Why this page exists
A travel company that sends its clients to the other side of the world needs to know, before anything else, that its local partner has thought about what can go wrong. This page says how Kallpa works on health and safety, in plain terms. It is reviewed regularly, and the date of the last review is at the foot.
What we need from you
Before we confirm a trip we ask for each traveller's full name as it appears in the passport, nationality, date of birth, passport number and expiry date, their international flights, the details of their travel insurance, any dietary requirements, and any health or mobility condition that matters for the activities in the itinerary, together with an emergency contact at home. We ask for this when the trip is confirmed, and in any case no later than thirty days before arrival. It is not paperwork for its own sake: hotels, domestic flights and park permits are issued in those names, and it is how we match the right guide and the right vehicle to each group.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements depend on nationality and they change. When we confirm a trip we check the current situation for your travellers' nationalities and tell you if anything is needed; we do not publish the rules here because a page goes out of date and a person does not. The official source is Argentina's National Directorate of Migration (migraciones.gob.ar). When an itinerary crosses into Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay or Brazil, we check each border separately, because each country has its own rules.
Travel insurance
Travel insurance with medical cover, including emergency evacuation, is a condition of travelling with Kallpa. Public hospitals in Argentina treat emergencies, but private clinics, which are what a traveller will usually be taken to, expect proof of insurance or payment, and evacuation from Patagonia or the Puna is not something anyone should pay for out of pocket. During an incident we work directly with the insurer's assistance service.
Health
No vaccinations are required to enter Argentina. Health authorities recommend yellow fever vaccination for Iguazú and the north-east, and we remind partners of this when the itinerary goes there. Tap water is safe to drink in the cities; in rural areas we provide bottled water. The sun is strong at altitude and in Patagonia, and the Patagonian wind is a factor in any outdoor day.
Altitude deserves its own paragraph. Day trips in the Northwest and the Puna reach 3,500 to 4,900 metres. We build those itineraries to acclimatise: travellers sleep low and go high for the day, the highest excursions come later in the programme, and the pace allows for it. Our guides are trained to recognise altitude sickness, vehicles on high-altitude routes carry oxygen, and we will tell you plainly when a traveller's health makes a route unwise. There are pharmacies and clinics in every city we operate in, and our teams know which ones to use.
What your travellers receive
Before the trip you receive a welcome letter for each traveller, and our coordinator hands it over again on arrival: a summary of the services booked with pick-up times, the address and telephone of each hotel, a short description of each excursion, and Kallpa's 24-hour emergency number. It is the document a traveller actually keeps and reads, and it can carry your brand rather than ours.
On the ground
A Kallpa coordinator meets arrivals at the airport in the cities where we have our own team, and a local representative does so everywhere else. Transfers are private or shared as contracted, in vehicles with the insurance and licences the law requires, from suppliers we choose and check. Guides are licensed by the province they work in and trained in first aid, and every day starts with a briefing that covers the plan and what to look out for. Activities such as trekking, kayaking or riding are run by specialist operators authorised by the park or provincial authorities, with their own protocols and equipment. The places your travellers sleep in are places we have chosen and visited.
When something happens
Throughout the trip there is a 24-hour assistance line answered by people at Kallpa, not a call centre. The team on the ground takes charge: getting medical attention, contacting the insurer, reorganising the services that follow. You are told at once, by a named person who stays in contact until the matter is closed, and we keep a written record of every incident and review it afterwards. For the ordinary disruptions of travelling in a large country, such as weather in Patagonia, a cancelled domestic flight or a strike, we rebuild the programme and tell you what changed and why. For anything larger, Kallpa sets up a crisis committee with everyone involved, which decides the course of action and keeps you informed.
A few practical notes you can pass on
The currency is the Argentine peso; cards are widely accepted in cities, and some cash is useful in small places and for tips. Tipping is customary: around ten per cent in restaurants, and at the traveller's discretion for guides and drivers. Hotels have wifi and mobile coverage is good in cities and on the main routes, with gaps on the Puna and on Patagonian roads. Electricity is 220 V with type I plugs (type C also fits in many places). Argentina is on UTC−3 all year. When to go depends on where: each region page says.
Last reviewed: October 2026.