LJane88

Hello, My boyfriend and I are going to Argentina for christmas (a 10 day trip). We are spending the first 2.5 days in BA and then want to do either Mendoza, Patagonia, or both. In patagonia, is it better to do Bariloche or Calafate if we can only do one or the other? Also, is it worth it to try to squeeze in Mendoza as well? Thanks!!!

yestravel

What are your interests? What are you thinking about doing in Bariloche or el Calafate? Bariloche and el Calafate are very different. While I thought the area around Bariloche was lovely. Bariloche itself was very touristy. If you decide to go to the lake district you can also visit San Martin de los Andes which we loved and/or Villa Angostura. If you're interested in seeing the glacier then el Calafate would be the place to go. el Calafate is a lovely small town and Perito Moreno is fabulous. I don't think u would need 7-8 days in el Calafate. How r u planning to get to Bariloche? Last I heard the airport in Bariloche was closed thru the end of December I believe.

Have not been to Mendoza so can't comment on it. BA is a huge city with much to see. Perhaps u want to consider spending more than 2.5 days there? And not to confuse u, but Iguazu Falls is simply spectacular. Have u thought about visiting it?
Enjoy your planning!

LJane88

Thank you! I have heard great things about Iguazu so maybe we throw that into the mix. How long would you reccommend staying there? We are interested in doing some outdoor activities, hiking, etc. Is there much to do in el Calafate outside of seeing the glacier?

We can do another day or 2 in BA when we fly out so maybe we will consider that...

yestravel

We stayed 2 nights at IF and enjoyed our time there. We did not go to the Brazlian side of the Falls. Some people go up in the am, stay overnight and come back the next day which would work also.

Cerro Fitz Roy is a couple hours from el Calfate & is supposed to be beautiful with lots of hiking and trekking. We did not go, but am sorry we missed it. U can also do a long day trip by bus or tour to Torres de Paines in Chile. Or u could spend a couple days there. TdP is absolutely fabulous and was the highlight of our trip to Chile/ARG this past year. Lots of hiking and trekking at TdP.

Way too many choices! U might want to google a bit and read about the areas to c which appeal the most to u. U can click on my name and read about Bariloche, el Calafate and TdP in our trip report. It's a beautiful area.

owlwoman

Definitely plan to see Iguazu Falls, at least for one night, it's amazing. Then, based on your interests, I would fly down to El Calafate to see the Glaciers and do some hiking with a side trip to El Chaltan if time permits. One or two days in BA at either end of the trip is always enough for me.

You should really make all your plans now as Christmas is a very busy travel season.

Have a great time!