Patagonia
Reserve through the month of November 2020 for $1!
My favorite travel partner has just announced this incredible sale on small group travel for 2021! Through November 2020, you can reserve your spot on a dream trip for only US$1; one dollar gives you something to look forward to in 2021. I’m highlighting sample itineraries in this blog, but won’t be able to cover the HUNDREDS of options. If you have a travel wish, contact me for details!
Why I love this travel operator …
SMALL GROUPS
Join a small group of like-minded travelers that, like you, are eager to safely and confidently experience all the things that make our world worth exploring.
SUPPORTING LOCAL COMMUNITIES
They have always created their tours by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefiting the people and places they visit.
BOOK AND TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE
They have measures in place to help keep you safe from the moment you book to the moment you (reluctantly) head home, earning a badge from the World Travel and Tourism Council. WTTC’s Safe Travels Protocols
FLEXIBILITY, FREEDOM AND FUN
No matter the Travel Style, their tours balance well-planned itineraries with the flexibility to do your own thing and make the experience your own.
LOCALLY-BASED GUIDES
They don’t have tour guides — they have Chief Experience Officers. And they are all locally based, meaning they know the area you’re exploring like the back of their well-traveled hand.
REGENERATIVE TRAVEL
When you travel with them, you experience first-hand their commitment to making travel a force for good is in everything they do.
There are multiple itineraries for Patagonia, so if this one that I’m highlighting here doesn’t check off all your boxes, contact me!
STARTING AT $2294
DAY 1: BUENOS AIRES
Arrive at any time. As there are no planned activities until an evening welcome meeting, check into the hotel and enjoy the city. Opt to visit the districts of La Boca, Recoleta, and San Telmo or catch a tango show. Booking pre or post trip accommodation is highly recommended to fully experience this vibrant city.
Meet your guide and fellow travelers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards.
Optional Activities:
La Boca Neighborhood Visit, 300-400ARS/group: Visit La Boca to soak in the vibrancy of the barrio’s brightly colored buildings and El Caminito (a cobblestone street lined with artist studios that’s often used as an impromptu setting for tango performances). Or, if lucky, catch a match at fabled La Bombonera, the home stadium of the Boca Juniors’ fútbol club (the crowd’s excitement is electric!).
Buenos Aires Bike Tour: Experience this vibrant city cruising around on a bicycle with a local Argentine. Bike, helmet, knowledgeable tour guide, they’ve got it all taken care of, just come along for the ride and take in the many historical sights on offer. Discover Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, colorful Caminito, and the working class neighborhoods where Tango was born.
Buenos Aires Guided City Tour: Enjoy a guided tour exploring beautiful, vibrant Buenos Aires. Be introduced to historic sites and districts, including Plaza de Mayo where Eva Peron’s famed balcony presides over the square. See La Boca and San Telmo’s colourful street life, painted houses, and the famed Recoleta Cemetery.
Teatro Colon Tour, 800ARS/person: Explore this stunning opera house on a guided tour and find out why it is voted one of the best acoustic venues in the world.
Accommodation: Park Royal Buenos Aires (or similar)
DAY 2: BUENOS AIRES/EL CHALTEN
Fly south to the province of Santa Cruz and the town of El Calafate before transferring overland to El Chaltén. Often referred to as the trekking capital of Argentina, El Chaltén is the gateway to Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torres, two of the most beautiful peaks in Patagonia.
Enjoy free time to warm up for the upcoming trek, opt to take a short hike to a nearby lookout or explore around town.
Accommodation: Hosteria Vertical Lodge (or similar)
DAY 3: EL CHALTEN
Get ready to navigate Patagonia by raft, through Los Glaciares National Park. Enjoy the spectacular scenery and watch the landscape change from mountain peaks to vast canyons, but don’t forget to paddle! Class III rapids, 4 hrs.
Accommodation: Hosteria Vertical Lodge (or similar)
DAY 4: EL CHALTEN
Enjoy a full-day guided hike to Laguna de los Tres and if the weather cooperates, a clear view of the Fitz Roy peaks. En route, take in the gradual changes in terrain from tree covered trails to exposed alpine landscapes.
Hike to Laguna de los Tres to fully appreciate majestic Cerro Fitz Roy/Chaltén (3,441m/11,290 ft) – one of the most famous and popular viewpoints of the mountain. See granite pinnacles spiraling upward from the third largest ice field on earth. The gradual start to the trek provides time to appreciate the stunning landscape and ease into the challenging trekking ahead. Although the 400m (1,312 ft) incline to reach the lake is taxing, the reward is well worth the effort. (8-9hrs; 20km)
Accommodation: Hosteria Vertical Lodge (or similar)
DAY 5: EL CHALTEN/EL CALAFATE
Opt to explore one of El Chaltén’s many trekking routes such as the Laguna Torre trail to spot the dramatic Cerro Torre, hike to Laguna Capri or head up to the Condor Mirador to enjoy great views of the town. Later, head to the quaint town of El Calafate, and opt for a hearty dinner to refuel.
Optional Activities:
Laguna Capri Hike, 3-4hrs; 12km: Enjoy this easy to moderate hike up to a blue water lagoon, Laguna Capri. Surrounded by native forests and offering a stunning view of Fitz Roy.
Condor Lookout (Condor Mirador), 1.5-2hrs, 6km: One of the shortest hiking options in the area, enjoy a light hike up to a panoramic viewpoint overlooking El Chaltén and Fitz Roy off in the distance.
Cerro Torre Valley Hike, 6-7hrs, 21km: Hike through the Cerro Torre Valley (Los Glaciares National Park; grade: easy to moderate) to Torre Lake and Glacier for a close view, weather permitting, of the awesome spires that make up Cerro Torre (3,102m/10,178 ft) and its neighbors. A treacherous cap of ice known to climbers as “the mushroom” tops this slender needle of granite. Stop by the lake for some relaxation upon your return.
Accommodation: Hosteria Posta Sur (or similar)
DAY 6: EL CALAFATE
Travel to Perito Moreno Glacier for an included guided tour. Opt to take a boat ride on the lake to get a different view of the stunning landscape and marvel at how large the glacier is up close.
Argentino Lake, discovered in 1873, is the southernmost of the four water sheets produced by the Pleistocene Glaciation. With its fjords and fingers it covers 1,505km² (935 mi²), and is considered one of the most breathtaking lakes in the world.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is an imposing river of ice, 2.7km (1.7 mi) wide by 55m (180 ft) high, which descends from the continental ice field to the Canal de los Tempanos. Get out there and explore the natural wonder that is the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world’s few “advancing” glaciers. Head to the southern end of Los Glaciares National Park, where Moreno’s 60m (197 ft) wall of ice sporadically chokes off the narrow “Canal de los Tempanos” (Iceberg Channel) creating a natural ice dam, which eventually explodes in a dynamic display of force.
Optional Activities:
Perito Moreno Glacier Boat, 30USD/person: Get a closer look at the sheer magnitude of the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier. Head out on the glacial lake for spectacular views of the south wall. Keep your camera at the ready, this won’t be an experience you’ll soon forget, but you’ll want to capture it just in case.
Accommodation: Hosteria Posta Sur (or similar)
DAY 7: EL CALAFATE
Enjoy free time, take a leisurely hike to Laguna Nimez or explore the souvenir shops and restaurants in town. Home to the immense Perito Moreno Glacier, the quaint alpine town of El Calafate is the perfect base for exploring the nearby glaciers. Los Glaciares National Park, the most renowned in Argentina, was created in 1973 to preserve this vast glacial area encompassing the Upsala Glacier and the incredible Onelli Bay.
The main strip of this tiny town is lined with small wooden shops, browse for souvenirs, chocolates, or stop in one of the restaurants for a rest.
Optional Activities:
Laguna Nimez, 300ARS/person: Visit Laguna Nimez Reserve, a bird sanctuary protecting prime avian habitat. Spot flamingos, upland geese, silvery grebe, red-gartered coots and many other species found in the area.
Accommodation: Hosteria Posta Sur (or similar)
DAY 8: EL CALAFATE/BUENOS AIRES
In the afternoon, fly back to Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital city of Argentina. Enjoy a drink in one of the many sidewalk cafes and restaurants, or pre-book an evening Tango experience! You’ll soon begin to understand the contemplative Argentine way of life.
Get together for one last meal—and a final bottle of wine. This will be your last chance to try Argentina’s succulent bife and parrilladas, so dig in and enjoy!
Optional Activities:
Tango Dinner Show: Discover the passion of tango. Watch the pros step and slide around the dance floor while you dine on a traditional Argentine dinner. Get lost in the music, savor the sensuality, and see why this traditional dance continues to ignite the senses of locals and visitors alike.
Accommodation: Park Royal Buenos Aires (or similar)
DAY 9: BUENOS AIRES
Depart at any time.
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