Buenos Aires / El Chatlen - Christmas & New Years. Advice and Feedback please!

1. BsAs is ok for NYE. You'll find something happening. If your in a hostel there will be something going on. Its very traditional - that is families will spend the night together til 12am, then they'll head out afterwards (at usual BA times - 2-3am). It can last til about 3-4 the next day if you go to an after party.

2. Yup. That said, it really depends on weather. There are 2 main hikes in Chalten that can be done as day trips. And you only need an afternoon to see the Glacier from Calafate. That said, weather is the problem. Whilst it is 'summer' that means squat here in Patagonia - it could be all 4 seasons in a day. I had 1 brilliant day of hiking in El Chalten and the next 4 days were blown out with rain and wind.
3. Cordoba has a big student population. I would think its not great during NYE as they'd all go home. Comparing falls is hard. Iguazu is on a much larger scale than Niagara Falls and is in a much more natural setting. Is it worth skipping - I'd say no. Its a great attraction and worth visiting.

Is it prudent for me to go to Chetlan / El Calafete and get a hostel and see what they have to offer? OR am I better off making decisions now on what to do and will it help me save money
Nope. When going to El Chalten (you have the vowels mixed up buddy), the bus will stop at a visitors centre - the park rangers will give you information on the hikes and what they recommend for the next few days. Though my hostel in El Chalten did offer an alternative to the hike to Laguna de Las Tres - instead of hiking from town, they organised a car to take me to Pilar and then hike from there in. Worth it so you don't back track.

I don't think it matters where you spend New Years, unless you have friends that invite you out to their party. If you are in a hostel, probably anywhere, they will have some sort of party. In BsAs, there are always clubs if you are into that.

Buenos Aires will be dead on Dec. 25. There won't be a lot of places open and you may have a hard time exchanging dollars. And Dec. 26 is a Saturday, which doesn't help. Maybe you should stay in BsAs at the beginning of the trip, then fly to Patagonia later. I definitely think the day hikes from El Chalten are worthwhile and there are plenty to keep you busy for 3-4 days. If you time it right, you can get into El Calafate, see the glacier and get the bus to El Chalten the dame day.

Iguazu is more impressive than I thought based on all the hype. It is definitely much more expansive than Niagra Falls. I don't think the two compare at all. And since you are flying, consider going to Mendoza or Salta for a third destination. I don't think Cordoba offers enough for what you are seeking.

The whole time from Christmas to New Years is a dead time in the city. Many people don't work and leave the city or spend time with family. Things are open like restaurants and major stores, buses run, etc., but there won't be a lot of people out and about, especially on the actual holiday.

Thanks for the feedback guys - sorry for the misspellings. My bad.

So to be clear -

1. BA seems to be a whatever choice for NYE. I'm prepared for it be silent when I reach the city on Christmas.
   • Another option for me is to fly to Santiago, Chile. Any better there?

2. To be clear, you are all saying I can go to El Calafete / El Chalten without making explicit plans before I reach. I should be able to find excursions when I reach via tour guides and stores.
   If this is the case, I may make a trip from 26 - 30th and hang out on the glaciers!

3. If any of you have alternatives (no Brazil) to where is a great spot for me to go to while in Argentina (Chile is also an option) I am open to suggestions.

Thank you all so much for your help!

I don't have any information about Santiago, or other parts of Chile. You really don't need a guide to hike in El Calafate or El Chalten. You can sign up for glacier treks in either town (although I think the glacier treks out of El Chalten are more interesting). If you want to do a boat trip in Calafate, or take a tour to the glacier, that is easy to arrange on site. You may want to book a hostel bed in advance, or at least inquire if it is going to be an issue for those dates. Lonely Planet publishes a hiking guide for southern Patagonia that came in handy for hikes other than the several main ones.

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