I went with some friends and we booked everything on our own, we did not use a travel agency. We also had a tremendous help from a local friend that guided us throughout our trip. So let's start
Time frame: 17th April - 9th May (off season which was wonderful)
This was our first time so the places we picked to visit were Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, El calafete, Iguazu Falls, Mendoza, Bariloche. We spent around 2-3 days in each location and a little extra time in Buenos Aires.
We used Aerolineas to book all internal flight which we did while we were in US and thank god because a lot of flights were actually full. It is a very reliable company with a great service! Beware that the limit for each check in luggage is 30 pounds but the cost is only $18 per luggage.
BUENOS AIRES
We flew from Orlando to Buenos Aires (there was one stopover in ATL) and instead of staying a night in BA, we flew straight to Ushuaia, it was a long journey but we did it.
Hotel (3 nights) : Los cauquenes Resort & Spa (I highly recommend this hotel, the hospitality was amazing, the restaurant was delicious and the view was incredible)
Excursions: 1 Private Los Cauquenes Ushuaia cruise that takes you on the Beagle Channel, it was booked via the concierge at the hotel. It was a dream turned reality, I always wanted to go to Ushuaia as a little kid after seeing numerous documentary and it finally happened.
2 Parque Nacional Tierra del fuego hike + train ride. All booked from our concierge with a private guide during our hike which was so valuable to learn about Tierra del fuego park.
3 Hike at Glacier Martial - Worth it but be ready for a steep hike.
Restaurants: Restaurant Reinamora, La cabana Case de té (they had the best pastry ever, must go), Chez Manu.
EL CALAFETE
Hotel (3 nights): Hotel Y Apart Hotel Jardin (I am so happy we booked this place, it was unusual for me but loved it, clean, comfortable, and super affordable)
Excursion: 1 Mini trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier plus boat tour plus viewing of the glacier , we used Patagonia Dreams to book our excursions and everything went smooth.
2 Walichu Caves which was ok but we had a beautiful view on Lake Argentina which made it worth it.
Restaurants: La posta , El gaita (the most delicious pizza ever), La Zorra (for drinks), Cerveza patagonia
BUENOS AIRES
We did a pit stop to Buenos aires because unfortunately there was no direct flight to the next destination so decided to stay 2 night.
Hotel: Savoy Hotel (it was very affordable and well located)
Excursions: We basically just walked around town and explored. We also went clubbing at the Chana club, I will consider it as an excursion :)
Restaurants: Gioia Botanical Cuisine (this vegan restaurant was so delicious), Trade Sky Bar (such a fun place with a great view)
BUENOS AIRES IGUAZU FALLS
Hotel: Hotel Raices Esturion (we all stayed in one suite which was a lot of fun, the service was good and it was well located)
Excursions: 1 We visited the falls from the Argentina side, we got to the park at around 1 pm and pretty much visited all the trails, the must do is the Garganta del diablo but I suggest you do them all, every angle offers a different kind of beauty.
2 Helicopter tour over the falls with Argentina Flight Adventure, be careful when you book a helicopter tour as they all depart from Brazil but this is the only company that will pick you up from the Argentina side and take care of all the logistic. It is a bit pricey but totally worth it! We also visited the falls on the Brazilian with our guide, totally worth it as well. If you are a US citizen, you do not need a visa. We also visited on the way back the Triple Frontier from Argentina where you can see Paraguay and Brazil.
Restaurants: La Rueda 1975 (it was absolutely delicious, you must try the chorizo) A piacere, Brazil ave for some night scene.
IGUAZU FALLS MENDOZA
I will admit that for this one, we were clueless, we booked a hotel in the city which was not the best decision since our goal was to visit the vineyard and they are located around 2 hrs from the city so we switched to stay on the vineyard and splurge for this one for sure.
Hotel: The Vines Resort & Spa (I mean, one of the best resort I have stayed in)
Vineyards / Restaurants: 1 Visit, tasting and lunch at Casa de Uco
Tour and tasting at Vines to Go || Courtesy
Dinner at Siete Fuegos
2 Tasting at SoloContigo
Tour and tasting at Michel Rolland
Lunch and tasting at DiamAndes
Tasting at the boutique winery of Laureano Gomez
Culinary experience: The Siete Fuegos
The wines were phenomenal, I was honestly blown away ! Throughout our journey to Argentina, there is not one wine I did not enjoy drinking and the prices were really reasonable.
MENDOZA BARILOCHE
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Hotel: Arelauquen Lodge (fantastic hotel, highly recommend it)
Excursions: 1 Cerro Lopez Hike (it's a moderate hike and totally worth it, you can climb it on your own)
2 Route of the seven lakes (we booked it via the concierge at the hotel)
(we wanted to hike more mountains but unfortunately it snowed right before so they were closed)
Restaurants: Epic ( located at the Arelauquen lodge, you also must hang out at the bar with Caro, she makes delicious cocktails) Stag (so delicious)
BUENOS AIRES
Hotel: Park Tower (I highly recommend it, great hospitality, well located)
Excursions: 1 Visited La boca
2 Visited Tigre (highly recommend you to take the train, fastest easiest cheapest way)
3 Philharmonic Orchestra at Teatro Colon
4 La ventana Tango lesson, dinner and show
5 San Telmo & San Telmo market
Restaurants: Presidente Bar, Osten Madero, Bagatelle
Overall, I felt very safe. Even though I went with my friends, I would definitely go back by myself. You have to of course apply the basic safety rules like you would in any other country you would travel to but the Argentinians were very friendly and hospitable. We met so many cool people along our journey!
Attire: In all honesty, I packed very minimalist for this trip, it was a 21 days trip and I only wanted to check in one luggage (well I ended having to check in 2 for the internal flight since the limit was 30 pounds) but I took basic clothes, nothing luxury because I did not wanted to worry about it. I also chose lightweight dresses, warm layers and sporty attire for the hikes, all different cities had different so I had to pack smartly.
Here is a list of my preferred things I took:
Sau Lee Dresses (cute, lightweight, comfortable and versatile)
Misa Los Angeles Dresses (ditto, cute, lightweight and comfortable)
Zara basic black pants (versatile so perfect when you want to pack light, can be dressed up or down)
Black Blazer (dress up your outfit)
Apparis faux fur (I basically wore this jacket all the time)
North Face puffer (mine is very old but this one is a good option)
Sweatpants (I wore these 80% of my trip)
Thermal (to wear under my joggers when it was cold)
Sunglasses (Perfect affordable sunnies for traveling)
Hoka sneakers (I was impressed with these sneakers, they are so so comfy) I also suggest proper hiking shoes though because these were not water proof and it was not ideal in the snow.
