Arrival to Buenos Aires

Welcome to Buenos Aires! You will be picked up from the Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza and transferred to your hotel. Most flights arrive very early in the morning. If you would like to guarantee that your room is available for check-in, please let us know, and we can book it for the night of November 5.

Lunch is on your own today. You will have the option to join an afternoon tour of Buenos Aires, which will depart from the lobby around 1:00 PM and return around 5:00 PM. Those joining the tour will have time to freshen up at the hotel before tonight’s dinner.

The Journey of Smiles starts this evening with a Welcome Dinner to get to know each other and enjoy your first taste of traditional Argentine food!

Overnight: Alvear Palace Hotel

Sightseeing in Buenos Aires

Your first full day in Argentina starts with a city tour of Buenos Aires to get acclimated to the city and ground yourself in Argentinian culture and history. Following the history of Buenos Aires City and its striking neighborhoods, you might visit the main square—Plaza de Mayo—with its neoclassical Cathedral, colonial town hall, and the presidential palace—the “Casa Rosada” (Pink House). If time permits, explore different neighborhoods such as San Telmo with its narrow, cobblestone streets; La Boca with its multicolored tin houses and soccer stadium; and Palermo with its trendy shops and bars.

No trip to Argentina is complete without a tango show. Tonight or the following evening, enjoy a tango show and dinner at La Ventana. La Ventana is in the San Telmo neighborhood, in a restored tenement house—a classic of Buenos Aires culture. Its interior preserves the building’s original design and creates the ideal ambience for a traditional tango and folklore show. Enjoy music of the northern Andes and a local folklore show with “Gaucho Boleadoras.”

Overnight: Alvear Palace Hotel

Site Visit to Sonrisas del Futuro

After breakfast today, set out for your first partner visit of the trip, with the Association of Cilv Sonrisas del Futuro where you will tour the hospital. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing on to a patient home visit to meet families in the local cleft community

In the late afternoon, return to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.

Overnight: Alvear Palace Hotel

Travel to Mendoza

After breakfast, transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Mendoza, arriving in the late morning. Your one-way flight is included in the cost of your trip.

Spend the rest of your journey in Mendoza—one of the most perfect wine-growing regions in the world, with a dry climate, cool nights and hot days, mineral-rich water, sandy soil, and an abundance of sun. Originally a desert, Mendoza is now a beautiful green expanse thanks to an irrigation system, which dates back to the Incas and has transformed the city into a well-planned oasis.

You’ll stay at Finca Adalgisa—a small paradise situated amongst an old Malbec vineyard, at the heart of Mendoza’s wine route. Finca Adalgisa is full of history. The Malbec grapes that surround the finca were planted in 1916, when the area was a small town of summer homes and little farms. The finca was converted into a hotel in 2002, in an effort to preserve the history of the family and the winemaking tradition. The traditional Malbec vineyard continues to produce excellent wines.

Once you’ve settled in, set out for a full-day winery excursion, with tastings and tours of different wineries as well as a traditional, gourmet lunch at one of the vineyards. Each winery in Mendoza has a distinctive mark. Some are known for their unique architecture; historical presence; or modernity. Others are famed for their boutique status and small production; unusual techniques; or organic production.

In the evening, head back to your hotel for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Overnight: Finca Adalgisa 

Smile Train Partner Visits

Today will be a full day of Smile Train Partner visits. You will be transported to Hospital Pediatrico Humberto J. Notti. After lunch, continue to a patient home visit.

In the late afternoon—after spending a full day with Smile Train’s community and seeing the impact of their work—drive back to the hotel to relax and enjoy a delicious meal together.

Overnight: Finca Adalgisa 

Winery Tours and Cooking Class

Your last day in Mendoza will be a combination of local winery tours and perhaps a cooking class. Mendoza is considered the foodie destination in Argentina where wine bars, innovative restaurants, and gourmet food producers cater to international wine enthusiasts with a desire to explore. Long lunches and dinners, as well as relaxing siestas, provide a wonderful taste of Argentine culture. Clay-oven baked empanadas, fresh pizzas, traditional carbonda and locro, quince paste, and soft cheese are just some of the amazing specialities that you can indulge on. Surrounded by farms and ranches, everything in Mendoza is fresh and flavorful.

In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner with your group, soaking up the beautiful journey you’ve been on together!

Overnight: Finca Adalgisa 

Departure and Onward Travels

Today, depart for your flight home or extend your travels in the region!

If you are departing the country today, book your flight from Mendoza International Airport (MDZ). Individuals will be transferred to the airport depending on your flights back home or to another destination. We are also happy to support connections between the Mendoza International Airport (MDZ) and the Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza.

The Elevate Destinations team is happy to design a customized itinerary for you if you’d like to explore more of Argentina or its neighboring countries. Check out Extend Your Travel for some inspiration!