Culture & tradition: experience the gaucho way of life

Buenos Aires - San Antonio De Areco

Day 1: Welcome to the gaucho way of life!

Touchdown in Buenos Aires! Arrive into Ezeiza International Airport and take a private transfer to San Antonio de Areco, with help from an English-speaking guide.

Around lunchtime you'll reach your accommodation for check-in. Just an hour's drive from the capital, the small and peaceful San Antonio de Areco is at the heart of gaucho rural culture in Argentina's Pampas plains.

Roam the property grounds and spend a while walking beneath hundred-year-old oaks, araucarias, palm trees and eucalyptus, gazing out upon 300 hectares of land reserved for cattle. After a traditional asado feast, you'll get to spend more time either strolling around, helping the gauchos on horseback, or enjoying a sulky cart ride. Depending on the local working calendar, you might even get to observe or participate in ranch tasks.

San Antonio De Areco - Cucullu

Day 2: The start of your horseback adventure

After breakfast, partake in a range of activities available on the ranch: swim in the outdoor pool, take a ride in the park, and wake up your inner gaucho!

Today marks the start of a three-day horseback adventure: a true journey across the Pampas' infinite horizon awaits, immersing you deep into the heart of gaucho culture, customs and traditions. You'll be met in the small town of Carlos Keen by a local gaucho, who will be your knowledgeable guide for the next few days.

Saddle up and head to the hamlet of Villa Ruiz, a few kilometers away. Enjoy lunch in the village's pulperia, a key spot for social gatherings after long periods of solitary work. Then, ride on across flat grasslands until you reach the village of Cucullu, for dinner and an overnight stay.

Cucullu - Azcuenaga

Day 3: Follow in the footsteps of the first gauchos

Today, follow your guide on horseback to the village of Azcuenaga. In the middle of the Argentine Pampas, follow the footsteps of gauchos before you as you journey down old dirt paths connecting the first local villages - it's a real and exciting trip back in time. You'll stop for a light lunch on the go, and enjoy dinner on your arrival into Azcuenaga.

The first solitary gauchos came to these parts for cattle farming, living off the land and the free-roaming animals all around them to survive - this is how the gaucho's iconic figure was born. A homeless, long-distance nomadic worker, they would ride all day and sleep on their horse beneath the stars - many traditional songs and literature celebrate them to this day.

Azcuenaga - San Antonio De Areco - Buenos Aires

Day 4: Your last day of gaucho adventures

On this last day with your horse, ride across the horizon like a seasoned gaucho, your heart full to bursting with memories and a wild sense of adventure. Leave Azcuenaga behind for lunch in Villa Ruiz, then ride back to Carlos Keen in the afternoon. Bid farewell to your guide and horse by 4pm, when the excursion ends.

You'll then check into your accommodation for a comfortable night's rest, and some time to unwind at leisure.

Buenos Aires - Bariloche

Day 5: The natural beauty of Bariloche

Today, transfer from your hotel to Buenos Aires, for a domestic flight to Bariloche Airport. From there you'll journey on to your hotel via private transfer with an English-speaking guide.

From your hotel, set out on horseback to marvel at the local landscapes. The views you'll enjoy along the way are truly sensational. Soak up vistas of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the San Pedro Peninsula, before galloping back to your accommodation through forests and pampas plains.

Bariloche - Andesluna

Day 6: Journey to a nature-lover's secret refuge

Say goodbye to Bariloche as you take a private transfer across the National Route 40, Argentina's backbone which runs alongside the Andes, towards El Sapucai - for a warm welcome into Tammy and Dominik's secret refuge!

Combining their love for nature, mountains and horses, your hosts will gladly share their knowledge as you spend the afternoon relaxing and exploring the refuge's surroundings. Meet your horses and English-speaking guide, and tuck into a delicious dinner in this rural paradise.

Andesluna

Day 7: Ride into the Andes

This first day back in the saddle will take you to the Andes mountains, following in the footsteps of the first Patagonian gauchos who rode the same criollo horses as you will be. On this five- to six-hour ride you'll pass though small communities, most of them descendants of the original Mapuche natives, before heading back to the Sapucai refuge in the afternoon.

Andesluna

Day 8: Enjoy breathtaking panoramas on horseback

After breakfast, a second day of riding awaits! Venture up to the high peaks of the Andes, for simply breathtaking panoramas at every turn. Take lunch on the shore of a lagoon, surrounded by rocky peaks; you'll have enough time afterwards to explore the area on foot, if you so wish.

In the afternoon, return to the Sapucai refuge to enjoy dinner and a relaxing night's sleep.

Andesluna - Bariloche

Day 9: Journey back to Bariloche

Leaving the Sapucai refuge behind, continue your Argentine journey on horseback, down an old road leading to the village of Arroyo Las Minas. From there you'll then take a three-hour transfer along the National Route 40, back towards Bariloche. After a few days of invigorating exploration, you'll no doubt enjoy the chance to relax and unwind in your hotel.

Bariloche - El Calafate

Day 10: Return to rural ranch living

After breakfast today, take a private transfer from your hotel to Bariloche Airport, where a domestic flight to El Calafate awaits. From there, transfer to the Estancia Nibepo Aike, where you'll have time to settle in before running through your itinerary with a local guide.

Nibepo Aike is one of the oldest ranches within the Los Glaciares National Park, where cattle and farming activities thrive alongside tourism practices. Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at leisure, exploring the ranch's surroundings on foot or by bike. If you wish, you could even take part in a sheep-shearing demonstration using traditional hand shears.

El Calafate - Parque Nacional Los Glaciares - Laguna Tres De Abril

Day 11: Explore Los Glaciares on horseback

It's time for a day of thrilling exploration on horseback! After breakfast, depart early to journey through dense woodland and into the Valley of the Rio Cachorro. Begin your descent towards the riverbed, with surprise views of the Frias glacier and granite formations ahead. Riding between rocks and pasturelands, you'll then reach the corrals of the Rio Cachorro outpost, where rangers might be working with their livestock.

After a picnic stop, you'll then ride on to the Laguna Tres de Abril, a habitat for striking flamingos and black-necked swans. Pass the lake towards your overnight outpost, where you'll dismount and spend some time enjoying the tranquil surroundings. By the gentle light of a lantern, prepare your evening meal as you share stories of great adventures, before tucking in for the night.

Laguna Tres De Abril

Day 12: Journey to the shores of the Corazon Lagoon

After breakfast, leave the outpost behind and ride south to the Balcony of the Glaciers on a track that runs parallel to the southern arm of the Lago Argentino. Leave your horses to graze as you ascend on foot to a scenic viewpoint, offering panoramas of the Corazon Lagoon, Frias Lake and much more.

Walk on towards the beach at the head of the southern arm, from where you'll cross a large pasture. As your footpath begins to run alongside the lower Frias River, you'll find traces of the area's livestock-rearing past, as well as a 100-year-old hanging bridge destroyed by a flood. Continue on through dense woodland towards the crystal-clear waters of the Corazon Lagoon, where you'll stop for a quiet lunch.

Laguna Tres De Abril - El Calafate

Day 13: Return to El Calafate

After today's breakfast, saddle up and ride along the lakeshore to reach the main buildings of the estancia, around 18km from your outpost. Arrive just in time for lunch - a typical dish of Patagonian lamb roasted over charcoal embers - then take a transfer back to El Calafate. There, you'll check into your accommodation for an overnight stay.

El Calafate - Buenos Aires

Day 14: Experience the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier

At 8am, you'll be picked up for a private transfer to the Perito Moreno Glacier, 80km from El Calafate. This full-day excursion will allow you to thoroughly enjoy the exceptional natural surroundings; from the footbridges, you'll get to take in panoramas of the whole glacier in all its glory.

Return to El Calafate at around 4.30pm, before transferring to the airport for a domestic flight to Buenos Aires. From there, you'll then head to your hotel by private transfer, for check-in and an overnight stay.

Buenos Aires

Day 15: A final day in Buenos Aires

Today, spend your final hours at leisure in Argentina, getting to know the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, from the capital's political and historical center to San Telmo - a historical area filled with old cafes, picturesque alleyways, antique shops and more. End your visit with a trip to La Boca, home of painters and tango dancers, before returning to your hotel to pack up.

Finally, a private transfer will take you to the airport, where your onward flight awaits for a safe journey home.