Buenos Aires & Calafate 7-Day Tour
Seven-day snapshot of two of Argentina's contrasting destinations - Buenos Aires & Calafate in Patagonia.
Monthly set departures keep costs down.
Highlights include Recoleta, La Boca, a tango show & Perito Moreno Glacier.
Overview
Buenos Aires & Calafate: 7-Day Itinerary Outline:
Day 1 Arrival in Buenos Aires. Overnight in Buenos Aires
Day 2 Half Day Buenos Aires tour, Dinner/Tango Show. Overnight in Buenos Aires
Day 3 Free day in Buenos Aires with Optional Tours. Overnight in Buenos Aires
Day 4 Flight to Calafate. Overnight in Calafate
Day 5 Full Day Perito Moreno Glacier Tour. Overnight in Calafate
Day 6 Free day in Calafate with Optional Tours. Overnight in Calafate
Day 7 Transfer to Calafate Airport or continue to next destination eg Torres del Paine.
Prices
Below prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Do not include flights.
| Itinerary | Length | Prices From |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Days | £605 / $773 |
Dates
Buenos Aires & Calafate 7D: Fixed Departure Dates: 2022
Sat, Oct 29 - Fri, Nov 4
Sat, Nov 19 - Fri, Nov 25
Sat, Dec 3 - Fri, Dec 9
Also available in a private service, outside of the above dates; and can be customised to exact timeframe and budget.
Itinerary
Buenos aires & calafate 7-day: Detailed Itinerary:
NB. PLEASE CHECK VISA REQUIREMENTS
Day 1: Buenos Aires: Arrival
On arrival in Buenos Aires, you are met and transferred to the hotel by a driver-guide.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Day 2: Buenos Aires: City Tour & Tango Show with Dinner (B, L & D)
After breakfast at the hotel, we take you on a half-day tour of the highlights of Buenos Aires, in a small group, with English-speaking guide.
Our first stop is at La Plaza de Mayo (May Square), home of the Presidential Palace, La Casa Rosada (Pink House), and scene of many of Argentina's most important historical events. Much of Buenos Aires' monumental architecture is in this area.
We then drive to San Telmo, the oldest residential neighbourhood, with cobbled streets lined with antiques shops and picturesque buildings.
Continuing south, we arrive at the neighbourhood of La Boca, which was originally settled by Italian immigrants and still retains a European feel. Here we walk along El Caminito, a colourful pedestrian street populated by tango dancers and souvenir shops.
Nearby is La Bombonera, the legendary stadium of Boca Juniors football club, who gave the world Maradona.
Puerto Madero represents a more modern side of the city, with its dockland restaurants and large office blocks.
We also pass through the upscale, residential neighbourhoods of Retiro and Palermo on our way to Recoleta Cemetery, where we can see the much-visited grave of Eva 'Evita' Peron, along with the resting places of many other Argentinean historical and cultural figures.
The afternoon is free for relaxation or personal exploration.
Then, in the evening, we pick you up from your hotel to take you to a Dinner & Tango Show at La Ventana.
Buenos Aires is famous for a number of things: its vibrant, non-stop nightlife; its delicious wines and steaks (vegetarian options also available!); and the sensuous dance and music of the tango. Tonight combines all of these things.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Day 3: Buenos Aires: Free Day; Optional Estancia Visit (B)
Today is free to enjoy Argentina's vibrant capital at your leisure.
Or if wishing to sample something of the rural lifestyle, we can arrange a full day at Santa Susana Estancia, in the beautiful countryside outside the city (at additional cost).
Here we witness many of the gaucho traditions of horsemanship, song and dance, as well as enjoying a typical Argentinian asado (barbecue) - accompanied by delicious local wines - for lunch.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in Buenos Aires.
Day 4: Buenos Aires - Calafate: Airport Transfers (B)
Breakfast is provided at the hotel.
At the appropriate time, we transfer you to Buenos Aires Airport for your onward flight.
NB. Flight not included.
On arrival at El Calafate Airport, we welcome you and transfer you to your hotel, in a shared service.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in El Calafate
Day 5: Calafate: Perito Moreno Glacier (B)
After breakfast at the hotel, we take you on a full-day tour to Perito Moreno glacier, in a small group, with an English-speaking guide.
The majestic Perito Moreno Glacier sits 80 km (50 miles) away from Calafate.
This is one of the largest and the only advancing glacier in the world, as well as the biggest attraction at Los Glaciares National Park, a 600,000-hectare (1,482,632 acres) protected area covered by an ice mantle.
We start by walking through Andean forest and make a first breathtaking stop at Curva de los Suspiros (Curve of Sighs), where we have a first view of this incredible natural wonder.
As we near the glacier, the path gives way to a series of wooden walkways, allowing us to admire this wonderful creation of Mother Nature from various viewpoints.
From here, we should be able to see - and hear - as the glacier 'calves'. This is when varied-sized chunks of ice break off and fall into Lago Argentino to become beautiful ice floes.
We will eventually have to tear ourselves away in order to return to Calafate.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in El Calafate.
Day 6: Calafate: Free Day (B)
We have the day free to enjoy Calafate and its spectacular surroundings.
One option is to spend the day or afternoon/evening at Estancia Nibepo Aike to taste rural Patagonian life. The trip includes breakfast or tea, horsemanship and sheep-shearing demonstrations, and ends with an exquisite lunch or dinner of lamb grilled over an open fire. NB Vegetarian options are available.
Alternatively, you could enjoy Lago Argentino and her glaciers and icebergs by boat.
Or go by four-wheel-drive vehicle up Mount Frias for views of Torres del Paine, Fitzroy Mountain and the Centinela River valley below, finishing with a delicious Patagonian lunch at Estancia Alice.
NB. All of the above options are at an additional cost.
Overnight at Selected Hotel in El Calafate.
Day 7: Calafate: Airport Transfer (B)
At appropriate time, we transfer you from the hotel to Calafate Airport for your onward flight.
Or you may like to cross the border to Chile to join our Santiago & Torres del Paine itinerary.
Map
Reviews
What our clients say about Buenos Aires & Calafate:
“This trip was a magnificent exploration into Patagonia. I can’t wait to return for longer and explore more!
You, your team and your partners were amazing!”
“Hiking on Perito Moreno was once in a lifetime. Loved the boat ride. ”
“Paula, our guide in Buenos Aires, gave us a wonderful tour of the city. She was very well-informed and was able to answer our questions about the political as well as the economic and social history of the city. A really great guide and a personable and delightful young woman.
... Patagonia was our favourite destination of the trip. We would love to go there again.
We were very lucky in El Calafate because we saw the beginning of the collapse of the Perito Moreno Glacier cave.”