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Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza

Ultimate Argentina Featuring all the superlatives of Argentina Sophisticated Buenos Aires Awesome Iguazu Falls Salta and the scenic Northwest Mendoza & wine country Bahia Bustamante Peninsula Valdes Ushuaia, southernmost city in the world Argentina's Patagonia at EOLO Spectacular Bariloche 32 days

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares

Locally Hosted Independent Tour Suggested Departure Day: Friday

ITINERARY (Subject to change without notice):

Day 1 - Friday - Depart USA: Depart the USA on overnight flight to Buenos Aires.

Day 2 - Saturday - Arrive Buenos Aires: Morning arrival in Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, meeting and transfer to the Alvear Palace, in fashionable Recoleta, for immediate check-in for a three night stay in Palace Premier   accommodations. Balance of the day at leisure. This evening, transfer to enjoy the Rojo Tango Experience - a passionate tango show cabaret style, with dinner and wine. (B/DS)

Day 3 - Sunday - Buenos Aires: Spend this morning exploring this sophisticated, very European style city.  Stop by the Plaza de Mayo with the Casa Rosada and the Cabildo, where the declaration of independence was signed, drive the widest avenue on earth, 9 de Julio and visit Caminito, the "little street" in the Italian barrio of La Boca. Explore San Telmo, the historic district of Buenos Aires where the mansions have become antique shops and drive through the well-to-do-suburbs of the city. Afternoon at leisure. Because today is Sunday, it's a great day to explore the historic San Telmo with outdoor antique flea market, and the street fairs of Recoleta. (B)

Day 4 - Monday - Buenos Aires: This morning visit the famed Teatro Colon was initially built in the mid 1800’s at another location in the center of the city. Today’s building was built over a period of 20 years at its present site and officially opened on May 25, 1908. Over the years it has undergone expansions and today covers some 646,000 square feet. Re-opened in May 2010 after a five-year, multi-million dollar restoration, the building has an eclectic style, typical of the beginning of the 20th century. Considered acoustically one of the top opera houses in the world, the Teatro Colon occupies a whole city block,  Your visit will include all the history, myth and legends surrounding this world renowned opera house and a glimpse into the underground workshops where all the sets and costumes are made – a world unto itself. You’ll also make a stop at El Zanjon de Granados, and travel back in time. You’ll descend from a beautifully restored 1830 house into a spectacular labyrinth of wide vaulted brick tunnels long walled off and buried under this site. They are located where some historians place the first settlement of Buenos Aires in 1536 and offer an unusual glimpse into five centuries of urban archaeology. Afternoon at leisure to explore at your own pace. (B)

Day 5 - Tuesday - Buenos Aires - Iguazu Falls: Transfer to the airport for flight to Iguazu Falls & transfer to Hotel Melia Iguazu  on the Argentine side of the falls for 2 nights with buffet breakfast daily.  This afternoon you will visit the Argentine side of these awesome falls, offering an "up-close and personal" encounter with the falls, via catwalks that take you out to the very edge of Devil's Throat and along the base of several of the smaller falls. (B)

Iguazu Falls is truly spectacular. On the Argentine-Brazilian border they are 60 feet taller than Niagara and about half as wide again.  Spanning more than a mile wide precipice, 275 falls plunge an average of 300 feet to the river below.  Above the impact of the waters on the rocks at the tip hovers a perpetual cloud of mist.  Eleanor Roosevelt is said to have exclaimed when she first saw Iguazu Falls: "Poor Niagara! This makes Niagara look like a kitchen faucet!"

Day 6 - Wednesday - Iguazu Falls: Today you will spend the entire day visiting the Brazilian side of the falls.  From this vantage point you will have panoramic vistas of the falls.  You'll take the walking tour to view the falls from many angles and levels, with plenty of time to photograph and explore at your own pace.  Then take the Macuco Safari Excursion, a jeep-train ride through the National Park and thrilling motor launch excursion to the Salto de Macuco for a totally different vantage point. Then make a stop at the Parque de Aves for a visit to the huge walk-through aviaries highlighting the birds of Brasil and from around the world.  Lunch included en route, with afternoon transfer back to your hotel on the Argentine side. (B)
         NOTE:  Because you are entering Brasil a visa is required. You will need to obtain one prior to your departure from the USA.

Day 7 - Thursday - Iguazu - Buenos Aires - Salta:  Morning flight to Salta in the scenic northwest of the country.  Upon arrival, meeting and transfer to the House of Jasmines, originally Robert Duvall's estancia and today a lovely boutique hotel. This afternoon you'll visit Salta, situated on the Rio Arias in a mountainous and strikingly beautiful district.   Founded in 1582, it is the capital of its province. The central plaza of Plaza 9 de Julio is considered to be one of the most outstanding in the country and is the only one with verandas all around. The Cathedral and Cabildo reside on the plaza and there are many colonial mansions converted into various museums.  Salta is a jewel of XVII century colonial architecture.  Its houses are typical with white walls, red tiled roofs, carved wooden doors and intricate wrought iron window bars. Behind the door, a cool welcoming patio with lots of plants and flowers beckons passersby. You’ll also visit the MAAM (High Mountain Archaeology Museum) museum for an opportunity to understand and appreciate the Inca culture and heritage. Gold and silver statuettes, textiles and spondyllus are exhibited in the museum. The interactive exhibition let visitors learn the history, dressings, eating habits and rituals of the Inca people and its influence in the North of Argentina. (B)

Day 8 - Friday - Salta:  Today you will enjoy a full day excursion heading north towards Bolivia, through scenic Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. Today is a day of stunning landscapes, multi-colored painted mountains, wind-sculpted canyon walls and small villages. Visit peaceful Purmamarca and historic Tilcara, with artist-colony atmosphere, several museums, bustling handicraft market and the Pucara de Tilcara, a hilltop fortress built five centuries before the Incas. Enjoy lunch en route. (B/L)

Day 9 - Saturday - Salta - Molinos:  Today head south through the Quebrada de Escoipe, a mostly gravel road that's one of Argentina's most spectacular mountain highways, to the scenic Cachi.  It dates from the 18th century, with narrow cobblestone streets and a spectacular setting at the base of the 19,140 ft Nevado de Cachi. Visit this charming village and its small museum of the area's hunter-gatherer origins to the Inca conquest and Spanish invasion.  You'll enjoy lunch en route today and after your visits, drive to the charming La Merced del Alto located just outside of Cachi for a two night stay in a Patio View room. (B/L)

Day 10 - Sunday - Molinos: Today you'll spend the day exploring the area and enjoying the hotel facilities including pool and spa. (B)

Day 11 - Monday - Molinos - El Cafayate:  Today you'll head south towards El Cafayate, stopping en route at the Finca Colome for a visit to the boutique winery Bodega Colome, have lunch and the opportunity to enjoy many different outdoor, sporting, cultural and gastronomical activities. You'll also make a visit to The James Turrell Museum at the Bodega Colomé, a part of the Hess Art Collection around the world and exclusively dedicated to the work of this famous artist James Turell, best known all over the world for his work with light. The museum has several rooms with different light installations and a famous skyspace that can be seen at sunset when viewers can not only enjoy the play of natural and artificial lights, but also be awed by the majestic Colomé´s sky that infuses their souls and spirits with energy and mysticism. After your visits continue on to El Cafayate for overnight in Vineyard View accommodations at the Patios de Cafayate. (B/L)

Day 12 - Tuesday - El Cafayate - Salta - Mendoza:  Morning return drive through scenic countryside to the Salta airport for flight to Mendoza, gateway to the hemisphere's highest mountain, Aconcagua, and to the main wine producing regions of Argentina.  Early afternoon arrival and transfer to the Cavas Wine Lodge, a Relais & Chateaux property, where your accommodations, complete with fireplace, outdoor mini-pool and shower and rooftop patio with fireplace, are located in the middle of a vineyard.  During your stay at Cavas Wine Lodge, in addition to breakfast at the lodge, you can choose daily activities that can include visits to selected wineries in the Lujan de Cuyo area and sport activities such as rafting and horseback riding.  Lunch is included every day either at Cavas, at a winery or as a picnic in the vineyards.  And each evening you will enjoy a la carte dinners at such outstanding restaurants as La Bourgogne Vistalba at Carlos Pulenta's winery, Francis Mallman's 1824 inside Bodega Escorihuela, Club Tapiz from chef Maza Casa and Bistro M at Park Hyatt. In addition you'll enjoy complimentary access to the fitness center, outdoor pool, Jacuzzi and pool area, and a one hour massage. (B/D)

Day 13 - Wednesday - Mendoza:  Today is yours to design with Cavas Wine Lodge. Visit wineries or enjoy a sport activity, languish over lunch at a vineyard and tonight explore gourmet dining at one of the selected restaurants. (B/L/D)

Day 14 - Thursday - Mendoza: Another day to explore, wine and dine at your own pace.(B/L/D)

Day 15 - Friday - Mendoza-Comodoro Rivadavia - Bahia Bustamante:  Morning transfer to the airport for your flight south to Comodoro Rivadavia.  Meeting upon arrival by your local host from Bahia  Bustamante, and transfer 110 miles north, a drive of about two hours, to Bahía Bustamante, located on the northern arch of San Jorge Gulf, Chubut Province.   This 80,000 hectare retreat, with the small town of Bahia Bustamante, is well known for its biodiversity.  Few places worldwide house as many and as different birds and sea mammals, and since December 2008 its coasts have been part of the Marine National Park "Patagonia Austral".  During your three night stay you will enjoy exclusive use of a Sea House, all meals and daily activities. (B/L/D)

Day 16 - Saturday - Bahia Bustamante:  Activiites at Bahia Bustamante are ideal for nature lovers.  Here you can take a motor launch to see colonies of sea lions, penguins and marine birds, go bird watching, visit a Petrified Forest, learn about the seaweed industry, visit a typical Patagonian ranch, enjoy panoramic trekking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.  Or you can just relax and enjoy the most exclusive sandy beaches and crystal-clear water, surrounded by huge red rocks, in an atmosphere of incredibly different textures and colors. (B/L/D)

Day 17 - Sunday - Bahia Bustamante: Another day to enjoy the wildlife explorations in this uniquely pristine and remote area. (B/L/D)

Day 18 - Monday - Bahia Bustamante - Peninsula Valdes:  Today is a spectacular day of overland travel.  Stop at Gaiman, the largest symbol of Welsh communities in Patagonia.  Surrounded by farms, chapels and houses of traditional Welsh style, Gaiman manages to keep the atmosphere of a small, quiet village. The inhabitants take pride in their tea houses, serving tea prepared to an ancient recipe that gives it a unique flavor, accompanied by fine, home-made confectionery and pastry.  Many tea houses are historic houses and are filled with relics and pieces from the original immigrants from Wales. Then continue on to Peninsula Valdes, a UNESCO designated World Biosphere Reserve.  Make a stop at the Istmo Amaginho Interpretation Center for an introduction to the flora and fauna of the peninsula before continuing on to your accommodations for the next three nights, the Rincon Chico with all meals and a daily activities and excursions. (B/L/D)

Day 19 - Tuesday - Peninsula Valdes: Today you will have a choice of activities and visits in the Punta Delgada area including a visit to the beach area with a colony of elephant seals and sea lions in addition to the birdlife, guanacos and rheas of the inland peninsula. (B/L/D)

Day 20 - Wednesday - Peninsula Valdes:  Today you will drive north along the coast to Estancia San Lorenzo, located on the northeastern corner of the peninsula on the shores of the San Matias Gulf.  Here is the most important Magellan Penguin Colony on the peninsula.  There are also elephant seals. A circular trail gives you plenty of opportunities to watch the prancing, the discussions and disputes, the nest making activities of these little fellow. You will also see Guanacos, Maras (Patagonia hares) and Rheas. There is a restaurant (not located close to the penguin rookery) where you will have lunch of the traditional lamb BBQ. Then continue on to Punta Norte, a Natural Reserve offering a refuge to elephant seals and southern sea lions during their reproduction period. For this reason it is also a spot chosen by the orca to feed. There is a tourist information center and interpretative trails. Late afternoon return drive south back to Faro Punta Delgada. (B/L/D)

Day 21 - Thursday - Peninsula Valdes-Puerto Piramedes-Puerto Madryn: As you drive off the peninsula you'll pass by three large dried salt lakes or marshes - Salina Grande, Salina Chica and Salitral - located almost in the middle of the peninsula.  These deep depressions go as low as 130 feet below sea level and were an important part of the commercial development of the area during much of the 19th century. Continue on to Puerto Piramedes, a small, quaint town of 450 permanent inhabitants and the only town on the peninsula. Here you will enjoy a  boat expedition  to see Southern Right Whales (Sep-Dec), before continuing on to Puerto Madryn for overnight at the Hotel Territorio.  Later this afternoon make a visit to the EcoCentro Mar Patagonia which offers an experience to encourage visitors to relate to the sea in the widest sense of the word: the sea that gives life to the planet; the sea that supports the biodiversity of marine birds and mammals in Patagonia; the sea that baths the coasts and creates the dynamic environment of the shoreline with its multiple forms of fish and invertebrate life; the sea as presence. (B)

Day 22 - Friday - Puerto Madryn-Trelew-Ushuaia:  Early morning transfer to Trelew Airport for your flight to Ushuaia, southernmost city on earth, located on the north shore of the Beagle Channel.  It's the end of the continent and the beginning point for most trips to Antarctica.   Meeting upon arrival and transfer to your hotel, the lodge-style Los Cauquenes, overlooking the channel, for a three night stay in Channel View accommodations. Spend this afternoon exploring Ushuaia, a city of 400,000.  Visit the Old Town Centre, the port and the steep streets that climb the mountain, with colorful panoramic views.  Also visit the End of the World Museum, which is located at one of the oldest buildings in the city. (B)

Day23 - Saturday - Ushuaia:  This morning you'll take the historic Train at the End of the World, which departs from the End of the World Station (National Park), follows the winding Pipo River edge and the same route as the prison train used to take, into Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina's only national park with a seacoast.  It has a surface of 63000 hectares with lengas (Nothofagus pumilio), sour cherry trees, ñires (Nothofagus Antarctica), calafates, notros (Embothrium coccineum) (Embothrium coccineum), flowers such as orchids, violets and senecios (Asteraceae).  A trip around this National park, in addition to the several panoramic views of Beagle Channel framed by the mountains and forest, follows a road in the mountain foothills past peat bogs, beavers' dams and finally to the Lapataia River.  After crossing the river, the road becomes winding and full of bushes with some panoramic views like Verde Lagoon.  Kaikenes and storks come here every summer as you make the return to Ushuaia. This afternoon board a modern catamaran for a cruise across Ushuaia's wide Bay to la Isla de los Pájaros to see Skúas, Albatros of Black Eyebrow, Patos Vapor, Cauquenes, Gaviotas Cocineras and Gaviotas Grises. Your cruise will also go around La Isla de los Lobos where we can observe seals and sea lions. (B)

Day 24 - Sunday - Ushuaia:  Today you will visit a still working Patagonia estancia.  Drive out into the countryside passing through small towns to Estancia Las Hijas where you will spend the day learning about life on the estancia.  See how sheep are herded, visit the shearing shed for a demonstration and have plenty of time to explore the estancia.  You can go hiking or horseback riding, and you'll enjoy a traditional Patagonian "asado" (barbecue) before afternoon return to Ushuaia. (B/L)

Day 25 - Monday - Ushuaia - El Calafate:  Morning transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate where you will transfer to the  EOLO, Patagonia's Spirit, a Relais & Chateaux property set between El Calafate and the Glacier National Park, on a hilltop with commanding vistas of the countryside.  EOLO will be your home for 3 nights as you explore this area. (B)

Day 26 - Tuesday - El Calafate:  Today your private guide will take you into Los Glaciares National Park to experience Perito Moreno Glacier one of the few growing glaciers on earth with a 3 mile frontage towering some 180 feet above the water.  You can take the boardwalks along the front of the glacier and enjoy a motor launch ride in front of it, offering spectacular views of the glacier's front. (B)

Day 27- Wednesday - El Calafate:  A historic estancia beckons today.  Cruise by catamaran along Lago Argentina to the ice studded bay of the Upsala Glacier, considered one of the longest in South America.  Then up the Cristina fjord to the historic Estancia Cristina, founded in 1914 and accessible only by boat.  Visit the estancia museum in the old sheep shearing shed and take all terrain vehicles for incredible vistas of the Upsala Glacier and the Southern Patagonian Ice Fields.  Enjoy a box lunch and then afternoon return via catamaran cruise to Punta Bandera for transfer back to EOLO. (B, BL)

Day 28 - Thursday - El Calafate - Bariloche:  Morning at leisure. Check-out is midday.  Early afternoon transfer to the airport for flight to the summer-winter resort town of San Carlos de Bariloche, arriving late afternoon.  Meeting upon arrival and transfer to the lovely Hotel Llao Llao for 3 night stay in Studio Deluxe Lake Moreno view accommodations with Buffet Breakfast daily. (B)

Day 29 - Friday - Bariloche:  This morning your private car and guide will be waiting to take you on a "Circuito Chico" a scenic 50km drive skirting Lake Nahuel Huapi, offering vistas of the Andean peaks, including Tronador (Thunderer) the highest (3554m).  The road winds along Lake Moreno to a panoramic point which offers a breathtaking view of Lakes Moreno and Nahuel Huapi, Victoria Island and the Andes in all their splendor.  You'll make a stop at Cerro Companario to take the chairlift to the summit for a spectacular panorama of the area.  Balance of the day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities. (B)

Day 30 - Saturday - Bariloche:  Day at leisure to explore at your own pace.  Optional activities that you can arrange include a motorlaunch excursion along the Blest arm of the Nahuel Huapi Lake to Puerto Blest and back, hiking, biking, horseback riding, rafting and just plain relaxing at the hotel. (B)

Day 31 - Sunday - Bariloche - Buenos Aires and depart to USA:  Midday transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires.  Meeting upon arrival and transfer from the domestic airport to the Ezeiza International airport.  You'll arrive in time for a leisurely international check-in before your return overnight flight to the USA. (B)

Day 32 - Monday - Arrive USA: Morning arrival in the USA and make connections to your home city.

PLEASE NOTE - IMPORTANT:
The following Payment, Change and Cancellation Policies are for general information only.
This is a sample program which will be customized to fit your Trip Wishes, Travel Style and Parameters.
Your personal customized program will carry Terms & Conditions specifically applicable to your program's inclusions
and will be the governing Terms & Conditions.