December 01-16, 2026
Double Occupancy: $11175 per person
Single Occupancy: $11875 per person
Airfare is not included.
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Come with us to Patagonia, one of the most remote and ecologically rich regions on Earth!
Travel Dates: December 1-16, 2026
This immersive educational journey begins in Buenos Aires, then we travel nearly 2000 miles to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America. This Go Learn experience blends natural history, ecology, and exploration through some of the most dramatic landscapes on Earth.
Over the course of the trip, you’ll observe two species of penguins along the Atlantic coast near Puerto Deseado, step foot onto the ancient ice of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, and explore El Chaltén, home to Patagonia’s most iconic mountain landscapes. The journey continues to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, where we will encounter a third species of penguin and explore the landscapes of Tierra del Fuego, regions visited by Charles Darwin during his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle in the 1830s that later informed his development of evolutionary theory.
University of Utah professor Nate Furman, alongside expert local guides, provides context on the region’s geology, ecology, wildlife, and human history, transforming each destination into a living classroom. This is a truly unique opportunity to experience Patagonia not just as a destination, but as a living system shaped by the elements, wildlife, and time.
Meals are indicated as follows: B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner
Welcome to beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capitol city and the starting point for our Patagonian journey. Known for its European architecture and rich cultural life, it’s the perfect introduction to Argentina. After arriving and settling into our centrally located hotel, enjoy some free time to explore before gathering for a welcome dinner at the iconic Bar Ideal.
Hotel: Hotel Ilum opens a new window
Meals: D
Activity Level: Easy
Today we’ll spend the day exploring Buenos Aires with Professor Nate Furman and a local guide, walking through historic neighborhoods to understand Argentina’s political, social, and cultural history. We’ll visit the Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place of influential Argentinians, including Eva Perón. This evening, we’ll enjoy dinner together and a professional tango performance.
Hotel: Hotel Ilum opens a new window
Meals: B, D
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
After breakfast at the hotel, we officially begin our Patagonian adventure. Today we take a regional flight to Comodoro Rivadavia, then travel by private coach across the Patagonian steppe to Puerto Deseado. Along the way, we’ll stop to see Glyptodon fossils near Fitz Roy and watch for wildlife such as guanacos or Patagonian hares.
Once we arrive in Puerto Deseado, a quiet, non-touristy town, we’ll settle into our hotel for a three-night stay. Later, we’ll gather for a group dinner and the rest of the evening is yours to relax.
Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados opens a new window
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Easy
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll explore Ría Deseado by boat, keeping an eye out for Commerson’s dolphins, nesting red-legged cormorants, and rock cormorants. This outing includes a stop at one of the islands within the estuary, home to large nesting colonies of Magellanic penguins. After lunch, we visit the Swift Corvette museum, before dinner in town.
Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados opens a new window
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate (The boat ride can be quite bumpy, and those with back pain may find it uncomfortable.)
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll visit Isla Pingüino by boat, home to Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, along with skuas and other seabirds. After observing the nesting colonies, we’ll say goodbye to the island, enjoy a casual group lunch together and relax before heading out for another group dinner in Puerto Deseado.
Hotel: Hotel Los Acantilados opens a new window
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous (Hiking shoes and trekking poles are recommended. The boat ride can be quite bumpy, and those with back pain may find it uncomfortable.)
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel to El Calafate, stopping at Parque Nacional Bosques Petrificados de Jaramillo, a true Go Learn exclusive. This little-known park is defined by a stark landscape that is scattered with petrified Araucaria trees. We’ll stop for lunch in Puerto San Julián and then continue onto El Calafate where we’ll enjoy dinner at our hotel’s award-winning restaurant.
Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago opens a new window
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate
After breakfast at the hotel, we’re exploring Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most famous attractions of El Calafate. We’ll begin the day walking along the park’s famous viewing platforms, positioned directly across from the glacier. We may be lucky enough to witness dramatic ice calving into the lake below.
After lunch, those who are eligible will gear up with crampons and take a guided walk on the glacier. Please note that Argentina’s national park regulations do not allow anyone over the age of 65 to participate in glacier trekking. Following our time at the glacier, we’ll return to El Calafate for the evening, and dinner will be on your own.
Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago opens a new window
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous
After breakfast, we’ll head out for birdwatching at Laguna Nimez. This peaceful lagoon is home to a wide variety of birdlife. Later, we’ll walk to a local wine shop for a tasting of Patagonian wines. These wines come from small boutique vineyards and are rarely exported, making this experience very exclusive. After the tasting, the remainder of the day is yours to relax, explore El Calafate at your own pace, or enjoy a quiet evening.
Hotel: Hotel Mirador del Lago opens a new window
Meals: B
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll depart for El Chaltén, Argentina’s trekking capital and the gateway to the dramatic granite peaks of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.
Once we arrive in El Chaltén, we’ll check into our hotel and enjoy a quieter afternoon to rest or explore the small town.
Hotel: Hostería Senderos opens a new window
Meals: B
Activity Level: Easy
Today offers two hiking options in El Chaltén, allowing you to choose the experience that best fits your ability and interest.
The Laguna de los Tres hike is one of Patagonia’s most iconic routes, but it is also very challenging. This full-day hike covers approximately 14 miles with about 3,500 feet of elevation gain. The final half kilometer alone climbs roughly 1,000 feet, making it steep and demanding. Participants choosing this option should plan to train in advance. Go Learn will provide guidance and preparation recommendations ahead of the trip.
For those seeking a less strenuous but still rewarding experience, the Laguna Capri hike offers beautiful scenery with significantly less elevation gain. This route is approximately 6 miles round trip with about 1,400 feet of elevation gain, making it a moderate option with excellent views.
Boxed lunches will be provided for both hiking options.
Hotel: Hostería Senderos opens a new window
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Strenuous
Today is a chance to slow the pace and enjoy El Chaltén on your own terms. After yesterday’s hiking options, you may wish to rest, explore town, visit a café, or revisit favorite views at a relaxed pace. For those who would like to get out on the trail again, you are welcome to join Nate on an optional, mellow hike, with the route determined based on group interest and conditions. Breakfast is included, and the remainder of the day is free for you to enjoy.
Hotel: Hostería Senderos opens a new window
Meals: B
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate
This morning we’ll enjoy a relaxing morning before we take a private bus to the airport, stopping along the way for lunch. Our flight takes us to the southernmost tip of Argentina, Ushuaia. Our private coach will take us to our hotel, centrally located in the heart of the city. The evening is yours to enjoy. Take a stroll through town and choose a local restaurant for dinner. Ushuaia is especially known for its fresh seafood, and king crab is a local specialty.
Hotel: Albatros Hotel opens a new window
Meals: B, L
Activity Level: Easy
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll head out to explore Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego. Tierra del Fuego National Park is unique in Argentina as the only national park where the forest meets the sea, offering a rare blend of marine and terrestrial environments. After returning to the hotel, the remainder of the day is yours to relax or explore Ushuaia on your own.
Hotel: Albatros Hotel opens a new window
Meals: B
Activity Level: Easy to Moderate
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll travel to meet our third species of penguin, the Gentoo penguin. We’ll journey to Harberton, the oldest estancia in the Argentine sector of Tierra del Fuego. From there, we’ll take a boat to Isla Martillo, where we’ll observe Gentoo penguins up close in their natural habitat, along with other wildlife that inhabits this remote island. We’ll enjoy a boxed lunch and then sail through the Beagle Channel. Keep an eye out for sea lion colonies and enjoy the incredible coastal scenery.
That evening, you’ll have time to freshen up before gathering for our final group dinner. We’ll celebrate with a traditional Patagonian asado, a fitting way to conclude our time together at the end of the world.
Hotel: Albatros Hotel opens a new window
Meals: B, L, D
Activity Level: Easy (The boat ride can be very bumpy.)
After breakfast we’ll take our flight back to Buenos Aires where you can enjoy dinner, or say goodbye to fellow travelers at your own pace. You’ll leave with lasting memories of Patagonia’s landscapes and wildlife, along with new perspectives and connections shaped by shared learning and exploration.
Hotel: Hotel Ilum opens a new window
Meals: B
Activity Level: Easy
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before departing for your return journey. Safe travels and thank you for being part of this unforgettable Patagonia experience.
We look forward to welcoming you again at our post-trip reunion, where you’ll receive a David Meikle Patagonia poster featuring the Gentoo penguin, a keepsake from our time at the end of the world.
Meals: B
Nate Furman, PhD, is a Professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah and Director of U-EXPLORE, the university’s academic experiential learning and outdoor recreation education program. In 2025, he received the College of Health’s Distinguished Teaching Professor Award, a peer-selected honor recognizing excellence in teaching.
Nate has spent decades teaching natural history and outdoor leadership through immersive experiences in wild landscapes. During his decade with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), he led extended climbing, mountaineering, hiking, and river expeditions in places stretching from Patagonia to Alaska, and he remains active as a mountain guide and field educator.
Nate has traveled extensively throughout Patagonia and now serves as faculty leader for the University of Utah’s Go Learn Patagonia program, helping travelers engage more deeply with the region’s wildlife, ecology, landscapes, and cultural history. The program explores Patagonia’s mountains, steppe, forests, glaciers, and coastal environments, with an emphasis on immersive learning and adventure.
His teaching and scholarship focus on outdoor education, natural history, public lands, environmental stewardship, and the ways nature-based experiences contribute to human growth and well-being. Whether in the classroom or in the field, Nate is known for bringing curiosity, enthusiasm, depth, and a love of place to the learning experience
December 1-16, 2026
Group Size is limited to 20 participants
Double occupancy: $11,175 per person.
Single occupancy: $11,875 per person.
Payment options are available upon request. Contact golearn@utah.edu for information.
Read the Terms and Conditions for payment and cancellation details.
Terms & ConditionsLike 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, training for hikes, how to get around, and our daily itinerary. We will also lead a pre-departure hike to prepare you for Laguna de los Tres. We want you to arrive in Patagonia ready to learn!
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.
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 77F 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. The weather here is unpredictable, and you can experience all 4 seasons in one day. You will most likely experience Patagonia’s high wind, rain, sunshine, and more wind. You will want to pack good shoes and layers!
This is an Activity Level 3 trip. Learn More about our activity levels.
Activity LevelsThis trip includes multiple walking tours and moderate to extremely difficult hikes. Guides will not allow people over 65 on the Perito Moreno trek. Go Learn will provide guidance for the Laguna de los Tres hike and asks participants to train on their own leading up to it. There will be multiple group flights and boat rides which can be quite bumpy and hard on the spine. Embarking and disembarking from the boats can be difficult and require ascending and descending floating stairs. There are multiple, long bus rides which can be uncomfortable. If you are prone to motion sickness, then you should plan accordingly. The ability to descend and ascend multiple flights of stairs is required. Be aware that Argentina does not have the same Americans with Disabilities Act requirements that we enjoy in the U.S. You will 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 3-5 miles of walking on activity days, 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 to manage their own luggage. Our exciting itinerary and daily learning adventures will keep you happily exhausted.