nabster

Making a last minute trip to South America ... would welcome all advice on how to make it more cost / time / value effective @:-)

arrive SCL

Day 1: Saturday
- 12 hours sightseeing in Santiago
- Sleeper Bus SCL - Mendoza 10pm - 5am
*edit: may skip sightseeing in Santiago and take the earliest bus to Mendoza to enjoy the scenery

Day 2: Sunday
- Visiting Uco Valley wineries/eating

Day 3: Monday
- Mendoza sightseeing
- MDZ - El Cafate @7:05pm - 1:25am ($331pp)

Day 4: Tuesday
- Sleep / Sight see Los Glacieres National Park
- Late night bus/drive to El Chalten

Day 5: Wednesday
- El Chalten hike / sightsee TBD

Day 6: Thursday
- El Chalten hike / sightsee TBD
- Late night bus/drive to El Cafate

Day 7: Friday
- Fly FTE - AEP 2:05AM - 5:01AM ($209)
- Sleep / Sightsee in BA

Day 8: Saturday
- Sightsee in BA

Day 9: Sunday
- AEP - Iguazu: 5:40am - 7:25am ($132pp)
- Sightsee in Iguazu

Day 10: Monday
- IGR - AEP: 11:35am - 1:30pm ($191pp)
- Transfer to EZE for departure back

Feels like we're packing in a lot, but given that it is a virgin trip, want to do as much as we can.

Thanks!

Gaucho100K

Make sure you make proper plans in Mendoza for visiting wineries.... I would urge you to hire Miguel Sanz who will make sure you go to the right places and get the proper treatment.

nabster

from reading all the other posts, that was the one certainty. We've already confirmed with Miguel for our Uco trip!

Gaucho100K

Good for you !!! You will be glad you did.... have a great visit to Mendoza !!! ^

nabster

thank you ... the flights are booked, the buses are booked. Almost have all the hotels figured out. One small detail is still TBD which is that we are scheduled to arrive in El Calafate @2:20pm on Monday and fly out of El Calafate @6:35pm on Thursday. Hoping to spend most of that time in El Chalten seeing Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre, but definitely don't want to short change Perito Moreno in El Calafate. We are planning to take the bus both ways to/from El Chalten

With that in mind, given bus schedules and all, would it be advisable to see Perito Moreno on Monday evening before heading to El Chalten, or Thursday before our flight from FTE to BA?

mrozel

Hey Nabster,

How did this trip end up going? I know that the post is old but it appears to be useful. My wife and I are debating doing something very similar to this trip. Trips from REI are going to be $8k + flights per person, so I'm curious how you compared on price as well.

Thanks!