Through Argentina

DAY 1: U.S. / BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Evening flight from the United States to Buenos Aires, Argentina

DAY 2: BUENOS AIRES / BARILOCHE / ESQUEL

This Morning you arrive in Buenos Aires International Airport and tranfer on you own by taxi to the National Airport. (A minimum of two and a half hours should be left for this transfer). A late morning flight from Buenos Aires gets you into Bariloche in the early afternoon. A taxi ride (on your own) takes you to the comfortable lakeside hotel in Bariloche (to be announced in September). That evening you meet the guide and have a welcome dinner. The next morning you board the bus for the trip to the river. The first hour of the ride takes you past a series of beautiful mountain lakes. Leaving the mountains, you enter the wild and desolate Patagonian Steppe, a dry landscape made famous by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid who fled to this region in the 1800’s. With the Andes off in the distance to the west, you reach the border in the late afternoon. After passing through the Argentina and Chile borders, you are met by an Earth River representative and vehicle. Crossing into Chile, the landscape dramatically changes from the barren Argentina pampas to the lush mountains of the Futaleufu Valley. We reach the Mapu Leufu Cliff camp trailhead in the late afternoon. (bags are transported by ox cart). (See "day by day" in itinerary menu for the rest of the intinerary and camp descriptions.)

Travel Times Bariloche to Futaleufu River:
  • Taxi Buenos Aires international airport to National airport: (2.5 hrs.)
  • Buenos Aires to Bariloche (flight): 2 hours
  • Bariloche to Esquel (bus): 5 hours
  • Esquel to border: 1 hour
  • 2 Border crossings: 1 hour
  • Border to Cliff Camp on Futaleufu River: 1 hour
Add. Costs:
  • Taxi between International & National Airports in Buenos Aires: $80 R/T
  • Reciprocity tax: $160 note: this tax must be payed for in the U.S. (on line) before you travel to
  • Argentina
  • Flight from Buenos Aires to Bariloche: $675
  • Taxi to hotel in Bariloche $35
“Earth River made an expeditionary first descent of the Futaleufu in 1991 and figured out how to safely navigate it."
"Earth River is the premier river runner in the world. Their staff includes the finest guides to be found."
“Earth River is more than a great whitewater outfitter. Their contributions have made a real difference in our efforts to preserve some of the world's most beautiful rivers in Chile and Canada."
"I want to personally thank Earth River for helping us stop the hydro-electric projects on our land preventing the destruction of one of North America's last great wildernesses.
“I’ve rafted with Eric Hertz down some tough rivers—the Futaleufu in Chile, the Colca in Peru. He's one of the best in the business—obsessed with safety."