Service & Adventure in Argentina – 11 Days

Departure

Depart the U.S. on your flight for Buenos Aires, Argentina

Arrival in Argentina

Upon arrival at Ezeiza International Airport, you will be welcomed by your Program Manager/Guide. Your private transport will take you to Aeroparque, the national airport within the city of Buenos Aires. Depending on your flight time you will have lunch before the flight in Buenos Aires, a packed lunch, or upon arrival in Mendoza. Your flight to Mendoza will take approximately 2 hours. From the airport in Mendoza, you will travel with your private van to a district near San Rafael City taking approximately 4 hours. You will arrive at your home base for the next couple of days where you will be received by the community members and have a briefing about their work. (Accommodations will be at a local hostel or cabins. There is also a possibility of homestays with local families.)

Host Community and Service Project

After breakfast, you will walk to the project site and spend the day doing community service and engaging in activities with the children. You will have your daily lunch there, together with the children. You will have dinner at your lodging or homestays each evening.

The foundation that you will work with was founded as an initiative of local professionals dedicated to research and work with horses. The foundation is a therapeutic and research center for equine-assisted therapy and special sports dedicated to the care of children, teenagers and adults with disabilities and their families. Through activities led by the foundation professionals, these individuals are able to learn social and intellectual skills with the goal of developing their full potential.

Specific service projects depend upon the specific needs and requests of the host community at the time of your program. Details will be confirmed prior to your trip departure. Possible service projects include:

• Help in construction of infrastructure at the foundation to allow for games and sports to be played there.
• Assist professionals with equine-assisted therapy.
• Assist professionals with sports activities while interacting with children and teenagers who receive treatment.

Host Community and Service Project

After breakfast, you will walk to the project site and spend the day doing community service and engaging in activities with the children. You will have your daily lunch there, together with the children. You will have dinner at your lodging or homestays each evening.

See day 3 for additional information

Host Community and Service Project

After breakfast, you will walk to the project site and spend the day doing community service and engaging in activities with the children. You will have your daily lunch there, together with the children. You will have dinner at your lodging or homestays each evening.

See day 3 for additional information

Host Community and Service Project

After breakfast, you will walk to the project site and spend the day doing community service and engaging in activities with the children. You will have your daily lunch there, together with the children. You will have dinner at your lodging or homestays each evening.

See day 3 for additional information

Travel to Valle Grande: Trekking, Catamaran Trip, and Beach Time at the Lake

Today you will say farewell to your new friends and drive towards Valle Grande. After settling into your cabins by the river, your local guides will take you to “Embalse Valle Grande” (Valle Grande Dam), an emerald green lake surrounded by mountains. You will start your trekking in the area of “Co-Chico”. Along the canyon you will find small waterfalls, rock formations and great views of the high mountains. You will then head down towards the lake and take a catamaran across the lake to the beach. At the beach you will have time to relax, play games organized by your local guides, or enjoy rafts and canoes on the lake.

Rappelling and Canopy + Rafting (class II)

Your day will be filled with adventure activities. You will first trek in the area of “Las Tinajas” and enjoy some adventure activities at altitude such as rappelling, which is descending a vertical wall using a rope and sliding down. You will also participate in a canopy tour, which consists of sliding along cables from rock to rock. Your local guides will take you back to their base camp to enjoy lunch and relax before you continue with rafting on the Atuel River. Your experienced guides will take you down the river for approximately one hour and a half. Swimming next to the rafts is also possible, once you are through the rapids. In the evening, you will return to Mendoza and enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Mendoza and Travel to Buenos Aires

Today you will explore the city of Mendoza in the morning on foot with your Tour Manager. There will be time for morning shopping and a quick stroll within downtown, or visit the “San Martin Park”, the largest city park in Argentina. In the afternoon, your private transport will take you to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires. Your private transport will be waiting to take you back to your hotel downtown. You will go out for a late lunch at a restaurant nearby, and then rest to get ready for your evening tango class and show.

Buenos Aires Half-Day City Tour & Departure

On your final day, you will have the chance to explore several neighborhoods in Buenos Aires with a private van. You will visit the Microcenter, Florida & Lavalle streets for souvenir shopping, and then head to San Telmo and La Boca neighborhoods, the two most well-known places in Buenos Aires. You will depart the city in time to catch your flight back to the U.S.

Return to the U.S.

You will arrive in your home city after your overnight flight.