Amazing Argentina and Ultimate Uruguay

Arrive at Ezeiza International Airport, where your private guide welcomes you before the transfer into Buenos Aires and Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt. Later, discover Argentina’s celebrated asado tradition at El Fogón in Palermo. Seated around an open kitchen and custom parrilla, watch different fire-cooking techniques at close range while enjoying a multi-course interpretation of Argentine barbecue, from empanadas and provoleta to premium beef and dulce de leche.

Set out on a private exploration of Buenos Aires, beginning around Plaza de Mayo before continuing through bohemian San Telmo and the colourful streets of La Boca. Discover the transformed docklands of Puerto Madero, the green spaces and boutiques of Palermo and elegant Recoleta, home to the city’s famous cemetery. This evening, step into the glamorous surroundings of Gala Tango for dinner and a performance featuring more than 30 artists, a live orchestra, accomplished tango dancers and Argentine folk traditions.

Leave the capital for a full day on a working 250-acre estancia in the fertile Humid Pampas. Begin with empanadas and refreshments before choosing how to experience the countryside, perhaps joining a guided walk or exploring the estate on horseback. At midday, gather for a traditional asado accompanied by vegetables and salads. The afternoon unfolds at a slower pace, with time to wander the property, learn more about rural Argentine life and finish with Pampean tea and traditional pastries.

Transfer privately to Buenos Aires’ port and board the ferry across the broad Río de la Plata. Around an hour later, arrive in Uruguay and the UNESCO-listed city of Colonia del Sacramento. With its historic quarter, cobbled lanes and centuries of Spanish and Portuguese influence, Colonia offers an atmospheric change of pace after Buenos Aires. Meet your local representative on arrival and transfer to the intimate Charco Hotel for your stay in the old town.

Explore Colonia’s UNESCO World Heritage old town on foot with your private guide. Wander its cobbled streets while tracing the city’s layered Portuguese and Spanish history, visiting museums dedicated to both colonial powers and discovering the landmarks that give Colonia its distinctive character. Complete the experience with a traditional mate tasting, learning about the preparation, etiquette and cultural importance of the herbal infusion that remains deeply woven into everyday life in Uruguay.

Travel from Colonia to Montevideo and begin with lunch at the lively port market. This afternoon, explore the Old City on foot, starting with the Carnival Museum and the Spanish and African influences behind Uruguay’s murgas and candombe traditions. Continue to the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Constitution Square and the cathedral before discovering the legacy of Joaquín Torres García and visiting Solís Theatre. Finish at Independence Square, dominated by the Artigas monument and distinctive Palacio Salvo.

Begin the morning by bicycle, discovering modern Montevideo before an exclusive visit to the studio of respected candombe drummer Lobo Núñez. Learn more about the percussion tradition that emerged from Uruguay’s Afro-descendant communities and became an important element of the country’s cultural identity. Later, leave the capital behind and travel east towards Rocha and Castillos, where the journey shifts from urban culture to Uruguay’s quieter rural landscapes. Settle into Estancia Guardia del Monte for a full-board countryside stay.

Wake amid the natural landscapes surrounding Guardia del Monte, a traditional estancia bordered by native forest and wildlife-rich wetlands. Visit the remarkable Ombú Forest before exploring marshes that support hundreds of bird species alongside capybaras, coypus and otters. After a traditional asado lunch, take to horseback and ride through the estate, experiencing the countryside at an unhurried pace while discovering another side of Uruguay shaped by open landscapes, working ranches and remarkable biodiversity.

Travel to Barra de Valizas and begin an adventurous coastal trek towards Cabo Polonio. Walk barefoot along the shoreline and across constantly shifting dunes before climbing Buena Vista Hill for expansive views across the Atlantic. Continue on foot to isolated Cabo Polonio, reaching the village after approximately three hours of trekking. Following lunch at a seaside restaurant, visit the lighthouse and one of South America’s largest sea-lion colonies before leaving by 4×4 and continuing to La Paloma.

Begin at La Paloma’s lighthouse before cycling towards Rocha Lagoon, a vast semi-freshwater ecosystem covering approximately 72 square kilometres. Part of Uruguay’s internationally recognised Eastern Biosphere Reserve, the lagoon provides habitat for around 220 recorded bird species, including flamingos, swans, herons and migratory waders. Depending on wind and weather, cross the lagoon by kayak or boat while observing its native wildlife and vegetation. Enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing to your hotel in La Barra.

Set out on a private full-day exploration of Punta del Este, Uruguay’s celebrated Atlantic resort. Discover its principal neighbourhoods and residential districts, including Beverly Hills, before following the coastline along Playa Brava with its striking contemporary architecture. Continue to Punta Ballena and visit Casapueblo, the extraordinary sculptural residence created by Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. Now also a museum, its terraces offer sweeping views over Portezuelo and the surrounding coast before returning to Casa Zinc.

Enjoy your final morning in Uruguay before your private transfer to Ezeiza International Airport for your onward flight. The journey concludes after combining two very different sides of the Río de la Plata: Buenos Aires’ cuisine, tango and estancia traditions with Uruguay’s colonial towns, Afro-Uruguayan culture, wildlife-rich wetlands and wild Atlantic coastline. From mate and candombe to horseback riding, kayaking and Cabo Polonio’s dunes, the itinerary offers an unusually varied exploration of the region.