Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Argentina - Buenos Aires - El Calafate - North-west Argentina
100% customisable for you
Your overnight flight to Buenos Aires will leave the UK this evening.
On arrival in Buenos Aires you will be privately transferred to your accommodation for the next three nights - a hotel in the heart of the Palermo neighbourhood, a leafy area and one of the most pleasant 'barrios' (districts) in the city. The hotel grounds are planted with trees and the trendy and cultured atmosphere encourages exploration. The decor has quite a Seventies feel, but with a beautifully simple design. The rooms exude clean, urban comfort. In the restaurant, you can choose between curries, fresh salads and light sandwiches. The large, outdoor swimming pool is a great place to relax. The spa also offers a wide range of massages and beauty treatments. The itinerary includes a privately guided tour to a few hotspots in Buenos Aires. You'll start off with the streets that the city centre is centred around: Avenida 9 de Julio, Avenida Corrientes and Avenida de Mayo. Then it's off to La Boca, a small, colourful and picturesque neighbourhood, the elegant Recoleta with its very distinguished cemetery, and finally the old San Telmo, with its rich architecture and numerous antique shops and dealers. This walking tour provides a true picture of the variety that makes Argentina's capital so special.
Today you will be privately transferred to the airport for your flight to El Calafate, the gateway to the Los Glaciares National Park. Your accommodation for the next three nights is small and charming, in a beautifully natural setting facing Lago Argentino. Built in wood and exposed stone, the hotel offers a cosy atmosphere and pleasant rooms. Downtown El Calafate is only a short drive away.
The itinerary includes a trip to De Punta Bandera port (30 miles from El Calafate), from where you'll embark on a cruise on the Lago Argentino, which is home to the large Andean glaciers. You'll head north to see Upsala, the largest of the glaciers, the front face of which is currently in rapid decline. Heading north, you'll sail among the icebergs that crash off the glaciers. Then it's off towards the Cristina Channel to get to the Cristina Ranch, where you can immerse yourself in the daily life of the Patagonian gauchos (cowboys). Learn about the history of their farming and lifestyles, and visit the small museum. You'll then take a 4x4 to the Upsala Lookout, from where you can enjoy breath-taking views overlooking the Upsala Glacier, Guillermo Lake and the Andes.
The itinerary includes a rental car with GPS for the day, which you can use to explore Perito Moreno, an icon of Los Glaciares National Park and a wonder of nature; it's a huge 197ft glacier that stretches for three miles along Lago Argentino. As you traverse the forest, you'll walk along various walkways offering astounding views of the glacier. Lunch is included. You'll have a typical Argentinean picnic called a picada, which is a popular way of eating in Argentina because it's so an enjoyable shared experience. You'll have a picnic, explore and, above all, enjoy the view. During the day, a one-hour cruise is also on the cards. The boat gets to around 2000ft from where the glacier meets the Magellan Peninsular and circles around the south wall for around two miles, giving you a chance to see the blocks of ice that regularly break away - it's absolutely perfect for a photographer to get a closer look. Finally, planned especially for you: a ride around Lago Argentino area to make the gaucho experience last a little bit longer.
Today you will be privately transferred to the airport to catch a flight to Buenos Aires, before an onward flight to Salta in the Andes. Your accommodation for the next two nights' is in the heart of the city, in a charming, colonial-style hotel dating back to the early 20th century. It is strategically located in one of the city's iconic streets (Caseros, just a few yards from the Central Plaza) and is close to everything from restaurants and craft shops to wine cellars. The hotel has brought together the charm of the ancient world and modern comfort and refined decor in the rooms.
Salta la Linda has retained a beautiful collection of ancient buildings. Take a walk to visit the Cabildo (The seat of the colonial city hall - 18th century), the splendid San Bernardo convent (16th-17th century), the Basilica of San Francisco (18th-19th century) and the traditional craft market. Another option is to take a half-day private tour of the city with a guide.
Pick up your rental car and drive south. You'll then cross the Quebrada de las Conchas with its red sandstone formations that have been spectacularly eroded by water and wind (making this worthy of the UNESCO World Heritage site). You'll then arrive at the small town of Cafayate, surrounded by vineyards and several archaeological relics. In addition to its five-nave cathedral and its 'bodegas' (wine cellars), enjoyment can also be found in the fresh open-air of patios shaded with vine branches. Stay overnight at the foot of San Isidro, in the middle of a sprawling vineyard, in a charming property offering its guests the rural comfort of a well-kept homestead. The single-storey buildings form a nice little courtyard, which is both private and open to the surrounding mountains. It has a lovely garden and a refreshing pool. The restaurant uses products from the hotel's vegetable garden. The itinerary includes an evening wine tasting and dinner at Las Nubes, a few miles from Cafayate. A rather small producer compared with other giants in the region, it produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Tannat. Enjoy premium wines at sunset as you gaze at the stunning views of the valley and vineyards, before eating a traditional asado (Argentinian barbecue) dinner.
You'll pass through the small villages of Colalao del Valle or Tolombon, hidden among the vineyards, before reaching Route 40 which quickly becomes a 'proper' road. As you follow the course of the Calchaqui River, the land becomes drier and more mineral-rich. One option is to meet with a rural community in the Calchaqui valley. Explore the enchanting village of Molinos, with its dirt streets and its church of San Pedro which has a cactus roof (18th century). Spend a night in a quaint hacienda with its colonial architecture, white walls adorned with dark wood, red floors and fresh linen. The itinerary includes a visit to the James Turrell Museum, an unusual museum of modern art dedicated to the works of the prestigious American artist, located in the Bodega Colome some 12 miles from Molinos. The winery, which now produces more than half a million litres of delectable wine exported to more than 25 countries, wanted to add a social and cultural dimension to its business, so it set up this wonderfully unique place, which challenges colours, spaces, and ranges with 3D artwork. A visit to the museum is followed by a visit to the wine cellars, vineyards and the bodega, and, of course, wine tasting accompanied by some local specialities.
Now it's off to Cachi, which sits at an altitude of 7500ft and is undoubtedly the most charming city in the region. It has preserved its colonial authenticity with its bungalows, cobblestone streets and tranquility. The archaeological museum documents life in the Calchaqui valleys before the Spanish conquest. Now head to Los Cardones National Park, which is populated by column cacti, viscachas (rodents from the chinchilla family), guanacos, pumas and many species of birds, including the regal condor. The Piedra del Molino lookout (11,800ft) overlooking the Cuesta del Obispo is spectacular. Then it's off to the Lerma Valley and Salta Valley Plains. Spend the night in a branded Relais & Chateaux ranch, at the foot of the Andes. From the rooms to the parks to the restaurants and spas, it's all about warmth and refinement here.
Today you will head to Purmamarca, via San Antonio de los Cobres. One of the most impressive sceneries in the whole region is the Quebrada del Toro. It boasts colourful towering valleys, column cacti and archaeological remains, the most important of which is certainly the pre-Inca site of Tastil. Stop off at Salinas Grandes, a 75 square-mile salt desert almost 11,500ft above sea level. You'll then arrive at the region's most traditional indigenous town of Purmamarca, where you'll spend two nights on the outskirts of the valley's main village in a hotel overlooking the wonderful quebrada, with its rows of pleated rocks. The new hotel will immerse you in the atmosphere of a former 18th-century Spanish governor's house. Everything is in the purest colonial style; the lime-washed walls, the turrets, the bell tower, the veranda overlooking the mountains, the tiles, the furniture, and the chimneys. The rooms, which are barely twenty years old, are quite simple but spacious and charming. An outdoor swimming pool with views and a spa complete the look.
Discover the beauty of the Quebrada at your own pace, thanks to your rental car. Purmamarca is a pretty little village of adobe houses and cactus wood, which blends harmoniously into the natural landscapes that surround it. Near the village, hikes lead to the mountain of seven colours (cerro de los siete colores). After a few miles of walking on arid terrain, you’ll find yourself faced with a veritable rainbow of natural hues, imprinted into the rock of the canyon. You can take the path - paseo de los Colorados – which is about an hour and a half from the village, and see the colours change with the light of day. The other villages in the region also promise superb panoramas and hikes. Enjoy dinner at one of the best restaurants in Purmamarca in the evening.
Today you will head back to Salta, return your hire car to the airport and catch your flight to Buenos Aires. Your accommodation for tonight is in the upscale Recoleta district. The hotel combines beautifully contemporary design with raw materials, such as wood and concrete. Although modern features really take centre stage here, this doesn't mean that such a futuristic hotel lacks charm; in fact, it's the complete opposite. Enjoy admiring the artwork here, and discover why Argentina's wine cellars deserve their reputation. The facilities, warm reception and excellent location all add to the appeal. Spend your last evening in Buenos Aires with an English-speaking local who can show you some local haunts.
You will be privately transferred to the airport to catch your direct overnight flight home, which will arrive the next day.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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