Wild Patagonia

Your tour begins with a bang in Santiago, Chile's cosmopolitan capital city. Enjoy a welcome dinner with the group this evening

An early departure from Santiago towards the south via the Panamerican Highway, we arriving into the wine region. Once we arrive you will visit the Colchagua Museum, known today as one the most complete Museums in South America. The Colchagua Valley, famous for producing some of Chile’s finest wines, in particular Carmenere, a grape that was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in Chile in 1994. Their Cabernet Sauvignon variety also thrives during the grape growing season due to the hot sunny climate in this part of Chile During this day, you will visit the winery, with wine tasting and wine making included.

Settle into our comfortable custom built truck as we journey south along the highway. Passing orchards and plantations of fruits and vegetables, as well as a big timber industry. We’ll pass picturesque lakes and mountains to arrive into Pucon, located in the heart of Chile’s Lakes District. On the way we will stop from lunch at the impressive Salto del Lajas waterfalls.

Today we combine a wonderful natural environment with a cultural experience unique to this area. In the morning, we will visit either the Villarrica National Park or one of the surrounding national reserve parks, all of which protect thousands of hectares of rivers, waterfalls, alpine lakes and forest. In the afternoon, we visit a traditional Mapuche family and enjoy a traditional meal.

Enjoy some free time in Pucon to explore the beauty of your surroundings.

Sit back and marvel along the scenic seven lakes drive to Bariloche, Argentina. Its location is stunning, surrounded by the Nahuel Huapi National Park,
the oldest National Park in Argentina.

We head out to discover the Nahuel Huapi National Park and you have some free time to enjoy any of the activities on offer including hiking, biking, kayaking and much more!

Cross into Chile and hit the Carretera Austral ’Southern Road’, with its reputation as South America’s best road trip. Enroute we pass through the town of Esquel where the “Old Patagonian Express” still runs. We have a short stop in Trevellin, a small town with links to Welsh immigrants. In the late afternoon, we cross into Chile and the scenery will immediately change as we arrive into the quaint town of Futaleufu.

Enjoy extraordinary scenery and visit the fishing village of Puyuhuapi on the edge of the Chilean Fiords.

Get up close and personal to a spectacular hanging glacier in the Queulat National Park. Nature at its finest!

Hike in the enchanted forest as we continue our journey to Coyhaique.

Cross back into Argentina and on to the famous Ruta 40 (Route 40). Travelling south through the vast Patagonian plains keep your eyes peeled for armadillos, rheas and guanacos.

Visit Cuevas de Las Manos (Caves of Hands) the most ancient native artistic expressions of the subcontinent.

Enjoy the landscapes of the Patagonian Steppe as we head south to El Chalten. El Chaltén is a small mountain village that lies within the magnificent World Heritage Listed Parque Nacional Los Glaciares at the base of Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitz Roy mountains.

A full day hiking today, we meet our local guides and set off on one of the main hiking trails in the wonderful Los Glaciares National Park, (the Lago Torre* hike is our usual option). Enjoy spectacular scenery and obtain views of the magical Cerro Torre or the wonderful Mount Fitzroy. Keep your eyes peeled to spot regional birds including woodpeckers, caracaras and condors.

Spend the morning exploring some of the other great walking trails El Chalten is famous for. In the mid-afternoon, we will continue by road to El Calafate. Enroute we will stop at a
historic homestead saloon with some famous outlaw visitors.

Visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the earths most dynamic and accessible ice fields.

Head back into Chile to Torres Del Paine, South Americas finest National Park and a trekker’s paradise. Declared a Reserve of the Biosphere by UNESCO in 1978 it is located amongst the mountain range of the Andes and the Patagonian steppe. In this zone, the colossal towers and horns of granite and rock that have given world-wide fame to it, with heights of up to 3,050 meters above the sea level. The park preserves fragile ecosystems, numerous animals like guanacos, condors, ñandues (South American ostrich), foxes and the elusive puma.

The 3 famous hikes we cover inside the park, these are:
(a) Los Torres Hike
(b) French Valley Hike
(c) Greys Glacier Hike

Instead of walking these continuously, carrying all your hiking gear like on the Big W (a 4 day hike), we break it into three separate walks, covering different sections of the park and hiking an average of 15km (9.5mi) to 20km (12mi) each day. The group is assisted by expert local trekking guides who share information about the environment and guide you through the hiking trails.

If you are not hiking there are other activities available inside Torres Del Paine including tours be vehicle, boat and on horse-back. However, please note these activities are subject to availability and minimum numbers and will incur an additional cost. Please ask about our Torres Light Add-On.

Las Torres Hike (Difficult)
Hiking to view the iconic Las Torres (the Towers) is a challenging yet immensely satisfying hike, a highlight for all experienced trekkers. The Towers are the three massive granite columns that encircle the smaller Torres Glacier.
The Towers hike is by far the most strenuous of all the hikes. From the entrance, you have a 1.5km/1mi flat warm-up to the start of the trailhead at Hosteria Las Torres. You start off climbing up the side of one of the mountains, all dirt paths and quite steep in gradient in areas. It then flattens out as you scale the side of the valley with a great river underneath you.
A short downhill section will bring you to the refugio Chileno. Here you can buy snacks and rest for a while and use the facilities. Although you can see the tips of the towers from the refugio, this hike is fully appreciated when you are able to hike the full length. Once you leave the refugio you start climbing again for about 1 hour crossing rivers and passing through a beautiful forest. The final 45 minutes are quite challenging as you scramble up boulders to the base of the towers.
*We offer a fantastic optional day for those unable to attempt the Towers. It involves heading to another section of the park, enjoying a shorter hike and visiting indigenous hand paintings while still having a view of the Towers.
Full walk takes approximately 8 - 9 hours return including time for lunch and depending on your ability/physical strength.

French Valley Hike (Moderate – Difficult)
The French Valley is the most beautiful valley in the Torres del Paine National Park. It is a steep hike and offers incredible its unique panoramic views of Los Cuernos del Paine, the French Glacier and Lakes Nordenskjold, Pehoé, Scottsburg and Toro.
This walk starts at the same place as the Greys Glacier walk and between the hikes we stay overnight at the Paine Grande Refuge so you do not have to return across the lake to our hotel, effectively allowing you additional time to complete the hikes. This is a very different walk to the Greys Glacier. Slightly longer for the shorter walk and at times the track can be rocky and steep. The entrance to the valley is Italiano Camp (7.5km/4.5mi) and is our short hike stopping point. For those who continue up into the valley to the French Lookout, the trail becomes steep with loose gravel and boulders. With a 300m/1000ft elevation gain you have wonderful views of the valley as well as the amazing view of mountains all around. You can sit, watch and hear ice crack and maybe even see a mini avalanche.
The full walk takes approximately 8 - 9 hours return including time for lunch and depending on your ability and physical strength.

Greys Glacier trek (Easy-moderate)
Grey Glacier is one of the principal tourist attractions located in Chile. As soon as you get to this place you will be breath taken with the lakes creamy blue colour dotted with icebergs floating and the Patagonia Icefield at the back.
Initially, you will walk through a valley before climbing a steep incline, onto a ridge taking you first through a burnout forest and then into a green live forest.
A little further along the trail brings you to an elevated view of Grey Lake. You hike along an exposed ridgeline before reaching the Grey Glacier Lookout point. (Approx 2.5hrs)
If you are looking for a short hike this would be your turn around point, heading back the same way to the start of the trail. Continuing down another 2 hours further from this point you get to the main Refugio Grey Glacier viewpoint which brings you a lot closer to this magnificent ice sheet. From here you have a magnificent view of the glacier across the water and usually the wonderful blue of the icebergs floating in the lake below. All viewpoints of the glacier are from a front on angle.
The full walk takes approximately 7 - 8 hours return including time for lunch and depending on your ability/physical strength.

At the conclusion of your full-day trekking, we will head to our hotel in Puerto Natales.

After a leisurely morning we will head off to Punta Arenas, located on the edge of the Straights of Magallen. Tonight you will enjoy a meal prepared by a talented, local chef who takes local regional foods and gives you a taste of the variety of unusual tastes and flavours they have.

Enjoy your morning exploring Punta Arenas before crossing the Straights of Magellan onto the island of Tierra Del Fuego.

Visit a King Penguin colony on the way to Ushuaia, the most southerly city in the world.

Explore Tierra Del Fuego National Park and arrive at ’the end of the road’: Lapatia Bay. Take a cruise on the Beagle Channel to view wildlife and learn of the regions history.

Depart Ushuaia with wonderful memories, and a new respect of our wonderful planet courtesy of Patagonia.

Note: The information regarding itinerary is given in good faith and is subject to change and /or cancellation, due to weather / political and / or country instabilities and general safety / road conditions etc. Any such changes and/or cancellations which are in our control will be decided by the crew and will be discussed with the group beforehand whenever possible.