Itinerary
In this itinerary, experience the buzzing city culture of Buenos Aires.
Live like a local in this beautiful and sophisticated city steeped in history and culture
Day 01
On arrival at Buenos Aires' international EZE airport, where you will be met and transferred to The Pulitzer which will be your base for the next 6 nights.
We give you time to unpack and freshen up before departing for a welcome dinner at Cabana Las Lilas, one of Buenos Aires most popular steak restaurants for a very authentic Argentine dinner with some delicious Malbec wine. The steaks come straight from the owners' estancia.
Day 02
Get to know Buenos Aires with our introduction to the main sites – La Boca, Casa Rosada (presidential palace), Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta (fashionable neighbourhood) with its amazing cemetery, the Evita Museum and San Telmo, famous for its antiques' market every Sunday.
During the tour which will be done partly by coach and on foot, you will have time for a "media luna" (an Argentine croissant) and a great cup of coffee like most of the Portenos (the name which is given to the Argentines who live in Buenos Aires). Or how about a glass of wine and a little empanada late morning before enjoying a relaxing lunch in either Café Tortoni or La Biela – both famous meeting places and cafes from the 19th century.
La Biela
The café was founded in the 1850s and was soon a popular venue with politicians, artists and locals. In the 1950s Fangio, the famous Argentine Formula 1 champion, along with his international car-racing friends, used the café which is when it was renamed La Biela meaning "The Connecting Rod Café".
The outdoor terrace sits beneath an enormous 19th-century ombu tree, opposite the Church of Nuestra Señora del Pinar and the adjoining Recoleta Cemetery. You'll often see live street tango under the tree on weekends. This place ranks among the most important cafes in the city and is a protected bar notable.
Lunch includes main course, dessert, one glass of wine or soft drink or mineral water and coffee or tea.
After lunch return to the hotel to prepare for your first tango lesson in the late afternoon at the Maison Dandi
Tango classes at Dandi Royal
Mansion Dandi Royal is located in the heart of San Telmo, the birthplace of Argentine Tango. The Mansion offers those interested in this captivating dance an opportunity to learn more about it. Specialised English speaking teachers will introduce guests to the first steps to typical Buenos Aires music. Participants will also learn about the changing styles of dance through the decades and about its development in time.
After the class, you will be in the mood for dinner and to enjoy a typical tango show which will reflect the life and soul of Buenos Aires. Return to hotel to change and relax after your tango lessons before departing later for the Esquina Carlos Gardel.
La Esquina de Carlos Gardel
This beautiful 1940s-style club is decorated in Art Nouveau style recreating the elegance of the most luxurious dining rooms of a bygone era. Guests will enjoy superb cuisine and fine wine before the tango show begins. Worthy of a London West End show, the dancing is superbly choreographed and the performance of the artists is simply flawless.
Day 03
This is the day to discover the other attractions of Buenos Aires, such as handbags and shoes and some of the finest most covetable leather goods in the world ! Buenos Aires is a very chic and stylish capital no doubt reflecting mainly the Italian legacy of many of the immigrants. Our local staff can take you or direct you to the best shopping plaza and streets and help you if you require made-to-measure leather goods in specific designs. Clothes can be made up in 24 to 48 hours
No specific lunch venue will be included on this day in order to give all of the tour participants time to enjoy the freedom of the city.
We will meet back at the hotel early evening to take you on an exclusive wine-tasting reception followed by dinner.
Late afternoon/early evening wine tasting with tapas at La Cava of El Querandi
Situated in the colonial old house of El Querandi, La Cava wine cellar boasts a fabulous selection of wines of different vintages from Bodegas from all over the country.
Just some of the highlights for you to taste include fruity Syrah wines, subtle Torrontés and Cabernet de Salta, superb Malbec and unbeatable Pinot Noir from Patagonia.
The wine tasting includes a choice of three wines, each from different regions of Argentina and accompanied by a delicious canapé, typical of the cuisine of the wine's region.
Day 04
Transfer to Estancia El Rosario de Areco for an overnight stay. This is a fabulous opportunity to see the surrounding countryside as you drive along the Pan-American Highway. Depending on the season you will see corn, sunflowers and cattle grazing in the pampas. The estancia is situated approximately 1 to 1½ hours' drive from Buenos Aires.
Estancia El Rosario de Areco Polo Club
El Rosario is an estancia dedicated specially to the breeding and training of Polo horses. It has its own team and participates in local and national tournaments and the Polo Club is a member of the Argentine Polo Association.
On arrival, the estancia's gauchos will greet you at the gates carrying flags and riding on horseback as they lead the way to the main house. The estancia owners, Francisco & Florencia Guevara, receive their guests, introducing them to their house and offering homemade empanadas, wine and soft drinks. Francisco is a lawyer and History professor and would be delighted to converse with his guests.
Take a tour of the house or explore the grounds on horseback or on a horse drawn carriage ride around the estate. Lunch will be an asado, the typical Argentinean barbecue served with delicious salads. Guests can watch the asado preparation as delicious cuts of meat as well as sausages and ribs are cooked on an open fire.
In the afternoon, delicious sweet puddings of nut, chocolate and lemon along with other delicacies will be served with coffee, tea and mate, the typical Argentine hot drink.
Spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure before dinner at the estancia.
Day 05
Enjoy a leisurely morning strolling the grounds or go swimming, before transferring back to your hotel in Buenos Aires.
Today we suggest you pamper yourself with some spa treatments at the Pestana Hotel Spa before enjoying afternoon tea at the fabulous Alvear Palace Hotel. Their afternoon tea is served until 7pm and is one of the great treats of Buenos Aires in this wonderful elegant hotel, home to royalty and presidents along with glamorous Hollywood stars and other notable celebrities.
Transfers not included to/from spa or to Alvear Palace Hotel, however this can be arranged.
Evening at leisure or optional visit to a tango or milonga bar.
Day 06
Tigre and the Parana River Delta
Travel to the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires to where these two great rivers meet. In San Isidro we can take a cruise down the Tigre and Parana River Delta and enjoy the wonderful gardens and weekend houses on stilts
This is where local residents go to relax at the weekend. The many sailing clubs, restaurants and weekend homes make this a popular spot and its main highlight is the attractive houses on stilts typical of this area and the old residences. Today's economy here is based on wood, vegetable, flowering plants and fruit plantations.
A stop for lunch will be made at Maria Lujan restaurant where you will have a three course menu with beverages included, overlooking the river.
Enjoy an evening 3-course dinner at Casa Cruz in Palermo including round trip private transfers with an English-speaking guide. Wine and alcoholic beverages are not included in the cost.
Day 07
At leisure or time for optional tours - Perhaps take in a round of golf or indulge in a visit to a specific art gallery or museum. Or brush up on your tango with another tango lessons or even try our special Evita Tour.
Evita Museum
The Evita Museum exhibits the life and message of a remarkable woman in Argentinian history. The museum was inaugurated on 26th July 2002 on the fiftieth anniversary of Eva's death and is located in a petit hotel built during the first decade of the 20th century. In 1948, the large house on Lafinur Street was purchased by the social assistance foundation called Fundación de Ayuda Social Eva Perón to house the 2nd Transition Home, a site that would lodge women from the provinces during their pass through Buenos Aires.
Across thirteen permanent exhibition rooms and one temporary display room, the museum reviews the history of Eva Duarte from her childhood to her youth as an actress, and then her life as the First Lady, next to Juan Perón, and her struggle for female civil rights and the social work she developed in the foundation until her resignation and death.
Evening farewell dinner
We propose a relaxing informal dinner at the Costanera Norte where Portenos go to eat and relax at the many restaurants and parks.
Day 08
Transfer to EZE airport for return flight to UK or Cape Town OR transfer to AEP domestic airport for flight to Iguazu for extension trip to Iguazu Falls.
IGUAZU ADD ON
The Iguazu Falls are one of South America's most renowned landmarks and one of the great natural highlights of the world. Situated in the Iguazu National Park where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet, the falls are formed by rapids by the confluence of the Iguazu River and the Alto Parana River. Thirty-five rivers from the principal basin with two hundred rapids covering several miles finally join to form one of nature's most surprising spectacles, Cataratas del Iguazu.
The main falls are 20 metres higher than Niagara Falls and about half as wide again. Above the impact of the fall of the water on the basalt rocks below there is usually a 30 metre-high cloud of spray. The lush and wild tropical vegetation has an abundance of extraordinarily colourful fauna, including parrots, toucans, jaguars and tapirs - all sharing this orchid-rich national park that stretches for two miles into the jungle.
During a 2-day stay in Iguazu, guests will be able to participate in a full range of activities and enjoy some of the best of South American nature. The national parks on both sides of the Falls offer a wonderful range of tropical flora and fauna. There are many species of animals, including the black howler monkey, capybara, jaguar and puma.
Iguazu Add On Itinerary (optional)
Day 09
Arrive Iguassu and transfer to the Sheraton Internacional for a 2 night stay with breakfast.
Afternoon tour of the Brazilian side of the Falls
This tour offers fabulous opportunities to enjoy the panoramic view of the falls only seen from the Brazilian side. It is a 1½ km walk which runs part of the way down the cliff near the rim of the falls, giving a exquisite view of the whole Argentine side of the Falls. There are walkways along the banks which take you almost under the powerful Floriano Falls. From here an elevator carries visitors to the top of the Floriano Falls and to a path leading to Puerto Canoas. There are also smaller access paths for those who prefer to walk. (Guests staying at Hotel das Cataratas can start the walk from the hotel as there is a 1500m path through the gardens, which then follows the rim of the falls as far as the Devil's Throat). This whole area is now a Unesco World Heritage Site and the incredible humidity generated by the falls creates the perfect environment in which the lush vegetation and fauna thrive in this subtropical rainforest.
Day 10
Full day tour of the Argentinean side of the Falls (lunch not included)
A fascinating tour of the Argentine side of the Falls along the lower and upper paths takes in a closer view of this breathtaking marvel. Guests walk down the well-maintained paths with stops at selected points along the way where the guides will be able to explain about the Falls and the eco-system of the area. There will be plenty of opportunities to take photos and at all times guests can enjoy different views and aspects of the Falls and the amazing views across to the Brazilian side.
This tour is entirely on foot, and is suitable for all levels of walkers.
Day 11
Transfer to IGR airport for flight to Buenos Aires' domestic AEP airport and assistance and onward transfer from AEP to EZE international airport for onward flight home. Or, depending on the international flight departure times, we can add another night in Buenos Aires with roundtrip transfers.
Pulitzer Hotel (4*)
Iguazu Add On
