Argentina Culinary & Cultural Trip

Arrive in Buenos Aires

After touching down in Buenos Aires, you’ll be transported to your hotel by your guide for an early check-in. Revive with a shower and breakfast, before setting off into southern Buenos Aires to the wonderfully colorful barrio of La Boca. Here, you’ll go where few tourists do, as we introduce you to artists who live and work there, and bring you for lunch in a true locals’ haunt. For dinner, sample boundary-breaking food at an establishment featured on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. 

Selected hotels

• Recoleta Grand

  This small boutique hotel centered in the middle of the Recoleta neighborhood is walking distance from beautiful design shops and cafes. Here you’ll be near important itinerary highlights.

• Legado Mitico

  It’s small and effortlessly stylish, and enjoys a prime location smack bang in the middle of Palermo Soho, with a flurry of restaurants, bars, nightlife spots and design boutiques just a stroll away. With each room’s decor inspired by an Argentine icon, there is a real sense of place here too. Plus, service is friendly and faultless. If you want to be in the thick of it, and enjoy a high-end but relaxed hotel, Legado Mitico is ideal.

Exploring Buenos Aires & Private Chef Dinner

Spend the day falling for Buenos Aires, as you get to know its parks and local hangouts, independent cafés and lesser-known shops, all the while taste-testing your way through the city’s foodie hotspots. In the afternoon we’ll take you across the city for a private wine tasting & dinner at a private chef’s house. This is one of our signature experiences created for those who seek unique cultural encounters. 

Unlike anything you’ve experienced, you can mingle with locals and eat the best of Argentine cuisine on a covered and cozy terrace.

*On Sundays this experience includes a visit to the local fair -- the most authentic experience Buenos Aires has to offer.

The Less-Traveled Neighborhoods: Northern Buenos Aires

Today, we’ll break beyond the well-traveled boundaries of Buenos Aires and venture to the not-so-well-known (at least not to outsiders) northern neighborhoods, where cobblestoned streets and street markets await. To get a better sense of everyday local life, we’ll embark on a journey familiar to many porteños, riding the train to the picturesque town of Tigre – a common weekend retreat for city dwellers. There, board a vintage boat for a sail around the epic Rio de la Plata River. Your captain will cook you up a delicious feast on-board. In the early evening, get your feet ready for some Tango moves. Your specialized guide will teach you the basics and get you ready for a night out in a local "milonga". A milonga is an Argentine Tango social dance, people gather at the local dancehalls (also referred to as Milonga) to dance the night away. There is a certain structure to Milongas and your guide will tell you all about it so you can be prepared to mix in with the locals!

Land of the Seven Lakes

Today, you’ll leave Buenos Aires behind, departing for Bariloche in northern Patagonia’s lake district. Surrounded by cloud-piercing mountain peaks and glassy lakes, and famous for its chocolate, Bariloche has the air of an Alpine mountain town. After a leisurely hike, you’ll get to taste Argentinians energy-boosting drink of choice, mate, which is made by infusing the dried leaves of yerba mate in hot water. 

Selected hotels

• Lirolay Suites

  Lirolay is a 12-room boutique hotel located on Lake Nahuel Huapi, within easy reach of downtown but in a quiet, relaxed setting. There is a private path entrance to the beach lake, and each room comes with a small kitchenette, making it well-suited to independent travelers.

• Las Balsas Relais & Chateaux

  Situated about 55 miles (90 kilometers) from Bariloche, this exclusive Relais & Châteaux property sits in the quaint village of Villa La Angostura. For those looking for complete relaxation, romance or time away from crowds, this place is the perfect setting. It has its own on-site gourmet restaurant as well as its own boat dock that guests can use to access more remote surrounding areas as well as places of interest close to Bariloche

Explore Bariloche

In the company of your guide, you’ll scratch beneath the surface of Bariloche. While the town’s photo-friendly landscapes are much touted, its rich history gets less air time. Find out about the forgotten chapters of its heritage and past, from indigenous cultures to the World War II settlers. You’ll also be briefed on the Bariloche’s emerging brewing scene, tasting beers that have been produced in the region. 

Choose your adventure

Active travelers may want to try mountain biking, hiking with a rappel descent or – for something a little less high-energy – kayaking on the lakes. If you’d rather steer clear of active pursuits altogether, you can hit the kitchen instead. Together with a professional local chef, you’ll set about selecting herbs from her vegetable garden and preparing an Argentine meal.

Arrival in Mendoza

Fly to Mendoza, Argentina’s most well-regarded wine region at the foothills of the Andes. Take part in a hands-on cooking lesson during which a skilled local chef will show you how to properly shape, fill and cook empanadas mendocinas in a clay oven. Afterwards, you’ll get to taste the delicious stuffed dough pockets – the staple snack of Argentina. 

Selected hotels

• Lares de Chacras

  Nestled among vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo, this small boutique hotel is near many wineries. Their cozy suites will make you feel right at home.

• Entre Cielos Lodge

  Entre Cielos Lodge is a beautiful 5-star hotel sitting on its own vineyard in Lujan de Cuyo. With modern rooms, this hotel has the best spa in Mendoza. Perfect for honeymooners, their Loft Vineyard Suite is your own capsule sitting right atop the vineyards.

Olive Oil & Wine

Today will be devoted to two things Mendoza excels at: wine and olive oil. Start off learning the longstanding tricks of the trade from an old-fashioned producer of extra virgin olive oil. Next, you’ll visit a top-of-their-game local winemaker and settle in for a leisurely and undoubtedly memorable lunch at the famous winery restaurant of Mendoza native, Chef Lucas Bustos – a man many credit with helping to elevate gastronomic experiences in wineries. 

Wine-Tasting in Valle de Uco

Today, wine is once again at the fore. Visit an iconic winery that helped put Argentina on the sommelier’s map for a tasting, then drive out amid the Malbec vines to a small boutique winery in the Valle de Uco, where you will stay for the next two nights. 

Selected hotels

• Guesthouse at La Azul

  The guesthouse is still a hidden gem in Uco Valley. Part of the small boutique winery, Finca La Azul, this 6-room guesthouse will make you feel right at home. Home-cooked meals and exquisite wines are the highlights of this tastefully decorated house.

Discovering Uco Valley’s Gems

Due to its complex soil and climate conditions, Uco Valley has been held up as Argentina’s most prized viticulture region. Get familiar with the terroir during tasting sessions in the valley, before enjoying a meaty feast at a hidden-away traditional asado (barbecue) spot that specializes in all things pork.

Adiós, Argentina!

On Day 11, it’s time to say adiós to Argentina. 

Not ready for the adventure to end? Find more inspiring ways to combine this trip, here.

Contact us to customize this journey.

*Your journey will be customized based on your travel time, interests and budget.