Essential Argentina: Buenos Aires, Patagonia & Mendoza 

Touch down in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s elegant capital. An airport transfer will take you to your hotel, where you’ll meet your fellow travelers and dedicated guide. Head out together to explore the streets of Palermo, with its stylish bars and characterful restaurants, catching the city as it revives after a post-siesta slumber. Steak-lover? You’ll be in your element here, with excellent local wine options (hello, Malbec) to complement your first-night feast. Buen provecho.

This morning’s adventure will take you on a graffiti tour of Palermo and San Telmo (the city’s coolest neighborhoods), where you’ll uncover hidden hotspots and open-air galleries. Work up an appetite, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves with an interactive dining experience in Recoleta. Witness five courses of local dishes whipped up before your eyes (with unlimited wine flowing), from tender beef empanadas to grilled steak dressed in chimichurri sauce – followed by dessert too, of course. 

Catch a three-hour flight to Patagonia this morning, before arriving in El Calafate: your gateway to the wilderness. Your new hotel boasts spectacular views over the immense mountainscape and vast skies; you’ll feel as if you’ve reached the edge of the earth. Take the rest of the day to settle into your magnificent surroundings, with the hotel pool and sauna beckoning you. 

Venture into Los Glaciares National Park, where you’ll find the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier rising at a height of 200 feet from the waters. The best way to appreciate its sheer scale is by taking a 20-minute boat ride over to Los Témpanos canal, where you’ll pull on your crampons and walk across the frozen lake shore until you reach the glacier wall. Having admired these breathtaking formations, make your way back with a scenic hike through the Magellanic woodlands (a subpolar type of forest found only in Argentina and Chile). 

Your adventure continues northwards today, travelling deeper into Patagonia to El Chaltén. Sink into a scenic four-hour drive, with the peaks of the Andes to your right and dusty plains to your left. Upon arrival, you’ll find that El Chaltén is a charming mountain town and a mecca for hikers. Enjoy a welcome drink with your fellow travelers as you plan tomorrow’s hiking route with your guide. 

Today, you’ll explore your surrounding landscape on a long hike. Starting in the thickets of a ñire forest (another subpolar eco-region you’ll only find in this part of the world), make your way through the lush foliage until you reach a viewpoint overlooking Mount Torre. Here, you’ll find a vast panorama of granite peaks, with pristine glaciers piercing the horizon. After a picnic lunch overlooking the valleys, make the long hike back to El Chaltén in the same direction.    *The climate here can be changeable. This trek may be moved to the following day if the weather isn’t suitable.

El Chaltén is full of fantastic options to explore with time on your hands. From gentle walking routes to lakeside treks and horseback riding, there’s plenty to experience in this hiking haven. Alternatively, you could choose to unwind at the ranch and spend the day eating your bodyweight in steak. We’ll leave it up to you. 

This morning, make the three-hour drive back to El Calafate, where you’ll catch a five-hour flight to Mendoza (with a likely stopover in Buenos Aires). Upon arrival, settle into the city; a cosmopolitan hub of leafy boulevards, restaurants and a rich wine culture, all set against a backdrop of the snow-capped Andes. The rest of the afternoon is yours to spend at leisure, but our personal recommendation is to dive straight into Mendoza’s bars and sample some of the region’s famous wines. 

Today’s destination? The Familia Zuccardi winery. Nestled beneath the Andean sierra, take an exclusive tour of this family-run vineyard as you taste your way through its iconic wine cellar. From here, cross over to Villa Maipù, where you’ll encounter a variety of grapes, from chardonnay to malbec. This is a unique opportunity to learn about the distinctive flavors of each wine, with regional cheeses and cured meats to enjoy alongside your tastings. 

Take today to unwind with your fellow travellers. Then, as evening falls, channel your inner gaucho as you head out for a scenic horseback ride. With rugged dirt tracks and the vast mountainscape all around you, this is a fantastic way to uncover the wild beauty of Mendoza. There’s no need to make any dinner plans tonight, because there will be a feast waiting after your ride. Enjoy tender meats and local cheeses, with plenty of fine Mendoza wine flowing. 

After a final breakfast at the hotel, it’s over to you to arrange a transfer to the airport. We recommend combining this adventure with our wilderness escape to Chile, where the Atacama Desert is waiting to be explored…