Best of Argentina
The Iguazu Falls, at 2800m wide, is ranked as the widest waterfall in the world, and is listed as one of the “7 new natural wonders of the world.“
The unique valley glaciers of the Patagonian wilderness literally crash into the turquoise waters of the Argentine great lakes, creating massive icebergs and a spectacle and thunder so loud, those fortunate enough to visit them will be changed forever.
The sophisticated capital, Buenos Aires, known to many as the “Paris of South America”, is actually a fusion of Italian, French, German, and English Sophistication in a Latin American Setting on the banks of the Rio de La Plata, which has the distinction of being by far the world’s widest river! This incredible 10-day itinerary brings you some of the greatest highlights of a land so beautiful, one simply must visit!
ITINERARIES
The Best of Argentina
This bustling modern metropolis has elements of New York, London, Frankfurt, and Venice, all in a Latin American Setting.
From the old, colorful soccer-famous barrio of Boca in the south, to the modern Puerto Madero Riverfront, and from the Jewish textile shops of Onse in the West, to the French Cafes and “Rodeo Drive” style “Avenida Alvear” of Recoleta in the North, this city has something for everyone.
We explore the downtown region, as well as the famous Jewish area of Onse, and visit the AMIA center memorial.
Our tour of this “City that never sleeps”, continues to the old BA La Boca neighborhood, famous for flea-markets and soccer, and we return to our hotel for a delicious dinner.
An early morning flight takes us to the quaint town of El Calafate, gateway to Southern Patagonia. From the airport, a magnificent drive along Lago Argentina and the nearby mountains takes us to the Southern side of the “Las Glaciares National Park”, and one of the world’s most beautiful glaciers, the famous “Perito Moreno.”
Our first encounter with this wonder of nature is by boat, where a short boat ride takes us up close to the southern wall of this ice-beauty.
We spend the afternoon admiring the views of the Northern face of the glacier from the extensive walkways designed for this purpose, hoping to catch and even film a calving, the spectacular scene where large chunks of ice break off the glacier from the summer thaw and crash into the lake below, with a deafening thunder.
We set sail on the pristine multi-shaded waters of the “Lago Argentina”, cruising past magnificent mountains and icebergs to the “Upsala” region of the “Las Glaciares National Park.” After close encounters with magnificent blue colored icebergs, we stop near the largest glacier in the park – the massive “Upsala Glacier.”
After viewing the massive glacier from as close as safety allows, we sail around the peninsula, where we tour a historic Patagonian sheep estancia.
A lovely kosher lunch awaits us at the estancia cafeteria.
We board jeeps for a scenic drive up the mountains, with spectacular views of the surrounding Patagonian forests.
A short walk up the hill takes us to the summit, where we are rewarded with a panoramic view of the “Upsala” and the turquoise waters it spills into – the best view of the glaciers, available only to the select few who come on this route!
Our jeeps take us back to the estancia, from where we set sail back for the mainland.
Today, weather permitting we are in for a very special treat: We drive through magnificent countryside to the Harberton Ranch, from where we take a small zodiac across the channel to Martillo Island, home to one of the region’s largest and most accessible penguin colonies.
This site is unique in that guided walks are held in the island in which we get the chance to actually walk amongst the penguins!
We return to Ushuaia by boat, visiting the fascinating Lighthouse Les Eclaireurs, Wolves and Birds Islands, and spend the afternoon in the magnificent scenery of Tierra del Fuego National Park.
We return to our hotel to prepare for a wonderful Shabbos at the end of the world!
Shabbat Shalom!
We spend a relaxing Shabbos at our beautiful oceanfront hotel on the Beagle Channel.
This morning, we fly to Buenos Aires, and enjoy a half day tour of the city, enjoying some of its highlights that we have not yet seen.
We also enjoy dinner in one of the city’s well-known kosher restuarants.
Today, we explore the falls on the Argentina side, enjoying the numerous trails in the National Park that reward us with sights and sounds most people only dream of.
A jungle train takes us along the river banks to a narrow bridge, which will take us to one of the best viewing points of the Falls, the Devil’s throat. After getting completely soaked by the spray, we return to the train station, which takes us to the main upper trail of the falls, where we enjoy the many different viewing points of the various falls that make up these mighty cataracts.
After lunch, enjoy a more intense trail below the falls, exploring the wildlife and scenery of the Iguazu jungle while enjoying the falls from a different angle. After a short drive through the jungle, check into our luxury hotel and freshen up for dinner.
Spanning 2800m at the meeting point of Argentina, Brazil, and nearby Paraguay, the mighty “Iguazu River” plunges down to the thunderous roar of the power of water, and the spectacle is indescribable.
Today, we cross the border into Brazil, and view the falls from the Brazilian side of this massive river. Here, the views are incredibly unique, and the whole panorama of the falls is visible. In truth, It is impossible to describe the splendor and uniqueness of both sides of these incredible wonders of nature. One keeps thinking the view cannot get any better, but it just keeps improving!
On the Brazilian side, we also approach the falls by boat, and get soaking wet from the spray and the waves.
We visit the Exotic bird park, home to one of the greatest collections of parrots and Toucans in the world, many indigenous to the region, and some of which we hope to see in the wild in the park as well. This park is a world in its own right, and one even gets the opportunity to have a photo taken with a real live Toucan! We return to our hotel in Argentina for a delicious dinner, inspired by the largest waterfalls on this planet!
We fly back to Buenos Aires for a last short tour of the city, then on to the airport for our flight home, enriched with incredible memories of the jungles, glaciers, and urban buzz of this fascinating land!.
FAQ
These FAQ's are specific to this tour. For general info please visit our FAQ page
Visas
- Citizens of the U.S., most commonwealth countries, Israel, and South Africa, entering Argentina and most Latin American countries on regular passports (not temporary passports), do not require visas.
- In addition, requirements for American citizens to apply in advance for Brazilian visas and to pay Argentinean reciprocity fees have recently been abolished, granting effective visa free travel to U.S. citizens as well!
- As Visa regulations change from time to time and differ from country to country , so all clients need to check their own requirements with the consulates of the countries they will be visiting at least 3 months prior to their trip-GKS cannot be held responsible for validity of visa information, and the above serves just as a guide.
- Visitors must ensure that they have at least 4 blank VISA pages (not endorsement pages) in their passport and that there passport is valid for at least 6 months after the end of their trip.
- though we try our best to provide up to date information, GKS cannot take responsibility for accuracy of visa information, which MUST be verified by the consulates of the countries concerned!
Flights
- This tour begins and ends in Buenos Aires. Please arrive the day before the trip commences and leave the evening of the last day. Local flights will be booked by us as a group and added to your first payment.
Security
- Argentina is generally a very safe destination for tourists.
- Like in all large cities, certain parts of Buenos Aires and other large cities can be subject to frequent crime, and should be not be walked alone at night.
- pickpocketing is common, and valuable should be looked after
- Argentina is generally a very Jewish-friendly country that make Jewish residents and visitors feel very welcome.
- Like anywhere in the world today, the global terror threat is always there, and we keep all the finer details of our itineraries offline as a precaution, in ALL venues that we operate in around the world- exact venues and final dates of tours are only made known to confirmed participants.
Weather and Climate
- Argentina spans a huge area from the subtropics to the subantarctic, and the climate varies tremendously.
- In the North, Iguazu experiences a mild to warm winter and scorching summer, whereas in the far South, Los Glaciares National Park and Ushuaia experience cold summers and freezing winters.
- Buenos Aires has a semi-mediterranean style climate with mild-cold winters and hot-humid summers.
- Higher elevations even along the equator can get very cold at any time of the year.
- In short, check your itinerary carefully and pack accordingly, as you will probably need a variety of summer and winter clothing for your trip!
Medical
Argentina has a relatively modern health-care system and good medical care is available in all main urban centres.
- The same cannot be said for more remote locations and most other Latin American countries, so travelling with basic medications and first aid is always advisable, as is emergency evacuation and medical/travel insurance.
Yellow fever innoculations or official exemption certificates are required by certain countries for re-entry though actual risk of infection is negligable- consult your travel clinic.
Currency
- The unit of currency in Argentina is the peso which is currently valued at about 205.01 ARS = 1$, although currency fluctuations can be rather drastic, as can the variance in the actual exchange rate offered- The current inflation rate is VERY high and the currency is highly unstable.
- Certain ATMs in the region accept most foreign Visa cards , but are UNRELIABLE, and a good combination of local currency, $US cash, and cards is usually the best way to go.
- Many vendors in the region will ONLY accept cash, but many are all too eager for $US.
- The GOOD NEWS is that being on an organized trip, you only really need cash for the small things, so its nothing to worry about!