Argentina Wildlife Adventure

Day 1: Buenos Aires by Bicycle

Be met upon arrival at the Buenos Aires airport and transfer to your hotel in the upscale Recoleta district.* In the afternoon hop on a bike and take a relaxed ride with your guide through some of the highlights of this beautiful capitol city, and marvel at the distinct maritime influences that have shaped it. Riding through the oldest neighborhood of San Telmo, the port of La Boca with its colorful "caminito" and La Bombonera soccer stadium, and finally the beautiful area of the Puerto Madero which has remained largely untouched during the growth of Buenos Aires.

*If your plane arrives before 2pm, please inquire about early check in.

Accommodations: Recoleta Grand

Day 2: Trelew - Peninsula Valdes

Early morning transfer for the flight to Trelew on the Atlantic coast. A local naturalist guide meets you upon arrival in Trelew to begin your exploration of Peninsula Valdes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most important fauna reserve of Argentinean Patagonia. Keep your eyes open and look for guanaco, fox, sheep and a variety of colorful and interesting bird life. Make your way north on the isthmus to the town of Puerto Piramades, a colorful seaside enclave and point of embarkation for your whale-watching excursion. Keep a sharp lookout for marine life including Southern right whales (June through December), dolphins, sculls, sea lions and elephant seals. Your hotel is a short walk from the heart of Puerto Piramades.

Optional upgrade available to Estancia Rincon Chico, with exclusive beach access. Please inquire for details.

Accommodations: Hosteria Nomades, Estancia Rincon Chico

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Peninsula Valdes

Full day excursion to explore Peninsula Valdes for the finest wildlife viewing in Patagonia. Head towards Estancia San Lorenzo, located in the far northern extremes of the Peninsula. The plankton-rich Falkland Current provides food for the peninsula's large colonies of South American sea lions and Southern elephant seals. Transfer to a 4x4 to reach a remote local penguin rookery. From a keen vantage point overlooking the beach, look for penguins swimming through the turquoise ocean as they approach the shore. After a dose of penguin antics, head towards Punta Norte, a breeding ground for sea lions and elephant seals and watch for guanacos, rheas, maras, hairy armadillos, Elegant-crested tinamous and fox running freely across the steppe. From mid-February to April, orcas patrol the shores here for young sea lions. Here we can observe the technique of ‘intentional stranding’, a hunting style practiced only by the orcas of the Valdes Peninsula.

Accommodations: Hosteria Nomades, Estancia Rincon Chico

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: El Calafate

Transfer to the airport for flight to El Calafate, a small mountain town that serves as a base for explorations of the Patagonian Continental Ice Cap and Los Glaciares National Park. The ice cap runs 560 miles from north to south and is the origin of 47 major glaciers, including the famous Perito Moreno Glacier.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5: Perito Moreno Glacier Walk

This scenic morning drive (about 1 hour) will take you to a spectacular lookout of Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Permanently advancing along its 3-mile front, columns of ice over 20 stories high peel off the face and crash into Lago Argentino creating massive icebergs. You cross Lago Argentino along the front wall of the glacier to the edge of the Patagonian Ice Cap. Disembark, and after a safety briefing, strap on crampons for an easy two-hour walk over the uneven glacial landscape of streams, lagoons, gullies, crevasses and deep blue ice formations! Watch for Andean condor and Buff-necked Ibis. Overnight at Las Dunas in El Calafate.

NOTE: Participants in the glacier walk must be between the ages of 10-65 due to the park’s rigidly enforced age restrictions. Should you not meet these requirements, don’t fret! Inquire about available alternative glacier walks and experiences.

The super adventurous might considering substituting the Big Ice Tour, a six-hour glacier trek. Cost is $190/per person for people 18-50 years old.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Calafate - Lago Roca & Nibepo Aike Estancia

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Lago Roca, a beautiful mountain lake located within Los Glaciares National Park, and Estancia Nibepo Aike. Nibepo Aike is a traditional estancia (farm) and discover what it's like to be a gaucho, a Patagonian cowboy. Originally named La Jeronima, this 30,000 acre farm is an ideal place to experience the land in the traditional way, on horseback. The trails will lead you and your horse through native woodland with an abundance of local flora and fauna, including the revered Andean condor. After enjoying the stunning vistas, enjoy a traditional lunch of lamb asado in the quincho, the farm's rustic dining room.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 7: Fly to Iguazú Falls

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Iguazú Falls. Upon arrival at the Falls you’ll be met and taken to your hotel. The Sheraton Iguazú is located inside the National Park and boasts dramatic views. Iguazú Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, consists of 275 separate waterfalls spanning a nearly two mile long fall line of the Iguazú River on the border between Argentina and Brazil. Spectacular falls plunge 260 feet in a thunderous roar of mist and rainbows among giant ferns, vines and orchids. This afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore the extensive trail system near your hotel that features numerous spectacular view points of the Falls.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 8: Guided Exploration of Iguazú Falls

Today you explore the tropical rainforests and waterfalls of Argentinian side of Iguazú National Park with a naturalist guide where you are likely to find a variety of life including butterflies, monkeys, caiman, peccary, deer, and abundant bird life especially parrots, toucans, and hummingbirds.

After exploring the vast trail system on foot, board a small train that will take you a few miles to the Devil's Throat Station which surrounds the upper part of the Iguazú River. From there, walk to the balcony of Devil's Throat, the most impressive and dramatic of all the falls. Be prepared for adventure as you board a special zodiac boat for a ride to get direct and wet contact with the mighty Iguazú Falls! Crossing one mile of rapids, the boat gets into the Devil's Throat Canyon near the falls, but at a safe distance. This day will be an adventure you'll never forget, with photographs to boot!

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9: San Ignacio Mission - Corrientes & Ibera Wetlands

Leave Puerto Iguazu in the early morning for a full day of adventure driving through some of the most beguiling regions of Argentina. [8 hrs total drive over some unpaved roads] Traveling south through Misiones province to San Ignacio Mini you explore the ruins of a beautiful mission founded by the Jesuits in the early 1600s and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Threatened by the political and economic power that the Jesuits seemed to hold, the Spanish and Portuguese crowns expelled the sect from their kingdoms in the late 1700s (as portrayed in the movie “The Mission”) and the ruins were nearly reclaimed by the jungle. You explore the rich architectural complex with your resident guide before continuing into Corrientes Province and the Iberá Wetlands, the second-largest wetland in the world after the Pantanal in Brazil, often referred to as “the Serengeti of South America.” Return to your hotel, and enjoy the incredible night sky from the veranda after dark.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 10 & 11: Ibera Wetlands

The vast marshes of the Iberá Wetlands offer one of the most exciting spectacles of wildlife in South America. Howler monkeys, huge caimans, larges groups of capybaras, anteaters and marsh deer are commonly seen, along with over 305 species of birds including Greater Rheas standing as tall as humans. The endangered maned wolf and Parana otter also find refuge here. Local naturalist guides share their history and knowledge of the pampas leading you throughout this diverse habitat by boat, 4WD vehicle, on foot and on horseback while observing wildlife and learning about the settlers and natural history of the protected reserve. On your own time you can paddle a canoe or ride a bike to explore at your leisure. Well off the beaten-path this hidden gem presents ample opportunities to relax, reconnect, and discover the true nature of Argentina.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Buenos Aires

Transfer to the Posadas Airport (4 hour drive along dirt roads) for an afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. Airport reception and transfer to your hotel, well-located in the Recoleta neighborhood. The famous Recoleta cemetery, the Evita Museum (have lunch here!) and the zoological park and gardens are all within a few blocks.

Accommodations: Recoleta Grand

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13: Buenos Aires & Departure

Enjoy a free day to walk or shop in this vibrant city, join a bicycle tour, kayak on the Parana River delta, or ask about an in-depth look at the city with a local experts who introduce the city, its history, its style, and the peculiar psychology of “Porteño” residents (tours not included and are available at an additional cost). If your flight departs later this evening, you may want to inquire about a late check out.

Meals Included: Breakfast