SLChicago

My family is planning a trip to Argentina for the end of June/beginning of July 2008, for a total of 13 nights. Currently, we are planning to stay 3-4 nights in Buenos Aires, 2 nights at Iguazu Falls, and the rest is where I am running into trouble.

We are interested in visiting 2-3 more spots, but cannot decide among Salta, Mendoza, Bariloche, Puerto Madryn, El Calafate, and Ushuaia.

Please help us decide.

This will be our first trip to Argentina and South America. We are interested in seeing a variety of places and getting a sense of the country as a whole. I understand the great distances between places, and will be flying from one to another.

Thank you in advance for all your advice.

avrooster

Unless you are into winter sports, at that time of the year I would favor Salta and our NW in general.

Wait for a reply from Angie, an independent Salta guide, for more info on our NW.

CollegeMom

Would agree that Salta is worth spending at least 4 days if you enjoy great natural beauty, quaint small towns, cultural history, wonderful wine and food, and local markets without a lot of tourists. It has a completely different "feel" than BsAs or Iguazu but was my favorite part of Argentina. Angie can give you more details.

globetrots

Here's another vote for Salta, but would also encourage you to take the fantastic bus ride through the canyons to Cafayate and back. That's a great little town and it's much easier to visit wineries there than in Mendoza--you can even hit many of them on a rental bike! Here's a guide to some of the best hotels in the area, though Vinas de Cafayate (not listed here) is a nice cheaper alternative to Patios de Cafayate. Friendly place with nice views of the area.
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/lux_argentina.html

SLChicago

Thank you everyone for your responses so far. This is exactly the feedback I am looking for to help me plan my trip.