Buenos Aires Pre-Voyage Extension for Explorer and Endurance

Day 1 - Fly overnight to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Day 2 - Buenos Aires

We arrive this morning in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, set on the Rio de la Plata, and check in to the fine Alvear Art Hotel (or similar). In the afternoon, we begin our exploration of the city. We visit the brightly painted bohemian community of La Boca, with shops, street art and galleries, and continue to San Telmo, whose exceptional market and antique stores paint an intriguing portrait of the city. Finally, we visit the Plaza de Mayo at the city’s heart, seeing the presidential palace (called the Casa Rosada), with its famous balcony forever associated with Eva Perón. (L)

Day 3 - Buenos Aires

This morning, we’ll have a guided visit to the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires’s grand opera house, opened in 1908. Its ornate décor has been magnificently restored, and the building retains the splendor in which greats such as Enrico Caruso, Lily Pons, and Luciano Pavarotti performed. We continue to the Puerto Madero area, where old warehouses and other buildings have been refurbished, creating a stylish waterfront area of shops and restaurants. We’ll have lunch here, then visit the MALBA Museum, with a first-rate collection of Argentinean and Latin American art. This evening, we venture out to a local restaurant for dinner, and then see a performance of traditional and modern tango dance and song in a restored colonial building that has hosted tango performances for decades. (B,L,D)

Day 4 - Tigre Delta/Buenos Aires

In the morning we drive out of town to the province of Tigre, where the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers combine to form a vast delta that is slowly advancing in the direction of Buenos Aires. The exceptional Delta Terra project protects some of the delta’s natural habitat and wildlife, and we’ll have the chance to walk trails that have been established here, in search of birdlife and other fauna and flora of this unique environment. After lunch we drive back to Buenos Aires to the Evita Museum, which has exhibits on Eva Perón’s riveting story and the role she played. We continue to renowned La Recoleta Cemetery, where for generations Argentina’s elite (including Eva Perón) have been buried in the most elaborate mausoleums, in a variety of architectural styles with ornate statuary and elaborate ornamentation. In the evening, join your National Geographic Explorer traveling companions at our hotel for the welcome reception, then enjoy dinner on your own.(B,L)

Cost Includes:

2 nights in the hotel, meals where indicated, transfers based on recommended flights and sightseeing tours.

Not Included:

All airfare, personal items and immigration fees.