ARGENTINA AND CHILE

Day 1

BUENOS AIRES

Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

 

Day 2

BUENOS AIRES

After breakfast in your hotel, head out on a private guided city tour (4 hours). Buenos Aires has a European feel to it, and the grandiose buildings and wide avenues remind one of Paris or Barcelona. But the Argentine capital is very much its own city, and certainly retains that familiar Latin streak. You will see the famous Pink House, a great example of colonial architecture, the majestic Colon Theatre, the iconic Obelisk in the middle of 9th of July Avenue, as well as a trip to Boca (the birthplace of tango). Take a walk around the picturesque Caminito, bursting with bright colours and the air full of sizzling steak aromas. Afterwards you will visit the affluent Recoleta district with its chic bars and restaurants, not forgetting the beautiful Plaza San Martín surrounding by neoclassical architecture.

Buenos Aires is famous for being the birthplace of Tango. No doubt, this is the best city in the world for fans of this famous, passionate dance. In the evening, enjoy a first-class dinner and tango show. The best selection of international and local dishes, world-renowned Argentine beef grilled over charcoal, homemade pasta, delicious desserts, a wide selection of Argentine wines from the cellar – this will be the perfect setting to bring the Buenos Aires chapter of your journey to a close.

 

Day 3

 BUENOS AIRES- FOZ DO IGUAÇU

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel. 

Our guide will pick you up for a full day adventure to the Argentinian Side of the Iguazu Nationalpark. The Argentinean side is very different from the Brazilian one. Often referred to as like being on stage compared to sitting in the audience from the Brazilian side, the Argentinian side allows you to fully interact with the falls as you walk across a spectacular maze of walkways over 3km long across two levels over the rushing water. Combined with the myriad rainbows, you are given the feeling of walking on water as you encounter the many waterfalls on display. 

It all starts with the Lower Circuit: At a length of 1700m, wooden walkways penetrate the lush jungle to carry you to the edge of the twin beauty of the Salto Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters Falls), then the serene intimacy of Saltos Chico and Ramirez. The next stop on this magical spectacle of water is the gaping yawn of Salto Bosetti, followed by the tall and narrow but furiously powerful Saltos Alvar Nuñez, Elenita and Lanusse, all the while accompanied by the song of tropical birds, the howling of monkeys and the occasional amber flash of a toucan’s beak.

The second half of the day takes you to the Upper Circuit: make the quick journey upwards from the Lower Circuit to bring you up to another walkway, this time from an elevated height which allows you to walk right up to the edge of the waterfalls and observe this incredible sight from above via a series of smaller falls, eventually reaching the gargantuan Salto San Martin, which seems to stretch on endlessly. The ominous rumble of the Devil’s Throat can be heard in the distance. 

The tour culminates in awe-inspiring Devil's Throat, this time seen from the top of the fall. To reach it, you take a scenic train ride through the rainforest, passing by the indigenous coati, armadillo and innumerable bird species. The cascade of flying mist can be seen from afar. It seems almost apocalyptic; however once you arrive at the Devil’s Throat you cannot help but be struck by the beauty as the spray crashes against your face. Water pours in a 150m-long horseshoe shape down an 80m drop, to the very place you were standing in yesterday. The sheer amount of water falling away each second is simply mind-boggling

 

Day 4

FOZ DO IGUAÇU

After breakfast your driver will take you to the Brazilian side of the Falls. A tranquil and calming walk along the edge of the falls provides the most spectacular view you have ever seen: over 250 overflowing with millions of gallons of water racing furiously down straight from the Parana River. The sunlight flashing off the water has the mesmerising effect of creating hundreds of rainbows as far as the eye can see. It is almost hard to believe, such is the breathtaking beauty of the rainforest paradise. After taking in the incredible views, the path takes you to the eye of the storm, the largest waterfall in the park, The Devil’s Throat. Water crashes off an 80m-cliff edge into the Iguazu River, but you have the chance to meet the water via a walkway that leads you into the heart of the waterfall. Feel the power of the water as it surrounds you from all sides, before heading up a stairway to look down from above on the mother of all waterfalls. At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off at your hotel.

 

Day 5

FOZ DO IGUAÇU-EL CALAFATE

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the international airport to take your flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. 

Overnight at hotel. 

Do you feel the urge to escape the city and breathe the pure mountain air of the Andes? Feel the ice cold, transparent glacier water on your fingers? Come to Patagonia, home to some of the oldest and untouched landscape on the planet.

 

Day 6

EL CALAFATE

After the breakfast in your Hotel, you will visit Perrito Moreno in a group tour.

Los Glaciares National Park is a nationally protected area in Patagonia, and the largest national park in the country. It is home to a great number of natural wonders, including the Fitz Roy Mountain and the Perito Moreno Glacier. The first stop is a viewpoint where you can gain a sense of the size and scale of the glacier in the context of the Lake Argentino. The white streak of ice stretches as far as the eye can see, until it reaches the Andes way out in 

the distance. Following on from this, you will arrive at the public walkway, a series of paths and staircases that give you a panoramic view of the Glacier from around 400m away. You can hear the thunderous crackle of the ice and, if you’re lucky, you may witness a great chunk of it falling into the water below! On a clear day, you can see El Chalten looming in the background, making for a truly stunning view. This UNESCO site is like nothing else on the planet.There is an option to go for a great Ice Trekking adventure ending with a cocktail with ice from the glacier. 

 

Day 7

EL CALAFATE – PUERTO NATALES

Transfer to Puerto Natales BY BUS (5 hours) p, looking out the window at the vast expanse of land in front of you, passing the Torres del Paine and Chalten national parks ,with the mountain peaks creating an amazing entourage for your journey. During the ride along the National Park, you will spot the glorious mountain range in the distance. Puerto Natales is a quaint fishing town on the edge of the Almte Montt Gulf, an enormous stretch of deep blue water that seems to stretch on forever. Spend the evening walking around the low-rise huts and colourful houses and rest up in your hotel for then nigh

 

Day 8

TORRES DEL PAINE

Visit the most amazing place in Chilean Patagonia! A full day shared tour visiting the amazing national park of Torres del Paine including the Milodon Cave, located at the Benitez hill, 25 km from Puerto Natales, where in 1895 a skeleton of a Sable-tooth tiger, American Horse and Huge Lazy  known as Milodon were discovered. We will walk for around 30 minutes in this cave observing the stalactite formations. After this we will continue our way to the national park Torres del Paine,  where we can see the most varied landscapes starting from a Maggelan forest and ending with the Patagonian Plain with its strong winds and dry air. Upon arrival at the park the scenery changes drastically, the national park containing over 242.000 hectares, we can now see tens of lakes with birds and enormous mountains. The lakes water is blue and crystal clear, the waterfalls and peaks covered with ice are among the typical landscapes of this park. A 15 min walk will take up to Salto Grande, a waterfall connecting 2 lakes, Nordenskhold and Peoe. We will return along a beautiful road, passing by the Serrano River and the Toro and Porteno lakes. You can make one of the many possible hikes, where you will be a stone’s throw away from the world-famous Tres Torres. The hike takes you along paths scaling the sides of the Andean mountains, across babbling brooks and cascading waterfalls, through thick undergrowth and verdant woodland. You can feel the spray of water on your face as you walk over the bridges, and hear the chirping of birds overhead. You may even spot a condor flying way above, seeking out its prey with microscopic precision. An emerald lake 800m above sea level sits silently below the three peaks, seen up close in all their glory. Once you feel you’ve spent enough time enjoying the scenery, make the return journey downhill. Your transfer will take you from the foot of the mountain to your hotel.

 

Day 9

PUERTO NATALES-SANTIAGO

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the international airport to take your departure flight on time.

Private transfer out to bus station and transfer in shared bus to Punta Arenas airport to take the flight to Santiago. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. 

 

Day 10

SANTIAGO

Santiago has some of the most eye-catching scenery in Latin America, with the city surrounded on all sides by the Andes Mountains. Huge skyscrapers rise up from the ground, and the city stretches outwards as far as the eye can see. After breakfast in your hotel, take this chance to go on a tour of the historical center, stopping first at the Plaza de Armas, a huge square that transports you back to the colonial days. You can imagine the bustling markets, merchants and soldiers wandering the cobbled stones of what was and remains the central hub of the city. The square is home to several monuments, such as to the founder of Santiago, Pedro de Valdivia, as well as the Royal Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago and the Central Post Office Building.

 

Day 11
SANTIAGO-CALAMA-UYUNI
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Calama. Private Transfer in Calama aiport to Uyuni. From San Pedro de Atacama (Chile) drive toward Hito Cajón, admire the Green Lagoon and enjoy the panoramic view of the Licancabur Volcano. On your way to the next stop, take a look at the Stone Tree, a lone rock in the middle of nothing that looks like it has fallen from space. Move onwards to the Aguas Termales de Polques – the Thermal 

Baths. Due to the low temperatures in the mornings in Uyuni, a steaming hot bath is the perfect way to start your day! You will need to be awake for the next part of your trip, because you’re heading to the Sol de Mañana geysers, where burning hot gas can spit out from the ground at any second, and boiling mud spills onto the surface in this extraterrestrial terrain. Tornadoes spontaneously form by your side, and volcanic eruptions bubble out of the ground as you make your way through this alien planet, wondering how such a small area can have such geographical variation. Moving on you will enter the Dali valley, dotted with otherworldly stone structures that inspired the surrealist artist Continue towards the Red Lagoon where you will observe many Andean flamingos, you will see the Árbol de Piedra and (Stone Tree) and arrival at “Ojo de Perdiz”.

 

Day 12

UYUNI - ATACAMA

Your second day in Uyuni will be filled with colour, the likes of which you have never seen before. You will be visiting the Joyas Altoandinas (the Jewels of the Mountains), a collection of lagoons coloured by the reaction of minerals and algae in the water to become startlingly vivid and vibrant. You will see the deep crimson of Laguna Colorada, the sparkling emerald of Laguna Chiarkhota and the shimmering turquoise of Laguna Cañapa. Let yourself be transported to this otherworldly landscape that looks more like Mars than Earth. As if there wasn’t enough colour, these lagoons are inhabited by hundreds of thousands of pink and white flamingos native to Bolivia. The spectrum of colour on display truly takes your breath away, and transports you to somewhere you’ve never been before. 

We continue by Jeep across the Salt Flats, the place where the land meets the sky and the horizon melts away into one breathtaking panoramic vista of sand, sky and clouds. This is truly a transcendental experience and one that is quite overwhelming at first sight. Driving across the salt desert, you will spot shimmering emerald of Laguna Verde, a bright green high-altitude lake coloured by the mineral make-up of the water, lying at the foot of two dormant volcanoes, Licancabur and Juriques. The feeling is akin to being on the moon! Continue the trip through the Salt Flats of Uyuni towards the Fish Island, where you will find the highest cactus in the world. Hike up to the top of the island to enjoy of a great view of the entire Salt Flat. After the great adventure overnight

 

Day 13

ATACAMA-SANTIAGO

Transfer to Calama airport to your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel. 

 

Day 14

SANTIAGO

Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport.