Experience Buenos Aires like a local porteño by watching a traditional tango performance, visiting atmospheric neighborhoods and enjoying an Argentine asado of grilled meats at country ranch.
DAY 1
After flying in to Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires, you will proceed through Customs and claim your luggage. You will then be met and transferred your hotel.
Check-in is 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available earlier, this cannot be guaranteed. If you are arriving early, you may wish to book an extra night to guarantee immediate check-in.
The remainder of the day will be at your leisure, and lunch and dinner will be on your own.
Day 2
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will spend the day at a traditional estancia ranch in the countryside, a beautiful land that is home to the gaucho. The owners will be your hosts, and during your stay they will regale you with stories about the differences between modern country life and country life years ago.
Lunch will be a hearty asado of grilled meats with empanadas, accompanied by excellent Argentinean wines.
The entertainment will be just as outstanding. You will enjoy folk songs and dances, equestrian activities and an extraordinary demonstration of traditional gaucho skills, such as ring races and horse races and games.
Following your time at the estancia, you will return to the hotel to spend the evening. Dinner will be on your own.
DAY 3
Following breakfast at the hotel, you will begin a half-day sightseeing tour of Buenos Aires, starting in the neighborhood La Boca, where you will view El Caminito, a street that is an open-air museum of sorts full of brightly colored buildings. Some claim the tango originated here around 1870, and tango dancers are often seen performing impromptu in the streets.
Continuing on, you will pass the city hall and Metropolitan Cathedral, which is adorned with frescoes and elaborate artwork. You will also see Casa Rosado, the executive mansion. President Juan Peron and his wife Eva, more affectionately known as Evita, delivered numerous speeches from the balcony.
Then, it’s on to the affluent La Recoleta neighborhood and the Recoleta Cemetery, the final resting place for Argentina’s wealthy and powerful. It holds thousands of grandiose mausoleums containing the remains of generals, sports figures and most famously Evita.
A snack at Café Tortoni follows. This historic cafe has served as the artistic and intellectual capital of Buenos Aires since 1858, hosting notable guests such as Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. Founded in 1858, the café is the oldest coffee shop in the country.
After touring the city, you will return to your hotel for lunch on own.
Your evening will be spent watching an authentic tango performance over dinner. Although the exact origin of the tango is unclear, there is no denying that the sultry dance is mesmerizing. The rhythmic music and mournful lyrics are just as alluring, as they often tell a story of lust, betrayal and loneliness. You don’t have to speak the language to feel the passion of tango.
After the tango performance, you will return to the hotel for the evening.
DAY 4
After breakfast and check out, transfer to the ship for embarkation.
Land Program Details Step by Step
•The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
•Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
•Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
•All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program
•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
•If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Fly into Buenos Aires and transfer to your hotel for a 3:00pm check-in.
The remainder of the day and evening is at your leisure.
Lunch and dinner are on your own.
Overnight at Alvear Art Hotel or similar
Meet and Greet and transfers
•Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
•Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
•Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
7:00am Buffet Breakfast at your hotel
8:30am Departure to Rosario de Areco
10:00am Visit San Antonio de Areco town before visiting the Estancia.
11:30am Transfer to the Estancia, arrival & reception with Empanadas.
12:30am BBQ Lunch
2:00pm Gaucho Skills Demonstration
3:00pm Folklore Dance Performance & Tea with petit fours
4:00pm Transfer to your hotel
5:30pm Arrival at the hotel, the remainder of the day is at your leisure
Dinner is on your own
Overnight at Alvear Art Hotel or similar
DAY 3
7:00am Buffet Breakfast at the hotel
9:30am Buenos Aires Sightseeing with a stop at Caminito Street
11:00am Depart Caminito Street and drive to Plaza de Mayo
(May Square) driving through San Telmo
11:30am Stop at a traditional cafeteria (Café Tortoni or similar) for a beverage
12:30nn Transfer to Recoleta & visit the Cemetery
2:00pm Drive through Palermo Quarters and return to the hotel
Lunch and free time at leisure
8:00pm Depart from your hotel for dinner & Tango Show
12:00am Return to your hotel
Overnight at Alvear Art Hotel or similar
DAY 4
7:30am Buffet breakfast at your hotel & check out
11:00am Transfer to the ship for embarkation
Expected Weather
Seasons in South America are the opposite of those in North America. Rain can fall at any time of the year. A hot and humid climate should be expected during the summer (December-March).
What to Bring
Light, loose clothing, comfortable walking shoes and a light rain jacket or sweater
Currency
The official Argentine currency is the Peso. USD as well as credit cards are accepted in many places.
Electricity
220 volts A.C. (50 Hz). We recommend that you bring your own travel adaptor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements
A valid passport is required.
Hotel Accommodation:
Alvear Alvear Hotel
Suipacha 1036, C1008 CABA, Argentina
Phone: +54 11 4114-3400
Program includes
*Three nights in a standard double room – hotel Alvear Art Hotel
* 3 Breakfasts
* 1 lunch including unlimited local wine, soft drinks and water
*1 dinner including unlimited soft drinks and water and ½ bottle of wine per person
* English-speaking guide on tours
* Luggage porterage for up to 2 pieces of luggage per person
* Current VAT as per local laws and regulations
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Excludes
•Meals or beverages not specified
•Gratuities to guides and drivers
•Personal expenses and hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, gravel and natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns should check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space will be released.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to availability.