Amazing Argentina

Welcome to Argentina! You will be met on arrival in Buenos Aires Airport and transferred to your hotel accompanied by an English speaking guide.

Tonight we'll meet up for our welcome dinner for a chance to meet your Big Journey Company Tour Director and fellow group members you'll be travelling with.

We begin our journey in the charming residential neighborhood of Palermo, known for its serene, winding streets, lush parks, and beautiful rose gardens. The area is home to notable landmarks such as the city’s zoo and the Botanical Gardens. Over time, Palermo has evolved into a vibrant district with trendy areas like Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, featuring designer boutiques, stylish home accessories, and a variety of dining options.

Next, we head to the sophisticated Recoleta District, where we will stroll along Avenida Alvear, the most prestigious street in Buenos Aires. With its elegant European-inspired architecture and tree-lined promenades, this area was once the residential hub of the city’s aristocracy. We will see iconic landmarks such as the Pereda Palace (now the Brazilian Embassy), the Ortiz Basualdo Palace (French Embassy), and the Unzué de Casares Palace (Jockey Club).

A visit to the renowned Recoleta Cemetery is an essential stop. This above-ground cemetery is known for its elaborate mausoleums and statues, and it is the final resting place of Eva Duarte, famously known as Evita. Nearby, the El Pilar Church stands as one of the city's oldest and most beautiful churches, featuring intricate woodcarvings and a silver altar from Alto Perú.

We will then explore the historic and political center of Buenos Aires, known as “la city.” Here, we will visit the famed Plaza de Mayo and the iconic Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. From Plaza de Mayo, the Avenida de Mayo leads to the National Congress building, lined with architectural gems and the historic Café Tortoni, a legendary coffee house that continues to attract intellectuals and tango enthusiasts alike.

Heading toward the river, we will visit Puerto Madero, once the old docklands of the city, now transformed into a contemporary area with modern buildings and avant-garde restaurants. We will also explore the historic San Telmo district, known for its colonial charm, cobblestone streets, antique shops, and the famous Sunday antiques market at Plaza Dorrego.

Finally, we will visit La Boca, the birthplace of tango and home to the renowned Boca Juniors football stadium. The neighborhood is famous for its colorful buildings along Caminito Street, lively street performances, and vibrant local culture.

This morning, after enjoying breakfast, we’ll depart from our hotel and head to the airport for our flight to Salta.

Upon arrival in Salta, we’ll be greeted and transferred to our hotel in Cafayate. Along the way, we’ll pause for a light lunch, allowing us to relax and take in the stunning scenery.

Once we arrive in Cafayate, there will be time to check in and settle into the hotel before heading to Bad Brothers, a beloved local gem renowned for its inviting ambiance and exceptional regional cuisine.

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll embark on a visit to two of Cafayate’s renowned wineries. As one of Argentina’s premier wine regions, Cafayate is best known for its signature Torrontés wine—a fragrant and fruity white varietal that thrives in the region’s unique conditions.

Perched at an impressive 5,000 feet above sea level, Cafayate’s vineyards are among the highest in the world. The area’s dry climate, abundant sunshine, and fresh mountain air create the perfect environment for grape cultivation. With a significant temperature variation between day and night and an average annual temperature of 18ºC, the grapes develop exceptional flavors and aromas.

We’ll have the opportunity to explore a variety of wineries, many of which are just a short drive from town, each offering its own unique charm and winemaking traditions. Of course, no visit would be complete without sampling the region’s wines firsthand—our tastings and a delightful lunch are included.

This morning we travel back to Salya after breakfast for a two night stay.

Once we have checked in, we will begin our city tour of Salta's colonial charm, including the stunning 9 de Julio Square, the impressive pink Cathedral, and the fascinating Museum of High Altitude Archaeology (MAAM), home to the famous Inca mummies.

This evening, enjoy local music, dancing, empanadas, and wine at a traditional Peña.

We depart our hotel early to the Quebrada Del Toro (Bull’s River Gorge) and past the Ruins of Santa Rosa de Tastil, an ancient pre-Inca settlement and the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres, a typical highland settlement with adobe houses. We take in the vistas as we cross Puna to the expansive 212km2 salt flats of Salinas Grandes.

The striking landscape offers inventive photography opportunities, perhaps you will make optical-illusion photographs, or jump or handstand against the salt vistas. This is also a great place to purchase a llama or cactus figurine carved in salt.

Next we visit Purmamarca, a quaint village with dusty streets at the foot of the kaleidoscopic slopes known as “Seven Colours Hill”. The minerals and sediments in the surrounding mountains create brilliant green, purple, red, orange and white stripes that swirl through the rocky mountain face. The streets in Purmamarca are flanked by craftsmen selling hand-woven blankets and hats, scarves and an array of hand-crafted objects, a perfect chance to purchase gifts or travel mementoes.

We then return to Salta where the evening is free for your own leisure

After breakfast, we head to Salta airport for our flight to Mendoza.

Upon arrival, we transfer to the Diplomatic Hotel for a three-night stay.

Enjoy a light lunch of tapas and drinks at a nearby restaurant before embarking on a half-day city tour to explore Mendoza’s picturesque plazas, the famous Parque San Martin, and its beautiful tree-lined streets.

The rest of the day is at lesuire. 

This morning, we first visit the Maal winery, which has an innovative approach to making wine. The whole winery is built out of recycled materials. The main structure of the winery is made from five big, abandoned containers and recycled pipes. Inside, the chairs are constructed from old church pews and the tasting room (where we shall enjoy some wine tasting) is completely constructed with oak from old barrels.

Our next stop is the boutique olive oil producer Maguay. This small olivícola produces artisanal olive oil of spectacularly high quality, with a very low acidity. It is situated in a building from the early 1900’s where the family winery used to be. The owners are the Giol family who live next door in a Victorian manor house and still take time to chat to visitors. The visit starts at the olive grove where you learn about harvests, irrigation systems and the differences between varieties. The tasting is in the old cellar accompanied by fresh olives and wine.

Our last winery is the Mil Suelos, which produces certified organic wines. It’s owner and winemaker Alejandro Sejanovich has developed over 60 small wine projects and educational programs throughout the country, from the northern tip of Argentina to remote and wild Patagonia in the south. Many of his wines have been recognized by specialist wine magazines. Our lunch at Mil Suelos is yet again a combination of wine tasting and fine food.
The evening is free for leisure time.

Today we visit remote Valle de Uco, a winemakers’ paradise! This picturesque valley is named after an Indian chief who ruled the area centuries ago. The valley's fertile soil provides perfect conditions to grow high quality grapes and has recently been discovered by numerous prestigious wineries. Here the snow-capped Mount Tupungato overlooks fields of seemingly never-ending vines lined by golden poplar trees along the dirt roads.

Our experience includes not only tasting the local grapes, but even creating (as a group) our own unique wine blend. The winemaker will conduct a tasting and explain best blending process. Split into small groups, you will be given three components (e.g. Merlot, Malbec & Cabernet) and in groups we will create unique alchemy. After three blends, each group will submit their best blended wine and a jury of experts will decide the day’s best wine. The winners will be awarded a prize, and all participants will receive a diploma rewarding their newly acquired blending skills.

We move on to the state-of-the-art winery of Andeluna. This 200-acre mountain vineyard rests in a spectacular setting. Our lunch at the Andeluna Cellars is a combination of wine tasting and fine food, as each of the six courses is paired with a different wine. After lunch you can visit four separate tasting areas and enjoy a stroll in the grounds which has produced many of Argentina’s finest wines.

After breakfast we check-out and explore the Quebrada de las Conchas’ Gorge (meaning Gorge of the Shells), a deep ravine 74km long that is framed by colourful mountains.

Marine fossils have been found in the area confirming that this was once an ocean floor, formed millions of years ago when huge mineral deposits were moulded by water.

We continue to Salta Airport in time for our afternoon flight to Mendoza. We'll be met at Mendoza Airport and transferred to our hotel before enjoying dinner together at the hotel.

Today we depart Mendoza for our flights back to Buenos Aires. On arrival at the hotel, we have some time at leisure before we come together to enjoy our farewell dinner and tango show in the evening.

Tango is everywhere in Buenos Aires. Argentinians believe that only in Buenos Aires could the tango be born; only in this city of migrants could music of such emotional depth spring forth and take hold of a population. In the early days, tango was most often heard in seedy cafés and the dance was performed by two men. Today, tango has evolved into an important cornerstone of Argentine culture. The spirit of the dance is captured and expressed everywhere, ranging from huge theatre venues to small milongas (tiny bars) where an ageing porteño sings of his long-lost love.
This evening, for our farewell, we attend a show together accompanied by dinner and wine. Prepare to watch dancers embrace in passion as they move to the beat of the Tango. Wear comfortable shoes because a quick Tango class is included, and you can dance a few steps yourself! A fitting to round off our time in Argentina.

We bid a fond farewell to our fellow members today, as we fly home with unforgettable memories of our time (and wine!) in Argentina.

We'll arrange your departure transfers to Buenos Aires International Airport to meet your departure flights.