Highlights
- Enjoy dinner and a tango show in Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires
- Spend a day on a working cowboy ranch in the country
- Embark on a hiking and canoeing excursion into Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Take a boat tour along the silver waters of the Beagle Channel
- Visit a Magellanic penguin colony
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival in Buenos Aires - Explore | Buenos Aires |
| Day 2 | Walking Tour of Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires |
| Day 3 | Buenos Aires to Tigre | Buenos Aires |
| Day 4 | Gaucho Experience at Estancia Santa Susana | Buenos Aires |
| Day 5 | Fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia | Ushuaia |
| Day 6 | Hiking and Canoeing in Tierra del Fuego National Park | Ushuaia |
| Day 7 | Beagle Channel Cruise | Ushuaia |
| Day 8 | Estancia Harberton and Isla Martillo | Ushuaia |
| Day 9 | Fly from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires |
| Day 10 | Depart Buenos Aires |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Buenos Aires - Explore
Welcome to Argentina! The capital city of Buenos Aires is known as the "Paris of South America" and the "Queen of El Plata." Famous for its mix of European ambiance and Latin American culture, it's the birthplace of the tango and abounds with cobbled streets and beautiful Baroque architecture.
Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Once you've had the chance to rest, you can head out and explore. The city center is your best starting point.
Day 2: Walking Tour of Buenos Aires
After breakfast, you'll take an organized tour of Buenos Aires. During this three-hour walking excursion, you'll visit the neighborhood of Retiro plus stroll Avenida 9 de Julio—South America’s widest avenue. You'll pass through the historic city center, home to the Teatro Colón opera house, National Congress, Plaza de Mayo, and the Casa Rosada (Presidential Palace). Then, visit the oldest neighborhood in the city, San Telmo. Afterward, you'll stop by B.A.'s original port, La Boca.
In the evening, enjoy a delicious meal accompanied by a tango performance—one of Argentina's most famous cultural highlights.
Day 3: Buenos Aires to Tigre
Today you'll travel up Río de la Plata where it converges with the Paraña River Delta, located about an hour north of Buenos Aires. During the boat ride, you'll enjoy views of the city skyline as you enter a network of freshwater canals and sail among the islands that make up this unique region. The main port is in Tigre, a Venetian-style village whose small-town and relaxing atmosphere contrast with Buenos Aires' bustling energy.
On the waterfront, you'll find Puerto de Frutos, a maze of craft markets, produce stalls, and artisanal goods. The Museo de Arte features a grand collection of Argentine art spanning two centuries. The Naval Museum and the Museo de Maté are other highlights worth a visit. The latter offers an overview and tasting of maté, an herb cultivated in the Paraná region of the country and used for tea.
Day 4: Gaucho Experience at Estancia Santa Susana
Just as North Americans have their cowboys, Argentines have their gauchos. This frontier culture is strongest in the pampas (prairies) immediately surrounding the capital since this is where the country was first settled. Gauchos are national symbols in Argentina, whether it's the real-life horsemen who still exist today, or the folk heroes of epic Argentine poems, like Martín Fierro, whose stories are passed down over generations.
Today you'll get a real gaucho experience. You'll be picked up in the morning and whisked off to Santa Susana, a working Argentine estancia (ranch). Here you'll enjoy a welcome reception that includes wine, soft drinks, and empanadas. After a guided tour of the property, you'll do some horseback riding (or perhaps enjoy a carriage ride) before settling in for a traditional folkloric music performance—and everyone's invited to get up and dance.
Lunch will be an Argentine asado (mixed grill) paired with even more of the country's fantastic wine. Real gauchos will then showcase their prowess with the bolas—traditional throwing weapons comprised of round weights connected by cords. Their displays will demonstrate how these deceptively simple weapons, when used in the right hands, can be effective at bringing down horses, cows, and even people.
After lunch, you'll be treated to more entertainment. The gauchos will continue to showcase their abilities, this time as they perform a series of feats known as carreras de sortijas (ring races). These are typical in gaucho equine competition and showcase the cowboys' great skills on horseback. You will end the day at the estancia with a late-afternoon serving of mate, the popular tea-like infusion that is an indispensable part of Argentine culture.
By the time you transfer back to your hotel in the evening, you can be happy in the knowledge that you've enjoyed a traditional Argentine frontier experience.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 5: Fly from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia
After enjoying city life in Buenos Aires, it's time to venture further south—to the end of the continent. In the morning, you'll transfer to the airport and catch a flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Upon arrival, a driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. After checking in and unwinding, you can spend the remainder of the day exploring the city on foot.
Located on a bay in the Patagonian region of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia sits between the jagged peaks of the Martial Mountains and the silver waters of the Beagle Channel. This is the same waterway where Charles Darwin found himself when he was riding the HMS Beagle almost 200 years ago. Getting out and walking along the waterfront allows you a glimpse of these majestic mountains and the impressive channel.
Day 6: Hiking and Canoeing in Tierra del Fuego National Park
In the morning, a shuttle will pick you up at your hotel in Ushuaia and drive you to Tierra del Fuego National Park. Located in one of the most notable ecological zones in the Americas, Tierra del Fuego is known for its subantarctic forest, dramatic scenery, and rugged coastline.
Upon arrival in Ensenada Bay, you'll be treated to a spectacular view of the Beagle Channel. You'll then embark on a four-mile (six-kilometer) coastal walk in which you'll get to observe the surrounding flora and fauna of the region. Interesting animals you can spot include woodpeckers, guanacos, and foxes. In addition, you will be able to see traces of the Yamana indigenous settlements that once existed here.
After three hours, you will arrive at Lake Roca, where a picnic lunch will be served. Afterward, you'll hop in a canoe and paddle down the Lapataia River until you reach the southern end of the Pan-American Highway, the world's longest drivable road. This important trans-continental route begins in Alaska and covers the entire length of the Americas.
Day 7: Beagle Channel Cruise
After breakfast in Ushuaia, head to the pier to board a boat for a local cruise. Today's excursion sails through the Beagle Channel, one of the region’s most important waterways. It was named after the HMS Beagle, a 19th-century British ship that once carried Charles Darwin to South America.
As you pass through the channel, you'll get breathtaking panoramic views of the city of Ushuaia and the entire bay. Be on the lookout for diverse marine wildlife such as cormorants and sea lions, especially near the Lobo and De Los Pajaros islands. If the winds are calm, you can even hop ashore, collect giant shells, and look out to the opposite coast, which stretches across both Chile and Argentina. Before making your way back to Ushuaia, see the famous Les Eclaireurs, the so-called "Lighthouse at the End of the World."
Day 8: Estancia Harberton and Isla Martillo
Get ready for a full-day excursion to do some penguin-spotting. The trip starts at the Ushuaia pier, where you'll catch a bus to Estancia Harberton—a working Patagonian ranch that dates back to 1886. The estancia's property sits on 50,000 acres that includes glassy lakes and virgin forests.
After spending some time on the ranch, you'll head to a nearby dock on the Beagle Channel and hop in a zodiac boat. You'll then zip along the water until you reach Isla Martillo, an island that is home to thousands of Magellanic penguins and even some Gentoo penguins. On a 90-minute walking tour of the island, you'll get up close and personal with these waddling birds as an expert guide offers insights into their characteristics and behavior.
Day 9: Fly from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
This morning, a driver will pick you up at your hotel and transfer you to the airport in Ushuaia. You'll then hop a flight back to the capital of Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you'll have free time to explore more of the city, perhaps taking advantage of anything you may have missed at the beginning of the trip.
Consider going out for "dinner and a show." No visit to Buenos Aires is complete without taking in a tango performance in the very city where it was invented. As the deft performers move to the music of love, sorrow, and passion, you'll dine on flaky empanadas, succulent steak, and decadent dulce de leche (most dinner shows also offer vegetarian options).
Day 10: Depart Buenos Aires
Enjoy one last breakfast in Buenos Aires. When it's time to leave, a driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport for your flight home. Buen viaje!
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