12-day itinerary
12 Days in Argentina
Buenos Aires & Patagonia
Argentina ignites the senses with world-class steakhouses and milongas in Buenos Aires before plunging you into the raw, wind-carved wilderness of Patagonia's glaciers and granite towers. This 12-day adventure blends urban grit, gaucho culture, and jaw-dropping Andean landscapes into an unforgettable southern odyssey.
Morning: Land at Ezeiza, take the Tienda León shuttle to your Palermo hotel and check in to recharge after the long flight.
Afternoon: Stroll through the leafy plazas of Palermo Soho, duck into independent boutiques, and grab a medialunas and cortado at Café El Federal.
Evening: Ease into Buenos Aires nights with a classic bife de chorizo and Malbec at Don Julio parrilla on Guatemala Street, arriving before 8 PM to avoid queues.
Morning: Wander the cobblestoned streets of San Telmo, browse the antiques market on Plaza Dorrego, and sip mate with locals in Parque Lezama.
Afternoon: Visit the Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo then walk north to the striking MALBA museum for its Latin American contemporary collection.
Evening: Attend a live milonga at La Catedral — arrive after 11 PM when the dancing truly ignites inside the atmospheric warehouse venue.
Morning: Take a taxi to the vivid corrugated-iron houses of Caminito in La Boca, photograph street tango performers, and explore the Fundación PROA gallery.
Afternoon: Head to Recoleta Cemetery to find Evita Perón's tomb among the labyrinthine marble mausoleums, then relax in the adjacent rose gardens.
Evening: Enjoy craft beer and empanadas at El Federal bar before catching a football match at La Bombonera if Boca Juniors are playing at home.
Morning: Fly from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery to El Calafate (3 hrs) — book with LATAM or Aerolíneas for best domestic rates — and collect your hire car or transfer.
Afternoon: Check in to your lakeside hostería, then drive to Lago Argentino viewpoints for your first glimpse of otherworldly turquoise Patagonian water.
Evening: Dine on slow-roasted lamb asado at La Tablita restaurant on Rosales street, a local institution since 1979.
Morning: Drive 80 km west to Los Glaciares National Park and walk the metal boardwalks above the roaring, electric-blue face of Perito Moreno Glacier.
Afternoon: Strap on crampons for the Minitrekking experience — a two-hour guided walk across the glacier surface with dramatic ice seracs all around you.
Evening: Return to El Calafate, toast your glacier adventure with a whisky chilled by millennium-old ice at Shackleton Bar on Libertador Avenue.
Morning: Cross into Chile by bus via the Río Turbio border crossing (5 hrs) — the Bus Sur service is reliable and includes passport stamping stops.
Afternoon: Arrive in Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine, settle into your hostel or boutique hotel, and stock up on trail snacks at the local market.
Evening: Brief yourself on tomorrow's trek at the outdoor gear shops on Bulnes street and eat hearty centolla (king crab) chowder at Afrigonia restaurant.
Morning: Leave by shuttle at 7 AM to Torres del Paine park, enter at the Laguna Amarga gate, and begin the 9 km ascent through lenga beech forest.
Afternoon: Reach the stunning glacial Mirador Las Torres lake at 2,000 m to see the three granite towers reflected in milky turquoise water — allow time to absorb the view.
Evening: Descend back to the Chileno refugio, enjoy a hot meal with fellow trekkers, then shuttle back to Puerto Natales by 9 PM.
Morning: Return to the park via the park's western sector and hike 11 km to Lago Grey for close-up views of the massive Grey Glacier calving into steel-grey waters.
Afternoon: Rent a kayak from Kayak en Patagonia to paddle among drifting blue icebergs on Lago Grey — a completely silent and surreal experience.
Evening: Drive back to Puerto Natales and celebrate with Patagonian lamb ribs and a cold Austral beer at the Última Esperanza restaurant on the waterfront.
Morning: Transfer to Punta Arenas airport (3 hrs by bus) for your connecting flight through Santiago or direct to Buenos Aires — allow 4 hours for the connection.
Afternoon: Arrive in Buenos Aires by mid-afternoon, check into a Palermo hotel, and decompress with a walk along the Costanera Norte riverfront.
Evening: Celebrate your Patagonia adventure at Tegui, one of Buenos Aires' best fine-dining restaurants — chef Germán Martegani's tasting menu is exceptional value at €55.
Morning: Catch the Mitre train from Retiro station to Tigre (1 hr, €0.30) and board a public lancha colectiva boat into the labyrinthine Paraná Delta waterways.
Afternoon: Kayak through narrow jungle channels with Remeros de Tigre outfitters, spot howler monkeys and capybaras in the riverside vegetation.
Evening: Return to Buenos Aires and indulge in a craft cocktail tasting session at Florería Atlántico bar in Retiro — consistently ranked among the world's top 50 bars.
Morning: Jog or cycle along the renovated Puerto Madero docks, cross the stunning Puente de la Mujer bridge, and visit the Ecological Reserve for birdwatching.
Afternoon: Visit the Bosques de Palermo rose gardens then the Museo Evita for a deeply moving account of Argentina's most iconic political figure.
Evening: Book a final parrilla feast at Cabaña Las Lilas in Puerto Madero — splurge on the 400-gram ojo de bife with chimichurri for a proper farewell dinner.
Morning: Wake early for one last cortado and medialunas at a neighbourhood café, then browse Palermo for final souvenir leather goods and artisanal dulce de leche.
Afternoon: Pack carefully — Argentine customs limits 2 kg of artisanal food imports — then take the Tienda León shuttle back to Ezeiza airport for departure.
Evening: Board your overnight flight home with suitcase full of Malbec, memories of granite towers, and the unmistakable rhythm of Buenos Aires still in your bones.
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