Wine and Culture Argentina
Seasonal Information
Argentina is a land of contrasts that never ceases to amaze. The many natural wonders are breathtaking and marvellously unspoiled. Subtropical rainforests and spectacular waterfalls in Iguazu, the immense Perito Moreno Glacier, the sparkling lakes and rolling green hills of the Lake District, salt flats and cloud forest jungle near Salta, whales basking in the bay at Peninsula Valdes, and of course the miles of gaucho (cowboy) filled Estancia country for which Argentina is so famous. With the combination of all this natural beauty, together with one of the most buzzing and cosmopolitan capitals in South America, delightful colonial towns, a luxurious wine region and a population of friendly and welcoming people you really can’t go wrong with a trip to Argentina. It truly has something for everyone.
- Buenos Aires: Private full day tour, dinner experience.
- Mendoza: full board program at a Lodge with activities and wine tastings included.
- Salta: 3 days visit to Tolar Grande, 2 days visit to the big salts and purmamarca, and 3 days visit to Calchaqui Valleys staying at Colome with a wine tasting.
- The Pampas: full board program at an Estancia with ranch and farm activities included.
Buenos Aires
You will begin your trip in the vibrant capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, dubbed the ‘Paris of the South’. Buenos Aires is a thriving, colourful, and bustling city. A blend of old-meets-new architecture, with colonial style and vibrant baroque buildings sat next to contemporary skyscrapers. A chequered history of occupation and independence has created a city with interesting and enlightening museums, as well as art galleries, independent cafes and restaurants, theatres, and a renowned nightlife.
Mendoza
It is then on to a plane to Mendoza, the land of the wine, revel in some wine tours and more trekking near the mountain range of Los Andes. After decades of hard work, the former desert of Mendoza became green, fertile land which is now renowned for its vineyards and wine production. The optimum conditions for grape cultivation are here, and some of the finest Argentine wines are produced here, with many vineyards open for visiting. The Andes mountain range can be seen from the entire Mendoza region, and Mount Aconcagua, which is the highest peak in the Americas, can be seen rising in the distance.
Northwest Argentina
Fly to the northwest of Argentina to enjoy some wine tastings, you will also have the chance to travel along some great landscapes. Northwest Argentina is reminiscent of a wild-west atmosphere. Dusty and rocky landscapes contain sweeping and barren plains, colourful red rock formations, salt flats, and almost lunar-like mountains and crevices. This area of Argentina is also home to nomadic cowboys, villages which are bursting with tradition and culture, and desert bodegas – home to world famous vineyards. Many hiking trails offer experiences which will leave hikers and photography enthusiasts alike with once-in-a-lifetime memories.
You will conclude the trip at the outskirts of Buenos Aires in an Estancia, where you will just relax and do some ranch and farm related activities.
You will be met at Ezeiza Airport by one of our great English-speaking guides who will escort you in your private car to your hotel in the centre of the city.
Buenos Aires is a cosmopolitan, dynamic & generous city. It offers a rich cultural, historic and architectural heritage built by generations of Spanish, Italians, Germans, Russians and many other immigrants. The “porteños” are stylish, urban and friendly people who get the most out of their city. Buenos Aires is a blend of Tango, coffee stores, theatres, antiques, arts & crafts markets, museums, gallery nights, and gastronomic delights.
Full day city tour of Buenos Aires
On Day 2 you will have a private tour with English speaking guide to visit the city.
This tour will give you great insight into Buenos Aires and its fascinating and turbulent history. Each “barrio” has its own tales to tell, which you will uncover together with your guide.
Your expert guide will adapt the tour to your personal interests and if you wish help point you in the direction of your own explorations.
Hidden Buenos Aires
You will have a private tour to discover the hidden attractions with your guide on Day 3.
Today you will visit some of the ‘forgotten’ neighbourhoods, far from the tourist circuit but which preserve stunning buildings and magnificent histories. Barracas, Nueva Pompeya, Parque Patricios and Boedo are the urban grounds of old factories, working-class project-housings, remarkable churches and pretty local parks.
The Argentine Experience
In the afternoon you will enjoy a culinary experience with wine (NO wine cocktail class included)
The Argentine Experience is designed to give you an introduction to the best Argentine cuisine and culture. This is not a cooking class, but a fun and unique experience, where you will meet and dine with people from all over the world. Our international team of guides are on hand to spoil you and take you through every step of this culinary journey.
This tour includes dinner and wine but the transfers are not included.
You will be met at your hotel by your private driver and taken to the airport for your internal flight to Mendoza.
Upon arrival, you will be met and taken by private transfer to your hotel for the next 3 nights.
The area of Mendoza used to be a desert, but the hands of hard-working immigrants and the blessing of water and climate have turned it into a green fertile land. The city of Mendoza is both the capital of – and gateway to – this region, which offers optimum conditions for grape cultivation and wine production. In this area, the finest Argentine wines are produced, and many vineyards can be visited to enjoy a wine tasting! The Andes mountain range and the highest peak in the Americas (Mount Aconcagua 6,954m) can be seen from the entire region and can be visited on a full-day excursion.
Wineries tour to Uco Valley
On Day 5 you will have a full day tour to visit wineries in Uco Valley.
The mountains and the beautiful views in Uco Valley prepare our senses to experience the aromas and flavours of these high-altitude wines. Not to mention, the wineries we’ll visit which make world-renowned wines from this precious land, complete the tour. This high-end tour is designed for you to share and enjoy an excellent day of wine. We will visit some of the most important and highlighted wineries in the region. The tour includes premium tastings at 3 wineries and lunch – to be confirmed.
You will be met at your hotel by your private driver and taken to the airport for your internal flight to Mendoza.
Upon arrival, you will be met and taken by private transfer to your hotel for the next 3 nights.
The area of Mendoza used to be a desert, but the hands of hard-working immigrants and the blessing of water and climate have turned it into a green fertile land. The city of Mendoza is both the capital of – and gateway to – this region, which offers optimum conditions for grape cultivation and wine production. In this area, the finest Argentine wines are produced, and many vineyards can be visited to enjoy a wine tasting! The Andes mountain range and the highest peak in the Americas (Mount Aconcagua 6,954m) can be seen from the entire region and can be visited on a full day excursion.
These are days at leisure to enjoy the experiences provided by the Lodge you are staying.
The package at Cavas Wine Lodge includes 3 room nights, transfers from/to the airport in Mendoza, 2 visits to wineries in Lujan de Cuyo (Catena Zapata, Achaval Ferrer Altavista, Dominio del Plata -Susana Balbo-, Ruca Malen, Chakana, Norton, Terrazas, Séptima, Pulenta Estate, Lagarde, Vistalba, Cruzat, Belasco de Baquedano, Melipal, Walter Bressia, etc), 1 activity (rafting, biking, horse ride, visit the Museo Fader y Chacras), 3 lunches, 3 dinners (with non-alcoholic drinks included), 1 massage of 1 hour per person per stay, free access to the gym, pool, sauna and Jacuzzi (with previous reservation)
You will be met at your hotel by your private driver and taken to the airport for your internal flight to Salta.
Upon arrival, you will be met and taken by private transfer to your hotel for the next 1 night.
The Argentine Northwest is a land of contrasts, with colonial plazas, red mountains and green oasis. Indigenous culture is still alive in the traditions and folklore of this area, formerly part if the Inca Kingdom. Travel from Tafí del Valle to Quilmes along Pre-lncas ruins. From Cafayate to Salta visiting breathtaking vineyards and towns such as Molinos and Cachi in the Valles Calchaquies. Follow through Salta «La Linda» (the pretty) and later from Purmamarca to Humahuaca along tiny churches and colourful hills.
You will be met at your hotel by your private driver and start the tour of 2 nights to Tolar Grande.
Tolar Grande adventure
These 3 days you will be accompanied by your guide that will also drive a 4×4 vehicle
Day 8: After Breakfast we will depart from Salta city to Tolar Grande. In the first part of this trip, we will be going uphill to the northwest, we will go through Quebrada del Toro along road 51. We will observe the railways of the train to the clouds that followings the road. After this, we will cross the mountain range Abra Blanca at 4000 (m.a.s.l) and then we will be in the heart of the Puna area and after a few kilometres, we get to the town of San Antonio de Los Cobres. This is a typical Puna town at 3500 (m.a.s.l), very tiny with some adobe construction. After a time to explore San Antonio, we will continue to cross the Abra del Chorillo at 4800 (m.a.s.l.). From this moment we will begin the descent, crossing the Pocitos salt flat, Devil´s desert, 7 curves, abandoned stations of the c-14 branch, for finally arrive at the town of Tolar Grande (3,520 m.a.s.l.).
Day 9: Departure from Tolar Grande to the Arizaro Salt Flat (one of the largest on the planet), there we will observe the interesting formation that could be found in the middle of this immense salt flat “the cone of Arita”. Return to town to have our lunch. In the afternoon we will visit the Ojos de Mar (springs of freshwater) and walk on Tolar Grande Salt Flats.
On Day 10 after our breakfast, we return to Salta by the same Route. In San Antonio de los Cobres we make a stop to have lunch. Next, we continue south to the city of Salta.
You will be met at your hotel by your private driver and start the tour to stay in Purmamarca.
This town sits under-celebrated Cerro de Los Siete Colores (Hill of Seven Colours), an otherworldly, jagged formation resembling the marzipan fantasy of a megalomaniac pastry chef. The village is postcard-pretty, with adobe houses and ancient carob trees by the bijou 17th-century church. This authentic Andean village is a glorious spot and an excellent place to shop for woven goods; a flourishing market sets up on the village plaza every day.
Big Salts through San Antonio de Los Cobres
After passing the town of Campo Quijano, accompanying part of the route of the C-14 Branch, you ascend through the Quebrada del Toro, to Santa Rosa de Tastil, a small town with only one street. Continuing north on National Route No. 51 is the town of San Antonio de Los Cobres, named for being within its jurisdiction the famous Copper Mountain rich in this mineral. Continuing along the former National Route No. 40 and after an hour and a half following the old road of the troperos we will find the majestic Salinas Grandes, whose origin dates from an extensive period temporarily located between 5 and 10 million years before the present. Ascending through an amazing mountain road, and in a few kilometres, we will reach the highest point of the route and the beginning of our descent to the town of Purmamarca, the Abra de Potrerillos (4170 masl). Now we will take the famous Lipan slope that in just 20 km in length will lead us to descend about 2000 m until we reach Purmamarca (2300 masl) at the foot of the hill of the 7 Colores, on a curved road and against curves with amazing landscapes.
Humahuaca Gorge
On this day we will visit the Humahuaca Gorge, declared as Natural and Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO) in 2003. Main attractions: The Independence Monument, Cathedral Church and Municipal Building.
Visit to Hornocal; is a mountain range located 25 kilometres from the city of Humahuaca, it is a gravel road that leaves tourists on a balcony in front of the majestic hill whose symmetry and colour trap the opportune visitor. It is a stratified sedimentary formation formed by the Yacoraite formation (a limestone of ochre, yellow, green, whitish colours where the iron did not oxidize), from the end of Cretaceous time, 75 million years ago. This limestone is delimited by other well-oxidized sedimentary formations, of deep red colour, that cause the impressive contrast. It has a height of 4761 meters above sea level.
You will be met at your hotel by your private chauffeur/guide and start the tour of 3 days to Calchaquí Valleys.
The town of Cafayate is a town of colonial and baroque-style houses dating back to the late 19th Century is one of the most popular regions within the Calchaqui Valleys. It is an important tourist centre for exploring the Calchaquíes valleys, and because of the quality and originality of the wines produced in the area. Its church is one of the few churches of 5 naves in the country and has a sculpture of Virgen del Carmen (Virgin of Carmen) from Cuzco.
Calchaquí Valleys – Day 1 – Cachi with visit to Colomé
The tour begins in Salta, leaving behind the fertile Lerma Valley, passengers ascend along the Quebrada de Escoipe and then continue along the impressive Cuesta del Obispo and the Encantado Valley, surrounded by mountains. Then, the tour goes to Piedra del Molino (3,400 meters above sea level), through Los Cardones National Park, which occupies 65,000 hectares in the middle of hills and dry ravines of around 2,700 and 5,000 m.a.s.l. The area is covered by thick vegetation, mainly cacti that measure almost 3 meters high once they turn 250 or 300 years old. The magical Cachi, the highest area of the valleys, is a village at the foot of the snowy mountain (6,320 m.a.s.l.) that bears the same name. The town stands out for its old colonial-style houses that are located on the edge of narrow cobbled streets, its church dating from the 18th century and is known for its floor, ceiling and cactus wood furniture and its adobe walls. In addition, the town has an important Anthropological Museum, where the history of indigenous civilizations is exhibited in almost 5,000 pieces. Overnight in Cachi.
Calchaquí Valleys – Day 2 – Colomé to Cafayate
After our breakfast the tour continues along the national route No. 40, there are other attractions on the way: the town of Seclantás, also known as the “cradle of the Salteño poncho” is the home of tissue experts. Molinos, irregularly, stands out for its Church (declared a National Monument) built in 1639, where the mummified remains of the last realistic governor Nicolas Isasmendi are preserved. Angastaco: from where the Quebrada de las Flechas begins, named for its capricious forms carved by rain and wind erosion. San Carlos, an old town that originated when the Jesuits established the so-called “Mission of San Carlos”. Nearby, visitors will find the only stone mill to operate using the millenary system. Finally, Animaná, a town famous for its production of artisanal wine. We will arrive at Cafayate, a town known for its colonial-style, baroque, single-story houses from the late 19th century. Its church is one of the few temples in the country that has 5 ships. Overnight in Cafayate.
The tour includes: 2 standard wine tastings.
Calchaquí Valleys – Day 3 – Cafayate to Salta
You will visit the wine centre of the province, particularly famous for the “Torrontés” wine variety. In the town we will visit a winery where the whole wine production process will be explained to the passenger, as well as some wineries offer a small tasting as a courtesy. After lunch, we return to the city of Salta, driving along the Quebrada de las Conchas that originated in the Tertiary Age, 70 million years ago and divides the Lerma Valley and the Calchaqui Valley. Wind erosion has formed a succession of capricious natural phenomena such as Los Castillos, El Obelisco, El Fraile, El Sapo, El Amphitheater (with excellent acoustics) and Garganta del Diablo (The Devil’s Throat), a deep and narrow canyon. Return to Salta airport for your internal flight to Buenos Aires.
Upon Arrival you will be met and taken by private transfer to your Estancia for the next 2 nights.
In the outskirts of Gran Buenos Aires, there are many Estancias, extensive ranches with farmed and cattle land with traditional houses. Most of these Estancias are attended by their owners, who show guests a taste of real traditional Argentine life.
Many Estancias offer horse riding, some polo, while others allow participation in activities related to cattle and farming. All of them will surprise you with a delicious and authentic “asado” (barbecue). Estancias can be visited on a day trip or for a couple of nights stay from the entire region and can be visited on a full day excursion.
These are days at leisure to enjoy the experiences provided by the Estancia you are staying.
On Day 16, your final day, you will be transfered to Ezeiza Airport by a private service.
This program is subject to availability and it is NOT valid for special dates/National Holidays in Argentina. Flight information may affect the rates of the transfers according to the airport they are arriving/departing.
Dates are flexible so please make an enquiry and tell us a range of dates you are considering so we can check availability.
Full day city tour of Buenos Aires
You will visit the Plaza de Mayo with its iconic pink government house Casa Rosada and the noble Metropolitan Cathedral. Strike out to San Telmo, the once aristocratic heart of the city tragically hit by a dreadful outbreak of yellow fever it in 1871. The colourful port district of La Boca is your next stop, this vibrant working-class area attracted many Italian immigrants who settled here during the last decades of the 19th century, here the colourful Caminito Street is not to be missed. In heavy contrast your next stop is Puerto Madero, the redeveloped dockland area now full of smart restaurants, fabulous apartments and stunning modern architecture. The grand finale takes you to the Recoleta neighbourhood with its vast cemetery where the great and the good of the country are buried, and finally to trendy, park filled Palermo.
The tour does not include: Lunch.
Duration: 7 hours.
Hidden Buenos Aires
Magnificent Buenos Aires has so much to offer, you could spend days exploring its most iconic sites. However, for those who really want to delve deeper into its riches this tour unveils a hidden city beyond the tourist norm. Here you will find street art a plenty and traditional bars where you will uncover histories of some of the city’s most infamous inhabitants and their secret societies. As a journey that grasps both to the past and present of working class Buenos Aires, this tour will teach you stories of the immigrant workers that founded the city, the tramways and railroads they built and the tango and soccer they adored!
Your expert guide will adapt the tour to your personal interests and this tour is traffic depending however it is likely you will visit Masonic logia house, Hipólito Yrigoyen Station, Barracas, Lanín passageway, Florentino Ameghino park, Parque Patricios and Nueva Pompeya districts, Nuestra Sra. de Pompeya Church, Alsina bridge, Boedo Avenue, Margot and Manzi cafes.
Duration: 4 hours
Humahuaca Gorge
Along the route we will discover landscapes, towns and cultures. The change that occurs in the vegetation as it rises is notorious; the cloud cover that covers the hills gives rise to the live rock eroded from the hillsides and the solitary cardones appear. Unique villages are shown, such as Purmamarca, famous for the frame of the Hill of Seven Colours, visible from its scenic streets and from the handcrafted market around the main square. Maimará, of colourful slopes called Paleta del Pintor. It also surprises its cemetery, ‘suspended’ at the top of the hill and visible from the route. Tilcara stands out for its local festivities (Carnival and Holy Week) and for its Pucará (fortress in height) whose ruins have been partially rebuilt and convey a notion of the development achieved and pre-Hispanic way of life. Further north, the Tropic of Capricorn is crossed in Huacalera, identified with a white monolith. Uquía shows its chapel, built in the seventeenth century with the oldest altarpiece in the region, worked in laminated gold, being one of the 2 existing in Argentine territory decorated with oils from the Cusco school, ‘Los Angeles Arcabuceros’ nine in total, testimony of colonial architecture. Humahuaca gives its name to the Quebrada and is its largest population, with cobbled streets and iron lanterns in the corners, it is also the highest point of the route, 2,940 m.a.s.l.
The tour includes: Pucará de Tilcara entrance fee included.
- Private transfers and tours mentioned in the program
- Accommodation mentioned in the program
- Entrance fees mentioned in the program
- Taxes
- International flights
- Domestic flight
- Travel insurance
- VAT of accommodation with breakfast (passports are required to fulfill this exception)
- Meals not mentioned in the program
- Optional Tours
- Personal expenses
- Tips
Suitable for ages from 12
Some accommodation has a minimum of age to stay.
Seasonal Information
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