3 weeks tour of northern Argentina

Day 1 – Buenos Aires

Arrival in Buenos Aires and transfer to the city. 2 nights at the Hotel Loi Suites, located in the beautiful Recoleta.

Day 2 – Buenos Aires

You can explore the city on your own, passing through the historical and cultural center, as well as Recoleta and the port. Here you will discover the magic of the Argentine capital, the magnificent Recoleta, the Palermo parks, the Colon Theater, the Casa Rosada (the seat of government), the cathedral, the Congress and many other buildings and palaces of special architectural, historical and cultural value. You will continue to San Telmo, then to the "Boca", the new home of the Italian immigrants.

Day 3 – Buenos Aires – Iguazu

Transfer to the domestic airport and flight to Iguazú. Transfer to the Hotel Belmond das Cataratas, where you will enjoy 2 nights (superior).
In the afternoon, guided walking tour from the hotel to visit the Iguazú Falls on the Brazilian side, in whose National park where the hotel is located. You get a spectacular view right into the "Devil's Throat" - the U-shaped gorge, down whose walls the water plunges up to 82 m deep. At 2700 m wide, the Iguazú Falls are the largest waterfalls in the world in terms of area.

Day 4 – Iguazu

Guided full-day visit to the waterfalls on the Argentinian side - here you will find the overwhelming natural spectacle of the 270 waterfalls and the islands lying in the spraying water between them. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protects one of the last remaining Atlantic rainforest.

Day 5 - Iguazú – Salta – Molinos

Transfer to the airport and flight to Salta. Rental car pick-up at the hotel and drive to Cachi, one of the most varied routes in the entire northwest of Argentina. We will experience four different ecosystems, from the green Yungas to dry desert valleys. At the Piedra del Molino pass at over 3 m above sea level, you can see condors circling against the blue sky. In the Los Cardones National Park, visitors can see thousands of candelabra cacti. Then we go to Cachi, a white, shimmering Indian village built in colonial style in the north of the Calchaquí Valley. On the legendary Ruta 500 we now head south to Molinos. 40 night at the Hacienda de Molinos.
Distance: 70 km gravel, 135 km asphalt.

Day 6 – Molinos – Quebrada de las Flechas – Cafayate

From Molinos you can take a 17 km detour to the west to the very impressive Colomé winery (register at the hotel the day before). Ruta 40 is one of the most famous and longest routes in the world, and it leads through desert landscapes, past small farms, vineyards and colorful rocks. It then goes through the bizarre Quebrada de las Flechas, a desert of quartz ash and rocks. 2 nights in the wine hotel Cafayate Wine Resort. Distance: 110 km gravel, 20 km asphalt.

Day 7 – Wineries around Cafayate

Bordered by the Quebradas de las Conchas with its famous Garganta del Diablo and protected by the imposing mountains of Tres Cruces and Morales, Cafayate is a majestic place thanks to its magnificent surroundings.
The Calchaquí Valleys are the highest wine-growing regions in the world, at over 1.500 metres above sea level. In a 520 km stretch, you can discover 2.500 hectares of cultivated vineyards, with a landscape characterised by carob trees and cacti. The soil, composed of sandy sediments, ensures the conditions for excellent water permeability to wash out the harmful salts. The water for irrigation comes from the rivers that cross the valleys, the Calchaquí and the Santa Maria, and well water is also used.
We recommend having lunch at the nearby Piattelli winery.

In the afternoon, it is worth taking a detour of about 30 km on Ruta 68 towards Salta, through the Quebrada de las Conchas, a 70 km long and wild landscape of sandstone, which glows in bright colors and has weathered into unreal rock formations. These formations date back to a time when the region had a warm and humid climate and was home to crocodiles and turtles, among others (especially beautifully illuminated in the afternoon light).

Day 8 - Cafayate – Salta – Purmamarca

Today we drive along Ruta 68 to Salta. Arrival after about 3 hours. From here we take the winding road through the Yunga forest via La Caldera to the north through the Quebrada de Humahuaca to Purmamarca further, where the famous "mountain of seven colors" stands opposite the village and shines in an incredible variety of colors against the deep blue sky. 2 nights at the Hotel Manantial del Silencio.
In the late afternoon, there is a nice option for a walk along the western edge of the village and behind the mountain of seven colors through the so-called "Los Colorados", a series of rocks that shimmer particularly intensely in several shades of red at this hour.
Distance covered: 365 km on asphalt.

Day 9 – Salinas Grandes

Today's journey takes you up the impressive Cuesta de Lipán pass road to the Salinas Grandes (salt lakes), which stretch white and glittering to the horizon. The return journey offers a completely different picture and incidence of light.
Distance: 130 km on asphalt circuit.

Day 10 – Purmamarca – Salta

Drive the same route back down to Salta. 1 night in the beautiful country hotel Finca Valentina.
Distance covered: 180 km on asphalt.

Day 11 – Salta – Bariloche

Short drive to the airport, car drop-off and flight via Córdoba to Bariloche. Pick up a rental car at the airport. Program and accommodation organized independently.
Suggestion (hotel not included): Drive along the beautiful “Encantado” valley of the Limay and Collón Curá north via Junín to San Martín de los Andes. Option of 2 nights at the Hotel Loi Suites Chapelco, located a little outside in the wide steppe.
Distance covered: 165 km asphalt.

Day 12 – NP Vulkan Lanin

We recommend a trip north to the foot of the impressive Lanin volcano (3776 m), passing through millennia-old araucaria forests. Overnight stay as on the previous day.
Distance covered: 200 km in total on asphalt.

Day 13 – 7 Lakes Route – Villa La Angostura – Bariloche

Drive the 7 Lakes Route via Villa La Angostura back to Bariloche. 3 nights on your own.
Distance covered: 200 km asphalt.

Day 14 - Bariloche

Round trip along the Circuito Chico with optional chairlift ride to Cerro Campanario, the best view in the lake district. In the Bosque de Llao-Llao nature reserve you can take short walks or half-day hikes through the southern beech forest, where you can also discover a myrtle forest, unique in the world because of the height of the trees (Walt Disney shows them in Bambi).
Optional boat trip from the port of Bahía Lopez: The boat, which can hold up to 15 people, sets off at 09:30 a.m. for a trip on the lake into the little-used branch of Brazo Tristeza. Lunch is served on board and, if you wish, a walk in the very dense jungle known as the "Selva Valdiviana". Return is around 15 p.m. and the trip back to your hotel.

Day 15 – Bariloche

Hiking options: There can be a Hike to the Cerro López hut, which offers the most unforgettable views of the entire lake region. Approximately 4-5 hours there and back.
A short drive to the start of the hike to the Frey Hut, at the foot of the Catedral. First, it's a two-hour hike along the slope of the Catedral to the valley of the Rio Van Titter without much of a difference in altitude. It only gets steeper from the small Piedritas Hut, located in a beautiful southern beech forest. After an hour and a half, the Frey Hut appears in view, picturesquely located on the Laguna Toncek, amidst granite peaks, one of the best and most beautiful climbing options in Argentina. Descent on the same route, total hiking time about 8 hours.

Day 16 – Bariloche – El Calafate – El Chaltén

Drive to the airport and return the rental car. Flight to Calafate. Pick up a rental car at the airport and drive for about 3 hours along the legendary Ruta 40 to El Chaltén directly to the hotel, starting point for all hikes and expeditions on Cerro Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. 2 nights at the Hotel Lunajuim.
Distance covered: 200 km asphalt.
If you still feel like exploring the area, you can take a short hike to the El Saltillo waterfall, for example. OR: Short drive to the village entrance, then 1 hour hike on your own to the panoramic viewpoint Mirador del Condor y de los Aguilas, where condors and eagles can be spotted.

Day 17 – El Chaltén

Option to take a short hike on your own (very well-trodden paths) to the viewpoint of Laguna Toro or Capri, at the foot of Cerro Fitz Roy, the most famous mountain in the southern Patagonian Andes, a magnificent vantage point on the impressive granite peaks.
Walking time: 2-3 hours with an altitude difference of 400 m. Overnight stay as on the previous day.

Day 18 – El Chaltén – Calafate

Trekking on your own (very well-trodden paths) towards Cerro Torre, one of the most difficult mountaineering destinations in the world. Its steep walls of over 1400 m high made of the smoothest granite make this easy to imagine, although the climate is the main factor why climbers often have to wait months before making the final push to the summit. The view from the first vantage point is breathtakingly beautiful, with a whole series of windswept granite needles and enormous glaciers.
Walking time: approx. 2 hours with an altitude difference of 200 m easy hike.
Or:
Drive along the valley of the magnificent Río de las Vueltas to the nearby Lago del Desierto, a glacial lake on the border with Chile. Here it is possible to hike along the eastern shore of the lake, with views past a series of hanging glaciers that flow there directly from the southern Patagonian ice field.
In the afternoon drive back to El Calafate and 2 nights at the Hotel Sierra Nevada.
Distance covered: 200 km asphalt.

Day 19 – El Calafate

Day trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier, 90 km from Calafate. This world-famous glacier is one of the great attractions of southern Patagonia. The ice falls that repeatedly crash into the lake with a roar remain unforgettable impressions. This glacier is 5 km wide and its front is more than 60 meters high, surrounded by a forest of lenga and coihue (southern beech), flowers of the local fire bush (silver tree family) and calafate (barkhorn).

Day 20 – Calafate – Buenos Aires

Transfer to the airport, rental car return and flight to Buenos Aires. Transfer to the Loi Suites Recoleta Hotel, where you will enjoy 2 final nights to round off your trip.
A stroll through Recoleta with its colonial buildings and chic boutiques is worthwhile, as is enjoying a coffee under the shade of the giant rubber trees.

Day 21 – Buenos Aires

Free day to explore the Tigre Delta on your own. You can take the train from Retiro to the final stop in Tigre, a journey of around 1 hour, passing through many beautiful residential areas in the north of the city. Once you arrive, you can visit the Tigre craft and fruit market, and take a boat trip through the many canals of the delta, with time for lunch on one of the islands (this is to be paid for locally).
You can also take a trip to Palermo, one of the most modern and fastest growing neighborhoods. Here you can breathe nature in the vast Palermo parks, also known as the green lungs of the city. You can take advantage of the time to stroll in the parks in the area, especially enjoying the jacaranda trees, which are already giving seeds this month, whose ingenious shape invites you to collect and do crafts. Here you will also find the rose garden, the botanical garden and, for art lovers, the MALBA, Museum of Latin American Art.