Amazing Argentina

Welcome to Argentina! You will be met at Buenos Aires International Airport [EZE] and transferred to your hotel accompanied by an English speaking guide. Tonight we'll meet up for our welcome dinner for a chance to meet your Big Journey Company Tour Director and fellow group members you'll be travelling with.

After breakfast we go on a half day tour of the Argentinian capital. Our exploration begins in the Palermo residential neighbourhood with its quiet curvy streets, wonderful parks and rose gardens, monuments and city mansions. This is an oasis of calm in the city. Next we head to the posh Recoleta District where we can stroll along Avenida Alvear, the most palatial street in Buenos Aires. With its elegant architecture and tree lined promenades, this distinct area was once home to the porteño aristocracy who gave it buildings such as the Pereda Palace, now the Brazilian Embassy. A visit to the mausoleums and statues of Recoleta Cemetery is a must. This is the final resting place of Eva Duarte, known throughout the world simply as Evita. She is perhaps Argentina’s most famous figure.

We also visit the historical and financial centre of Argentine politics, “la city”. From Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, the Avenida de Mayo leads to the National Congress building. Towards the banks of the river we take in Puerto Madero, once the old city docklands. This is now a completely updated area with modern buildings and avant-garde restaurants and this makes for an interesting contrast with San Telmo, the old quarters of the city. Here we see the traditional charm of colonial houses, cobblestone streets, and churches. La Boca grew around the first Port in Buenos Aires. It was inhabited by immigrants and gave birth to the Tango.

After our introduction to Buenos Aires, you can enjoy the afternoon at your own leisure.

Immerse yourself into the gaucho (cowboy) culture of Argentina with a full day at a traditional “estancia” (ranch) in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Come close to local traditions and history in a calm atmosphere, surrounded by nature. Argentina’s wealth came from its farmlands producing quality cattle and agricultural goods. A visit to this traditional ranch provides a glimpse of life on the pampas and offers the chance to share in the country’s farmland customs, traditions and asados (barbeques).

As one of the oldest estancias (ranches) in Argentina dating from the 1830s, La Bamba de Areco is a 90-minute drive out of Buenos Aires on the Camino Real (royal road) that originally connected the capital city to Northern Argentina. At the heart of the area that gave birth to the gaucho (horseman or cowboy), La Bamba became a pioneer in opening its doors to welcome guests and today its renovated facilities keep its original charm intact.
Upon arrival, you are welcomed with homemade empanadas (traditional turn-over pies) and invited to explore the premises: strolling around the gardens, visiting the local “gaucho” museum and the church.

During your lunch you can savour a typical argentine asado (barbeque) with a variety of cuts of beef and salads paired with Argentine wine.

The evening is free in Buenos Aires

After breakfast at the hotel we head to the airport to board our flight to Iguazu. The flight takes around 1h 45m and we will be met at Iguazu airport and transferred to our hotel.

In the afternoon we cross the border to visit Iguazu National Park, the first conservation area in Brazil to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984. Described as ‘an ocean falling into the abyss’, the Iguazu Falls are impressive: imagine nearly three million gallons of water plunging down every second. The Iguazu Falls span the border between Argentina and Brazil. Some 80 metres (263 feet) high and 3 km wide, the falls are made up of roughly 275 cascades and rapids (depending on the water level) that generate vast sprays of water and produce one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world.

These frothing, all-powerful cascading jets of water form clouds of spray that are conducive to the growth of lush vegetation which in turn is home to many rare and endangered species of flora and fauna.

Whilst the Argentinean side of the falls allows visitors to get "up close and personal", the Brazilian side offers spectacular panoramic views.

Today we remain on the Argentinian side of the Falls and visit the Cataratas del Iguazú National Park, home to roaring waterfalls and colourful wildlife in the heart of the jungle. A towering mass of spray and thundering waters, “Iguazú” means “big water” in the language of the semi-nomadic Guaranís who inhabited the area before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century.

It has been described as a shimmering necklace of 275 separate falls divided by emerald-green jungle islands that stretch nearly 4 kilometres (2.5 miles). At its largest and most dramatic conjunction, the water is whipped into thick creamy clouds that tumble through rainbows of light. The resulting spray rises so high that, from a distance, the falls almost seem to be travelling in two directions. These breath-taking natural falls are truly worthy of their place among the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The Argentina side of the Iguazú Falls will take one full day to explore as the falls can be from a number of angles: the Lower trail, the Upper trail, and the Devil’s Throat:

Lower Trail: over a kilometre (1/2 a mile) of paths run across individual falls of immense natural beauty. The misty air takes guests into charming corners of the jungle to admire begonias, orchids, ferns and palms with flocks of parrots, toucans and countless butterflies. From the Lower Circuit (optional) guests can navigate to San Martin Island where a circuit of paths goes to some of the less-visited falls.

Upper Circuit: these catwalks literally hang over the falls offering a breath-taking sight. The paths are often dotted with lizards squirting past, monkeys jumping from branch to branch and colourful parrots and butterflies.

The Devil's Throat or Garganta del Diablo: wander along on the ecological train as you take in the chirping sounds of birds and wildlife in the forest. At Estación Garganta stroll over the pathway that leads to a fantastic lookout point hanging over what is often considered the most spectacular fall: Devil’s Throat. Gallons of water plunge and sprout back up as an eternal cloud of mist creates blazing rainbows. This trail is in full bloom at dusk when the light gives it a special aura.

After breakfast catch our transfer to Iguazu Airport for our flight to Salta. On arrival we'll be transferred to our hotel.

Exploring the city of Salta will demonstrate to us all why this town is nicknamed Salta La Linda (Salta the Beautiful): the town has kept a colonial feel intact in many of its important monuments and historical buildings. The 9 de Julio Square in the centre of the town is surrounded by an important part of the well preserved architectural legacy dating back to the 18th century.

The Cabildo, where important historical events took place, houses the Museo Historia del Norte. The Cathedral, a beautiful pink building, features a golden alter and its floor and ceilings are beautifully thought out reflecting the richness of the city and the influence of colonial architecture. The plum red and gold building has the tallest church tower in South America. The facade’s colours reflect the colourful landscape of the red rocks and snow-capped mountains of Salta.

After exploring this area, we'll head to Salta for a short evening tour, before we check into our hotel. The evening is free for some time at leisure.

We depart our hotel early to explore a section of the tracks on the “Train to the Clouds”. One of the world’s railway engineering marvels weaves through the Andes at 4,200 m above sea level, connecting Argentina with Chile and making this the third highest train system in the world.

We continue our journey by road, to the Quebrada Del Toro (Bull’s River Gorge) and past the Ruins of Santa Rosa de Tastil, an ancient pre-Inca settlement and the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres, a typical highland settlement with adobe houses. We take in the vistas as we cross Puna to the expansive 212 square km salt flats of Salinas Grandes. The striking landscape is an invitation to take some creative jumping, handstanding and optical illusion photos, and purchase a llama or cactus figurine carved in salt.

After visiting this natural phenomenon, the winding, beautiful Cuesta del Lipan descends to Purmamarca, a quaint village with dusty streets at the foot of multi coloured mountains known as the “Seven Colours Hill”. The minerals and sediments in the surrounding mountains create brilliant green, purple, red, orange, and white stripes that swirl through the rocky mountain faces. The streets in Purmamarca are flanked by craftsmen selling colourful blankets and hand-woven hats, scarves and an array of hand-crafted objects.

We return to Salta where you have the evening free at your own leisure

The road from Salta to Cachi is one of the most spectacular drives in Northwest Argentina. We pass through four different ecosystems and travel from the green jungle of the Yungas to the semi-desert of Calchaquí Valley. The mountain road brings us close to Paso Piedra de Molinos, 3400 meters above sea level.

See whether you can spot Andean Condors soaring above you against the deep blue skies. The national symbol of Argentina this near threatened bird is the largest flying bird in the world with a wingspan of 3.3 metres and can weigh up to 15 kgs. Expect to see guanacos and wild burros (donkeys) among thousands of Cardones, the local species of cacti. We make time for a walk in a small, rarely visited red desert and a moment of relaxation in a cosy Molle in the charming colonial village of Cachi where the sun shines almost all the year round.

Our lunch will be served at a local restaurant in Cachi before we continue to Molinos, a tiny village of nine hundred souls that seems as though it may have stopped in time hundreds of years ago, were it not for the sporadic satellite dishes on the roofs and the occasional car slowly driving by.

Dinner will be served at the hotel tonight.

Today we depart Molinos and drive northwest towards Colomé Winery. The Bodega Colomé was founded in 1831 by the Spanish Governor of Salta. In 1854, his daughter brought the first French Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon vines to Colomé. Grapes from three vineyards planted in that year are still being used in the production of Colomé Reserva wines. We visit the winery and James Turrell Art Museum, followed by lunch at the Colomé Winery.

After lunch, we continue the drive south along Route 40, one of the longest roads in the world. The road winds its way past desert scenery, small ranches and vineyards, through the limestone mountains and the striking Quebrada de las Flechas (Arrows Gorge).

Cafayate is famous for its wine production. The perfect combination of weather, soil, vines, human expertise and altitude make the Calchaquí Valley the perfect place for the production of Torrontes: the region’s distinctive varietal white wine.

This is our destination for this evening. Here you have the evening at your own leisure.

After breakfast we explore the Quebrada de las Conchas’ Gorge (meaning Gorge of the Shells), a 74km long and deep ravine, with a rich archaeologial history. This one time ocean floor (marine fossils have been found in the area), was created many million years ago when huge deposits of minerals have been moulded by water and is now a huge valley surrounded by colourful mountains.

We continue to Salta Airport in time for our afternoon flight to Mendoza. We'll be met at Mendoza Airport and transferred to our hotel before enjoying dinner together tonight at the hotel.

Today we visit the remote Valle de Uco, named after an Indian chief who ruled the area hundreds of years ago, is still relatively underdeveloped. But is slowly being discovered by top wineries who found that the valley's fertile soil was perfect to grow high quality grapes. Intensely green, with never ending vines, lined by golden poplar trees along the dirt roads, and the dominated by the snow-capped Mount Tupungato, this valley is a winemakers’ paradise.

Here you learn, other than tasting, the subtle art of winemaking by blending your own wine. The winemaker will conduct the tasting and explain the blending process. Split into small groups, you will be given three components (i.e. Merlot, Malbec & Cabernet) and as a group are tasked to blend our own unique blend. After three tries, each group will submit their best blended wine and a jury of experts will decide on the best wine. The winners will be awarded a prize, but all participants will also receive a diploma for their newly acquired belnding skills.

We move on to the state of the art winery of Andeluna. This 200 acre mountain vineyard is located in a spectacular setting. Our lunch at the Andeluna Cellars is a combination of wine tasting and fine food, as each of the six courses is paired with a wine. After lunch you can visit four separate tasting areas and you can enjoy a stroll enjoy of the grounds which has produced some of Argentina’s finest wines.

Our final visit of the day is the Bodega Diamandes, part of the famed Clos de los 7 project led by French winemaker Michell Rolland. Other than producing the famous Gran Cru wines, this winery’s stunning architectural design (winners of Best Architecture 2011 by Best of Wine Tourism) and blends harmoniously into the stunning Andean scenery. The Bonnie family (owners of renowned Chateau Malartic – Lagraviere (Grand Cru Classe de Graves) and Chateau Gazin Rocquencourt left France in search of new horizons in the world of wine. In 2007 they had their first harvest; it was the beginning of a new era of creating elegant wines with the authenticity of the Uco Valley

In the evening we dine at La Gloria Cantina, located in the heart of Chacras de Coria, this restaurant boasts traditional Argentinian food in a very informal atmosphere. The chef owner Federico was in charge of the well known restaurant La Bourgogne in Buenos Aires.

Our last day of wine tasting will be in Mendoza's prime winery area of Agrelo where many of the best-known export oriented Argentinian wineries are located. If there is a Napa Valley in Mendoza, this is it.

We first visit the Maal winery, which has a completely different and ground-breaking take on making wine. The whole winery was built completely out of recycled materials. The main structure of the winery is made out of five big abandoned container and recycled pipes. Inside the chairs have been made from old church pews and the tasting room, where we do some wine tasting, is completely made from old oak from barrels. The wines are superb and their iconinc Biolento wine is the perfect example produce of this unusual winery. The organic wine is made grapes grown without the use of fertilisers and pesticides, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfiltered.

Our next stop is the boutique olive oil producer Maguay. This small “Olivícola” produces artisanal olive oil of spectacular high quality, with a very low acidity. It is situated in a building from the early 1900’s where the family winery used to be. The owners, the Giol family, live next door in a Victorian manor house and still take time to chat to visitors. The visit starts at the olive grove where you learn about the difference in varieties, irrigation system and harvest. The tasting is in the old cellar accompanied by fresh olives and wine.

Our last winery is the Mil Suelos, which produces certified organic wines. Its owner and winemaker Alejandro Sejanovich, has developed over 60 small wine projects and educational programs all over Argentina: from the northern tip of Argentina to remote and wild Patagonia in the south. Many of his wines have been widely recognized by specialist wine magazines. Our lunch at Mil Suelos is yet again a combination of wine tasting and fine food.

The evening is free.

Today we depart Mendoza for our flights back to Buenos Aires. On arrival at the hotel, we have some time at leisure before our farewell dinner and tango show this evening.

Tango is everywhere in Buenos Aires. Argentinians believe that only in Buenos Aires could the tango be born- only in this city of immigrants could music of such emotional depth spring forth and take hold of a population. In the early days, tango was most often heard in seedy cafés and the dance was performed by two men. Today, tango has evolved into an important cornerstone of Argentine culture. The spirit of the dance is captured and expressed everywhere, from small milongas- tiny bars where an ageing porteño sings of a long-lost love to huge theatre venues.

This evening, get ready to watch dancers embraced in passion as they dance to the strong beat of Tango as we attend a show together for our farewell evening, to be enjoyed alongside a three-course dinner and wine. Wear your comfortable shoes in expectation of being shown a few steps yourself - a quick Tango Class is part of the evening.

We bid a fond farewell to our fellow members today, as we fly home with unforgettable memories of our time (and wine!) in Argentina. We'll arrange your departure transfers to Buenos International Airport to meet your departure flights.