Journey to the Heart of Patagonia:
From Urban Life to the Ends of the Earth
This fifteen-day journey is designed as a comprehensive exploration of Argentina: it begins with the elegance and cultural intensity of Buenos Aires, continues with the untamed force of Atlantic and Southern Patagonia, and culminates with an emotional return to the rhythm of tango. The trip starts in the cosmopolitan Argentine capital, the country’s gateway, before flying to the Atlantic coast at Puerto Madryn. Here, nature asserts itself with force: Península Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage site, amazes with the presence of Southern Right Whales, orcas, sea lions, elephants, penguins, and a unique birdlife. Nearby, Punta Tombo’s penguin colony offers a close encounter with thousands of Magellanic penguins during their life cycle, while the Welsh colonies of the Lower Valley reveal the region’s cultural history through their customs and flavors.
From there, the itinerary leads to Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the planet, where the history of the former prison and the Museo del Fin del Mundo blends with the unparalleled natural beauty of the Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego National Park. A classic boat tour passes lighthouses, sea lion colonies, and native birds, while hikes along the park’s trails reveal forests, rivers, and bays framed by snow-capped mountains. The exploration continues with Lakes Fagnano and Escondido, where the Andes merge with the vastness of Tierra del Fuego. The journey proceeds to the heart of Southern Patagonia: El Calafate, home to the majestic Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world’s most awe-inspiring natural spectacles. Boat trips on Lago Argentino bring travelers close to giant glaciers like Upsala and Spegazzini, complemented by a day at a Patagonian estancia, discovering rural life, traditions, and the region’s iconic cuisine.
The route continues to El Chaltén, Argentina’s trekking capital, where trails lead to unique landscapes: Laguna de los Tres at the foot of Fitz Roy, or the serene Laguna Capri, offering incomparable views of mountains and glaciers. A day on Lago del Desierto adds boat trips and hikes to Glaciar Vespignani, set amidst native forests and Andean mountains. The journey concludes back in Buenos Aires, saying farewell to Argentina with a tango night at one of the city’s most traditional venues, uniting the city’s history with the mystique of this music that captivates the world. Over fifteen days, this itinerary allows travelers to experience the essence of the country: the vibrant culture of its capital, the vastness of Atlantic Patagonia, the extreme nature of the End of the World, and the most impressive glaciers on Earth. A complete experience, where each day adds an unforgettable chapter to the adventure of discovering Argentina.
| DAYS | 15 Days - 14 Nights |
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| DESTINATIONS | Madryn, Ushuaia, Calafate, Chaltén |
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15 Days - 14 Nights
Day 1 - Buenos Aires
Arrival at Ezeiza International Airport and transfer to the hotel in Buenos Aires City.
Day 2 - Departure to Puerto Madryn
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Buenos Aires Metropolitan Airport for the flight to Puerto Madryn. Arrival at Trelew Airport and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Madryn.
Day 3 - Valdés Peninsula & Southern Right Whale Watching
Breakfast at the hotel. We will have great excitement on this day. We will set out first thing in the morning towards Península de Valdés, which was declared Natural and Cultural World Heritage by the UNESCO for being one of the few places in the world where you can watch the Southern right whale in its natural habitat. In this place we can find the biggest concentration of sea animals in the entire Atlantic coastline.
We will visit the Interpretation Center in Carlos Ameghino Isthmus, and then we will head for the ecotouristic village of Puerto Pirámides, which is the only urbanized town in the Peninsula. In Pirámides, we will enjoy a spectacular experience watching the whales in their natural habitat, accompanied by whale specialized guides, biologists, and film and naturalist photography teams.
Before starting our voyage, we will provide travelers with a raincoat and a life jacket. We will set out on a motorboat tour around the crystalline waters of Golfo Nuevo (New Gulf) to see the Southern Right Whale. We will have a unique natural experience when the whales make their appearance moving, swiping their tails, blowing air through their holes and jumping. From the end of May to December, whales from Antarctica reach the coasts of Golfo Nuevo (New Gulf) to breed in the coastline of Puerto Pirámides.
Note about the whale watching: It is performed between July and November. Waterproof clothes and windbreakers are recommended. Before the trip, elemental advice is provided. This adventure is available for adults as well as for children.
Day 4 - Punta Tombo Penguin Colony & Lower Valley
Breakfast at hotel. Today we visit the most important Magellan penguin colony in South America: Punta Tombo, located in the south of the Valle Inferior of the Chubut River. At the beginning (more than 50 years ago), it was a natural reserve, 20 years later it was considered protected area. Punta Tombo has an expanse of almost 3,000m per 500m wide along the Atlantic Ocean. This natural accident is produced by crystalline rocky structures appearance before the Jurassic era which have beared the erosion produced by the ravages of the sea. Key factors for nest creation are the existence of boulder and compact sand. The season is from the beginning of September until April, when penguins emigrate to nest and protect their young.
Depending on the season, all their productive cycle can be observed. First males appear so as to build their nests or rebuild the previous year one, they take advantage of the natural caves for that. One month later, females lay their eggs to sit on them during 40 to 45 days. During that gestation period, males go for food. At the beginning of April, chicks are already good swimmers and feed alone. In the past, this zone was an indigenous cemetery where many Tehuelches also lived and hunted. When walking around the reserve we recommend not to divert the route.
When returning from this adventure with penguins, we go towards the lower valley, to know the industrial and commercial center of the region: Trelew. Then we continue towards Gaiman, the most important Welsh colony in Argentina. There are still traditions and customs such as the Welsh tea with Welsh Black cake, as well as the walnut cake with fruit and homemade bread. If we go back the chacras (eateries), we will observe the different Welsh Chapels and observe the farming-tourist ventures. If you want to see other excursion options in Puerto Madryn, click here: Tours in Puerto Madryn.
Day 5 - Departure to Ushuaia
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Trelew Airport for the flight to Ushuaia. Arrival at Ushuaia Airport and transfer to the hotel.
Day 6 - Discovering Ushuaia: Reincidentes Prison & End of the World Museum
We will do a very special tour in the morning as we start knowing the magic of the city of Ushuaia which is very famous for being recognized as the "End of the World" (also known as the most southern city of all). We will also visit the Museum of the End of the World which started working in 1979. It was firstly for families and then became part of the heritage in Ushuaia. This museum shows its collections in five different rooms where there are glasses that honour those people linked with the local history such as the explorers, natives, etc. We will know the main and most famous attractions that Ushuaia has: the old Recidivists´ Prison which is known because of its exciting and strong history, every year many visitors go visiting it because of its prison architecture and also because of its history. It is important to higlight that it worked from 1900 to 1947 and the city started growing more and more around this prison where today many and important cruises and transatlantic.
We will enjoy the building, its corridors and even today we can feel the pain the people suffered. This militar prison worked firstly in the Staten Island in San Juan de Salvamento, then it was transferred to CooK Port until it was settled in Ushuaia for humanitarian reasons. It accommodated sentenced people like the anarchist Simón Radowitsky or Cayetano Santos Godino known as the big eared shorty or the writer Ricardo Rojas. We will visit the Port, the Paseo del Centenario, an excellent panoramic spot where there is the monument for the Ushuaia´s Centennial and then, the Beban House an important architectural heritage, which was bought in Sweden and made in Ushuaia between 1911 and 1913 by Don Tomas Beban. Is one of the most ambitious buildings in the city.
Day 7 - Classic Navigation on the Beagle Channel & Tierra del Fuego National Park
Breakfast at the Hotel. We take a trip to the Beagle Channel. Our leaving point is in the Ushuaia Bay, which is on the banks of the City of the same name, entering the Canal by the Paso Chico. In old times the Reverend Thomas Bridges said that the 'Ushuaia Bay' means the 'the calm water bay'.
The Beagle Channel, situated at the south of the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego, was originated from glaciers and it covers an area of 180 kms, it joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It was baptised by Captain Fitz Roy in honour of the ship "Beagle' on which was the Lieutenant Murray who discovered the Canal in 1930. It is now the political frontier between Argentina and Chile. As in the Ushuaia Bay, the Beagle Canal offers a variety of sea birds and mammal marine life, where it is possible to watch skuas, black capped albatross, cauquenes, seagulls, etc. The crossing goes until the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse. This has a conical tower of over 11 metres and is 22.5 metres above the sea level. The lighthouse name was given by Captain Luis Fernando Martial and that was after the place where it is located.
The journey continues to the naval station Isla de los Lobos Marinos (Sea Lion Island) where we will be able to watch one and two hair seals and the cormorants settlements. Following our route we navigate to the Isla de los Pájaros (Bird Island) a place where we can see settlements of Magellan and Imperial Cormorants as well as enjoy more than 20 species of other marine birds. Both Islands are part of the Bridges Archipelago.
Optional - Disembarkation on the Bridges Islands: It is possible to ask for a landing on the Bridges Islands during this navigations, in which we can have a trekking of half an hour with the guides assistance while we go along the paths of one of the Bridges Islands to see the Concheros Yámanas (Yámana shells), relics of an old indigenous tribe.
Tierra del Fuego National Park was created on October 15, 1960, covering 63,000 hectares of Patagonian forest and part of the Andes mountain range. The climate is temperate to cold and humid, with winter snow and rainfall, and a rugged mountainous terrain with glacial valleys. We will be able to rest our eyes by contemplating forests of lenga, ñire, and Antarctic beech, rivers, lakes, peat bogs, views of the Beagle Channel, and trails that lead us to discover the southernmost nature in the world. Along its well-marked trails, we can observe the most representative species of local flora and fauna. We will also see the "marks" left by the Yámana indigenous people, an aboriginal community that historically inhabited these forests.
On the way, we will pass through the Pipo River valley to Ensenada Bay, seeing Redonda and Estorbo Islands, and across the Beagle Channel, the snowy mountains of the Sampaio Range (Chile). We then head toward Lake Roca to go trekking along the lake and the Lapataia River. Here, we can see the natural border with Chile: Mount Condor. Finally, we reach Lapataia Bay, at the far end of Tierra del Fuego National Park, where we’ll observe the Green Lagoon and the Black Lagoon.
Day 8 - Fagnano & Escondido Lakes
Today we will visit the Fagnano and Escondido Lakes located in the center of the Big Island of Tierra del Fuego. We will leave in the morning, we will travel through the Olivia River valley to the North. We will enjoy the landscape that the Olivia River Valley offers us, to reach the Carbajal Valley viewpoint, from there we will obtain incredible panoramic views of the forests, peatlands, and mountains. On the way to the lakes we will be able to appreciate the facilities of Cerro Castor, considered the southernmost in the world, and worldwide known for the quality of the snow and its long season which lasts from mid-June to mid-October.
We will continue the route to reach another beautiful viewpoint, the Garibaldi Pass, located at 430 meters above sea level. from there we will be able to appreciate the beautiful view of Lake Escondido. We will descend bordering the mountains appreciating the Reserve "heart of the island", a protected natural area. We will arrive at the Argentine Naval Prefecture of the beautiful Fagnano Lake, a place where the beauty of the calm waters, the forest and the stories of the ancient loggers and settlers of the area mix, from there we will enjoy Lake Fagnano from its margins. We will return after noon and we will go to the Carbajal Valley area, we will stop at one of the restaurants to enjoy the renowned and exquisite Cordero Fueguino, (lunch is optional). We will return to the city in the afternoon.
Day 9 - Ushuaia to El Calafate
Transfer to Ushuaia Airport for the flight to El Calafate. Arrival at El Calafate Airport and transfer to the hotel.
Day 10 - Perito Moreno Glacier Visit
Early in the morning we make our way to the most famous glacier in the world. It was declared as a Heritage Humanity in 1981 by UNESCO and it is considered unique for many characteristics such as its continuous advance, its comfortable access to its best viewpoints and the possibility to walk over it. The name was given in honour of the great explorer of the Patagonian area, Perito Francisco Moreno.
We walk along the edge of the southern side of the Argentino Lake, before crossing the rivers Centinela and Mitre, at the same time we discover post card views of the pre Andean Mountain Chain. We arrive to Brazo Rico and enter Los Glaciares National Park. While we tour along the Rich Lake we see the huge blocks of ice drifting along and walk until we have a full panoramic view of this giant glacier. If the weather conditions are favourable, we can have the privilege of attending this unique spectacle in the argentinean Patagonia... the ice landslides from the southern falls in which huge ice floes cover the homonym channel as they are accumulated there or in the Brazo Rico.
Here it is possible to get to know the glacier from different panoramic and viewpoints by walking the footbridges whilst we are informed about its history, characteristics and settings. In the afternoon we return to the Hotel.
Note: The Perito Moreno is a glacier in continuous advance; this is different to the great majority of such giant glaciers that are in a severe regression. In its advance it surrounds the cold waters of the Brazo Rico, that are origined from the Argentino Lake which causes some pressure over the ice that make the level of water increase in that part of the lake and has the effect of generating a tunnel of almost 45 metres through which flows from the Brazo Rico and in to the Argentino Lake. The continuous erosion by these waters causes parts of the dome to collapse producing fantastic spectacles.
Optional Tour: Navigation across the Rich lake – Nautical Safari
We leave from the 'Bajo de las Sombras' Port to begin this navigation that complements the visit by the footbridges to the Perito Moreno Glacier and has a time lapse of one hour. There we can see well the southern edge of the glacier. The same as for the Brazo Rico and the Brazo Sur of the Argentino Lake, they are transformed by the glacier into dykes. We navigate the Rich Lake marveling at the imposing face of the glacier that reaches up to 60 metres high. Here we get closer to the confluence between the colossal ice structure and the Magellan Peninsular before continuing, for approximately 3 kms, the length of the southern wall.
This is the major attraction spot and the most awaited moment by all the visitors: the landslides of enormous blocks of ice during the summer season that are related to other typical formations such as crevices, 'seracs' and their bluish tints. We have the opportunity to take photos and capture this emotional experience.
Day 11 - Afternoon at a Patagonian Ranch
In the morning we drive to the estancia Nibepo Aike Estancia located within the Perito Moreno National Park. There and enjoying a wonderful view of the Cordillera de Los Andes will receive us with coffee, tea or mate cooked with dry cookies. Then we will walk through the South arm of lago Argentino where we will observe different folds in the Earth's crust demarcated by the variety of sediments that gave origin. Also walk trails among forests of beech and ñires in which inhabit a very varied fauna. Towards noon we will enjoy a great show of Creole skill test of reins and meekness of Criollo horses, then we will see a demonstration of sheep shearing and walk through the historical case of the stay will be where us stories of the first settlers in the area, to finish this tour with a visit to the Organic Orchard. After these activities, we will have opportunity to enjoy a typical lunch with grilled Patagonian lamb, sausages, chorizo steak, variety of salads and dessert. Then and now with new energies we will make a tour to the Crystal Hill in a way winding up and as we gain altitude will have a large panoramic town of stay, South, Rico arm arm and the Rock Lake, to finally take back to the city.
Day 12 - Trekking to Laguna de los Tres or Laguna Capri (Self-guided Trek)
Trekking to Laguna de los Tres
Free day to rest or do some hiking. Depending on the physical conditions we recommend making the trek to the base of the Cerro Fitz Roy, the three Lagoon (moderate, 8 hours) or the hike to Laguna Capri (easy, 4 hours)
Trekking to the Fitz Roy Mountain: Laguna de los Tres
Breakfast at the boarding contracted. We have a day off in El Chaltén. We suggest to undertake the most important trekking in Los Glaciares National Park. The trail to do this is perfectly signaled. We get to the first viewpoint, with the view of the Piedras Blancas Glacier, after about two hours of hiking by the Río Blanco Valley and walking through the ancient forests of nothofagus. We go a little further and arrive to the Poincenot Camping Site which finishes on the Río Blanco. From here we climb up a steep slope which rises 400 metres until the Mountain Fitz Roy Base: Laguna de los Los Tres.
The trail finishes on the edge of a glaciatic moraine. From here we have an amazing view of the lagoon and its glacier together with the classic profile of the Fitz Roy Mountain, that appears from the top of its envelope of ice at a height of more than 2,000 metres. If we feel like going a little further we can turn off to go to the Laguna Sucia viewpoint from where we can see the Viedma Lake and the hanging glaciers. We return to the town going to Laguna Capri. If we are not late we should be arriving at about 18 hrs. In case you require a mountain guide please advise in advance.
Trekking to Laguna Capri
The trekking to Laguna Capri offers a unique relaxing view for the eyes and it is ideal for those who do not have the time to take a whole day walking, like going to the Laguna de Los Tres or Laguna Torre. Our main objective is to arrive to the first viewpoint of the Fitz Roy Mountain. We begin from the town of El Chaltén, it is an easy trekking although the slope is pronounced for a stretch of about 2 hours, rising some 350 metres. The first part is the same as Los Tres track until we arrive at a natural rocky viewpoint where we can turn off to the south until the camping site. At the viewpoint we will have a privileged view of the Torre Mountain and its surrounding ice needles such as Poincenot, Saint Exupéry, Mermoz and Guillaumet. We stop just a few minutes before entering the Capri Camping Site in order to see the Laguna Capri. We return by the same trail to our lodgings in the town.
Day 13 - Lago del Desierto: Navigation and Trekking at Vespignani Glacier
Breakfast at the hotel. We set off towards the southern end of Lago del Desierto, often mistakenly called Laguna del Desierto. We travel 38 km along a dirt road that winds through the Valle del Río de las Vueltas. The scenery is distinctly Andean-Patagonian, with mountains, forests, waterfalls, and shimmering bodies of water blending in natural harmony. We begin our navigation from the dock at the southern tip of Lago del Desierto, heading toward the trailhead at Cerro Vespignani. During the boat ride, we enjoy spectacular and unique views of this lake nestled between the Vespignani and Del Bosque ridges, covered in native forest, hanging glaciers, and mountain streams. To the south, we can admire the north face of Mount Fitz Roy. After disembarking at Cerro Vespignani, we embark on a medium-difficulty trek to the viewpoints of the Vespignani Glacier and Mount Fitz Roy. We enter the forest after a briefing from our guide about the nature reserve. There is a geodesic dome where we can leave any belongings we don't need for the trek.
This area is part of a larger protected zone — the Lago del Desierto Provincial Nature Reserve in the Province of Santa Cruz — which protects the native Patagonian forest, Lago del Desierto itself, and its hanging glaciers such as Huemul, Vespignani, and Sepúlveda, all visible during this tour. Visitors have the opportunity to hike through a well-preserved natural environment.
Day 14 - Return to Buenos Aires - Tango Dinner Show
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer from the hotel to El Calafate Airport for the flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival at Buenos Aires Metropolitan Airport, transfer to the hotel.
In the evening we enjoy a dinner and Tango show at one of the best venues of Buenos Aires ( Homero Manzi / Complejo Tango / Señor Tango / La Esquina de Carlos Gardel / Madero Tango). The Tango has a special charm outside of its origin: From New York to Sydney, people that have never visited Argentina are left seduced by its mystique and sensuality. Others stay captivated by the music. This original tour traces in parallel the history of the city and that of the tango journeying by its different stages of development from its birth in the slums, to its consummation in the Avenida Corrientes and its later internationalization.
Day 15 - Ezeiza International Airport
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ezeiza International Airport. End of the tour.