Itinerary Expand all Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires Day 1 Start Buenos Aires Welcome to the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires. Today is a joining day and you are free to arrive at any time ahead of the welcome meeting, please see the tour dossier for information on how to make your way to the joining hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore - take in a tango show or visit one of the many excellent restaurants, most serving what is known globally as the legendary Argentine steak! A welcome meeting will be held at 18:00 hrs in your hotel. Accommodation: Hotel Grand Recoleta (or similar) included Day 2 Buenos Aires This morning you enjoy a six hour guided tour (vehicle and on foot) to learn about the city’s overwhelming culture and history. During this tour, your guide serves up the main attractions and landmarks including the famous Recoleta Cemetery where Eva Peron (Evita) is buried, the Colon Theatre and San Martin Square. You’ll enjoy time around the colourful area of La Boca with free time to explore the markets, take in the area’s electric buzz and do some shopping. The evening is when Buenos Aires comes alive and taking in a tango show in the old quarter of San Telmo is a truly memorable experience. That is why we have chosen to include a show to give you a taste of this magical dance. Accommodation: Hotel Grand Recoleta (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Calafate Today you transfer to the airport for your flight to Calafate. Upon arrival, you’ll enjoy a brief orientation driving tour before transferring to your hotel where you have time at leisure to explore the town and surrounding area. The city is named after the berry with the same name which once eaten, guarantees your return to Patagonia. Accommodation: Kosten Aike (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Calafate This morning you’ll experience one of those sights where you really need to pinch yourself. The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in the Los Glaciares National Park and is one of the most important tourist attractions in Argentinian Patagonia. Named after a 19th-century explorer, the glacier is currently 19 miles long and rises an average height of 240 feet above the water, although the glacier covers roughly 120 square miles. There are viewing platforms overlooking Lake Argentino, the glacier’s terminus, but you can get very close to the point where you feel the cold on your face. If you wait for a while, you’ll likely witness huge chunks of the ice mass fracture off and crash into the water, creating a massive, reverberating roar. There are walking paths that allow you to observe the glacier from a few different vantage points, as well as an included boat trip which offers you a vastly different perspective. Today is a half day return tour. Accommodation: Kosten Aike (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 5 San Martin de los Andes This morning you transfer to the airport for your flight to Bariloche before continuing along the famous and beautiful ‘Road of Seven Lakes’. The road skirts Lakes Correntoso, Ruca Malen, Portezuelo, Villarino, Falkner, Hermoso and Meliquina, as well as other minor lakes, before reaching the city of San Martin de los Andes, located by the shore of Lake Lacar. Upon arrival you’ll visit the Chocolate Mamusia in San Martin, a classic establishment where you can sample and buy chocolate the town is famous for. You then transfer to your hotel. Accommodation: Patagonia Plaza (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 San Martin de los Andes Today you will enjoy a view from the Mirador Bandurrias which is located approximately one hour (6km) from the centre of town. Those who prefer not to walk but still want to enjoy the view have the option to travel by vehicle. From the spectacular viewpoint, you then walk the 45 minutes downhill to a beach where we will serve lunch. Today you will enjoy an ‘Asado’ - this is the Argentinian way of having a BBQ, and something they take very seriously. There are vegetarian options available. After lunch, you have the choice of either taking your time on foot or jumping in the vehicle for ease back to the hotel. In the late afternoon, a great way of winding down is the chance to sample Argentinian wine flavours so we have included an informal tasting session at Paihuen - Resort De Montana, with incredible views over the lake. Accommodation: Patagonia Plaza (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 7 Bariloche This morning you drive to Bariloche and check into the hotel. Included today is a chairlift up to Cerro Campanario which sits at 1,049 meters for incredible views of the lakes surrounding the area. You will probably have seen many images and from this very spot, the view is something truly remarkable. Why not visit one of the micro-breweries in town, we recommend a beer called cerveza artisanal. This is produced on a small scale using fresh, natural and local ingredients (including mountain water) and is available in the brewpub from which it’s named. Accommodation: Hotel Tres Reyes (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Eclipse day - 14th December – Bariloche It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! Today you depart Bariloche on a 4 hour ride to the optimum observation area in Pilolil. In the perfect world we would have chosen a closer destination however, given the nature of the event and limited hotel space (despite reserving hotels 2.5 years in advance), we have included the night in Bariloche and transfers to and from the eclipse. This will give you time to exchange photography tips and discuss previous eclipse viewings. Upon arrival we will set up a table with drinks and snacks and ensure you are in a prime position for the magnificent solar eclipse this afternoon. This is a rare opportunity to view this celestial wonder, and we’ll make every provision to ensure you have the best viewing spot available, weather depending. Your private vehicle will be on hand to deliver you to the centre line of the eclipse track so the viewing spot of Pilolil may change closer to the time. After the event, you’ll transfer four hours back to Bariloche. The drive back is a great time to chat with your fellow travel companions about the event you just witnessed, the atmosphere will no doubt be electric. Accommodation: Hotel Tres Reyes (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 9 Flight to Iguazu This morning you board the flight via Buenos Aires up to Iguazu, one of the world’s most magnificent waterfalls and a testament to the rawness of Mother Nature. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and transfer to your hotel with the remainder of the day free to explore the town of Iguazu. Accommodation: Mercure Iguazu Hotel Iru (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 10 Iguazu – Argentina side After breakfast you transfer to the Argentine side of the falls for a guided tour of the park. Once inside, there are many walkways which will take you to different viewing platforms with fantastic views of the falls. Afterward the guided tour, you will have the rest of the day at leisure so if you wish to stay in the park after the tour has finished, you may do so and catch the public bus (approx. $4 USD) back to the town of Iguazu. It is worth bringing a waterproof bag with you to protect your camera from the spray of the falls, especially if you plan on taking a boat trip near to the mouth of the falls. Optional activities:• Iguazu Falls boat ride - US$35 per person (estimated 2020 price) Accommodation: Mercure Iguazu Hotel Iru (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 11 Iguazu – Brazil side – Buenos Aires This morning you enjoy a half day visit to the Brazilian side with guide. What ‘Foz do Iguacu’ lacks in size compared to its Argentinian counterpart, it makes up for with fantastic observational opportunities and all-encompassing views of the falls. A glass lift takes you from the top viewing deck to the boardwalk, where you can walk along the edge of the panoramic pours. In the afternoon, you transfer back to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires for one final night to enjoy the sounds, smells and sights of this buzzing Latin American metropolis. Accommodation: Hotel Grand Recoleta (or similar) included Meals included: Breakfast Day 12 Tour ends in Buenos Aires Tour ends in the morning after breakfast. Meals included: Breakfast
Argentina All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay. No visa required for holders of British passport. If you are crossing the border into Argentina from Chile on your trip, we will need to know your profession in order to provide when entering Argentina. The Argentine government charges a reciprocity fee which applies to Australian citizens. The amounts are as follows: Australians - US$100 (multiple entry). This fee must be paid before you enter Argentina. For full details, and to make the payment, please visit: https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes
Argentina There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated the travel advice for Argentina with an update to the Health section – an outbreak of Hantavirus has been reported in Epuyén, Province of Chubut in southern Argentina; for more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers in Argentina, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim. Dengue fever is also a known risk in Argentina. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Due to a recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in the Misiones province of Argentina, vaccinations are strongly recommended if you intend to visit the Iguazu Falls. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Brazil There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, Yellow Fever. The risk of malaria is slight but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. Dengue fever is a known risk in places visited. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
Hotels Hotel accommodation will be in clean, comfortable hotels or lodges with en-suite bathroom facilities, chosen for their friendly atmosphere and proximity to the highlights of the region. You will be roomed with a fellow passenger of the same sex on a twin share basis (two people per room) unless you are travelling as a couple.
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