General Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Argentina. Its sole purpose is to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they took this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING ARGENTINA: United States citizens will need a valid passport to enter Argentina. A visa is not required when entering Argentina as a tourist. Citizens of other countries should consult their nearest Argentine consulate for entry requirements. No vaccinations certificates are necessary in order to enter Argentina.
MAP AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Argentina in the University of Texas series here To adjust the size, click on the map’s lower right corner. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Argentina here.
PACE OF THE TOUR: Argentina is a very big country so we need to take quite a few flights to get around and we’ll also make a few long drives. Generally we’ll have breakfast in our hotel between 6.00 am and 7.00 am, and will then spend the day in the field usually with a picnic lunch and occasionally with a sit-down meal. Where possible we’ll offer the chance to take time off for those who wish, but every day there will be a full program of birdwatching activities on offer. The main tour isn’t particularly strenuous, as most of the areas we visit are fairly flat, but those who want to try for White-bellied Seedsnipe in Ushuaia will need to undertake a mountain hike uphill through some fairly uneven terrain and often through snow.
Please be warned that Argentinean eating hours and habits are rather different from British or American ones. Breakfasts tend to be rather skimpy - often just coffee, toast or a croissant, and butter and jam. Lunches won’t be a problem as many will be picnics. Dinners, however, can be a minor problem. Argentineans eat late. Most restaurants don’t open until 8 PM and few Argentineans enter them until 9 PM or later. Meals are regarded as social occasions where friends and family eat slowly and discuss the day’s events, so service is often slow, as that is what most people want. The leaders will always explain to restaurant staff that our group wants to eat early and quickly and this usually works (often we leave the restaurant just as other diners are starting to appear) but be prepared for the occasional slow meal or late finish. The best approach is to relax, have a drink, and chat with your neighbours. There is, of course, always the option of skipping desert and coffee and going off to bed!
HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control currently recommend inoculations against hepatitis A and typhoid and it is probably a good idea to have current protection against diphtheria/TB, tetanus and polio as well. As some of these inoculations cannot be given concurrently please contact your doctor well in advance of the tour to start your course of treatment. The CDC also recommends having a yellow fever vaccination, although it is not required to enter the country.
There is a very small risk of malaria in the northwest of the country, though according to our ground agent (who lives there) there haven’t been any recent cases. The areas that we will be visiting during the main two weeks of the tour are free of malaria. However, on the pre- and post-tour extensions there is theoretically a small risk of catching malaria. The prophylactic drug of choice is chloroquine, but check with the CDC before you go. You can review the latest CDC latest advisories here.
CLIMATE: Central Argentina is temperate but can be hot and humid in summer (November to January). Southern Argentina can be very cold, especially in Patagonia which can be very windy and in Tierra del Fuego which has a sub-Arctic climate.
DRESS: Dress will be informal throughout the tour. The Argentine people tend to dress very fashionably, especially when going out to dinner, so shorts are not appropriate in most hotel restaurants in the evenings.
TRANSPORT: Throughout the tour we’ll travel in minibuses or small coaches with local drivers. When we use more than one vehicle there will always be a leader in each vehicle.
SMOKING: We request that you do not smoke in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group.
ACCOMMODATION: We’ll be staying in good quality hotels or lodges throughout the main tour and the extension to Iguazú. All rooms will have a private shower and toilet. In Abra Pampa some rooms do not have private bathroom facilities and you may be required to use a shared bathroom near to your room. Single rooms are limited here and single people may have to share.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Argentina will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Updated: January 2008