sdg1

Please help me with 10 days itinerary in Argentina.
We are spending 3 full days in Buenos Aires, but then we want see Glacier National Park, El Calafate. In addition, I want to add one or more stops: Bariloche or Ushuaia.
If I have to choose one between Bariloche and Ushuaia, what would you advise?
The other option is to see all three places, but afraid that it will be too much travel- flying every other day.
Please help! Thanks.

owlwoman

Having been to both places, I would pick Bariloche. Ushuaia is a cool town, but the surroundings are kind of barren and DT Ushuaia reminds me of DT Calafate.

I think the Bariloche is different. The lake district is beautiful (reminds me of Switzerland) and I think it would be a nice change of pace.

What time of year are you going?

RagtopGirl

I too have been to both and agree with owlwoman. Ushuaia is a cool place to say "I've been there" but I didn't find it as interesting as Bariloche. Again, the time of year is critical because of the latitude difference.

sdg1

Thanks to all for your responses.
We are going from 10/30/09 until 11/10/09.
Would all three places be to much?

sdg1

Here is itinerary- plan #1:
Day 1- B.A.
Day 2-Transfer to Bariloche
Day 3-Bariloche-Lake tour
Day 4-Transfer to Calafate
Day 5-Glacier Nat.Park
Day 6-Transfer to Ushuaia
Day 7-Ushuaia city tour and Tierra Del Fuego NP
Day 8-Transfer to BA for 2 more days.
Day 9-10 B.A.

I need to decide if to take 1 stop out of itinerary or manage it as is. So, plan# 2 is 2 stops only (Calafate and Bariloche, skip Ushuaia??) with extra two days spread between Calafate and BA.

messifan

If your willing run around like that, then i would say do it. I think you may have more time than you think, since if you are taking flights to these places you will not miss a full day each time you travel. if you are still looking for good deals on local flights, check out bsas4u. i used them last time i went down to bariloche and they hooked me up with a pretty good deal.

Chau!

sdg1

Thanks! My concern is exactly that it will be running around like crazy and don't know if seeing Ushuaia is worth it...

owlwoman

You could do it, but imo it's too much moving around and you'll need a vacation when you get home. I don't know your travel style, but we like to spend at least 3 nights in each location (except BA, where we only spend our first and last nights there). Plus, if any of your flights are delayed.... I would either extend my trip or eliminate Ushuaia. It might be pretty cold in Ushuaia at that time of year too.

flintstones

One iomportant question... When are you coming??
Flintstones.

bearshapedsphere

I like all the places you mentioned, with El Calafate being the least lovable, and were it not for the glaciar, I'd skip it completely (and I think everyone else would, too). It's a town that doesn't have much to offer, is windswept and built for tourism. I found it bleak, though there is a nice reclaimed sewage lagoon (really) where you can go birdwatching.

I really love Ushuaia, including the mini plane flyover and the penguin, cormorant and sealion sightings and a very cool jail-turned museum. If you bike, it's a quickish ride to the N.P. Tierra del Fuego. But if you just want to soak up the beautiful and eat good chocolate, certainly Bariloche is your place.

One place that didn't come up was El Chaltén, the jump-off point for hiking in Mt. Fitzroy. I promise you that in ten years it will be so overrun with tourists that you won't want to go, but it's still kind of small and quirky (though growing) right now. Good eats, microbrews, etc. It's 4 hours from El Calafate, but the views (should it not be socked in with clouds) will make you forget you're even on a bus.

Hope that helps.

www.bearshapedsphere.blogspot.com (my expat blog)

sdg1

Thank you, all for your responses.

We are in Ushuaia for 2 days- what would you recommend for the second day?
Day 1- we arrive from Calafate at 10:30 AM and we'll do Tierra de Fuego National Park- 1/2 day
Day 2- ??? Options: just hiking in the park? or Penguin boat tour (have anyone been on this tour?) Please advise!. Thanks

owlwoman

Yes, do the Estancia Halberton tour which includes the boat ride to see the Penguins. We used Canal Fun for the tour, the guides are terrific!