The San Martin Tour

Day 1

Overnight flight to Buenos Aires 

Fly to Buenos Aires on a direct overnight British Airways flight.

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Day 2

Buenos Aires

On arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel in the city centre for a three night stay. Your guide will be on hand to brief you on things to do in Buenos Aires and anything you need to know about your trip ahead.

Buenos Aires is often noted as the most stylish and romantic of South America's capital cities, full of European influences but with a distinct Latin American flair. It is for this reason that Buenos Aires is known as "the Paris of South America". Situated on the historic River Plate, it is divided into distinct barrios, some of the most popular of which are the upmarket neighbourhoods of Palermo and Recoleta, traditional San Telmo, charactarised by old-time cafes, antique markets, tango halls and leafy squares and La Boca, famed for its colourful corrugated iron buildings. In between is the Plaza de Mayo, surrounded by grand government buildings, including the Casa Rosada.

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Day 3

Buenos Aires at leisure or optional excursions

We have a range of excursions available providing many authentic experiences to enhance your stay in Buenos Aires: Veloso Tours Special In-Depth Tour, history, culture and local life; learn about the history of Argentina through its fascinating museums; magnificent Architecture of Buenos Aires's historical palaces; art galleries (MALBA: modern art, fine arts, decorative arts); museum of the life of Evita Peron; parks of Palermo and Rose Garden; casa Rosada Presidential Palace, or inside the National Congress building; classical music, opera or ballet at the Colon Theatre, or a guided tour; tango Show, dance lessons, or night out at a Tango club 'Milonga'; museum of Foreign Debt (worthwhile for anyone interested in finance); football Match and tour of the Boca Juniors stadium; life of Pope Francis in Buenos Aires; Jewish Community and Synagogues; aerial tour of Buenos Aires by Helicopter; shopping for leather goods including bags, belts and tailor-made jacket.

Full day trips outside the city: gaucho, country life and estancias in San Antonio de Areco; day out to see a Polo Match, or take a Polo Lesson; visit the historic town of Colonia in Uruguay, crossing the river Plate by ferry; visit to Tigre, a small town up the River Plate, with boat trip into the Delta.

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Day 4

At leisure

Day 5

Fly to Salta

Today you will fly west to the colonial city of Salta, which sits in the Lerma valley surrounded by mountain peaks in the Northwest of Argentina. We stay for 2 nights. You will have the afternoon at leisure to enjoy this city of fine plazas, beautiful colonial architecture and magnificent churches.

 

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Day 6

Cafayate Desert landscapes and winery

In this full day you will venture out into the dramatic scenery which unfolds south of the city, reaching Cafayate and then returning to Salta for the evening. En-route you will stop at the Quebrada de las Conchas (the Gorge of Shells), where wind and water erosion have carved curious shapes on the rocks, creating several distinct formations with vivid names, including the Amphitheater and the Devil's Throat. 

Upon arrival in Cafayate you will visit one of the local wineries, famous for their production of Torrontes, with special characteristics due to the unique climate and land. In the afternoon there will be time to explore the town and visit the magnificent colonial church, stroll around the leafy square, browse the handicraft stalls and shops, or visit the fascinating modern wine museum. You will then return to Salta along the same picturesque route.

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Day 7

Self-drive from Salta to Purmamarca

Collect your car and drive to Pumamarca. It is easy to self-drive in Argentina, as the roads are not busy and generally quite safe. It is a very scenic drive; the provinces of Salta and neighbouring Jujuy are well-known for their high mountain and desert landscapes, with wind-sculpted gorges and red-ochre coloured rock formations, high altitude salt flats and winding mountains roads. 

Among this desert scenery there are a number of rivers providing green foliage which contrasts the dry surroundings, as well as micro-climates which produce humid forests and jungles, like the one which stretches between the cities of Salta and Jujuy. You will drive north from Salta along these roads, stopping in Jujuy to admire the colonial churches if you wish. Arrive at Purmamarca, an ancient settlement surrounded by towering mountains, including the famous ‘Seven Colours Hill’, where you overnight.

You may also wish take visit the Salinas Grandes, a 90 minute mountain drive to see the salt flats. 

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Day 8

Self-drive from Purmamarca to Salta

The following day you will continue north, along the main road through Humahuaca Gorge, to the thriving colonial town of Humahuaca. Here you can visit the historic church and the monument to independence heroes. You then head back south towards Salta (where you overnight), with a possible stop at the small colonial town of Tilcara and the pre-Inca archaeological site ‘Pucara de Tilcara’. Return the car in the evening.

Day 9

Fly to Iguazu

Fly to Iguazu and transfer to your chosen hotel or lodge for a 2 night stay.

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Day 10

Explore Iguazu Falls

Set in sprawling sub-tropical rainforest on the border between Brazil and Argentina, the Iguazu Falls are one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders. Vast torrents of water cascade over a myriad of falls in a 1.7 mile long horseshoe-shaped curve in the Iguazu River. In total the falls are twice as wide and a third taller than Niagara.

The Argentinean side provides three major trails to give you a wonderful overview of the falls, from both near and afar, including a close encounter with the mighty Devil's Throat - the epicentre of the action. You can take boat trips to see the waterfalls from below and even take to the skies on a panoramic helicopter ride.

Your Veloso Tours guide will show you this natural wonder, taking you on walkways and trails away from the crowds of tourists so you get a better view. There is also the opportunity to travel over to the Brazilian side of the falls for a different perspective.

Day 11

Transfer to Posadas via San Ignacio Ruins

The tour continues with a scenic drive from Iguazu to Posadas, the gateway to the Iberá Wetlands - one of the continent's premier wildlife destinations. On the way to Posadas you will stop at the Ruins of San Ignacio Miní, one of the best preserved Jesuit missionary settlements in South America. Nestled amid lush vegetation, as well as showcasing a fine baroque architecture style, the ruins also teach us about the fascinating existence of the Jesuits, their efforts to evangelise the local Guaraní people and how they ultimately were suppressed and the mission destroyed in the early nineteenth century. 

You will then continue on to your lodge, where you will stay for the next two nights.

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Day 12

Iberá Wetlands excursions with lodge guides

The Iberá Wetlands are undoubtedly one of the best places to observe wildlife, birds and exotic flora in Latin America. It is a huge reserve made up of shallow swamps, lagoons, marshland and rivers, fed by fresh rainwater during the rainy season and full of lush vegetation. These conditions provide a perfect habitat for wildlife, with marshland deer, rhea, capybara, collared peccary, maned wolf, caiman, otters, and many species of birds seen at various points of the year. As part of your stay at the lodge you will be able to undertake escorted excursions into the wetlands.

Day 13

Fly to Bariloche via Buenos Aires

It is now time to head south, flying to Bariloche in the Argentine Lake District, via the capital Buenos Aires. You will arrive mid-afternoon and be transferred to your hotel in the town, for a one night stay.

 

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Day 14

Self-drive to Lanin National Park

Having picked up your car, you will now head north towards San Martin de los Andes, where you will stay in a small lodge inside the Lanín National Park for two nights. The drive from Bariloche to San Martin takes you along the Seven Lakes Road, a journey that is every bit as spectacular as it sounds. Enjoy rolling alpine scenery as you pass verdant forests, snow-capped mountains and sparkling lakes along sinuous paved roads. San Martin sits at the shores of Lake Lácar and at the entrance to the large national park, named after the perfectly conical Lanín Volcano. The following day will give you the chance to explore, before making the drive back to Bariloche the day after, perhaps along a different scenic route.

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Day 15

Self-drive adventure

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Day 16

Self-drive exploring the Argentine Lake District

You will spend the next two nights in your hotel in Bariloche, from where you can take a wide choice of outdoor activities, including hiking, bird-watching, fishing, horse-riding or cycling. Alternatively you may prefer to use your hire car and continue exploring the scenery, perhaps visiting the Nahuel Huapi National Park and the array of scenic spots nearby, including the vividly named Cathedral Mountain and Enchanted Valley or the many glaciers, waterfalls, rock formations and mountain villages of the area. You will be rewarded with some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world. In the evening we suggest you dine out at one of the town's famed 'asado grilled meat restaurants.

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Day 17

Self-drive adventure

Day 18

Return car and fly to El Calafate

Fly further south, deeper into Argentine Patagonia, where your base for the next three nights will be the charming town of El Calafate, on the shores of the glacier-laden Lake Argentina, surrounded by mountains.

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Day 19

Perito Moreno Glacier

One of the highlights of Argentine Patagonia is the chance to get up close to the immense Perito Moreno Glacier, standing proud in Lake Argentina in Los Glaciares National Park. This shared full day excursion will give you the chance to enjoy a short cruise to bring you face-to-face with the towering wall of ice and to follow the wooden walkways for breathtaking panoramic views. It is from here that you can best enjoy one of nature's great spectacles, as huge chunks of ice detach from the glacier, collapsing dramatically and crashing thunderously into the icy waters below.

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Day 20

Glaciers and Patagonian Lakes Cruise

A fine way to end your Argentine odyssey is with a spectacular cruise through Lake Argentina towards the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers. Flanked by Patagonian forests and rolling glacier-covered mountains on either side, the vessel will navigate its way through the narrow channels, charting a course through giant icebergs to reach these two mammoth and remote glaciers. An invigorating, scenic and fascinating day of adventure and exploration awaits.

Day 21

Fly to Buenos Aires

On your final day you will be escorted to the airport for your flight back to the capital, where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel for your overnight stay. A chance for some last minute shopping in the stylish boutiques or a final tango show and dinner.

 

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Day 22

Return flight to London

Transfer to the airport for your direct overnight British Airways flight to London.