Classic Travel - by Malgosia and Jurek Majcherczyk

Day 1. Wed. 3/04.      Departure from New York/JFK

Departure from JFK airport in the afternoon. All-night flight to Buenos Aires. Dinner and breakfast on board the plane.

2. Thu.  3/05.             Arrival in Buenos Aires

Arrival in Buenos Aires in the morning. Welcome by a local guide and transfer to a 4* hotel in the city center. After a rest, a walk around the city. Welcome dinner in the evening. (D)

3. Fri.   3/06.               Buenos Aires - city tour

After breakfast, we will start sightseeing in the capital of Argentina. We will see the city center with the presidential palace, parliament and cathedral and visit the huge cemetery - La Recoletta, where the grave of Evita Peron is located. In the afternoon, free time. In the evening, at 7:30pm, departure from the hotel for dinner at the restaurant "La Ventana", where we will see a "Tango show". Around midnight, return to the hotel for an overnight stay. (B, D)

4. Sat. 3/07.               Flight: Buenos Aires – El Calafate

In the morning after breakfast, transfer to the domestic airport. Departure to El Calafate. Upon arrival, welcome by a local guide and transfer to the hotel. After accommodation, a short rest or a walk around the area. Free time or optional dinner combined with a gaucho show. Overnight stay at our hotel. (B)

5. Sun. 3/08.              Perito Moreno Glacier

After breakfast, we will start a full-day trip to the famous "walking" Perito Moreno glacier, located in the Los Glaciares National Park, which is on the UNESCO list. The Perito Moreno glacier, captivating with its beauty and size, has walls reaching 60-70m. If we are lucky, we will watch a wonderful spectacle of nature and see how huge blocks of ice break off from the front of the glacier and fall into the water. Optional excursions: a cruise on a small ship in front of the front of the bursting glacier. Return to our hotel in Calafate for dinner and overnight stay. (B, D)

6. Mon. 3/09.             Drive to El Chalten

After breakfast we will begin a 4-5 hour drive to the small town of El Chalten, located at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy, the 220 km drive will take us through the territory of the Great Lakes - Lago Argentino and Lago Viedma. We will stop for lunch (on our own) at the famous Estancia La Leona and at several viewing points to photograph the approaching soaring peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. The last of these is a place called Cañon de Rio de los Vueltas where we will experience how strong the Patagonian wind can be. After arrival and accommodation at the hotel, free time for a possible 2-3 hour walk around the town. Dinner and overnight stay at our hostel. (B, D)

7. Tue. 3/10.              Fitz Roy Trek

After an early breakfast, drive to El Pilar from where we will start a 4-5h trek, which will run along the foot of Fitz Roy (3,375m) to the Rio Blanco campsite (7km). For those in good shape, there is a possibility to continue the steep 1.5h ascent to Laguna de los Tres (2km). The lake offers a wonderful view of the Fitz Roy granite wall, the De Los Tres glacier and the Fitz Roy spires. A 3h return trek to El Chalten will take us through beautiful areas along the Rio del Salto and Lago Capri (9km). In total, we will walk 16km and participants who reach Laguna de los Tres will walk 20km. The entire route is a classic trekking route in Argentine Patagonia. Dinner and overnight stay at our hostel. (B, D)

8. Wed. 3/11.             Drive: El Chalten – Chilean border – Puerto Natales

A whole day for a car safari through the Patagonian wilderness, up to the border with Chile (360km) in the town of Cancha Carrera. Here we will change cars. After 1.5h we will reach the town of Puerto Natales, located on the Pacific Ocean, which is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park -TDP. After checking into the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. (B, D)

9. Thu.  3/12.             Trekking/Torres del Paine Park 1.

After breakfast we will go by our mini-bus to Hosteria Grey, from where we will sail on a catamaran on Lake Grey and after a +- 45 minute cruise we will sail to Refugio Grey. Short trekking to the head of the Grey Glacier. Then we will turn around and head south along the eastern shore of Lake Grey to Refugio Paine for 11km and about 4-5h. Accommodation and dinner at Refugio Paine. (B, D)

10. Fri.  3/13.             Trekking/Park Torres del Paine 2.

After breakfast at the Refugio Paine shelter, we will start by entering the French Valley to the British camp (754m) from where there is a wonderful view of the entire park. Further trekking leads down to Lake Nordenksjold and then to the Los Cuernos/Francese shelter. Accommodation and dinner at the Los Cuernos/Francese shelter. About 20km to walk. (8h). (B, D)

11. Sat.  3/14.            Trekking/Park Torres del Paine 3.

This third day of trekking, we will start from the Los Cuernos/Francese shelter and our trekking route leads along the southern slopes of the TDP towers massif right by the shore of Lake Nordenksjold to the Hosteria las Torres shelter. About 14km to walk. (6h). (B, D)

12. Sun.  3/15.            Trekking/Park Torres del Paine 4.

Our trek starts from Hosteria las Torres. Going up the Valle Ascencio valley we will reach Refugio El Chileno.

The vegetation here corresponds to the pre-Andean matorral, and then quickly changes into a forest, where the trail rises again. The last, most difficult stage is a kilometer long and is a continuous rather sharp ascent on a path winding like a snake. After about 1 hour we will reach the Las Torres viewpoint (870m above sea level) from which there is a wonderful view of three gigantic granite towers and the azure lake spilled at their feet. After a rest, return towards Hosteria las Torres. That day we will walk about 18km and it will be the most demanding day of trekking in the entire TDP NP. Return to Puerto Natales for dinner and overnight stay at our hotel. End of the 4-day trek through TDP Nat’l Park. (B, D)

13. Mon.  3/16.                      Drive to Punta Arenas (city tour) and flight to Santiago

Early in the morning we will start a 3-hour drive to Punta Arenas, a city located at the mouth of the Strait of Magellan. After a short tour of the historic center, transfer to the airport. Departure to Santiago in the late afternoon. Welcome by a local guide and transfer to a hotel in the city center. Farewell dinner. (B, D)

14. Tue.  3/17.                       Sightseeing in Santiago. Departure to the USA/Europe

After breakfast at the hotel, we will start our city tour by going to St. Lucia Hill, from which there is a wonderful view of the city. Then we will see the historic part of the city with the cathedral, the presidential palace and the congress. Late in the afternoon, transfer to the airport. Departure to the USA in the late evening. All-night flight to New York.     Dinner and breakfast on board the plane. (B)

15. Wed. 3/18.           Flight to USA/Europe

Arrival at JFK airport in the morning. (B)

*** End of the trip ***

Explanation of abbreviations: B - Breakfast; L - Lunch; D - Dinner/Supper

Patagonia

Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. It is located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the south west towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean. To the west, it includes the territory of Valdivia through Tierra del Fuego archipelago.

The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan in 1520 to describe the native people that his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 180 cm (~5′11″) compared to the 155 cm (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time.

Mount Fitz Roy

Mount Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén or Cerro Fitz Roy) is a mountain located near El Chaltén village, in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. First climbed in 1952 by French alpinists Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone, it remains among the most technically challenging mountains on Earth for mountaineers. Monte Fitz Roy is the basis for the Patagonia clothing logo following Yvon Chouinard's ascent and subsequent film in 1968.

Francisco Moreno first saw the mountain on 2 March 1877. He named it Fitz Roy, in honour of Robert FitzRoy, who, as captain of the HMS Beagle had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast.

Cerro is a Spanish word meaning hill, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche (Aonikenk) word meaning "smoking mountain", due to a cloud that usually forms around the mountain's peak. Fitz Roy, however, was only one of a number of peaks the Tehuelche called Chaltén.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, and 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This icefield is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. The reason remains debated by glaciologists. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres (3 mi) wide, with an average height of 74 m (240 ft) above the surface of the water of Lake Argentino, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres (558 ft).

Due to its size and accessibility, Perito Moreno is one of the major tourist drawcards in southern Patagonia. It is less than two hours by bus from El Calafate, and many tour companies run daily visits. A large visitor centre at the site features a walking circuit which allows both faces, and the surface of the glacier to be seen. There is also a restaurant at the site.

In recent years, trekking tours on the ice have gained popularity. The two standard tours are a "mini-trekking" option, consisting of a short walk of about an hour and a half, and a "big ice" version, which is usually about five hours. Tour companies generally provide crampons to customers.

Price: $5,990

The price includes:

The price does not include:

Optional excursions:

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