Eclipse Tour #1 : Patagonia & Argentina
These tours are intended for travelers looking for a less expensive alternative to French Polynesia or Easter Island, yet without sacrificing adventure or eclipse observation with our special eclipse flight.
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Itinerary 1A : 6-day tour from Buenos Aires Thursday July 8th - Tuesday July 13th 2010 1,999 € p.p. (single supplement of 799€)
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Itinerary 1B : 3-day add-on tour to Valdés Peninsula Monday July 12th - Thursday July 15th 2010 699€ p.p. (single supplement of 399€)
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Itinerary 1C : 5-day add-on tour to San Carlos de Bariloche Monday July 12th - Saturday July 17th 2010 990€ p.p. (single supplement of 599€)
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Itinerary 1D : 4-day add-on tour to Iguazú falls Tuesday July 13th - Friday July 16th 2010 990€ p.p. (single supplement of 299€)
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Eclipse Flight 1X : 3-hour flight from/to El Calafate (Argentina) Sunday July 11th 2010 Starting at 159€ p.p. 
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Itinerary 1A : 6-day tour from Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Thursday July 8th - Tuesday July 13th 2010 1,999 € p.p. (single supplement of 799€) |
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Day 1: Thursday, July 8th 2010 - Buenos Aires [D] Arrival on your own at Buenos Aires international airport Ezeiza. You will most likely arrive in the morning hours from the northern hemisphere. Meet and greet at Ezeiza airport and transfer to your 4-star hotel (for all other passengers arriving at other times and dates, please ask about our individual pick-up service). In the afternoon, half day visit of Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan city that shows the influence of the great number of immigrants that arrived to these shores. The tour begins at the historic Plaza de Mayo square, well known for its numerous political demonstrations. It is surrounded by the Government House, best known as the Casa Rosada or "Pink House", the Cabildo (the old City Hall) and the Metropolitan Cathedral. The "Avenida de Mayo", which starts from this square, has an interesting set of buildings of varied styles that reflect the diversity of its inhabitants. Wide avenues and green areas appear constantly trying to slow down the rhythm of this vertiginous city. A sample of this is the "9 de Julio Avenue", about 5 blocks away from here, with its eight lanes divided by small green squares with old leafy trees and enriched by sculptures and fountains. In the middle of this avenue, at the "Plaza de la República", an Obelisk arises as a symbol of the city. The visit continues towards San Telmo, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, which was also a center for immigrant settlers and still keeps most of its architectonic patrimony untouched: its colonial houses and cobbled streets. We take Balcarce street up to Humberto 1, turn in Defensa and drive along Plaza Dorrego until we reach Bolivar; down along Av. San Juan to Av. Paseo Colón. Every Sunday, an antique fair is held in Plaza Dorrego. The area has also a lively night-life as there are many tango houses, restaurants and pubs. Southwards, we reach the picturesque and colorful port neighborhood of La Boca with its famous street, "Caminito", whose architectonic characteristics reflect the culture of European citizens that arrived at these shores at the end of the 19th century, mainly Genovese sailors. The visit continues towards the newest district of Puerto Madero; Palermo neighborhood with its elegant residences framed by wide green areas; finally reaching the district of Recoleta, the most sophisticated neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The Recoleta Cemetery, surprises the visitors for its rich architecture and the important personalities of the social and political Argentinean life, amongst whom are Eva Perón, whose remains rest there. Next to the cemetery is the church Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the Recoleta Cultural Center (previously a convent), Buenos Aires Design and the Palais de Glace. In the evening, transfer from the hotel to a restaurant located at Puerto Madero, where we will have dinner. Overnight in Buenos Aires. Day 2: Friday, July 9th 2010 - La Independencia, InterSoles 3 and Tango Argentino [B, L, D] Today is Argentina’s most important public holiday. On July 9th 1816, Argentina was declared independent from Spain. We will dedicate this day to get ready for our eclipse event attending InterSoles 3. The Third International Solar Eclipse Summit, InterSoles 3, will be held in Buenos Aires and we sincerely welcome and invite all eclipse friends to join. InterSoles offers a wide varitety of edutainment activities and an astronomy exhibition. This is fun and entertaining for novices and experienced eclipse observers altogether. Check out our program on a regular basis. InterSoles is an accompanying conference and show on all our total solar eclipse venues around the world. Previously InterSoles 1 took place in Jiayuguan (China) and InterSoles 2 in Shanghai (China). In July 2012, InterSoles 4 will be held in Cairns (Australia). After InterSoles, you may want to relax before we venture out for an authentic tango dinner show. Tango music is derived from the fusion of various forms of music from hundreds of thousands of immigrants, primarily Italians, Spanish and French living in to the working-class slums in the Buenos Aires’ suburbs. Blended with African influence, the tango dance evolved from those lower-class districts of Buenos Aires to more fashionable music and dance, to what we know today as "Tango Argentino". For those interested, we will provide a one hour tango training class at our hotel, prior to departing for the show. Overnight in Buenos Aires. Day 3: Saturday, July 10th 2010 - Beginning of our Patagonian Adventure [B, L, D] After breakfast, we will get ready for departure. Our charter flight will take us to El Calafate 2,000 kilometers away to one of the southernmost regions in South America, Argentina’s province of Santa Cruz in Southern Patagonia. We will be flying along the Andean mountain range, covered by snow and glaciers. El Calafate will be our home for a little more than 24 hours. Average July temperatures this far south range from -4 to +4°C (25 to 30°F) and during the eclipse will probably drop down to -10°C (14°F). So please do not forget your winter gear, especially winter shoes and socks, scarves and gloves, long lasting batteries, etc. for cold weather conditions. Should you forget anything, make sure to do your last minute shopping by latest on July 8th. After arrival in El Calafate, we will be taken to our "Winter Resort" and overnight in this vast and remote region. We will give you the lastest instructions for our next day eclipse observation program before proceeding to dinner. Overnight in El Calafate. Day 4: Sunday, July 11th 2010 - E-Day with 2 min. 42 sec. of totality [B, L, D] The eclipse will take place shortly before sunset. Thus, we will have the full day to explore the region before proceeding to our observation locations. After breakfast, we will head towards Perito Moreno Glacier, situated within the Los Glaciares National Park, 80 kilometers from El Calafate. From the very beginning this day will provide pleasant surprises. Departing from El Calafate, the Argentino lake will appear on the right side of the road with its Bahía Redonda (Round Bay) that is home to an interesting and assorted bird species. The first half of the road goes through a landscape typical of the Patagonian steppe, whose characteristic species are the broom sedges (hard, thorny type of grass) and "calafates" (bushes belonging to the barberry family which is well-known for its yellow flowers and violet fruits). From the National Park entrance onwards, the landscape drastically changes, the flora grows richer with species that are typical of the Andine-Patagonian Forest such as: ñires, lengas and guindos. The Perito Moreno Glacier is an imposing ice river covering an area of 250 square kilometers, having a length of 30 kilometers and a front which is 5 kilometers wide; the front of the glacier soars between 30 to 60 meters over the lake level. In the central area of the glacier the ice reaches a depth of 250 to 350 meters. This frozen river descends from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field causing, during its slow advance, ice cracks and thunderous bursts that turned the glacier into a marvel in constant movement. A show that is impressing not only for its beauty but also for the continuous roars that are heard from its innermost recesses. Because of its breathtaking beauty it was declared a Mankind Heritage by Unesco. A walk along the pathways placed in front of its western wall will let you admire this impressive wonder of nature from different points of view. After lunch, we will transfer you to Cuesta de Miguens, 60 kilometers from Calafate, and let you setup your equipment to see the total solar eclipse. We will provide to the group a tent, hot drinks, typical snacks and services. From the heights of our special lookout, we will be observing totality at less than 1 degree over the world’s longest mountain range, the Andes. With a bit of luck, Mount Fitz Roy (Cerro Chaltén) will be seen and shining in the distance, a few degrees on the right from the black Sun. Be aware that although this location is quite sunny, the cloudiness over the western horizon where the eclipse occurs is close to 75%. Start of the partial eclipse is at 4:44 pm, totality between 5:48 pm and 5:51 pm (altitude = 1°, azimuth = 307°, i.e. facing West). The partial eclipse will end at 6:50 pm but you won’t see it as the Sun has already set. Eclipse Observation Charter Flight (3 min. 46 sec. of totality): For those wishing to be almost 100% sure to witness the eclipse, we will provide an optional 3-hour eclipse flight from El Calafate. We will drive you to El Calafate airport, where you will board our eclipse charter and will fly to the northwest, into the totality path over the Pacific Ocean. You will observe totality with a slightly increased duration and with the Sun being about 10 to 15 degrees over the horizon. The flight will fly over the Andean mountain range and if the weather is good enough we will see mount Fitz Roy and Lautaro volcano sticking out and the many islands on the Chilean side of Patagonia. Note: this is a preliminary flight path that will be adjusted. However, you may want to reserve and secure your seat on this unique flight ahead of time.
After the eclipse we’ll head back to El Calafate. Patagonian dinner at our hotel to share our experiences and excitement of a full day of emotions. Overnight in El Calafate. Day 5: Monday, July 12th 2010 - Return to Buenos Aires [B, L, D] After a hearty breakfast we will head back to Buenos Aires, on a 3-hour flight. Transfer back to your hotel. Rest of the day on your own for shopping and winding down. Overnight in Buenos Aires. Add-on tours:
Day 6: Tuesday, July 13th 2010 - Farewell [B] Check-out latest by noon. You may now want to extend your stay, connect to an Eclipse-City add-on tour, do your own itinerary or else fly back home. End of tour. Included services: 5 hotel nights, airport shuttle, all meals as indicated (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner), domestic flights in economy class with 20 kilograms luggage allowance, English, Spanish, French, German speaking local guides, "Eclipse-City Survival Kit" including eclipse eyeshades, all required permits and entrance fees. Please make your reservation as soon as possible as seats available on the eclipse flight are strictly limited.
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Itinerary 1B : 3-day add-on tour to Valdés Peninsula (Argentina)
Monday July 12th - Thursday July 15th 2010 699 € p.p. (single supplement of 399€) |
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Day 1: Monday, July 12th 2010 - Transfer from El Calafate to Puerto Madryn [B, L, D] Plane transfer from El Calafate to Trelew in the Valdés Peninsula. Road transfer to Puerto Madryn. Accommodation at Peninsula hotel for two nights. Dinner at Plácido restaurant. Overnight in Puerto Madryn. Day 2: Tuesday, July 13th 2010 - Whale Watching [B, L, D] The Valdés Peninsula has recently been declared Mankind’s Heritage due to its geography, flora and fauna. Full day at Peninsula Valdés doing whale watching. Departure from Puerto Madryn towards Puerto Pirámides, going through the Carlos Ameghino isthmus, a privileged place that, due to its geography, will allow you to see the new and San José gulfs simultaneously. Brief tour around Puerto Pirámides, the only inhabited center of the peninsula. Here, from July to November, it is possible to share the unforgettable experience of watching the imposing Southern Right Whale that reaches these shores to mate and give birth. The visit continues towards Caleta Valdés, a strange geological formation that runs parallel to the coast. This is a unique place not only for its geography but mainly for its fauna: the sea elephants, 3,000 kg creatures that lay on the beach and dive down to 1,000 meters, are waiting for you in Punta Cantor Reserve -situated at the mouth of this inlet. From the extremes of the inlet you will enjoy the most imposing sights of the Mar Argentino. The tour continues towards Punta Delgada lighthouse. Lunch will be taken at this unique location, a historical monument of nature. On your way back to Puerto Madryn, you will take part in a Mediterranean experience to appreciate the Salinas Grande y Chica (grand and small salt pits) -depressions 35 meters below sea level- where you will see wild animals such us: maras (Patagonian hare), guanacos, foxes and skunks. The tour guide will tell you everything about the history of San José Fort and about the salt extraction from the salt pits. Return to Puerto Madryn. Dinner at Margarita restaurant. Day 3: Wednesday, July 14th 2010 - Back to Buenos Aires [B] Transfer from Puerto Madryn to Buenos Aires and to your hotel. Rest of the day on your own for shopping and winding down. Overnight in Buenos Aires. Day 4: Thursday, July 15th 2010 - Farewell [B] Check-out before noon. End of add-on tour. Included services: 3 hotel nights, airport shuttle, all meals as indicated (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner), domestic flights in economy class with 20 kilograms luggage allowance, English and Spanish, speaking local guides, entrance fees.
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Itinerary 1C : 5-day add-on tour to San Carlos de Bariloche (Argentina)
Monday July 12th - Saturday July 17th 2010 990 € p.p. (single supplement of 599€) |
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Day 1: Monday, July 12th 2010 - Transfer from El Calafate to San Carlos de Bariloche [B, L, D] Plane transfer from El Calafate to San Carlos de Bariloche and then to your hotel. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in San Carlos de Bariloche for 4 mights, including breakfast and ski passes. Days 2 to 4: Tuesday, July 13th - Thursday, July 15th 2010 - Skiing and Visiting [B] San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche, is a city in the province of Río Negro, situated in the foothills of the Andes, surrounded by lakes (Nahuel Huapi, Gutiérrez, Moreno and Mascardi) and mountains (Tronador, Cerro Catedral, Cerro López). It is famous for skiing but also known for sightseeing, water sports, trekking and climbing. Cerro Catedral is one of the most important ski centers in South America. The picture on the right was taken from Cerro Catedral while skiing there in August 2007. If you want to have a break from skiing, you may also want to discover the region, such as Villa Angostura or the surrounding lakes with a rental car. Day 5: Friday, July 16th 2010 - Back to Buenos Aires [B] Transfer from San Carlos de Bariloche to Buenos Aires and to your hotel. Rest of the day on your own for shopping and winding down. Overnight in Buenos Aires. Day 6: Saturday, July 17th 2010 - Farewell [B] Check-out before noon. End of add-on tour. Included services: 5 hotel nights, airport shuttle, all meals as indicated (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner), domestic flights in economy class with 20 kilograms luggage allowance, no local guides, ski pass.
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Itinerary 1D : 3-day add-on tour to Iguazú falls
Tuesday July 13th - Friday July 16th 2010 990 € p.p. (single supplement of 299€) |
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Day 1: Tuesday, July 13th 2010 - Transfer from Buenos Aires to Iguazú (Argentina) [B, L, D] Plane transfer from Buenos Aires to Iguazú and then to your hotel. Departure from the hotel to visit the Argentinean side of the Iguazú falls, located within the Iguazú National Park, one of the first protected areas in South America. They were declared Mankind Heritage by UNESCO. From the Visitor’s Center, located near the falls area, you will take an open train on a 15-minute journey up to "Cataratas Station". From there you will walk on the pathways to lookouts of the superior and inferior paths, admiring really closely the 275 imposing 70-meter high waterfalls and also the amazing variety of ferns, orchids, begonias, birds and butterflies. After which you will descend 1,200 meters to the Devil’s Throat balcony, to share one of the greatest shows on earth. Return by train to the Visitor’s Center. You will continue towards the Foz do Iguaçu National Park, one of the largest vegetation reserves in Brazil. Walking along the paths on the Brazilian side, you will get startled by the panoramic view of San Martin Island and the most imposing falls situated on the other side of the border: Bozzeti, Two Sisters, San Martin and the Three Musketeers, among others. Near the end of the pathway you will reach an outlook that offers an astonishing view of the Devil’s Throat, situated only a 150 meters away at this location. This wonderful scenery is rendered even more beautiful by the permanent rainbows that appear in front of the falls. The pathway ends near Floriano Fall, where there is a small gift shop and the panoramic elevator that can be optionally boarded. At the end of the pathway, a long stairway will take you to the place where the bus will be waiting to start our way back to the hotel. Overnight in Iguazú. Day 2: Wednesday, July 14th 2010 - World Heritage San Ignacio Ruins and Wanda Mines [B] Visit of the World Heritage, Jesuit Ruins of San Ignacio Miní, 230 kilometers from Iguazú Falls in the Province of Misiones. Step by step the guide takes us for a walk through the daily life in the Jesuit village. Traveling along the province the beautiful landscapes remind us of the ancient owners of the land. Overnight in Posadas at the Julio Cesar hotel. Day 3: Thursday, July 15th 2010 - Back to Buenos Aires [B] After breakfast, plane transfer from Posadas to Buenos Aires and to your hotel. Rest of the day on your own for shopping and winding down. Day 4: Friday, July 16th 2010 - Farewell [B] Check-out before noon. End of add-on tour. Included services: 3 hotel nights, airport shuttle, all meals as indicated (Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner), domestic flights in economy class with 20 kilograms luggage allowance, English and Spanish speaking local guides, entrance fees.
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Last update on July 3, 2009.