Explore Argentine Patagonia: Buenos Aires, Puerto Madryn & Ushuaia - 8 Days

Highlights

• Tour Buenos Aires' neighborhoods and catch a tango show
• See whales in the wild on a boat tour near Puerto Madryn
• Canoe on a pristine bay in Tierra del Fuego
• Visit a penguin colony on the Peninsula Valdés

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Buenos Aires, Guided City Tour

Welcome to Argentina! Begin your trip in Buenos Aires, the vibrant capital city. You'll transfer from the airport to your hotel and have some time to get settled before heading off on an afternoon tour. Your guide will pick you up and start by showing you Plaza de Mayo, home to the national government palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Continue to nearby San Telmo, one of the city's oldest neighborhoods; it's famous for its bohemian atmosphere, street tango performances, antique shops, and cobblestoned streets.

Explore more of the city's neighborhoods throughout the afternoon. La Boca is known for its brightly-painted houses and the legendary Boca Juniors Football Club, where Diego Maradona played. Puerto Madero is on the riverside, with former industrial warehouses turned into elegant bars, restaurants, and offices. Palermo is home to trendy bars, clubs, and boutiques, plus parks, lakes, and wooded areas. Recoleta is famous for its cemetery, where some of Argentina's most famous residents are buried—including Eva Perón, also known as Evita. After the tour, have dinner near your hotel and get some rest before traveling onward tomorrow.

Day 2: Fly to Trelew, Transfer to Puerto Madryn

This morning, catch a flight to Trelew, then transfer to your hotel in Puerto Madryn (a journey of about 50 minutes). Welcome to Peninsula Valdés! This Patagonian destination is an important site for the conservation of marine mammals and is home to significant breeding populations of the endangered southern right whale, southern elephant seals, and southern sea lions.

Get your cameras ready for this afternoon's excursion to the San Lorenzo Penguin Colony (note that his tour is available from mid-September to April). This colony of Magellanic penguins has been growing steadily ever since penguins started to nest here nearly 50 years ago. Today, San Lorenzo is home to around 600,000 penguins in peak season. With your guide, you can walk through the colony on a designated walkway, seeing the resident penguins at close range and spectacular views over the San Matias Gulf. Return to Puerto Madryn for dinner and rest at your hotel.

Day 3: Explore Península Valdés, Whale Watching

After breakfast in Puerto Madryn, a driver will pick you up at your hotel for an exciting full-day tour of the area. The first stop is the Istmo Ameghino Interpretation Center. Learn about regional flora and fauna while walking around its educational exhibits, then climb the lookout tower to see stunning views of two bodies of water: the Golfo Nuevo and Golfo San José.

Continue to Puerto Pirámides, the starting point for today's boat tour (available mid-June through December). You'll cruise around the coast, spotting southern right whales, orcas, and sea lions in their natural habitat. After the boat tour, head to Estancia San Lorenzo, a traditional sheep ranch where you'll enjoy a classic meal of roasted lamb. Return to Puerto Madryn at sunset.

Travel to Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego, this morning, where you'll have the day at leisure to explore the southernmost city in the world! Ushuaia is situated between the jagged peaks of the Martial Mountains and the silver waters of the Beagle Channel, where Charles Darwin famously sailed. Drop your luggage at your hotel and go for a walk along the waterfront to take in the magnificent mountain landscapes and scenic shoreline.

Stop into Ushuaia's Maritime Museum, housed in a building that was once a prison, or the Museo del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Museum). This small museum features interesting exhibits on the region's natural and Indigenous history. Have dinner in a local seafood restaurant—try the centolla (king crab), a regional delicacy.

Day 5: Trek & Canoe at Lapataia Bay

Venture into Tierra del Fuego National Park this morning, where your excursion starts with a 5-mile (8 km) hike along a coastal path. When you reach the edge of the Río Lapataia, break for lunch with a view inside a heated tent. Then you'll prepare for the afternoon's adventure by donning rubber boots and a life jacket. Hop onto an inflatable canoe and start paddling on Lago Acigami, continuing for about an hour along the Lapataia and Ovando rivers and onto Lapataia Bay. After a day of remote Patagonian beauty, you'll head back to Ushuaia to warm up and have dinner. 

Day 6: Off-Road Excursion to Glacial Lakes

A unique adventure awaits today. Leave your hotel early in a 4WD vehicle and enjoy a scenic ride through a glacial valley surrounded by snowy peaks. Your first stop will be at the Garibaldi Pass, the only road crossing the chain of the Fuegian Andes. From this lookout, high up the Andes, you'll have a beautiful view of Lago Escondido, a small wonder at the bottom of the valley.

The trip continues along a series of old dirt paths toward Lago Fagnano, the fifth-largest lake in Argentina. Splash through the lake's shallow waters until you reach a picnic spot along the coast. You'll have free time to walk around in this pristine natural environment as your guide prepares a Patagonian-style lunch. Return to Ushuaia late in the day and enjoy one last night before flying back to Buenos Aires tomorrow.

Day 7: Fly to Buenos Aires, Tango Performance

Bid Patagonia farewell as you catch a flight back to Buenos Aires after breakfast. The rest of the day is yours to explore Argentina's capital! You may want to return to one or more of the neighborhoods you visited on your city tour earlier in the week. Alternatively, take a street art tour, shop for leather goods, snack on empanadas in the park, sample Argentine wines, or rent a bicycle and pedal around the city. In the evening, catch a live tango show—a perfect way to wrap up your stay in Argentina.

Day 8: Depart Buenos Aires

The adventure has come to an end. After breakfast, your driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport to catch your flight. From there, fly home or continue your journey. Safe travels!

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