Al fresco adventure in Argentina
Cycle the world-famous vineyards of Mendoza, horse-ride through the sweeping landscape and trek between Patagonia’s stirring peaks
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Trip Highlights
Patagonia wow
Trek through spectacular Patagonian scenery to Monte Fitz Roy, for a bucket-list view
Saddle up
Horse-ride through a landscape of vineyards and embrace the life of a gaucho
Glacier high
Hike across one of the world’s last growing glaciers and marvel at the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier
Argentine flavors
Experience the art of Argentinian cuisine in an interactive introduction, with unlimited wine on the side
Street art and urban sights
Take a backstreet graffiti tour of Buenos Aires, uncovering a vibrant urban culture
What's included
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10 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
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10 nights’ accommodation in twin room boutique hotels
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All activities, from glacier-trekking to vineyard hopping, included. Local Flash Pack guide and driver
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Max 14 Flashpackers
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2 internal flights to El Calafate and Mendoza
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Private airport transfers anytime on Day 1, country travel in private air-conditioned minibus
About the trip
Wine buffs, steak lovers, trekking enthusiasts – stop what you’re doing and get the lowdown on our adventure in Argentina and Patagonia.
In a land where gauchos roam and rolling vineyards collide with jagged mountains, we’ll be going off the beaten track for 11 days of escapism. Get ready for picnics overlooking turquoise lagoons and alfresco feasts only reached by horseback. Hike across one of the world’s last growing glaciers and immerse yourself in the adventure playground of El Chaltén. Explore hipster neighborhoods in Buenos Aires and feast upon Provoleta-dripping chorizo, empanadas and homemade chimichurri, while getting the inside scoop from local chefs.
Cycle through the rolling vineyards of Mendoza, meeting the families behind world-renowned wines and sampling their finest malbec. Then, grab a detox by embracing the Patagonian elements, as we horse ride through the wilderness.
Saddle up and look lively: a dazzling adventure beckons.
Where you will stay
Posada El Encuentro, Mendoza
Family-run hotel near Mendoza’s vineyards
By day, this is a bright, lively hotel where guests gather round the pool. By night, the lights are turned low and everyone gathers in the restaurant to toast their adventures with local wines.
Why we stay here
It’s a short walk or horse ride to several wineries. El Encuentro also has its own wine cellar – ask for a tour and choose a tipple for dinner.
Hotel Clasico, Buenos Aires
Elegant city lodgings
This stylish hotel can be found in the Palermo Hollywood neighborhood, surrounded by hip bars, restaurants and art galleries
Why we stay here
All rooms are clean and comfortable, complete with all the normal amenities and WiFi. The hotel offers bike hire to help you explore the local sights. Admire the contemporary design throughout, with minimalist furniture and hardwood floors
Estancia La Quinta, El Chalten
Cattle station living in Patagonia’s Los Glaciares National Park
This 100-year old property has been modernized into a collection of functional guest rooms and a brilliant restaurant that serves throughout the day. There’s a daily mate ceremony, and calf feeding morning and evening.
Why we stay here
The rooms might be simple but the views are breathtaking. From the rolling plains to the snow-capped peaks beyond, this is a place you will never tire of looking at.
The Flash Pack Promise
Here at Flash Pack, we’re committed to unique adventures that deliver great value for money. We pack our trips with epic experiences (unlike other companies, all activities are included), hand-pick stylish hotels and match you with like-minded people.
Itinerary
Day 1
Sizzling steaks and city life in Buenos Aires
Bienvenido to Buenos Aires. Look out to the colorful blur of city life as your airport transfer whisks you to your hotel. We’ll head out into the laid-back streets to soak in the buzz – our destination is trendy Palermo, where the tree-lined streets are home to some of the best bars and restaurants in town. Pull up a pew at an alfresco hangout and get to know your fellow Flashpackers and guide, watching the city come to life after its post-siesta slumber. We’ll get into the local spirit with some great food and wine. A known foodie city, it’s the steaks here that really get people talking; feast upon some grilled goodness and wash it down with a generous glass of local red (with plenty of veggie options available, too). Then as night falls, be sure to hit up the Palermo bars and clubs with your new adventurer pals. Raise a glass to the horizons ahead and let loose, holiday mode officially activated.
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Day 2
Uncover vibrant graffiti sights
This morning we’re going on a graffiti tour through the hip neighborhoods of Palermo and San Telmo, discovering hidden graffiti hotspots and open-air galleries. We’ll also stop by the city’s only street-art bar and gallery, where you can meet the artists behind the urban masterpieces. After working up an appetite, it’s time for an interactive dining experience in Recoleta. Known as the posh end of town, get set to witness five courses of Argentian deliciousness in the making, with unlimited wine flowing and passionate chefs showing you the ropes. You’ll experience the wonders of empanadas stuffed full of tender beef, grilled Provoleta cheese draped over chorizo sausages and homemade chimichurri. We’ll feast on alfajores for dessert in the form of crumbly cookies held together by gooey dulce de leche. Then sit back and enjoy some mate tea, drinking in the stories surrounding this national pastime.
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Day 3
The gateway to adventure
Today we’re leaving the bright lights of the capital and heading out into the wilderness. After breakfast at your hotel, we’ll whizz you to the airport where it’s time to hit the skies for a three-hour flight to Patagonia. We’ll touch down in El Calafate, the gateway to outdoor adventure, and take you straight to your boutique hotel in the heart of the town. From your new home, you’ll be able to look out to the rugged panoramas and wide-open skies. Everything is on a bigger scale here, from the immense mountains to the horizon-stretching plains. Embrace the end-of-the-world landscape and settle into your adventure base, as you get familiar with the pool, spa and sauna. Then it’s time for an early night because tomorrow you’ll be in the thick of those epic views…
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Day 4
Hike across a moving glacier
Today we’re exploring the mighty Los Glaciares National Park. Home to the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier, this huge 200-foot hunk of ice is one of the last remaining glaciers that is still growing. We’ll admire it from a viewpoint but, of course, us Flashpackers are not content with just that – we want to get up close with it, too. Cue a 20-minute sail to Los Témpanos canal and the southern wall of the glacier. We’ll walk along the lakeshore to reach the glacier, pull on our crampons and follow our expert guide across the stunning ice formations. On our way back, we’ll cross the dense Magellan forest and hike alongside Los Témpanos canal. This is an incredible experience of heart-racing adventure and breathtaking views, so have your cameras (and crampons) at the ready.
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Day 5
Onward to an Andean paradise
The adventure continues northward today, travelling even deeper into Patagonia with a four-hour drive to El Chaltén. This is no ordinary road trip, however, with incredible scenery greeting you around every corner. Take in the jagged peaks of the Andes on your right and dusty plains on your left. El Chaltén is a small and friendly town that has trek-lovers gathering from far and wide. This is where people come to get lost in nature and immerse themselves in the incredible scenery of the Great Outdoors. Grab a drink in this sea of hiking boots, as you get the plan of action for tomorrow’s trek from your guide. After, be sure to hit up the local bars with your fellow trekkers. This lively town is building a reputation for its craft beer, so get the pints in and toast to your rambles ahead.
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Day 6
A trek-tastic day in Patagonia
Lace up your hiking boots, today we’re heading out into the spectacular scenery of Torre Lagoon. We’ll hike up into a Ñire tree forest, before reaching shimmering Fitz Roy river. Look out for native woodpeckers as you climb up through this dazzling scenery, passing Patagonian lenga trees and lush foliage. The greenery gradually gives way to an amazing viewpoint over Mount Torre. Marvel at a stunning panorama of granite peaks, as we tuck into a picnic looking out to the majestic Adela range and Mount Solo’s glaciers. We’ll then head back to El Chaltén in the direction we came, or we may continue onward to the iconic Laguna de los Tres. This bucket-list viewpoint looks out across the three incredible peaks of Monte Fitz Roy. Weather here can be changeable so we could move this epic trek to tomorrow if the weather’s not on our side. Fingers crossed for blue skies.
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Day 7
Kick back in your adventure playground
Today is a free day to do whatever you please in your adventure playground base. If the sun’s shining, you may want to rest your trek-tired legs and simply top up your tan. Or you could head to one of the ranch’s cozy reading rooms to curl up with a book. For those of you wanting something a little more active, El Chaltén is brimming with options for outdoor adventure. Get the lowdown from your hotel and guide on the best hiking spots in the area, from lakeside treks around Viedma Glacier to moseying about the small and picturesque Bahía Túnel harbor. You could also hire canoes and go for a paddle on the nearby lakes, do a spot of white-water rafting or hop on horseback and ride out into the sunset. Or, simply chill at your ranch and eat your body weight in steak. No judgements here.
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Day 8
Hit the skies to Mendoza
After embracing life in the Patagonian wilderness, today we’re heading back to civilisation. We’ll drive three hours back to El Calafate where we’ll soar into the skies once more on a five-hour flight to Mendoza, with a likely stop-over at Buenos Aires. It’s a long travel day so make sure you have a good book handy and plenty of tunes to keep you entertained. These hours of travelling will soon become a distant memory when you arrive in the charming city of Mendoza. Here you’ll find a cosmopolitan hub of leafy boulevards, serene spas and amazing restaurants, all set against a rousing backdrop of rolling vineyards and the incredible Andes beyond. These vineyards produce some of the best wines on the planet, so we recommend bellying up to one of Mendoza’s many trendy bars to sample some world-class vino. It would be rude not to, after all…
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Day 9
Exploring a vineyard by bike
Wake up in the balmy suburbs of Mendoza, perfectly located between the effusive bars and restaurants of the centre and the amazing wineries on the city outskirts. We’ll saddle up for a day of eating and drinking with some short bike rides in-between. The Maipu District is our destination, and our wine-fuelled pit-stop awaits at the Familia Zuccardi winery. Rally up your appetite for an exclusive tour through this family-run vineyard, tasting your way through the wine cellar. From here, we’ll cross over to Villa Maipu, where we’ll stop at the chardonnay, syrah and malbec sections of the vineyard. Your guide will fill you in on the distinctive flavors of each wine, with regional cheeses and cold meats to enjoy alongside. After a day of vineyard sights and alfresco dining in the grape-scented air, we’ll then head back to Mendoza feeling like true sommeliers. Glass of malbec, anyone?
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Day 10
Horse-riding in the vast hinterland
After yesterday’s vineyard-hopping antics, sleep off your cloudy head and spend some time stretching out by the hotel pool – today is yours to take at leisure. Then, this evening, get set to channel your inner cowboy/girl. In the rugged beauty of Potrerillos, we’ll saddle up and horse ride into the wild landscape. Trotting across the terrain in a convoy of horses with the epic mountains rising around you, this is an awesome way to reconnect with nature and embrace the simple lifestyle of a gaucho. And there’s no need to make dinner plans tonight because there’s a feast ready and waiting for you after our ride. Dine on a hearty meal of tender meat, local cheeses and crusty bread with plenty of wine flowing, surrounded by rolling vineyards.
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Day 11
Adiós, Argentina
All good adventures must come to an end – today it’s time to arrange your own transfer to Mendoza airport and say adiós. But before you start playing ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina’ on repeat, think back on all the incredible memories you’ll be returning with. Together with your fellow Flashpackers, you’ve feasted on Buenos Aires’ legendary steaks and explored its graffiti-lined back streets. You’ve hiked across moving glaciers, trekked into the depths of Patagonia and discovered shimmering lagoons. You’ve gone vineyard hopping through Mendoza and embraced the life of a gaucho. Return to reality with the glow of a true explorer. Or why not carry on to our amazing escape in Chile? The adventure doesn’t need to end here….
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On the map
Important notes
- Fly into Ministro Pistarini International Airport, Buenos Aires and fly out of Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport, Mendoza.
- Please aim to arrive into Buenos Aires before 3pm for your private transfer.
- Please note that domestic flights in Argentina are rarely on time and often sell out, so last minute bookings on this adventure may not be possible or only available at a higher rate due to increased airfares.
- Baggage Allowance on the domestic flights will likely be 15kg, so aim to stay below that otherwise you’ll be charged at the airport for excess baggage.
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Please note that hot water shortages and power outages can be fairly common in Latin America (even in upgraded hotels and private homes). We appreciate your patience and understanding that these occurrences are outside of our control. During the rainy season the locations visited may change due to some routes being covered by water.
- Please be aware that the itinerary, activities and hotels are subject to change. These changes can happen with little notice due to availability, poor weather, seasonal changes, or other circumstances beyond our control. From time to time we may also make changes to your itinerary to try out new ideas and keep things fresh.
- We take safety very seriously on Flash Pack adventures, click here to learn more.
