North & South Wonders

Today enjoy a full-day adventure of mini trekking over Perito Moreno Glacier. Depart for Bajo de las Sombras Bay around 9 a.m., where you will embark on a catamaran to cross the Rico Arm of Lago Argentino, for a 20-minute sail across the lake, along the south wall of Perito Moreno Glacier. Once at the refuge, you will be welcomed by specialized trekking guides who will offer a brief lecture about glacier behavior and the particularities of the local forest. A short hike through a dense lenga forest will take you to the glacier edge. There, you will be provided special crampons to walk on the ice and will receive instructions about how to walk on the ice. The hike over the glacier, about one hour long, is particularly attractive since it allows you to be in close contact with the millenary ice, its peaks, fissures, small inner lagoons, and deep blue drains. Another highlight is no doubt the excellent view of the lake and the land on the other side of the lake that you can get from the ice surface. Once you are back at the refuge, you will have free time for lunch (box lunch included) fully admiring this amazing wonder of nature, and you will finally cross the lake again and get to the area of the paths in front of the glacier to have a short walk there so as to see the glacier from another viewpoint before returning to El Calafate.  Entrance to the National Park included.

Important: This excursion is only suitable for people between 8 and 65 years old, depending on their physical conditions, but it does not require any special training. It is advisable to take sports clothing, trekking boots or tennis shoes with rubber sole, sweaters, water-proof jackets or raincoats, sunglasses, sun-tan and gloves.

Transfer from the hotel to Punta Bandera to board an expeditionary boat to navigate Argentino Lake, through Spegazzini canal to Spegazzini glacier for a close-up look at the glacier, rising 80 to 135 meters (262 – 443 feet) above the lake; disembarking on a tranquil area for a guided trek tour. Then, sail to Upsala Glacier, where the lake is packed with a dazzling array of colorful and odd-shaped ice floes. Weather permitting, observe the Upsala glacier from a distance. Lunch onboard amidst this stunning landscape. Navigation to Canal de los Témpanos towards the Northern face of the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Note: the itinerary is subject to change based on the captain’s criteria to guarantee passenger safety.

Transfers to/from the hotel and Premium Gourmet Experience included.

OPTIONAL: End the excursion at Moreno Port at no additional charge.

Get to know the history and geography of Bariloche with this half-day tour of the classic highlights of San Carlos de Bariloche.
Visit well known attractions such as the Campanario Hill. The guide will explain how this little mountain village has transformed into one of the most attractive tourist destinations and outdoor adventure capitals of Patagonia.
Admire the scenic beauty of Lake Moreno and Lake Nahuel Huapi and take in great views of the Lopez and Capilla mountains. Get a close-up look at nature with a guided walk through an impressive stand of native forest in the Llao-Llao Nature Park. Conclude the excursion with a visit to a traditional Microbrewery for lunch and a beer tasting. Return to hotel. (Campanario Hill chairlift ticket not included).

Includes: lunch with beer tasting.
Walking time: 1hr.

This excursion begins at Bahía López boarding a boat and navigating along Brazo Tristeza, which is Nahuel Huapi’s less visited branch. It is surrounded by an impressive landscape of mountains and waterfalls. At the end of the lake, we go ashore to do a nature-oriented walk through the dense Patagonian Rainforest. The path goes alongside Frey Creek and leads us to the beautiful Frey waterfall. Back at the beach, we choose a quiet place for lunch. In case of rain, lunch will be onboard. You will then navigate back to the port and be transferred back to the hotel.

Duration: 5 – 6 hours
Walking time: 1:30 hours
Level of difficulty: EASY
Included: Country lunch on-board or ashore.

The navigation is in a boat shared with other people. Max 20 people.

Spend the day touring one of Mendoza’s finest wine regions, accompanied by an expert oenologist, visiting, Solo Contigo Winery for a tour and a wine tasting session.

At noon, visit Andeluna Cellars Winery, set at the foothills of the Andes and over 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above sea level. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, a classic architecture winery surrounded by prime vineyards and magnificent views of the Andes Mountain range. Cooking lesson, using local ingredients and products emphasizing the perception of the mountains. After lunch return to the hotel.

Wine tastings are in small groups.

Departure from the hotel for a sightseeing tour of picturesque Salta, known as ‘Salta, the beautiful’. The city boasts a scenic location in the lovely Lerma Valley and features the best-preserved colonial heritage in all of Argentina with lovely houses with traditional and colonial balconies. Walk around the heart of the city, 9 de Julio Square, framed by some of the most important buildings in the city, hotels, traditional bars, and restaurants. Visits to San Francisco church and Monastery rebuilt in the 18th century; Cabildo; Museum of the Northwest (old seat of the vice-royalty government); 16th century San Bernardo monastery with its impressive carved carob-wood gate; the main Church, and San Bernardo Hill in the outskirts of the city for fantastic views of the city and the Lerma Valley. Spend time at a craft market to admire the great variety of wares produced by local artisans, lovely pottery, baskets, knitted ‘barracan’ fabrics, tapestries, ponchos, and musical instruments. Visit the Museum of High-Altitude Archaeology (MAAM), offering insights into the Inca empire history and the Andean world, displaying many unique Inca findings and archaeological treasures, including the “Children of Llullaillaco”, one of the most important archaeological discoveries from 1999 at the summit of Llullaillaco volcano (6,700 meters above sea level). Return to hotel.

The route to San Antonio de Los Cobres parallels the tracks of the Cloud Train with its impressive viaducts, switch-backs, and loops, an impressive engineering masterpiece that runs along the Quebrada del Toro (Bull’s River Gorge). Drive through multicolored hills covered in cacti and shrub bushes and breathe in the pure Andean air. Stop for a visit at the Ruins of Santa Rosa de Tastil, a pre-Inca settlement, situated at 3,000 m/9800 ft above sea level. Once home to up to two thousand inhabitants, the town resembles a huge beehive scattered over a hundred hectares. The next destination is the small village of San Antonio de los Cobres, nestled at an elevation of 3775 m/12,300 ft. The main economic activity of this small Andes town with 3,500 inhabitants is weaving and handicrafts. The spectacular road continues to the large salt flats of Salinas Grandes and then descends through the Cuesta de Lipan to Purmamarca, a quaint village nestled at the foot of the Seven Colored Hill. After the tour, drop off at the hotel in Purmamarca.

Purmamarca is the site of one of the most striking natural landmarks: Cerro de Los Siete Colores (‘Seven Colored Hill’), which frames the adobe church constructed in 1648 in the main square. Take time for a stroll around the town’s main square where local vendors show off their wares, such as wood carvings, hand-woven carpets, and a wide assortment of medicinal and aromatic herbs. Enjoy an energetic walk around the area known as Los Colorados. The trail goes behind the hill known as Cerro de los Siete Colores, zigzagging and without slopes.

Depart from the hotel to Tilcara for a special light trekking around town with a private guide and “llamas” as your companions, recreating an ancestral practice. For over 5,000 years, humans tamed the llama to carry things, and they will carry the picnic supplies for today’s lunch with a great selection of fresh local homemade food and chilled wine.

Then, visit an incredible archaeological site known as Pucara de Tilcara. Declared a national monument in 2000, this pre-Inca fortification has been partially rebuilt and is the only archaeological site open to the public of the 22 sites in the Quebrada de Humahuaca. Pucara de Tilcara is an ideal place to learn about the history of this area and enjoy views of a cacti forest and the many spectacular birds. After visiting the town and its main square, drop off at your hotel.

Drive to the town of Uquia, where you will walk and have a picnic (included). After lunch, visit Humahuaca, situated at 2,939 meters above sea level / 9,642 ft., a city of pure colonial style with adobe houses, narrow cobblestone streets, and colonial streetlamps. Visit the main square surrounded by historical buildings, monuments, and the city street fair. From Humahuca, drive through Humahuca Gorge to see Hornocal Hills with its impressive 14-color mountains. After enjoying the views of this surreal landscape. Late in the afternoon, drop off at your hotel.

Visit the Argentine side of the falls, inside Iguazu National Park, a UNESCO Heritage Site. Board an open train from the visitor center station to the Cataratas Station (a 15-minute ride). Here, follow a pleasant easy walking path along the upper and lower trail and through the forest with numerous lookout points close to many of the 275 waterfalls, some 70 m/200 ft high. Lush rainforest, packed with varieties of ferns, orchids, begonias, birds and butterflies. Board the train once more to Garganta Station, following a 1200 m/4000 ft walkway to the Devil’s Throat lookout. Be prepared to get wet and witness the impressive thunderous churning water below. Return by train to the Visitor’s Center.

Entrance fee to National Park included. Lunch not included.

This circuit offers an exciting adventure inside the Argentine National Park, near the Iguazu Falls area. Travel in specially conditioned 4WD vehicles guided by expert bilingual local guides, exploring the exuberant and well-preserved ecosystem of the region. A short walk through the forest leads to the Iguazú River to board a zodiac boat for a 30-minute thrilling boat ride with a close-up look below San Martín and Bozzetti Falls. Tour time: 2hrs. Return to hotel.

Difficulty: A 150-meter staircase and 2km of white waters. Trip restricted to children under 12 years old; pregnant women; people with osteoporosis, neck, or back conditions or surgery; people with heart conditions or surgery; people with COPD or neurological condition or surgery; and any person with any physical, cognitive, and/or sensorial disability unable to react in a nautical emergency in rapids of the lower Iguazú River.

Note: We recommend wearing a good pair of trainers or walking shoes. Getting wet at some point is certain so make sure to have the necessary protection for cameras or other equipment (plastic bags, rain covers for your backpack, bathing suit, sunscreen, insect repellent, and a hat are highly recommended).