This question is a bit like asking the length of a piece of string, but I’ll do my best to give you an idea of costs, and the different factors that will drive costs up or keep them down.
For many people, the appeal of a group tour is the prospect of meeting new people and the camaraderie that comes with travelling in a group. And escorted tours can be the better value way of exploring, as the tour operator is able to negotiate good air fares and accommodation rates based on more people travelling. But there are currently very few tours available that focus solely on Argentina – the standard intro tour is a 3-centre holiday that combines Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. And for my money, this will only scratch the surface of the attractions of Argentina.
In my opinion, the best way of touring around Argentina is on a private, tailor-made journey designed around your preferences and staying in the style of accommodation you’re looking for - with an itinerary that reflects the pace at which you want to travel. A tailor-made trip gives you so much more flexibility – you can choose the specific dates you want to travel on, the length of your holiday, how long you want to stay in each place and the style of accommodation that best suits you. You’ll explore accompanied by a knowledgeable guide, you’ll transfer from place to place privately, and we’ll put together a schedule that combines the right number and style of excursions for you, but which leaves you enough free time to explore on your own or simply to relax.
I only use reputable suppliers with reliable ground agents, so you won’t have to worry that cars aren’t going to turn up in time for airport transfers – you can relax in the knowledge that your arrangements will run on oiled wheels. If budget is an issue, we can try to keep costs down by including some group excursions and limiting the number (and distance) of domestic flights. Argentina is a huge country, so a flight from Buenos Aires to El Calafate for example can add substantially to the cost of the holiday. So, if you’re not one for icebergs and glacial scenery, we’d be better off leaving Patagonia out of your itinerary.
You may be tempted to go “DIY” and to book flights, hotels and tours yourself by looking online. There are a couple of reasons that I’d argue against this. First, if any element of your itinerary falls down – for example, if one or more of your domestic flights is cancelled (a regular occurrence in South America) – then you’ll have the very stressful task of re-jigging your trip with resulting cancellation charges. If you book a holiday through me with one of my suppliers – any changes will be handled by them as part of the service. And because you’ve booked your holiday as a package it’s covered financially and legally – and you can’t say the same for a trip you’ve pulled the holiday together yourself.
Just remember that South America’s a completely different kettle of fish from Europe, where you may have been organizing your own holidays for years. You want reliable ground arrangements - dependable transfers that turn up when they’re supposed to, a good standard of accommodation, touring in suitable, roadworthy vehicles and guides that speak decent English. I’ve been travelling in South America for many years, and I wouldn’t dream of pulling together my own itinerary by going direct.
To give you a rough indication of costs for a holiday in 2025, a tailor-made 9 or 10-night trip visiting Buenos Aires, the Lake District around Bariloche and Mendoza and the winelands in low season would cost around £4200+ per person. A more extensive 18-night trip adding in time in El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier and a stay in Salta and the canyonlands of the North West would cost upwards of £5400 per person.
A holiday in Argentina would be the trip of a lifetime and, although it won’t be cheap, I urge you not to try to cut corners and to make sure that your organize your holiday with someone like me who knows their stuff and will make sure that you have only positive memories of your time in this wonderful country.
Get in touch, and let’s start planning your dream trip.
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