Ultimate Argentina: Buenos Aires & Mendoza
Why Go: In Argentina they have a saying, “Como Gardel con guitarra eléctrica,” (Like Gardel with electric guitar). Referencing Carlos Gardel, an Argentine icon and the most famous tango singer who ever lived, it means “impossibly good.”
It’s an apt metaphor for the entire country of Argentina, where even the most jaded travelers find reason to gush over impossibly beautiful landscapes, vineyards nestled under the majestic mountains, and of course, endlessly cosmopolitan and seductive Buenos Aires. A city that prides itself on being more European than Latin, “BA” cultivates an aura that is at once egocentric, elegant and effortlessly sensual.
Our Ultimate Argentina Journey will take you through the collection of neighborhoods that define this world-class city: the prestige and polish of the Recoleta area with its cafes; the steel and glass aspiration of the Puerto Madero district and its modernist makeover; the shopping nirvana that is the leafy Palermo neighborhoods; and the timeworn, bohemian splendor of San Telmo, the site of impromptu tango shows on intimate plazas, world-class antique shops and small, quirky cafes.
During your Journey, enjoy private tango lessons in a Belle Epoque-era mansion, visits to some of BA’s most popular nightspots, and dinners at coveted restaurants. Days will be spent like a local, biking past architectural treasures, cruising the Parana River on a private motor launch to dine at a riverside restaurant, as well as shopping for prized leather and wool goods, local music and maybe a Boca Juniors soccer jersey for your futbol-fanatic brother-in-law.
The short flight to Mendoza delivers you to another world altogether. Explore the main avenue, brimming with small cafes serving local cuisine accompanied by regional wine and olive oil, then for dessert, pop into one of the famed artisinal ice cream shops (think gelatos with an Argentine accent). Outside the city, taste the vintages and walk through the ripening vineyards of family-run bodegas that stretch-out to snow-topped Andean peaks. And for an adrenaline-fueled finale, we’ve arranged for memorable adventures, including guided mountain biking and whitewater rapids trips, that put you in the heart of this beautiful and rugged landscape. Como Gardel con guitarra electrica indeed…
Click here to see a more detailed itinerary. To book or for more information, contact our Travel Concierge at travelconcierge@wandermelon.com or call a real live person at 949.466.3526 (9am – 6pm PST, -8GMT).