While there were many great experiences on this trip, the “high point” has to be trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier 😉 Photo by: Evan Berman

During the latter part of November, a friend and I visited Chile and Argentina. I’ve gone over the experiences we had in New York, Santiago, Patagonia, and Buenos Aires as well as all of the lodging and flights. Now, it’s time to review the trip, how I booked it, and the takeaways.

This recap is the finale of the South American Adventure. For more information on this trip, follow these links:

Intro

24 Hours in New York, NY

Flight: CHS-JFK in Delta Comfort+

New York Hotel

Flight: JFK-SCL in LATAM Economy+

W Santiago Hotel

Hyatt Place Santiago/Vitacura

3 Days in Santiago, Chile

Osaka Santiago, Chile Restaurant Review

Flight: SCL-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Flight: AEP-FTE in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentine Patagonia

El Calafate Hotel

36 Hours in El Calafate, Argentina

Restaurants in El Calafate

Flight: FTE-USH in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Flight: USH-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

2 Hours in Ushuaia, Argentina

Buenos Aires Homestay

2 Days in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Flight: AEP-SCL in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy

Flight: SCL-MIA in LATAM Business Class

Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale/Plantation

Flight: FLL-CHS in Silver Airways Economy Class

Conclusion (This Article)

Overview:

For Thanksgiving, my friend Austin and I decided to get out and explore a beautiful area, taking advantage of the time off from work. We decided to go down to South America and settled on Santiago, Chile, Argentine Patagonia, and Buenos Aires, Argentina as the main attractions in a trip that also included an overnight stay in New York. Along the way, we tasted delicious food and wine, made friends in both countries, and I trekked on a glacier. Thanksgiving has never been more fun!

The Trip, Visualized:

The final itinerary was as follows: CHS-JFK-SCL-AEP-FTE-USH-AEP-SCL-MIA, FLL-CHS. That is,

1. Charleston, SC (CHS) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Delta Economy
2. New York-JFK to Santiago Chile’s Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL) in LATAM Economy+
3. Santiago to Buenos Aires’ Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) to El Calafate, Argentina’s Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
4. El Calafate to Ushuaia, Argentina’s Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas International Airport (USH) to Buenos Aires-AEP in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
5. Buenos Aires-AEP to Santiago in Aerolíneas Argentinas Economy
6. Santiago to Miami International Airport (MIA) in LATAM Business Class
7. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Charleston in Silver Airways Economy

Here is a map of that itinerary, courtesy of Great Circle Mapper:

Additionally, here are the hotels that we stayed in at each location:

1. Canal Loft Hotel, Chinatown Manhattan, New York
2. W Santiago and Hyatt Place Vitacura/Santiago
3. Hostería Koi Aiken, El Calafate, Argentina
4. Homestay in Buenos Aires
5. Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale/ Plantation

Highlights from the Trip:

It’s hard to narrow down any trip to just a handful of moments, but here goes. The top 5 moments from this trip were:

• Trekking on Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentine Patagonia
• Wine tasting and delicious hors d’oeuvres at Vinolia Wine Bar in Santiago, Chile
• Visiting Buenos Aires and being responsible for leading the Argentine national team to victory 😉
• Flying lie-flat business class back to the US
• New friends made in South America!

Every place we visited was incredible. From the authentic Chinese food in New York to small dishes at Osaka in Santiago to eating at a parilla in Buenos Aires, we had terrific food all throughout the trip. Drinks were spectacular as well– beer, wine, and spirits!

Price:

I always include the prices I’ve paid to give an idea of what it costs to go on these trips. Note that my style will not necessarily be the same as yours– I’m happy staying in cheap Hyatt’s to get extraordinary value while splurging on food and drinks. The great news about travel is you get to decide what you want to see and do, as well as how you want to do it! Without further ado, let’s dive into the numbers:

Food and Drink:

• New York: $238.50 ($96.28 for me)
• Santiago: 385,307 Chilean Pesos ($438.60, $274.28 for me)
• El Calafate: 21,650 Argentine Pesos ($75.96)
• Buenos Aires: 42,250 Argentine Pesos ($148.25 or $74.12 per person)
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: $59.70 ($29.85 per person)

Transportation:

• New York: $246.32 ($123.16 for me)
• Santiago: 101,407 Chilean Pesos ($109.49, $54.75 per person)
• El Calafate: 7,250 Argentine Pesos ($25.44)
• Ushuaia: 4,000 Argentine Pesos ($14.04)
• Buenos Aires: 5,291 Argentine Pesos ($12.48 for me)
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: $68.47 ($25 of Uber credits used, $9.24 for me)

Flights:

• New York: $113.60
• Santiago: 26,000 MR Points & $21.20
• South America on Aerolíneas Argentinas: $531.60 (used $300 travel credit from Chase Sapphire Reserve & 15,440 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points so $0 out of pocket)
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 55,500 AmEx points and $61.77
• Charleston: $131.19

Hotel:

• New York: $202 (with discounts and statement credits, $145.37, $72.69 each)
• Santiago: $89 & 10,000 UR Points ($44.50 & 5,000 points per person)
• El Calafate: $173.49 ($149.22 after using various offers)
• Buenos Aires: $103.51 ($51.75 per person)
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 8,000 UR Points

Activities:

• New York: $71.80 (including bags, $35.90 per person)
• Santiago: 10,000 Chilean Pesos ($10.76, $5.38 per person)
• El Calafate: 2,500 Argentine Pesos and $275 ($255 out of pocket) ($263.77)
• Ushuaia: 3,150 Argentine Pesos ($11.05)
• Buenos Aires: 2,900 Argentine Pesos ($13.85)

Total Price:

• New York: $872.22 ($441.63 for me)
• Santiago: 26,000 AmEx Membership Rewards points, 10,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, and $669.05 (5,000 UR Points and $400.11 for me)
• South America Flights: 15,440 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
• El Calafate: 31,400 Argentine Pesos and $448.49 ($558.67)
• Ushuaia: 7,150 Argentine Pesos ($25.09)
• Buenos Aires: $284.17 ($152.20 for me)
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 55,500 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 8,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, and $189.94 (4,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Points and $100.86 for me)
• Charleston: $131.19

In all, the trip cost 81,500 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 24,440 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, and $1,809.75 for this 10 day vacation. Or as a Mastercard commercial would say, “That’s Priceless!”

Points Earned:

Food and Drink:

• New York: 767 AmEx Membership Rewards Points
• Santiago: 934 AmEx Membership Rewards Points
• El Calafate: None, paid in cash
• Ushuaia: None, paid in cash
• Buenos Aires: None, paid in cash
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 60 AmEx Membership Rewards Points

Transportation:

• New York: 2,463 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
• Santiago: 607 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
• El Calafate: 24 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
• Ushuaia: None, paid in cash
• Buenos Aires: 97 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: $0.43

Flights:

• New York: 568 AmEx Membership Rewards Points
• Santiago: None, award flight
• El Calafate: None, award flight
• Buenos Aires: None, award flight
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: None, award flight
• Charleston: 656 AmEx Membership Rewards Points

Hotel:

• New York: $8.08
• Santiago: 1,445 AmEx Membership Rewards Points and 6,094 Marriott Bonvoy Points, as well as 3,000 bonus Hyatt points
• El Calafate: 50 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 485 AAdvantage Miles, and $6.07
• Buenos Aires: None, paid in cash
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 2,000 bonus Hyatt points

Activities:

• New York: $6.46 in cashback
• Santiago: None, paid in cash
• El Calafate: 930 AAdvantage Miles, 1,100 MR Points, and $13.75 in cashback
• Ushuaia: None, paid in cash
• Buenos Aires: 17 Capital One Miles

Total Points:

• New York: 1,335 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 2,463 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, $14.54 in cashback
• Santiago: 2,379 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 607 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, 6,094 Bonvoy, 3,000 Hyatt Points
• El Calafate: 50 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 24 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, 1,415 AAdvantage Miles, $6.07 in cashback
• Ushuaia: None, paid in cash
• Buenos Aires: 97 UR Points and 17 Capital One Miles
• Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 60 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 2,000 Hyatt Points, $0.43
• Charleston: 656 AmEx Membership Rewards Points

In all, I earned 3,824 AmEx Membership Rewards Points, 3,191 Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, 17 Capital One Miles, $21.04 in cashback, 1,415 American Airlines Miles, 5,000 Hyatt Points, and 6,094 Marriott Bonvoy Points. That’s a good start towards another vacation!

Evan’s Recommendations:

I’d like to give my thoughts on what was good, bad, and so-so on this trip. To do that, I’ll list 3 categories: can’t miss items, avoid, and if you have time. The options come from the entire trip, so it’s possible 1 place has all the recommendations or none of them. As always, what do you think? Let me know if you think I’ve omitted anything or have overrated an experience.

Can’t Miss:

• El Calafate, Argentina:
  • I know, it’s far from Santiago and Buenos Aires. But I was blown away by my time in El Calafate and would highly recommend anyone who wants to visit Chile or Argentina make time to head down there!
  • Visit: Don Pichon for authentic food, Laguna Nimez for the beauty of nature
• Osaka, Santiago
  • While it can be found in many Latin American countries and the US, this restaurant was exceptional. Come prepared for a lengthy dinner and you’ll be rewarded by expertly designed drinks and lots of tasty plates.
  • Order: Pisco Sour, Braised Short Rib
• Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia
  • Probably the best part of the entire trip, I cannot overstate how incredible this trek was. Whether you have 1 day in Patagonia or a week-plus, make sure you go out to Perito Moreno Glacier. Oh, any you’ll want to opt for a tour that includes the trek, not just walking on the boardwalk!
• Vinolia, Santiago
  • This wine bar has incredible tastings led by a fully bilingual sommelier. You can taste any bottle in the store and pair it with some delicious food. What’s not to love?
  • Order: flight of the day. You’ll get in-depth explanations of each of the 3 daily wines for a great price!
• W Santiago
  • Between terrific food and drinks, a rooftop with a killer view and pool, and relatively inexpensive rates for 1 night thanks to the AmEx Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts Credit (which includes 4pm checkout), I recommend you “splurge” on AmEx’s dime and opt for a night at this beautiful hotel.

If You Have Time:

• Big Wong’s New York
  • I had never been to this gem in Chinatown Manhattan and will be going back whenever I next get the chance! If you like Chinese food (who doesn’t?), it’s hard to be more authentic than this. When staying in Manhattan, head down to this spot and you won’t be sorry– just make sure to bring cash!
• Recoleta Cemetery:
  • Let’s get this out of the way: if you’re in Buenos Aires, you should visit the Recoleta Cemetery. That being said, I enjoyed Santiago more than Buenos Aires and wouldn’t fault you for heading elsewhere rather than BA.
• Verne Cocktail Club:
  • Much like Recoleta Cemetery, if you find yourself in Buenos Aires, you should definitely have a drink at Verne. Pro tip: this is also a great spot for a romantic evening!

Avoid:

N/A. Truthfully, there was nothing that we felt was subpar in this entire trip!

Summary:

Austin and I visited Chile and Argentina and spent a night in both New York and Fort Lauderdale. We had a terrific time and kept the cost lower due to use of points and miles and deals. Specifically, we paid $327.76 to fly roundtrip from Charleston to Santiago, Chile. That’s at least $1,000 less than most cash tickets are and we got to return in business class!

I hope you enjoyed following along as much we enjoyed this trip! Have you been to either country? If not, what was your favorite part of the trip? Let me know in the comments! Next up: Norway.