Patagonia: Land of Inspiration
Go Learn

Daily Itinerary

Day 1: Thursday December 5, 2024 - Arrive in Buenos Aires

Welcome to beautiful Buenos Aires! We begin our Patagonian journey in the big city. Known for its eclectic European architecture and its rich cultural life, Buenos Aires is the perfect place to spend time getting to know Argentina. Our hotel is perfectly located to be within short distances of not only historical landmarks but also excellent shopping!

You’ll make your way to the hotel where we’ll meet for a group walk around the neighborhood, see some of the local color and historical site before having a lovely Welcome lunch at a nearby restaurant.

Then the rest of the day is yours to explore further or go to bed early, because jet-lag.

Hotel: Hotel Dolmen
Meal: L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 2: Friday December 6, 2024 - Buenos Aires

This is your day to explore Buenos Aires! You can visit the presidential palace: Casa Rosada, which means Pink House; the gorgeous pink of the building makes it a distinct architectural must-see! If you are an “Evita” fan then you’ll certainly recognize the iconic balconies, the real-life place where Juan and Eva Peron addressed the masses. After that, you should also seek out these other notable places of interest: La Confitería Ideal, Café Tortoni, Colon Opera House, and El Ateneo bookstore.

In the evening you can enjoy more free time or you can join us for an optional tango show and dinner at an additional cost. The Go Learn team is happy to answer questions!

For those staying in, enjoy your evening, we’ll see you in the morning!

Tomorrow we are heading to Patagonia!

Hotel: Hotel Dolmen
Meal: B
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 3: Saturday December 7, 2024 - Puerto Deseado

Today we’ll breakfast at the hotel and then we are off on our Patagonian adventure! We’ll make our way, as a group, back to the airport to board a plane to Comodor Rivadavia. Following our 2 ½ hour flight, we’ll be met at the airport by private coach and then make our way to Puerto Deseado; through our journey you’ll begin to sense how vast and windswept the Patagonian steppe is. We’ll travel South and then East to Puerto Deseado, which is where Charles Darwin first began thinking about the theory of evolution. Maybe along the way we’ll be lucky enough to spot a hairy armadillo or Patagonian hare. The vegetation here is low and thorny but the keen eye may spot some flowers along the way.

This is a full day of travel; Argentina is a big place!

Once we check in to the hotel, you’ll have time to relax and settle in for the next three nights. Later, we’ll meet for a group dinner, then afterward you are free to spend your time as you wish.

Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Moderate

Day 4: Sunday December 8, 2024 - Isla Pingüino National Park

Today we’ll breakfast at the hotel before setting off for our first wildlife adventure. We’ll take a boat (weather-depending) to the Isla Pingüino National Park to spend our day in search of penguins and other wildlife. We’re planning to see the nesting ground of the rockhopper penguins as well as Magellanic penguins, south polar skuas, and other birds. A picnic lunch will be the perfect break in the day before continuing on our penguin adventure.

Once back at the hotel the rest of the evening is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 5: Monday December 9, 2024 - Ria Deseado

Ria Deseado boat trip. It’s a half-day activity in search of Commerson’s dolphin, nesting red-legged cormorants, and rock cormorants, stopping at an island with many nesting Magellanic penguins, gulls, and oystercatchers; enjoy sitting on the beach to watch them come and go to the water. We’ll have a lecture by a local researcher during the afternoon.

Afterwards, we’ll return to the hotel where the rest of the evening is yours.

Tomorrow we are moving hotels, so get packed!

Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 6: Tuesday December 10, 2024 - Ria Deseado

We’ll have breakfast at the hotel before departing for our next town. We will drive to Puerto San Julian, visiting Jaramillo Petrified Forest National Park. The moon-like landscape scattered with huge petrified Araucaria trees are testimony of a tropical climate which existed long before the Andres Mountain Range rose. Darwin’s journal devotes several pages to San Julian and the Rio Santa Cruz valley, where he discovered a vast fossilized seashore, remarkable for its giant oyster fossils, extending for more than 500 miles along the coast and then inland to at least 3,000 ft. in the Andean foothills. The nearby lagoon has many swans, maybe flamingoes, and it will give us the chance to observe local flora. We’ll have a box lunch so we can spend as much time outside as possible.

After we’ve had our fill of wildlife watching, we will check in to our next hotel where the rest of the evening is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Miramar or similar
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 7: Wednesday December 11, 2024 - El Calafate

After breakfast at the hotel, we’re on the move again as we drive to El Calafate, a must-see destination! The breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier (which we’ll explore tomorrow) is one of the most famous attractions of El Calafate. Named after the explorer Francisco Moreno, it began as a sheltering place for wool traders, but today is the gateway to some of the most beautiful scenery Patagonia has to offer!

After we check in to our new home away from home, the rest of the evening is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 8: Thursday December 12, 2024 - Perito Moreno Glacier

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll prepare for a full day exploring Perito Moreno Glacier. Located in Los Glaciares National Park, Perito Moreno is one of the most famous glaciers in the region. This is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and is the world’s third-largest reserve of fresh water. One thing that makes this glacier fascinating to glaciologists is the fact that, unlike so many glaciers around the world, it maintains its size—meaning that it accumulates mass at the same rate it loses it (instead of losing at a faster rate than accumulating).

Once we return, the rest of the evening is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 9: Friday December 13, 2024 - Glaciares Gourmet tour

We’ll breakfast at the hotel before heading back to Los Glaciares National Park. Once there we’ll take the Glaciares Gourmet tour where we’ll visit three to four glaciers by boat! The Patagonian ice field is the 3rd largest concentration of ice on the planet. Its glaciers descend from 1,500 to 200 meters above sea level enabling unique access and viewing of the glaciers. Los Glaciares National Park offers a magnificent combination of forest, lakes, fauna, mountains, ice and steppes with hundreds of glaciers. If possible, we will disembark at one of the glaciers and then we’ll get to experience the majesty of this place firsthand.

Afterwards, the rest of the day is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 10: Saturday December 14, 2024 - Ushuaia

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll say goodbye to El Calafate and fly to Ushuaia. Ushuaia is located in the southernmost tip of South America and is nicknamed the end of the world. Our 1 hour and 15 min flight will take us over Chile and then to the very tip of Argentina. Once we land, we will be met by a private coach that will transfer us to our hotel. Your hotel is almost on the shores of the Beagle Channel from where you can view Navarino and Hoste Island as well as an old historic ship, the Saint Christopher. Kelp Geese, Steamer ducks, and Dolphin Gulls can be seen along the shore. The name Ushuaia comes from the language of the yámanas or yaghanes aborigines, its native canoe inhabitants, and means “the bay that penetrates westward.”

The rest of the day will be spent exploring this beautiful city at the edge of South America. Grab some food, chat with the locals, and just enjoy the view. We have more adventuring yet to come tomorrow.

Hotel: Hotel Albatros or similar
Meal: B
Activity Level: Moderate

Day 11: Sunday December 15, 2024 - Harberton with Isla Martillo

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head to Harberton, the oldest estancia in the Argentine sector of Tierra del Fuego. From Harberton we’ll make our way, by boat, to Isla Martillo to see Gentoo penguins and possibly King penguins, as well as other animals. We will enjoy home-made lunch with incredible views and finally visit the Acatashun Museum, an amazing collection of whale and sea mammal skeletons.

Once we return to the hotel, the rest of the day is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Albatros or similar
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 12: Monday December 16, 2024 - Tierra del Fuego National Park

After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll make our way to Tierra del Fuego National Park. This breathtaking park is known for its scenic landscapes, we’ll get to see beautiful coastlines, forests, glaciers, lakes, mountains, and waterfalls all in one location! We will discover the sub-Antarctic beech forest with the different ecosystems - evergreen forest, deciduous forest, peat bog. We walk several short trails looking at birds, indian middens, and different fungi; all this in the only National Park in Argentina where you can find the forest in contact with sea. We visit several bays, Bahia Redonda, Bahia Lapataia, Lake Roca and view several others and rivers.

Once we return to the hotel, the rest of the evening is yours.

Hotel: Hotel Albatros or similar
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 13: Tuesday December 17, 2024 - Departure

After breakfast at the hotel, it’s time to bid farewell to Patagonia. Today we return to Buenos Aires by plane and then on to U.S. or your next location. Our flight will take about 3 hours and 45 mins so you’ll be able to get in a quick nap on the way. You will take home memories of a grand Patagonia adventure along with new connections and learnings that can only come with a Go Learn experience.

We look forward to seeing you again at the reunion where you will receive your own David Meikle Patagonia poster.

Meal: B

Nate Furman

Nate Furman is a professor of Outdoor Recreation at the University of Utah and a mountain guide. His PhD in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism from the University of Utah focused on the durable impacts of experiential education programming. His current research regards decision-making in high consequence environments. In addition to his work as a professor, Dr. Furman is an accomplished climbing, mountaineering, and ski guide. His experience as a guide has provided him opportunities for international travel - from the beaches of Thailand to the fjords of Greenland to the wilds of remote South America. He has lived, worked, taught, and traveled extensively in Patagonia.

Details and What to Expect

Pre-Departure

Like all Go Learn journeys, the adventure begins at home. We'll make sure you have all the information you need before you arrive in Argentina—we'll answer questions about what to pack, how to get around, and our daily itinerary. We want you to arrive in Patagonia ready to learn!

Post-Departure

A trip reunion about a month or so after returning will be the perfect conclusion to our journey. We’ll exchange pictures and stories while remembering the highlights of our tour. Go Learn expeditions are designed to be small, boutique experiences where one returns with a group of friends for life. Good food, drink, and company await us at this reunion.

Weather

December is generally a beautiful weather month in Argentina and Patagonia. We will be there for the beginning of the summer season. Average daily temperatures in Buenos Aires will see a high around 77 F and with cool but not cold evenings around 65F. Patagonia will most likely be chillier and vary between 64 for the highs and 45 for the lows. You will most likely experience Patagonia’s high winds as well. You will want to pack good shoes and layers!

Activity levels and restrictions

This trip includes multiple walking tours and hikes of various towns and National Parks. There will be multiple group flights and boat rides. You will explore glaciers on foot and observe wildlife in their natural habitat. You will be exposed to the elements during the day as you explore Patagonia and should be prepared to experience all types of weather.

We may average 5 miles of walking per day, some with a significant incline or uneven surfaces. All group travel is by plane or private coach (included in the trip price), and participants should be able manage their own luggage. Our exciting itinerary and daily learning adventures will keep you happily exhausted.

This is an Activity Level 3 trip. Learn More about our activity levels.

Dates
December 5-17, 2024

Size
Group Size is limited to 20 participants

Cost
Double occupancy: $9495 per person
Single occupancy: $9995 per person
See Terms for payment and cancellation details.

Included

• Hotel accommodations in the heart of the cities
• Three inter trip flights to Comodoro Rivadavia, Ushuaia, and Buenos Aires (return)
• All breakfasts
• Boat trip to Penguin Island (with box lunch included)
• Entrance to historic and cultural sites noted in itinerary
• Entrance to Terra del Fuego National Park
• Luxury glacier boat tour with gourmet lunch

Not included

• Airfare to and from Argentina
• Meals that are not specifically noted in itinerary
• Optional dinner and tango show
• Cancellation and lost luggage insurance
• Any costs outside of the itinerary