Liza Mandeville and Family
Sample Itinerary
Day 1
ARRIVAL IN BUENOS AIRES
Arrive into the vibrant city of Buenos Aires and transfer to your hotel. After you settle in a bit, take a walking tour with your guide and explore the sights of Northern Buenos Aires. Choose to check out some of the main attractions, meander through the small local boutiques of Recoleta, or stroll around in the city’s leafy parks.
This evening you will have the unique and mouth-watering “Argentine Experience.” There is no better way to experience a culture than to sample its cuisine, and there’s no better way to get to know food than to make it yourself!
Led by two gold star chefs, you and the family can suit up in chef attire and get cooking! Class begins by learning how to prepare an empanada – one of Argentina’s most beloved culinary delights. After mastering the traditional empanada recipe, guests can create their own novelty empanada. Best empanada wins a prize!
In addition to the class, you will experience delicious appetizers, dinner, and drinks in pure Argentine style! Try grilled provoleta cheese with sliced chorizo sausage, homemade chimichurri sauce on a juicy fillet steak (vegetarian options available) accompanied by an Argentine salad. Unlimited wine is served to complement each dish!
Following your steak and salad, prepare your palette for Argentina’s traditional drink, called mate. Sip mate like a Argentian and snack on alfajores. Argentina’s national sweet, Alfajores are delectable pastry desserts dipped in chocolate, or covered in confectioner’s sugar. We’ll bring the melted chocolate, dulce de leche, coconut and other goodies and you can dip to your heart’s content!
Overnight Nuss Hotel, Palermo
Day 2
BUENOS AIRES TO ENTRE RIOS
Santa Maria is an authentic traditional Argentine estancia, situated across the flatlands (Pampas) of the province of Entre Rios, a mere 2.5 hour’s drive from Buenos Aires. Boasting over 2500 hectares, Santa Maria is the ideal place to get to know the customs and traditions of the real Argentine “Gauchos”. You can work with the Gaucho, while riding your horse leisurely across the vast plains.
In the afternoon you’ll have the option to ride into the local village of General Almada (3km away) to buy some provisions and mingle with the locals. This is a charming and traditional countryside town, with dirt streets and a population of less than 150 people.
In the evening, enjoy the traditional Argentine “asado” with barbeque beef. Estancia Santa Maria is also an established breeder of the famous Argentina Creole horses. If you are looking to uncover an authentic and complete Argentine Campo experience, then this is the place to be!
Overnight Estancia Santa Maria
Day 3
ENTRE RIOS
Today, relax and enjoy the facilities and activities at the estancia.
Pay a visit to the local school via horseback or horse and carriage. This is where the gaucho’s children attend school. After your visit, head back to the estancia to relax and explore the surroundings or you can watch and even participate in the feeding and plot rotation, which takes place daily. If you’ve always wanted to see what happens during cattle branding, horn-cutting, and vaccination, you can check it out too.
Agriculture plays a vital role in Santa Maria. Depending on the time of your visit, you can watch the ranchers at work, sowing, harvesting, spraying, fertilizing, and hay cutting the fields. If you enjoy birds, walk around and check out curious species like the “Ã’andu” (American ostrich), wild duck, heron, and many seasonal migrants.
Overnight Estancia Santa Maria
Day 4
ENTRE RIOS TO EL CALAFATE VIA BUENOS AIRES
This morning return to Buenos Aires in a private vehicle and head to the domestic airport for your flight to El Calafate. Arrive in Calafate and take a private transfer to your hotel.
Overnight Alto Calafate
Day 5
EXPLORE THE HISTORY AND GLACIERS OF EL CALAFATE
Today you’ll begin with a visit to the fascinating Glaciarium Museum – one of the only glacier museums in the world. The Glaciarium is a modern and informative museum designed to help teach visitors about the history and current changes occurring in the area. The museum building is interesting as it was designed and built to seamlessly blend in with its surroundings!
After visiting the museum you will then drive into Los Glaciers National Park to visit the incredible Perito Moreno Glacier. An UNESCO World Heritage site, this park is home to one of the most awe-inspiring sites in Argentina. You will begin the tour by going to the floating quay of the southern branch of the Argentinean Lake, where you will navigate across the Ice Floe’s Canal and up to the front of the glacier to see the ice slides. Then, cross the footbridge to get an up-close and impressive view of the huge glacier wall. Admire the glaciers unique beauty as they calve and change right before your eyes!
Overnight Alto Calafate
Day 6
EL CALAFATE TO PATAGONIA
Today you will move to Estancia Condor, an incredible remote Patagonian ranch, located about 5 hours from El Calafate. It is a beautifully scenic drive on remote gravel roads through the Patagonian pampa where you can catch views of wildlife. Although El Condor is not a working estancia, it is beautifully situated at the side of Lake San Martin and offers you plenty of outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.
Overnight Estancia El Condor
Day 7 - 8
Patagonia
Enjoy two full days at the estancia – horseback riding, trekking, or even helping with the conservation project underway at the estancia. You can also take a cooking class and learn how to make fresh bread, pasta, and jams, incorporating fresh ingredients from the estancia’s organic garden. Overnight at the Estancia El Condor in Patagonia.
Overnight Estancia El Condor
Day 9
ESTANCIA EL CONDOR BACK TO BUENOS AIRES VIA EL CALAFATE
Today you will transfer to El Calafate by private vehicle to catch your flight back to Buenos Aires. On arrival into Buenos Aires, your driver will pick you up and take you to your hotel.
Overnight Intersur Recoleta
Day 10
DEPART BUENOS AIRES
Bid farewell to amazing Argentina and head home. Your driver will collect you and take you to the international airport for your flight home. Hasta Pronto!
