5-Star Travel to Buenos Aires, El Calafate and El Chalten
Days: 12 | From: $13,450 per person
- Includes accommodations at luxury properties that reflect the best of local culture
- Includes excursions and tours with superb private guides
Spend a few days exploring vibrant Buenos Aires before heading south to iconic Argentine Patagonia where you will stay in luxury accommodations with privileged, remote locations.
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Specialist
We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
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At a glance
- Buenos Aires
3 nights: explore Argentina's cosmopolitan capital city - El Calafate
5 nights: stay at the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, including a two night stay at a remote estancia - El Chalten
3 nights: hike amongst iconic peaks in this quaint Patagonian town
All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.
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Sample itinerary
Welcome to Buenos Aires
Welcome to Buenos Aires, Argentina’s vibrant capital. Upon arrival, your private guide will meet you and take you to your boutique hotel in the upscale Recoleta neighborhood.
Accommodations: Mansion Algodon, 3 nights
Algodon Mansion is a luxe boutique hotel nestled in the heart of Buenos Aires' most elegant residential neighborhood, Recoleta. Situated inside a restored 1912 French-style classical mansion, the well-appointed suites are spacious, and inviting, and offer superior comforts and amenities such as WiFi, spacious baths, luxury toiletries, high-quality linens, and more. Guests can count on personalized service and features such as an award-winning wine list, a rooftop pool and terrace, a gym, and a wine bar offering gourmet snacks and pastries in addition to carefully chosen Argentinian wines.
Alternative lodging options: Alvear Palace, Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt, and othersGet to Know Vibrant Buenos Aires
Explore Buenos Aires with your private guide, an engaging bilingual local who will take you through the city’s unique neighborhoods and help you get to know this fascinating metropolis. Discover the charms of Palermo, the Recoleta Cemetery, the Teatro Colon, the Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, and La Boca. With your private guide, you have the flexibility to explore at your own pace and make detours and stops along the way.
After your tour, you are free to spend the rest of the day exploring on your own, trying out one of the city’s excellent restaurants.
Another Side of the City
Delve deeper into the city’s offerings with your private guide. Today’s tour will broaden your Buenos Aires experience by including activities that cater to your interests. Examples of such activities include a Jewish Heritage Tour, an architecture tour, a visit to the Boca Juniors Stadium, a tango class, and a culinary or wine tour.
Later in the evening, sit back and watch one of Buenos Aires’ lively tango shows, to experience the music and culture that Buenos Aires is most known for.
Fly to El Calafate, Land of Towering Glaciers
Fly to El Calafate, gateway to Los Glaciares National Park in Argentine Patagonia. Upon arrival you will be transferred out of the city to Eolo, a Relais & Châteaux property and the most refined accommodation option in the area. From Eolo’s 10,000 acre property enjoy privileged views of the Patagonian steppe and mountains.
Accommodations: Eolo, 3 nights
Eolo is located on the side of a small mountain about 40 minutes outside El Calafate, on the way to the Perito Moreno Glacier. A Relais & Châteaux property, the 17-suite Eolo is the most refined accommodation in the area, with superb service, beautiful rooms, and excellent views of the surrounding Patagonian steppe and Andes. This remote lodge sits on a 10,000 acre property evoking the traditional Patagonian estancia, with views of Lago Argentino, La Anita Valley, and Torres del Paine. The lodge offers a restaurant and bar, library, pool, and sauna. Its privileged location between the town of El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier means that it is a shorter drive to view the glacier and is far removed from the increasing sprawl of the town.
*Includes: BreakfastAlternative lodging options: Estancia Helsingfors, Estancia Nibepo Aike
Up Close and Personal on Perito Moreno Glacier
Enjoy a unique excursion to the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier. You won’t just view the glacier from a distance – you’ll take a catamaran ride to the front of the glacier and do a short hike on the ice itself. (Crampons will be provided; this is a non-technical and non-strenuous walking excursion. We can also arrange more challenging and strenuous treks on the glacier.) Afterward, visit the viewing areas for great views of the glacier before returning to your hotel for the evening.
Free Day at Eolo
Journey to Estancia Cristina
An exceptional day getting even further into the Patagonian wilderness by boat. Half the appeal is the journey that is required to reach this remote and historic estancia which is only accessible by a 3 hour navigation across Lake Argentina. Pass icebergs and get a great view of the Upsala Glacier from the water before meeting your hosts at the estancia.
Accommodations: Estancia Cristina, 2 nights
With a remote and spectacular location next to Glacier National Park in Southern Patagonia, this lakeside historic home offers an ideal base for exploring the 35-mile-long Upsala Glacier, the largest glacier in all of South America. It takes 2 hours by boat to arrive to the lodge and there are a variety of excursions available. Its style pays homage to its long history as a ranching outpost. Estancia Cristina can also be visited as a day trip while staying in the area of El Calafate.
*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerFree Day at Estancia Cristina
Today you have the opportunity to take advantage of several excursions offered by Estancia Cristina. 4×4 up a mountain trail that crosses forests and rivers, arriving to a lookout point of the Upsala Glacier and the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. Or take a horseback ride up the Catarina River Valley to one of the many fishing lagoons and lookout points.
Transfer to El Chalten
Return to El Calafate by boat then transfer north to another spectacular area of Los Glaciares National Park, the famed hiking town of El Chalten. Check-in to your luxury accommodations located 10 miles outside of town that features views of the Electric Valley and Marconi Glacier.
Accommodations: Explora El Chaltén, 3 nights
The Explora El Chaltén is located about 10 miles outside El Chaltén on the Los Huelmules Reserve, and offers views of the Electrico Valley and Marconi Glacier. The lodge offers a restaurant, bar, and spa. This lodge is an excellent base from which to explore Argentine Patagonia, a world-renowned destination for trekking and natural beauty. Your all-inclusive stay at Explora includes daily excursions with bilingual guides to see the region's top highlights, such as Los Glaciares National Park and Mount Fitz-Roy.
*Includes: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerExplore Los Glaciares National Park And Beyond
Depart Patagonia
Today you’ll say goodbye to Patagonia and transfer to El Calafate’s airport for your departing flight.
More Photos From This Trip
Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary
Add a few extra nights in Buenos Aires. We can arrange a variety of activities, including city tours, culinary excursions, visits to historical sites, and active options such as hiking, biking, boating, and horseback riding. We can also arrange privately guided day excursions to nearby sites, such as the town of Colonia, Uruguay (a well preserved 17th century Portuguese colonial town that is a UNESCO World Heritage site), or up to Tigre and the Delta (there are also biking excursions up to Tigre).
Take part in a day of polo at an estancia outside Buenos Aires: Spend the morning on a horse learning the basics of this popular equestrian sport, enjoy a traditional lunch, then put your new skills to use in a relaxed polo match in the afternoon. Great for beginners and experienced riders alike!
See more of Argentina by adding 2-3 nights at Iguazu Falls which straddles the border of Argentina and Brazil. Experience the breathtaking beauty of the falls while staying in 5 star properties such as the Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas or Awasi Iguazu.
Include some downtime for rest and relaxation! Some free time to unwind or have a massage will allow you to feel refreshed and ready for the remainder of your trip. Many of our properties include excellent spas or wellness centers. We can help arrange these services or include properties that offer health & wellness amenities.
Spend a few days in Mendoza, the heart of Argentina’s wine region. Tour and taste the wines from small boutique wineries, sip on malbecs, head out for bike rides or hikes, and take in the stunning scenery and history of this unique part of the country.
Extend your exploration of Patagonia with a visit to Chile’s Torres del Paine or Patagonia National Park.
Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
Why Travel with Vaya?
We're TRUE specialists
We’ve not only traveled there, we’ve lived there. Our smart and engaging specialists are all current or former expatriates with years of experience in the region.
Uplifting service
From the first phone call to after you get back, we're here for you every step of the way. We listen, create, customize and advocate for you, and design experiences that go beyond the expected.
Thoughtful travel
Our discerning sensibility and good taste go beyond just choices in hotels and top guides; we have a walk the walk commitment to the environment and are genuine leaders in conservation efforts.