have a full day boat tour of Lago Argentino, Argentina’s largest lake. Departing from the southern shore of the lake, the boat heads northwest through Boca del Diablo, the narrowest passage point of the lake, to Brazo Norte (the northern arm of the lake) to reach the barrier of ice flows in Upsala Canal. From there, passengers can appreciate the breathtaking views of the immense Upsala Glacier in the distance. The boat then heads south along the Spegazzini Canal towards the glacier of the same name. Gourmet lunch is served on board.

After lunch, the boat continues on to Puesto de Las Vacas, a quiet bay in the Spegazzini Canal, for a landing and guided hike to enjoy the panoramic views of the glacier. After re-boarding, the boat returns along the Brazo Norte to the dock for disembarkation. Overnight in El Calafate. (B,L)

Transfer to your hotel in Torres del Paine (the transfer to Hotel Las Torres is scheduled for 7:00am and to Tierra Patagonia 8:00-9:00am). Torres del Paine National Park is one of the best parks for outdoor enthusiasts in South America. It offers camping sites and vast hiking trails in the midst of a spectacular natural setting that includes forests, blue and green lakes, glaciers, and the granite peaks – ‘Towers of Paine’ – for which the park is named.

When you arrive at the hotel, you will have time for lunch and an afternoon excursion. Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L)

Choose from one full-day or two half day optional excursions (included in the cost of the tour). Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L,D)

Choose from one full-day or two half day optional excursions (included in the cost of the tour). Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L,D)

Transfer from Torres del Paine to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Punta Arenas. (B)

In the morning, you will travel by boat to Magdalena Island, a small island and protected nature reserve in the Straits of Magellan, which is home to approximately 120,000 Magellanic penguins. You will disembark to observe the penguins and learn about their habitat and breeding cycles at a lighthouse exhibit located on the island. Weather permitting, you will also circumnavigate Marta Island, home to a colony of 1,000 sea lions and other wildlife.

After the tour, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Santiago. (B)

Note: This tour is only offered from October to February.  During March, other options will be considered.

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to your final destination. (B)