# 3 Week Trip to Argentina - Advice on Itinerary



## InfoSeeker (28 Feb 2008)

I have read every thread on Argentina and related ones on South America but would still like to get feedback from those who have been to Argentina or the bordering countries in the last few years.

Myself & my wife are heading there for 3 weeks in mid-October, we fly into  and out of Buenos Aires.

I have a lonely planet book & have researched the web but still not sure what itinerary we would roughly follow. We are both outdoor people, interested in hiking and in our early 30's.

I was thinking along the following lines:
Arrive into BE & spend 5 nights here.
Get a flight to nearest airport to Iguazu falls (1 day) to save a day travelling via bus.
Then head to Cordoba (4 days), Mendoza (4 days) & Santiago (4 days). Not sure on these 3 places so if anyone can provide feedback on them then I would appreciate it.
Then fly from Santiago back to BE & fly home.

I have given more time than is probably necessary for Cordoba, Mendoza & Santiago but not sure what other places I could see on this route.

Any thoughts would be welcomed.


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## annfield (28 Feb 2008)

Hi

Spent two weeks in Argentina last october, so flew everywhere, I agree with one day in Iguazu, visit both brazilian and argentinian sides in one day. 

Can recommend San Carlos Di Bariloche, skiing resort, beautiful scenery, fantastic restaurants etc

I coud recommend the following hotels

Club Tapiz - Mendoza   (Hotel a bit remote from town but in the vineyard area)

BoBo Hotel - Buenos Aries
Art Hotel -Buenos Aries


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## InfoSeeker (28 Feb 2008)

Tks Annfield, I am a fellow Pool supporter, well I am assuming ur a fan based on your username.

Would you rate Mendoza & if so how many days would you recommend staying there?

Did you go anywhere else on that trip that you would recommend?


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## lukegriffen (28 Feb 2008)

My recommendation is ...
Buenos Aires  - 3 nights (on way out), 1 or 2 nights on way back
Iguazu Falls - 2 nights 
Salta,  NW Argentina  - 4 to 5 nights in that area, you'll need to read up on it, you can visit salt plains and do lots of tours

Mendoza - a pretty town, nice for winetours,  2 nights
Bariloche area -  3 to 5 nights  

Fly to El Calafate for Perito Moreno glacier  , and if any time, you could pop into Chile from here to visit Torres del Paine, which is incredible.

Cordoba forget about, unless you need to transit for  flights
Santiago forget about,  Do your 3 weeks in Argentina, visit Chile another time.

If you need to get a long distance bus journey, don't be too put off, the buses over there are brilliant, and you could easily sleep on them if need be.


Try & learn some Spanish, bring a Latin American Spanish phrasebook/ dictionary.


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## CAA (28 Feb 2008)

We spent 3 weeks in Argentina for our Honeymoon in Dec 2007. Looking at your itinerary, I think you are spending too much time in Buenos Aires and definitely not enough time in Iguazu. We spent 2.5 days in Iguasu - which was the perfect amount of time to really enjoy both the Argentine side and the Brazilian side of the falls. While the Argentine side is better laid out for walks and boat trips in the area, the Brazilian side has great panoramic views of the falls and you can do a helicopter ride from that side (illegal on the Argentinian side).

I haven't been to Cordoba, Mendoza or Santiago, but if you are heading out of Santiago, I would recommend you go to Patagonia from Buenos Aires and then bus into Chile - stop in Torres Del Paine national park for a night along the way - it is really spectacular (as the last poster mentioned)!

I also think you can't miss Perito Moreno glacier in El Calafete - those babies won't be around for much longer and they are really something to behold!

I am with the last poster to forget about the other countries and focus on Argentina - 3 weeks is barely enough time to see all that Argentina has to offer, why miss out just to get another country in. Also, Chile is VERY expensive in comparison.

Another thing, flights and hotel prices in Argentina have gone up now that tourists pay 3x more than locals - it was something that really caught us off guard so just be warned if you were thinking that everything is really cheap there. Also, most things are best done as packages - you can get your flight, hotel, food, airport transfers, and excursions all in one. Normally, I hate that kind of traveling, but in some parts of Argentina (Iguazu, El Calafete) it would be a real pain to get around if you had to do it all yourself.

Lastly, if you want to see some of the sights mentioned above, you can check out a video of our honeymoon that I've posted on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD8LMHMVKqc

Happy Travels!


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## InfoSeeker (29 Feb 2008)

Tks lukegriffen & CAA, I appreciate the responses as the best advice is from those who have actually been to these places.

Santiago was merely because it was relative close to Mendoza in South American terms, we realise that you could spend a year in Argentina & not see everything.


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## InfoSeeker (29 Feb 2008)

Tks lukegriffen & CAA, I appreciate the responses as the best advice is from those who have actually been to these places.

Santiago was merely because it was relative close to Mendoza in South American terms, we realise that you could spend a year in Argentina & not see everything.

CAA, can you provide any specific info on this reference below to packages, ie did you sort this out before leaving Ireland & just sign up to various packages when you arrived in Argentina?



> Another thing, flights and hotel prices in Argentina have gone up now that tourists pay 3x more than locals - it was something that really caught us off guard so just be warned if you were thinking that everything is really cheap there. Also, most things are best done as packages - you can get your flight, hotel, food, airport transfers, and excursions all in one.


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## bamboozle (29 Feb 2008)

I spent a few months in argentina, my favourite spots would be IguazuFalls, Buenos Aires, Bariloche is nice but San Marcos de los Andes is far nicer, Mendoza is also a nice spot, Uashuia in Patagonia is definitely worth a visit as is the area around Punto Tombo where the penguin colonies are.

I would highly recommend taking the ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacremento in Uruguay- it takes an hour but it is such a beautiful town and probably one of the nicest places in Uruguay


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## joanmul (29 Feb 2008)

I would take an internal flight from Buenos Aires to Iguacu Falls and spend 2 nights there. I stayed on the Brazilian side and toured the falls on both sides. I can't remember which side we took the boat ride under the Falls - an unmissable experience. I didn't bother with the helicopter ride - it's only 10 mins. There's a huge amount of walking on both sides - preferably with a guide. Another thing - be careful in Brazil. Don't go down the village or wherever you're staying. Life is very very cheap there.


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## CAA (1 Mar 2008)

InfoSeeker said:


> CAA, can you provide any specific info on this reference below to packages, ie did you sort this out before leaving Ireland & just sign up to various packages when you arrived in Argentina?


 
Glad the info was helpful, IS. Re the package deals - we worked them out in Buenos Aires - we were fortunate to have family there at the time so they took us around to local travel agents, but it still would have been cheaper if we'd worked out our packages before we arrived in Argentina as we had to pay last minute airfares to Iguazu and El Calafete in peak season. Unfortunately, I can't recommend a travel agent to deal with from Ireland, but maybe other posters can. You shouldn't have to plan your entire trip before you go, but if you got airfare, transfer, hotel, meals, excursions packages for El Calafete and Iguazu from BA before you go, you'd save yourself a lot of hassle and time when you arrive in Argentina. 

Feel free to PM me if you want a lot more detail. I don't check posts very often. Happy Travels! CAA


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## Perplexed (1 Mar 2008)

I've arranged a few flights in SA through Trailfinders & found them cheaper than anything I could find myself on the net.  Eg. my main flights to Rio & back from Lima cost €874 as opposed to direct with Delta €1134 ! 

Internal flights can be expensive though. My flight from Santiago to Cusco via Lima & then back to Lima for return flight is €460. I could have gotten the first leg cheaper but it would have involved  traveling for about 14hrs as it goes all over the place. Do check out the Argentinian airlines as well as trying Trailfinders. Always a good idea to compare prices.


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## Kiddo (2 Mar 2008)

Did a trip to Argentina & Brazil in Oct 2004. Flew into BA and out of Rio. Definatly spend at least 2 days in Iguazu. The falls are amazing, totally breathtaking, and try do the boat trip on the Brazilian side...you get right in close to the falls, soaked to the skin but worth it. We stayed on the Argentian side - Port Iguazu - and just organised a day trip to the Brazilian side. We travelled on an overnight bus from BA..it took about 18 hours but it was a "semi- cam", basically a reclining seat. It wasn't too bad at all but we booked a few days in advance and got seats at the front upstairs - equivilant to emergency exits on a plane. I didn't rate BA at all and 3 days imo would be plenty. We also flew to Ushuia for 3 nights and I'd love to go back to go on a Antartic cruise Its novelty value is that its the most southerly inhabited place on earth. Book any internal flights before you go as they are a)expensive b) difficult to get once over there. The temperature can vary wildly...it was about 18 degrees in BA, minus 5 with thick snow in Ushuia and 36 degrees in Iguazu.

We headed on to Brazil after...but my OH has been to Chile and recommmends Mendoza & the Atacama desert.


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## finbar (3 Mar 2008)

Hi just back last Sat from BA, Iguazu, Rio. I booked my BA to Iguazu flight on lan.com 130 euro, found it difficult to get a flight from Iguazu to Rio , in the end got a travel agent to do it , 180 euro. Flew into BA and out of Rio with Iberia.
BA 5days, Iguazxu 3 nights , Rio 7 nights.
In Rio there is only 2 sights really , half day in each , sugar loaf and Christ the redemmer but we took Rio as a relaxing week on the beach as planned.


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## InfoSeeker (3 Mar 2008)

Thanks for all the advice to those who replied.
It has helped in planning what we do, last night we took the first steps and booked our flights
Cheapest option would have being with TAM but instead we went with Iberia, total price is 1k per person for return flights for Cork to London & then for London to BA which is not too bad based on the research I did. These were booked directly with the airline.

Nothing else is booked but I think we will do the following:
BA for 5 days
Fly up to see Iguazu Falls & stay for 2 days.
Salta for 4 days
Mendoza for 4 days
Bariloche for 5 days & fly back to BA & back home.

I think it is cheaper to book the flights before I go based on the feedback I have received.

I will book a hotel for BA before we leave but will book everything else when we arrive I think, ie in BA book for Iguazu Falls, etc.

Only issue I see is getting from Iguazu to Salta so will have to look into transportation, can always do an overnight bus and reduce # of days in Bariloche to 4. 
Need to see what how long it will take to get from Salta to Mendoza & from Mendoza to Bariloche.

If anyone has gone on these routes then can they let me know roughly how long they take, I will check out my lonely planet guide later


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## joanmul (3 Mar 2008)

We stayed in the Elevage in BA. I think it might be mid-price range. It was very comfortable, central enough for us but taxis are very cheap anyway. The staff there are very nice. www.elevage.com.ar.


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## JD77 (3 Mar 2008)

I am heading to Rio for 5 days Iguassu for 2 days flying into Brazilian Airport and out of the Argentinean one and 6 days in Buenos Aires. Can anyone recommend a hotel in Rio and also a hotel on either side of the falls as we are planning a night in each area?


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## CAA (5 Mar 2008)

JD77 said:


> I am heading to Rio for 5 days Iguassu for 2 days flying into Brazilian Airport and out of the Argentinean one and 6 days in Buenos Aires. Can anyone recommend a hotel in Rio and also a hotel on either side of the falls as we are planning a night in each area?



I highly recommend Casa Mango Mango in Santa Teresa area of Rio. It's been written up in the Guardian and Elle Magazine, but is off the beaten path, ecclectic, and reasonably priced

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2006/nov/12/brazil.riodejaneiro.escape

Unfortunately, their website seems to be down at the moment, but you can try emailing the owner at juliehughes@hotmail.com or ring the hotel directly at 0055 21 2508 6440.

Have fun!


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## Mommah (7 Mar 2008)

The lonelyplanet.com....thorntree forum has great info on these trips.
We spent 3 weeks in Arg/Chile a few years ago.
I wasn't gone on Mendoza...very polluted/smoggy and the wineries were all in sort of industrial estates outside the town.

What we loved was the white water rafting just outside the town....GREAt craic.....

We took a mini-bus from the bus station in SAntiago to Mendoza and that was really a highlight of our trip...the views...the roads...the company....the stop over in a little shack in the middle of nowhere for steak and chips and fizzy water for $5...gorgeous....

Defintely recommend having some spanish...makes a huge difference.

WE spent 5 days in Torres Del Paine in the south...out of this world...need to go after Oct as its too cold before.

Was underwhelmed with BA...but it was very depressed at the time we were there and I believe has picked up greatly


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## Delboy (9 Mar 2008)

book your internal flights through an agent based in Argentina- up to 50% cheaper than booking the flights from here. Thats what I did when I went there last September and had no problems.
If you go to Argentina, you have to go to El Calafate and the Glacier. It would be a waste of a trip not to, in my opinion. Also, Chalten and Mt Fitzroy is a 3 hour drive away from there. Great national park and hiking there.


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## Newbie! (9 Mar 2008)

InfoSeeker said:


> Thanks for all the advice to those who replied.
> It has helped in planning what we do, last night we took the first steps and booked our flights
> 
> If anyone has gone on these routes then can they let me know roughly how long they take, I will check out my lonely planet guide later


 
Hi,

We are currently in Argentina and would recommend the following:

The country really is vast and it really would be a waste of time travelling by bus when you only have three weeks. Even if it was overnight, some of the roads are so bad that you wont sleep for alot of it. We didnt so to Mendoza so i cant comment there. I can only say though that Bariloche is beautiful but it is very busy and a total tourist trap. El Calafate which is another 1 and half hours away by plane is also touristy but in a lovely chilled out way. From there you can do several treks but most importantly visit the Perito Mereno glacier and ice trek...i thought this was fantastic..one of those moments that you know will never be repeated. Seriously try to fit it into your itinerary. 

Anyways, its the most beautiful country we have ever been to -geographically it has the lot. Have a great time.


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## InfoSeeker (9 Mar 2008)

Tks for the response Newbie, sounds like ur having a great time, am really looking forward to the trip even if it is still a good few months off. Have only booked the flights so advice is very useful.


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## NADEISE (10 Mar 2008)

Hi,
Bariloche is very touristy - but great chocolate and really nice to stay on the lake rather than in the town.  I was there last March for hiking etc, and then again in August for skiing, absolutely loved it, 3 weeks in the area in total.  El Bolson south of there is a really nice town, great little market and lovely hiking in the area - worth a visit.  El Calafate is really, really touristy, the only place we went to that we should have booked ahead (spent 8 months in South America last year, 3 of which were in Argentina) and we werent' too impressed, however, you have to go there to visit Moreno Glacier which will impress.  Near there is a place called El Chalten, and here is lovely hiking, we thought that it was more visually spectacular than Torres del Paine, and significantly easier to get too.  Salta is a great town, watch your stuff in Mendoza, other than Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro it was the only place anyone tried to pick-pocket us.  Cycle tour of the vineyards in Mendoza is lovely and a fun way to spend a day.  Bus from Iguazu to Salta is about 20 hours, as is the bus from there to Mendoza, and another 20 hours will have you to Bariloche.  Exact times I can't remember, but they're all between 17-23 hours.  We always travelled with Andesmar and slept.  You also get to play Bingo - makes every trip so much more fun!  We didn't book any internal flights or use packages, check out lan and aerolineas argentinas for flight prices.  Thorntree is really useful, but for some reason people can get really angry on the South American branches which is pretty off-putting.  Have a great time though, it's a great country.  October will be very cold still down south so bring your woolies- or wait til you get there to buy your llama and alpaca jumpers!


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