Description
Day 1:
Reception at the airport of El Calafate. Transfer to hotel. Accommodation
Day 2:
In the morning, after breakfast, departure on full day excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier: This is one of Patagonia’s most extraordinary excursions. Some moments etch themselves into memory, and seeing the grandeur of the Perito Moreno Glacier is undoubtedly one of those life-defining experiences.
The departure from the hotel is due at 8 am. You will start the way bordering Bahía Redonda of the Argentino lake, from where you’ll observe the Solitaria Island. After a short while you’ll be touring around the steppe, in which you will get to visit several interesting locations such as: Comisión or De Los Elefantes hill, the Centinela river, Frías hill; some Patagonian estancias, ‘Alice’, among the famous ones.
Once you crossed the Mitre river, you will enter the Glaciers National Park. Thence a 35 km passage begins, it goes through the coasts of Rico branch of the Argentino Lake found in the middle of abundant vegetation. You will find this passage in the middle of the forest amazing. There are many immense tree specimens such as ñires, lengas, notros and sour cherry trees. The famous Curva de los Suspiros, along the road, will show you the first panoramic view of the Perito Moreno Glacier, thus making it a must stop (in order to take photographs). A short while after, you will reach the viewpoint of the glacier and there will be a new chance of getting amazing shots of the landscape with your camera.
Towards the end of the tour, you will come across the footbridges which are very close to the ice wall. There will be enough time for you to enjoy the spectacle of the glacier, and you will also get to witness the famous ice detachment phenomena, hear the hollow sounds of ice falling and thus becoming smaller floating glaciers.
The approximate time you will spend in the footbridges is two hours.
Note:
Even though the visit to the footbridges is unrestricted, it is important to point out that a big part of the bridges have steps, so people with reduced mobility can tour through the balconies and the parts with ramps, but not the whole structure of the footbridges.
The departure may vary from 8 am in summer, to 10 am in winter and depending on climate conditions. The return is due approximately at 5 pm. Lunch is not included. Near the footbridges area there is a small bar where you can buy a light snack, and there is also a restaurant offering more complete menus. You could also ask us for the inclusion of a boxed lunch at a small charge.
It allows you to observe, from a completely different perspective, the stunning walls of the glacier and the permanent detachments of blocks of ice, which later become icebergs and float by, very close to the boat, tingeing the reflexes of the channels and lakes with that peculiar blue color they have had since immemorial times.
The craft, which offers room for up to 70 people, takes a prudential position, close enough to the wall as to be able to cover its whole extension.
Duration: 1 hour.
Day 3:
In the morning departure to port to embark on the outstanding Gourmet Glaciers Experience: This fabulous excursion consists of a full day aboard the María Turquesa Cruise. Two pleasures are combined: to sail between glaciers and to enjoy excellent cuisine in the same navigation with incredible views.
The departure starts early in the morning from your hotel where we pick you up to take you to Punta Bandera where at 09:00 hs. you embark on the Private Port La Soledad. This tour of the majestic Lake Argentino allows you to "live" unique landscapes of Los Glaciares National Park, from another perspective, almost in contact with the glaciers. Crossing the Escuadra Bay and the Wall of Condoreras, the first two glaciers found on the slopes and mountain tops appear and this feature is called "hanging": Seco Glacier and Heim Glacier. Then, we continue through the Argentino lake heading south so as to take the Canal Spegazzini to reach the glacier of the same name. The navigation allows a striking approach to this glacier that has front walls between 80 and 135 meters above the level of the lake. We later continue to Puesto de Las Vacas - an extremely calm bay in the Spegazzini Canal, where the Captain silences the engines to allow passengers to share an interesting walk coordinated by our team of guides.
Later, the ship will stop in front of the barrier of icebergs that prevents the entrance to the Upsala Channel, and if the weather conditions allow, we admire the Upsala and Bertacchi glaciers in the distance. Lunch time with unforgettable panoramas (Gourmet lunchbox with non-alcoholic beverages included). Then we navigate through Los Témpanos Channel towards the north wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier where the boat also stops to watch and listen to the constant detachments of huge blocks of ice.
Return to Port is set to 6PM, from where we take you back to your hotel.
NOTE: When booking you can request access to the Premium sector of the María Turquesa Cruise (capacity only 20 passengers max.), which includes full lunch with alcoholic beverages plus cafeteria services without cost during the entire navigation. Ask us for this option.
Day 4:
Breakfast and transfer to airport for flight to Ushuaia. Reception at Ushuaia airport and transfer to hotel. Accommodation. Free time.
Day 5:
In the morning, Tierra del Fuego National Park: This is a half day excursion to the only National protected area of the Island. The park is located 12 kilometres to the west of Ushuaia city, near the international borderline with Chile.
While leaving the city towards national Route Nº3, the guide will go over the best details of the past and present of Ushuaia.
Inside the park you will appreciate the local flora composed of beech trees and different kinds of bushes and flowers. Fauna is represented by native and introduced animals, such as fuegian reddish foxes, beavers, rabbits and many species of birds (more than 90).
Ensenada Bay, Roca Lake and Lapataia Bay are the tourist attractions you will visit; including some short walks near the lake, where you will see beaver dams
At Lapataia Bay, at the end of the National Park, you will reach the end of the National Route Nº 3 (Panamerican Highway) located 3.063 kilometres far from Buenos Aires. One of the attractions in Ensenada Bay is the post office that certifies the passage through the "End of the World" and from where you can send postcards.
After 4 hours of excursion you will return to Ushuaia.
For the transport of materials, a XILORAIL was mounted, that is to say, a train which circulates upon wooden rails. At the end of 1909 the first railway movements were recorded. The “Decauville” rails with a 60 centimeter gauge were put into service and the work of the “Prison Train” began.
In 1952 the “Prison Train” was decommissioned and with it the rude voices of those inmates faded away. Forty two years after its last service, in 1994, the southernmost train in the world, the “Prison Train”, retakes its historic path.
The "Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino" (FCAF) is situated outside the city of Ushuaia, continuing on National Route nº3 (15 minutes from the city center), on the way to the Tierra del Fuego National Park.
The "Estación del Fin del Mundo" (End of the World Station) is the headquarters of the railway and is situated in a valley between Mount Susana and the Le Martial mountain range, next to the Pipo´s River. The End of the World Station is located at the beginning of the railway. It is found continuing National Route Nº 3, 8 km. west of the city of Ushuaia. It is made up of an 450 m2 area, housing ticket offices, boutique, waiting area, bathrooms and offices.
The tour is as follows: departing from the port of Ushuaia towards Isla Alicia, which shelters a colony of sea lions, later visiting Isla de los Pajaros (Bird’s Island), where it is possible to see royal and imperial cormorants. Navigation continues to Isla de los Lobos, where there are Southern elephant seals and South American sea lions (which differ especially in the fur), ending at Les Éclaireurs lighthouse, built in 1919.
Here the return starts, along a slightly different route, disembarking at one of the Bridges Islands, where you will walk along a path in order to do some interpretation of the flora and bird fauna. There is an account of the Yamanas’ history as well, as the most important “concheros” of the area inhabit the island. Afterwards, already on board and on the way back to Ushuaia, tea, coffee and liquor, or the typical mate with some cookies are served.
Duration. 4 hours approx.
Timetables: 2 daily departures, at 9:30 am and 3 pm.
Day 6:
An amazing excursion during which the Andes mountain range is crossed until reaching the heart of the Tierra del Fuego island: Off road Lakes: The tour starts at approximately 9 in the morning, with the departure from the hotel, taking National Route N °3 northbound. When leaving the Beagle Channel, the landscape reveals Mount Olivia and Mount Cinco Hermanos on the horizon, as well as the Carbajal Valley where the peat is exploited. The road leads to the Tierra Mayor Valley, where you can see mounts Bonete and Alvear and some cirque glaciers. Then you cross the winter center "Cerro Castor", place where in winter thousands of tourists and many residents practice their favorite winter sports (Ski in all its modalities, Snowboard, Sledges with dogs, etc.)
You then continue along the route until reaching a height of 450 meters above sea level to cross the Andes Mountains, and from the viewpoint "Paso Garibaldi" you can enjoy the most incredible panoramic views of Lake Escondido and Lake Fagnano. The trip continues to the Bronsovich sawmill and from there the provincial route 119 to travel about 10 km and find the Off Road circuit, an old footprint of lumberjacks that leads, going through a centenary
Lengas forest (and some obstacles!), to Lake Fagnano. There, in the middle of a beautiful forest, at mid-morning, the guide will propose a break with coffee or tea and biscuits. The off-route journey takes about an hour along the shore of the lake, sometimes along the coast, sometimes through the forest ... and also through the water!
At the end of the Off Road part, the excursion continues to a beautiful place located near the lake, to enjoy a tasty lunch and wonderful views. Finally, after a magical day, we begin the return to Ushuaia where we arrive around 5 PM.
Day 7:
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport. End of our services.
