Treasures of Patagonia: The Solar Eclipse 2020

Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to the city and you’ll have the rest of the day to enjoy Buenos Aires at your own pace. Buenos Aires is a marvelous, energetic, cosmopolitan city, full of color and different styles of architecture. 

The capital of Argentina, and described as the Paris of South America, Buenos Aires proudly embraces its title, and also shows off plenty of its own culture! Argentinians are eager to host visitors; if you walk the streets with a map, someone will surely stop and ask if you need directions… that’s just our spirit! 

So, for this first day, feel free to wander the cobblestone streets lined with outdoor cafes, enjoy the mouthwatering aroma of world-famous Argentine beef sizzling on an open parrilla (barbeque), and browse the local antique and artisan markets that offer plenty of bargain shopping.

Say Hueque Tips

Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, che! (“che” means “guy” in Argentina) Take a look at our Buenos Aires Travel Guide and check out our recommendations on where to eat dinner and the can’t-miss places to visit in town.

(This is “maté”, our national drink!)

You have arrived in Patagonia! Upon landing in El Calafate, you will take a public bus to start your 3-hour trip to El Chaltén.

You’ll travel along the famous Route 40, surrounded by the Patagonian steppe, and pass through La Leona River, which connects Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma, and where you’ll get to see La Leona Road house, where the famous thieves Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid for a while. After discovering some other gems along your journey, you’ll reach El Chaltén and we’ll drop you off at your hotel.

El Chaltén is the top-rated hiking destination in Argentina. This charming little village sits at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy and it’s surrounded by glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests. It’s also the jumping-off point for most hiking trails in the area. A paradise for sunny walkers and trekkers alike.

Enjoy your first afternoon of leisure in Patagonia by relaxing in the local brewery or strolling around a little waterfall…

Say Hueque Tips

Take a look at some of our favorite hikes in the Chaltén Travel Guide, and take note of our travel advice on how to make the most of your time here.

Today, we have a recommendation for true hiking-lovers: trek all the way to Cerro Torre and Laguna Torre, one of the most famous hiking trails in the area. Step into the wild for about 8 hours and 12 miles. This is a moderate-difficulty hike, but there is no steep climbing involved, so no previous experience is required!

The journey starts at a notable wooden sign which reads ‘Laguna Torre’ and features a  woodpecker; you probably already saw the sign if you visited the Cerro Torre Viewpoint the previous day. From there, you will continue through a stunning, multi-colored landscape; snow-capped mountains will rein over the native forest of lenga and ñire trees. You’ll pass by the De Agostini campsite and continue to the front moraine…you can hit the summit in 15 minutes! From here you can descend to the lagoon and watch the floating icebergs, or continue to the Mascardi viewpoint, 1 mile up the hill.

In the morning, we’ll drive you to Glaciers National Park to begin your 6-hour Perito Moreno Glacier tour. Get prepared to meet Argentina’s icy giants! 

Glaciers National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981 and is home to approximately 200 glaciers. Half of this park is occupied by the Campo de Hielo Patagónico (Patagonian ice field), the largest ice field in the world, after Antarctica.

You will travel about 25 miles from El Calafate to the park, enjoying the views of the Patagonian steppe. Once inside the park, you will take walkways to explore the different viewpoints, and you’ll feel unbelievably close to Perito Moreno Glacier. If you’re lucky, you may even get to see a piece of ice break off and fall from the glacier wall, sinking forever into the lake below.

Over the course of about one hour, a bilingual guide will provide you with all the information you might want to know… and things you may have never thought about. After this visit, you will take a boat ride that will bring you close enough to fully appreciate the 262-foot ice walls of Perito Moreno! You’ll never feel closer to this gigantic and impressive natural masterpiece.   

Say Hueque Tips

Have you ever imagined walking across the surface of a glacier? Well, this is your chance! Take a look at the Mini Trekking tour, which allows you to trek on top of Perito Moreno Glacier… This is one of our favorite Patagonia outings; we’re sure you won’t regret it.  

Today we’ll pick you up from your hotel in El Calafate and drive you to the airport to take your flight to Bariloche. Upon arrival, you will be met at the airport and take a private transfer to your hotel. Bariloche sits on the southern coast of Nahuel Huapi, a glacier-water lake with enthralling islands and beaches. 

Hills and mountains framing the area allow visitors to enjoy all sorts of hiking trails and winter sports (Cerro Catedral is home to the biggest ski slopes in South America), as well as some mesmerizing views of the natural wonders of Patagonia.

This region has it all — horseback riding through the Patagonian steppe, navigations through pristine blue-green waters, and the most mouthwatering chocolate in the country!

Say Hueque Tips

Here at Say Hueque, we are committed Bariloche-lovers… there is no denying this. In our Bariloche Travel Guide you can read all about our favorite hikes, chocolate shops, beaches and other envy-inducing places…

This morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel and head to the eclipse viewpoint. The pick-up will be early, since we want to get you there first to pick out the best spot!

After a 3-hour trip, during which you’ll be assisted by one of our tour guides, we’ll reach the private ranch, where a light breakfast will be waiting. From this specially-selected place, exclusive to other eclipse chasers, you’ll enjoy a 100% view of the eclipse.

You’ll have plenty of time to find the best observation spot, where you can set up cameras and other gear while you enjoy a cup of coffee, some fresh fruit and local pastries, and chat with other travelers that have made the same journey through Argentina to see the eclipse. 

Around midday, a traditional lunch will be served, which includes Patagonian barbecue sandwiches (vegetarian options also available), finger-licking Argentine empanadas, delicious wine and the best local craft beer. The lunch will be self-serve, so you can enjoy the food on your own time, before or during the eclipse; food will be available throughout the event!

The eclipse will last 3 hours, and the total eclipse will be around 1.30 pm (it will last around 2 minutes), revealing a giant black circle in the sky. This is one of the rarest and most magnificent spectacles in the world, and you’ll be in the exact place, along the central axis of the eclipse route, as specified by experts, to best observe this eclipse. 

And speaking of experts… throughout the event, you’ll enjoy the company of an astronomer who will be there to answer all your questions about eclipses and other astronomical phenomena. You didn’t see that coming, huh? Don’t worry… we have it all set up for you to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At around 5:30 pm, the eclipse will come to an end and we’ll head back to your accommodation, arriving at around 9 pm depending on the location of your hotel. 

Today our driver and bilingual guide will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to the National Park, on the Argentine side. The falls are surrounded by a humid subtropical forest where the abundant vegetation is home to many different species of animals and birds. Our guide will help you spot some of them: ant birds, toucans, manakins and parrots, just to name a few of the most common varieties.

Lower and upper walkways weave in and around the falls, permitting up-close and personal experiences with this magnificent spectacle of nature. The Argentine side of the falls is filled with a myriad of paths, walkways and stairways which allow you to have an experience from many different perspectives. 

You will also have the chance to visit “The Devil’s Throat” the largest of the falls and for many the most spellbinding. To get to the Devil’s Throat, you’ll take the ecological train and then walk out along boardwalks. 

After walking around and taking pictures of waterfalls, animals and plants, you will have some free time to eat lunch in this amazing environment. This exciting, 6-7-hour excursion is highly recommended in order to experience the true power of Iguazú Falls. 

Say Hueque Tips 

Would you love to have a “Great Adventure”? The Great Adventure (“Gran Aventura”) is an optional tour you can add on to this day. You will take an open-air jeep through the rainforest, and then a zodiac open-air boat up the river to the base of the falls (there is a 100% chance that you will get soaking wet on this boat trip, so be sure to take some extra clothes!).

Today we’ll take you to the airport, where your trip will come to its end. But don’t be sad! You can return whenever you want (we’ll welcome you with open arms), or… continue your trip towards the North of Argentina, to beautiful Salta or the wine region in Mendoza. Argentina still has plenty to offer! Check out our travelers’ favorite trips to Argentina and Chile.