ARGENTINIE/CHILI/PATAGONIE

Tour for 25 days

Group with tour leader

START : 25 November 2010

Fixed departure date starts in Buenos Aires finish Buenos Aires

minimum 10persons,maximum 20 persons

The extreme southern point of Latin America, dividing Chile and Argentina, this is Patagonia. It is one of the most capricious mountainslandscapes in the world, a last impressive breaking loose of the Andes before going under in the sea . But it is also a country of endless splendid untouched nature areas, penguins, glaciers, dolphins, whales. We cross over Patagonia with bus and plane concerning a very large distance, certain is that you return homeward with pure lungs and a lost heart for this nature ! As an extra you get the water falls of Iguazu on top !

Highlights

v      The sparkling city Buenos Aires with its tango and nightlife

v      Sunday market in San Telmo

v      Ushuaia, the end of the world!

v      The immense glacier  Peritto Moreno

v      Possible to visit Upsala glacier

v      Amazing Bariloche

v      The boat / bus tour entre dos lagos

A bus brings us directly to Calafate is the base for a visit (excursion) to the giant Perito Moreno-glacier, which leads to an altitude of 60 / 70 m. and concerning a length of several kilometres in the immense Lago Argentino. The approximately fifty glaciers in the park form the largest compact ice mass on the earth. Another highlight during this travel. The glacier, one of largest in the world, lies at approximately eighty kilometres from Calafate. The Perito Moreno glacier ensure spectacular moments if there giant scraps demolish ice, which floats into the blue glacier lake .The blue coloured ice, sighs and cracks already millions years under the billion tons of weight, he moves itself approximately six meters per day an unique experience ! You can approach also the glacier closer with a boat excursion. Also an ice trek excursion on the Perito Moreno is for a lot of us truth excitement! With some pins under the shoes you go up the glacier. Accompanied with a glacier guide. 1 ½ h you climb over the working ice, surrounded with nothing ells than ice with strange forms. Superb blue pools of melt water are varied with walls of ice and snow. You have splendid view concerning these enormous ice mass and finish at a small bar, where they give whisky on the rocks ,so you also can taste this world wonder !You don’t need any experience or condition. You can make in this excursion certainly the most fantastic photographs!

This morning we take directly a bus who brings us in 3 ½ h to Chalten. Chalten is situated in the national park los Glaciares . This is the Southern point of the Ice cap ,to the foot of the Andes-mountains. It’s the starting base for exploring the Fitzroy mountains .Here is the Cerro Torre (3100 m.) and Cerro Fitzroy (3405 m) who dominate the horizon. From Chalten starts splendid trekking. A rising path by half forests area brings you to Laguna Torre, from where you have a splendid view to the almost vertical boasted granite rock points, covered with snow .This walk lasts approximately five hours. The Torres are similar with the Torres in Torres del Paine on the Chilean side, to you to decide which is the most beautiful! Chaltén have many different walks. To the Laguna the los tres for example, where you stand on the feet of Cerro Fitz Roy with an overwhelming overview, very impressive! This walk is approximately 25 kilometres .In Chalten we stays in a hostel for 1 Night.

Luggage and clothing

We recommend to travel as light as possible, around 15 kilogram’s a person maxima, we prefer a backpack or skilful hold-all, heavy trunks are bad in transport! Sometimes you have to carry your stuff !for example in a station or airport or in the national parks .The person who have more than 15 kilogram’s have to pay the extra overweight at Aerolineas Argentina themselves .In this tour we  goes from the north hot jungle to the south ice fields. In January its summer, this means dry and warm, certainly in the surroundings of Buenos Aires and Iguazu it can be tropical in the south it can be a bit cooler ,be prepared to cold and warm, good Walking shoes , a poncho, sunglasses, alarm clock , lip balsam, personal medication, not too much, everything what you miss, is possible to buy cheaper in Argentina !

Care that you have a clean pair of clothes in your hand luggage and are able, 48 hours without your large luggage, in case luggage arrives later than you yourself.

Money and passport

We recommend pocket money around 1150 euro,P/P this in a combination of travel cheques/cash/and credit card. This money serves for the excursions, meals and entrance fee money, at a normal spending pattern of course we can not know what you spend on souvenirs or spirits. Everyone spend differently .The money in Argentina calls Peso ,the euro is accepted in each exchange office, the best you bring approximately 300 USD in small bills for the airport tax ,and excursions ,the rest is better in euro. With travel cheques you will pay much commission outside Buenos Aires. Credit cards such as master card/visas are accepted at many places, in each place where we come are  ATM machines with Cirus signs, on weekends the machines, however can, be empty!. You don’t need a visas if you are from Europe or the USA .You always need a valid passport ,valid for at least 6 month and with minima 3 empty pages. At arrival you get a tourist card, valid to stay up to 60 days.

CLIMATE

In fire land the mountains give much influence on the climate. This immense mountain chain divides the country in different climate

Areas. The coast area, which consists for a large part of desert, is dry. In the mountains of Patagonia you can have 4 seasons on 1 day it changes very fast!!!Evenings can get cool and wind can be strong. You need warm clothes in the south, which you can buy even cheaper on the spot !

Best travel time: dry time of October till March. Then it is summer and generally dry

Medication

The mountains in Patagonia are not high so you don’t have problems with altitude sickness

Argentina doesn’t obligate any vaccinations.

We advice that you take some vaccinations like :

- Hepatitis-A

- DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, polio);

You have to start with these vaccinations about 6 weeks before departure .

Tap water and river water is drinkable in the South!!!

For more info ,look at  www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice    www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk