Pure Patagonia (14 Days)

Welcome to Argentina!

Your 14-day adventure begins in Buenos Aires. Arrive at your leisure: on arrival at Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Ezeiza) you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel.

Buenos Aires looks a little like Europe, with a Latin American twist, and is often called the Paris of the Americas. Its residents, the porteños ("people from the port"), are passionate and friendly, and each of its neighbourhoods has an identity of its own. The city is a food lover's heaven, with cuisine from all over the world, very good Italian food and, of course, the parrillas, the steakhouses found on almost every corner.

Today, a half-day tour takes you to the most iconic landmarks of Buenos Aires: the National Congress, Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, seat of the government, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Colón Theatre, considered one of the best opera houses in the world. Next, visit San Telmo, known for its cobbled streets and bohemian flair, and La Boca, with time to explore the Caminito walkway and views of La Bombonera, the stadium of Boca Juniors. The tour continues to the modern district of Puerto Madero and ends in Recoleta, one of the most elegant and historic neighbourhoods of the city.

Early in the evening, you will be picked up from your hotel for dinner and a show at Michelangelo, one of the most iconic tango venues in Buenos Aires, and then taken back to your hotel.

Today you discover Palermo, one of the trendiest neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, where street art, small shops and a lively atmosphere set the scene for a culinary experience. Taste empanadas and local wine, then a modern take on the traditional choripán. Continue to a classic bodegón to sample favourites such as tortilla, milanesa and fainá, with more wine, and finish with a true Argentine parrilla feast of tender steak and traditional desserts. At the end of the tour, we will drop you off at your hotel.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, set dramatically between towering mountains and the icy sea. After check-in, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

After breakfast, you leave the town for Tierra del Fuego National Park, the southernmost national park in the world, with its Patagonian lakes, forests of lenga and ñire beech, peat bogs and quiet bays. Inside the park you ride the End of the World Train, the southernmost railway in the world. Visit Ensenada Bay, with its views of the Beagle Channel, and Lapataia Bay, and walk along the lakeshore, where you may see beavers, an introduced species that has changed parts of the park.

In the afternoon, follow in Charles Darwin's footsteps on a boat trip across Ushuaia Bay and the Beagle Channel, with views of the city and of Mount Olivia and the Cinco Hermanos. Sail to the Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse and its cormorant colony, and on the way back pass close to Sea Lion Island, with its sea lions and seabirds such as imperial cormorants, albatrosses and skuas. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. On arrival, board the shuttle bus to El Chaltén, a magnet for hikers and mountain lovers at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy. After check-in, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Today you are free to enjoy the surroundings or to walk one of the many well-marked trails of Argentina's trekking capital.

Laguna Torre is a gentle day hike to a lake at the foot of Cerro Torre, a rock spire of 3,128 metres. A more challenging day hike climbs to Laguna de los Tres, about four hours each way, with views of Fitz Roy on the way and a good lunch stop at Laguna Capri. The steep final 1.5 kilometres are only safe when it is not windy; if it is, the viewpoint over the blue waters of Laguna Sucia is the perfect alternative.

At the set time, a shuttle bus will pick you up from your hotel for the drive to El Calafate, on the southern shore of Lake Argentino and the base for visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier. On arrival you will be dropped off at your hotel, and the rest of the day is at your leisure.

After breakfast, you visit the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Its front is about 5 kilometres wide and rises some 60 metres above the lake, and the ice, in shades from deep blue to white, constantly creaks and cracks. Named after the Argentine explorer Francisco Moreno, it is one of the most accessible glaciers on Earth. Walk the footbridges and terraces facing the ice front for views of the glacier from different angles.

Then stop at the Bajo de las Sombras pier to board the Nautical Safari, a boat trip that sails close to the south face of the glacier.

Today you will be collected from your hotel and taken to the Cerro Castillo border crossing, where your three-day, two-night all-inclusive programme begins. After the immigration formalities, continue into Chile towards Torres del Paine, named after three granite towers that rise out of the steppe. The park covers more than 180,000 hectares of snow-capped peaks, glaciers, lakes and valleys, home to guanacos, Andean condors, black-chested buzzard-eagles, foxes, skunks and Chilean flamingos.

On arrival, check in at your hotel inside the park, set amid spectacular views. If time permits, you can join a half-day shared excursion run by the hotel, and in the evening enjoy dinner and the hotel's facilities.

Wake up surrounded by the landscapes of Chilean Patagonia and, after breakfast, set out on the full-day guided excursion of your choice. Depending on your interests, your fitness, the weather and the hotel's schedule, you choose between scenic walks, panoramic viewpoints and wildlife watching. Return to the hotel to relax.

After breakfast, begin the return journey to the Cerro Castillo border crossing. After the immigration formalities, continue across the Patagonian steppe to El Calafate, in Argentina. After check-in, the rest of the day is at your leisure.

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, where you will be met and driven to your hotel. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner at Fogón Asado: premium Argentine meats cooked over an open flame and paired with fine local wines, in an intimate setting.

Your journey comes to an end today. At the scheduled time, you will be transferred from your hotel to the airport for your onward flight.