Arentinia -Chili-met torres del paine- Patagonia

ARGENTINA/CHILE/PATAGONIA

In our packet tours you travel all by yourself , Peru planet take care for you , we reserve and pay all your hotels and transport in advance .When you arrive in Argentina you find in your first hotel an envelop with all the vouchers for hotels /buses and excursions .The excursions you do in International groups with English speaking guides .Our local agent arrange also your transfers and give you the bus/plane tickets to go from point A to point B, like this you travel around by yourself but without worry’s ,all arranged thru Peru planet. If there are any problems, you always find support by our contact person in Buenos Aires!

• All bus/national flight transport, all hotels and the tours if indicated in the program.
• All your vouchers, information packet, like general info over all the places you visit.
• All hotels are based on double room with private bathroom, it’s a mix of 3 *** hotels and nice clean hostels,only in Chalten and Torres del Paine we use a hostel with dormitory style beds and shared bathroom, single rooms on request for an extra price, all buses are based on good buses, The bus to Iguazu is always royal class .
• Transfers ,are in the most of the places included ,if not its indicated in the program

Not included

• Your food, in the hotels is breakfast included .In the dormitory or national parks not
• The entry fees and taxes, like airport tax
• Insurency, everybody is obligated to have an travel insurance !
• Everything with the blue sign excursion  .

You buy yourself your international flight from home to Buenos Aires, and return, in one of the many ticket shops on Internet, so you can find one of the cheaper offers!

This is a tour for active and nature –loving persons, because there are many opportunities to walks and do active things, for all ages, open - young minded persons is what we’re looking for ! A positive mind is very important! Leave your Western way of thinking home and enjoy the beauty of these countries, accept that its differently than home, we come to the country to admire, not to change! We use hotels and neat local hostels in this tour, a good mixture of 3 ***, all central lain.and tents or refugio in Torres/park

Highlights

• The sparkling city Buenos Aires with its tango and nightlife
• Ushuaia, the end of the world!
• The immense glacier  Peritto Moreno
• Walking around the splendid Fitzroy mountain
• National Park Torres del Paine in Chile
• The thousands of Penguins of Punta Tombo and many other animals
• The impressive  water falls of Iguazu to the Argentinean and Brazilian border

Arrival in Buenos Aires George chavez airport, the transfer pick you up, at the airport and bring you to your first hotel in centre Buenos Aires. To do this, we need your flight number and hour of arrival in advance !!

Day 2 :

This first day quietly, after a long flight you have enough time, the complete day to discover this fascinating sparkling capital of Argentina. The city has several districts with each an other face. The best picture of the city you get by undertaking an excursion with a bicycle and guide along these districts ,the Plaza the Mayo, Casa Rosada (the rose presidential palace), Theatre Colon, Boca football stadium ,the worker district which has been built entirely around the stadium of Boca juniors with its colourful houses. Football is and remains very important for Argentina here lives still the football fever! You can  visit the football stage in a tour, the port "Puerto madero" is also worth the effort, with its an renovated dock with nice restaurants, the tango neighbourhood of "San Telmo", this is the heart of Buenos aires with many antique shops and especially the "TANGO" .Palermo" is the richer neighbourhood with a lot of parks ,Recolette is the nightlife busy place,,, around the cemetery where the very well-known "Evita Peron” try to rest, or visit the famous café Tortoni. You see sufficient and even too much to discover in this city , evenings in Buenos Aires are also an adventure .From sparkling nightlife, to excursion tango/diner shows enthusiastic till early morning .You can in the evening also enjoys Argentinean wines and huge steaks on the BBQ .

Today we take the bus for  3 ½ h to Chalten,(depending hour of arrival in Calafate ) .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 the 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 lose tres for example, where you stand on the foot of Cerro Fitz Roy with an overwhelming overview, very impressive! This walk is approximately 25 kilometres .In Chalten we stay in a hostel for 1 Night .

Everyone wake up early for an active day .You chooses a walk to your level, another highlight in this tour! If you don’t like to walk, you can relax in Chalten or go on a horse ride as excursion. In the afternoon you take the bus for 4 h to Calafate. On the road we certainly see groups of nandu's, south American ostriches, and other animals. Hostal /hotel in Calafate

Calafate is the base for a visit to the giant Perito Moreno-glacier, Included in this packet! which leads to an altitude of 60 a 70 m.and concerning a length of several kilometres in the immense Lago Argentino. The approximately fifty glaciers in the park forms the largest compact ice mass on the earth. Another highlight during this travel. The glacier, one of largest in the world, lies on approximately eighty kilometres from Calafate.

This morning you leave early direction the border of Chile. This road is unpaved, with scenic views .You sure see the Andes-condor ,this is its biotope ! Its the biggest bird ,its wings are as wide as 3 meter .After some hours bus we arrive at the border of Chili .Here we change bus and go direct to the National park of Torres del Paine . This is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular national parks! This large park has been named after to the three important granite towers. It has a large variety of plants – animals and with snow covered mount tops, waterfalls, glaciers and the blue-green glacier milk. Mountain lakes are all over the landscape. We even see a lot of guanaco's and with some luck a puma! The bus drop us at Refugio Torres . In the splendid park we sleep in Refugio’s, these are comfortable shelters. There are bunk beds, shared sanitary, rooms for 6 or 8 persons and you can buy healthy and nutritive meals. The costs for the meals you have to pay direct to the Refugio .The Refugio, s can change according to availability, sometimes we use also wide tents if the Refugio, s are not available!, but generally we sleep 3 nights in Refugio torres. You can do longer or short treks depending your own conditions .The splendid Laguna in front of  the torres viewpoint is a highlight  for many of us ,But it is a steeply climb !! Count on 6 h go and back to viewpoint and lake in front of the granite torres. Certainly worth the effort! On day 2 you can walk to grey glacier if you take at own costs the boat from pudette or you take a walk along the banks of the Lago Skottsberg and Nordenskjold concerning the path ` Sendero Paso loose Cuernos. On the road you see the Frances-gletsjer and some impressive mountaintops, among which the Punta Bariloche (2600 m), Paine grande (3050 m), Cuerno Principal (2600 m) and Paine Chico S. (2668m). You touch certainly splendid viewpoint! Also the surroundings of the park are splendid to make as excursions a Horse ride (excursion.)If you will sleep in other Refugio’s you have to tell us far in advance!

This morning we leave the park and go to Administration. From here the bus takes you to Puerto Natales .In Puerto Natales you go by yourself to the bus station and  take the local bus for about 4 h over paved road to Punta Arenas .This city lies on the southern point of Chili .Its just a stop over to make the trip to Ushuaia not to long .Punta Arenas  was popular in the 17e and 18 th century .Today its an important traffic port for boats .Take a taxi on your own to your hostal .In the evening you can take a walk in the nice colonial centre .The cementerio municipal, The cemetery  is a public museum ,real worth a visit .Taste also the delicious salmon they serve in Punta arenas .

The bus ride to Ushuaia takes a whole day ,(NOT ON SUNDAY ! )in 2 different buses. Take a taxi to the bus station by yourself .First to Rio grande ,from here its an other 4 h to Ushuaia ,That’s why you leave very early in the morning .We also take the ferry crossing the street of  Magellanes .This is the land of the Yahgan-indians, the mysterious “Fire Land . The name fire land has been considered by the Spaniards, they saw Ushuaia from their boats with a constant red smoke for sunset.

The national park Fin del mundo, have splendid excursion possibilities .Tierra del Fuego have a lot to offer, here several walks are possible. The park is situated a half hour drives of the city and exists from a mount landscape with grass countries, confesses, lakes, fjords and splendid dense bunches of coihue. Undoubtedly you see the Cauquén, a goose type who is not shy and regularly visit this area. The walks are not heavy and pass through concerning mount slopes, bunch and along the masonry bank of the Lapataia bay, you can see Chile .Included in this trip is a pleasant excursion walking/canoe/ tour in this pure nature! In the evening you can have a meal with "Centolla" or traditional Asados", Centollas are the largest crab in the world which is caught in the Ushuaia bay .This bay colours in the evening sometimes totally red.

After breakfast, you can take also an excursion on the Beagle canal, where the Piporiver ends. A boat brings you near Isla the pharaoh (the most Southern lighthouse), There are sea lions and cormorants or you take the boat which brings you to the penguin colony, or you go to the glacier with the cable car who brings you above the city, as from here you have a splendid view over the bay of Ushuaia or you visit “fin del Mundo" museum ,where they stamp in your passport . In the afternoon we leave fire land and take the flight to Trelew,the entree gate of Patagonia. From the airport in Trelew we go by bus to our hotel in Puerto Madryn (80 km). This city, a bathing resort, has complete an other tradition then Ushuaia, by the mild climate. The centre is busy and full sociable restaurants and cafés. On the long beach you can sunbath. Also are there several terraces with sea views. It’s also a fisherman port.

Today you can bring a visit in an excursion included in this trip to the peninsula and the reserve of peninsula Valdés. Sea lions, sea elephants, guanacos, armadillos, penguins and other sea birds are in large numbers present on and around the peninsula Valdés. From June to mid- November its the whale period . Then many whales come pair to these waters around the peninsula, from Puerto Pirámide. After birth, the mother till stay some months with the young in shallow water, before swimming into the Atlantic Ocean. The excursion boat trip depends on the weather and sea conditions and of the presence of the animals close the peninsula! Some whales are, however, about fourteen meters long and weigh largely 4000 kilo. At breathing time the animals frequently let see their four meters broad dark tail above the water .Often a whale swim under the boat. Most of the animals find the presence of visitors pleasantly and come curiously swimming around the boat. Here after the excursion goes further by bus and you will visit the sea lions - and sea elephants colonies. These sea animals are always present. Sea lions have been named after the African lions because the males have also long manes and a couple jaws with razor-sharp cogs.The sea elephants are on the beaches of Valdés, which they use to sunbathe and rest. The excursion lasts a complete day. At night after a long day, you can treat yourself in one of the sociable restaurants

In the Penguin season, which runs from October to March, you can make an excursion included in this packet to the pinguin colony of Punta Tombo. Here annually, thousands of Magellan penguins nest. The bus with guide brings you to the penguins’ colony where you can spend some hours walking between the birds. The animals nest in holes and appetites nothing to of visitors. They are the complete day busy with looking after the nest, the eggs and children or their feather package. There is many ` shuffling movement concerning the paths which lead to sea. Some penguins nest two kilometres country-inward. Here applies very strictly behaviour rules.

You can take many photographs, but are not permitted touching eggs or birds.

From Puerto Madryn you return to Trelew and take the flight to Buenos Aires where you can walk around in the city. If this day is a Sunday you can visit the San Telmo Tango market .In the late afternoon you take the real luxury bus for about 18H to Iguazu .Don’t be afraid of this! It’s a  luxury bus with services a board ,with meals , double space seats ,movies ,,,,,Its also good to relax and rest !With the bus we go slowly direction jungle with higher temperatures .

You arrive around lunchtime in Iguazu.Its situated northeast of Argentina, in the province Misiones, with his world famous waterfalls and his subtropical fauna and flora. Most of the time we stay in Foz do Iguazú on the Brasilian side, but sometimes in  Iguazu .These  places are situated very close to each other, its a must to visit both sides of the waterfalls. The  park on the Argentinean side ,also have beautiful walking trails with suburb views over the waterfalls .The mild climate invites us to relax after the long bus ride ,at our swimming pool !

These 2 days you have 2 excursions, included , full day to the world famous and impressive Iguazú-waterfalls Argentinian side and 1 day Brazilians side . The views are amazing! The impressive waterfalls are situated at the border of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. They are not the highest but the widest in the world! About 275 big and small waterfalls coming down over a distance of 3 kilometre ,with around 80 meter of depth ! This impression and overwhelming noise of the water coming down you never forget, for sure you also get wet! There are many tropical animals who are used to tourists .On the Argentinean side, you walk till almost in the waterfalls, the views from the walking pads are suburb! You have enough time to enjoy this beauty of Mother Nature. The highlight is the visit to the biggest waterfall ‘Garganta del Diablo’. You also can do some treks in the jungle around the waterfalls .One of the most spectacular excursions is the boat ride, this go very close till even under the waterfalls! Its fun and adventure and gives you breathtaking pictures of these falls!!! We guaranty you get wet!

Today we go back direction  Buenos Aires, here you can do your last shopping for souvenirs. You stay in our nice hotel. The people who like can visit this night as excursion, one of the Tango-diner shows or a performance in the famous theatro Colon .

Indication prices for the excursions, these are approximately and are variable!

- Buenos Aires bicycle city tour20 EURO/Tango_dinershow 60 euro/Ushuaya/entrée park 4 euro

Beagle boat 35 euro/ Ice climb  85 euro with guide, , Iguazu entrance 10 euro, helicopter 60 EURO, speedboat under waterfalls 35 euro ,entrée national park torres el paine 35 euro

Indications TAX Airport tax nationally, sometimes 15 peso/22 airport tax international 18 USD

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 650 euro, 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  

For reservation we need the following information:

v       Full name like it is written in your passport

v       Date of birth

v       Nationality

v       Passport number 

v       Flight number, date and H of arrival

Insurance
Clients are obligated and responsible for ensuring that they have adequate cover for the full duration of the tour in respect of medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment. It is our policy to check the validity and cover of your insurance policy and we hold the right to refuse travel to anyone whose insurance does not satisfy these criteria..

WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY THIS COUNTRY JUST AS MUCH AS WE DO!