Experience the Best of Patagonia
The Absolute Best of Patagonia — We’ll get you to the most iconic mountains and glaciers, hiking by day and relaxing at boutique accommodations by night.
The Right Pacing — Patagonia’s changeable weather and vast distances mean this trip cannot be rushed—we take the time to do it right.
Insider Access to Exclusive Accommodations — We give you special access to some of Patagonia’s most renowned estancias and historic lodges.
Superb Trip Leaders and Expert Local Guides — They provide an insider’s perspective, sharing deep knowledge of the region’s ecosystems and culture.
Tierra del Fuego: Gateway to the Antarctic — Hike through ancient lenga forests and one of the southernmost penguin rookeries in the world.
Overview
With over four decades of experience sharing the wonders of Patagonia, we’ve honed our journeys to perfection. And because there is so much to see, we feel strongly you shouldn’t rush this trip. We take the time to get you to all its most iconic highlights, including the soaring spires of Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine and the massive Perito Moreno Glacier, while welcoming you at heritage estancias where you’ll enjoy wonderful meals and hospitality. You’ll discover penguin colonies on your rambles in Tierra del Fuego and enjoy our “secret hikes,” allowing you to have Patagonia’s grandeur all to yourself. Join us for the hiking and natural history trip of a lifetime!
It was a magical experience with every effort possible made to assure that we fully came to appreciate the beauty and culture of Patagonia. And, more to the point, to assure that we enjoyed some of the best hiking we will ever do.
— Skip S., Thetford, VT
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-3
Buenos Aires, Argentina / Ushuaia / Tierra del Fuego
After exploring Buenos Aires, a flight 1,500 miles south brings us to “the southernmost city in the world,” Ushuaia, set between the sea and the snow-capped peaks of the Cordillera Darwin, only 600 miles from Antarctica. We’ll get a taste of this austral realm on our coastal hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park, which stretches along the storied Beagle Channel.
Days 4-7
Los Glaciares National Park
Fitz Roy, the crown jewel of Los Glaciares National Park, is a granite shark fin sheering out of the pampas. From our cozy and remote 10-room lodge, Hostería El Pilar, the striking form of Fitz Roy will catch our eye right from the dining table. Our first hike starts from the lodge and brings us to the blue lagoon below the towering spires of the Fitz Roy massif. Another hike brings us to a glacial lake below the granite spike of Cerro Torre. On the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail, we’ll get panoramic views of both the Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy massifs.
Days 8-9
Estancia Helsingfors / Los Glaciares National Park
We are welcomed like family at the charming 8-room Estancia Helsingfors and normally have it all to ourselves. In this extraordinary location, we’ll hike up the narrow arm of Lago Viedma, with Cerro Norte looming above, and through alpine terrain to picturesque Lago Azul.
Day 10
Perito Moreno Glacier / Lago Argentino / El Calafate
As with all of our drives, we’ll keep an eye out for wildlife as we head to the Perito Moreno Glacier, a 200-foot-high wall of blue ice and one of the few glaciers in the world that is still in equilibrium. The sounds of creaking ice are as amazing as the sight of this three-mile-wide ice wall dropping huge chunks of ice into the lake below.
Days 11-14
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
In Chile, we enter the spectacular realm of Torres del Paine National Park, a surreal world of stone carved by ice and a wonderland of eye-popping scenery. Paine’s famed peaks are known as “The Towers” for their vertical spires. Paine Grande, the highest tower, tops 10,000 feet, its dazzling rock pinnacles rising from snow and ice. Our day hikes include the Lago Nordenskjöld trail, with the Paine massif wonderfully reflected in turquoise waters, and a grand finale hike through the Valle Ascencio right to the base of the three massive towers that form the central Paine massif. Our lodges give us great trail access, with several hikes starting right outside our front door.
Days 15-16
Punta Arenas / Depart
We head to Punta Arenas, whose location on the legendary Strait of Magellan made it an international crossroads of shipping until the opening of the Panama Canal. Depart on Day 16 via Santiago.
In Patagonia
Highlights
Highlights
Details
10 hiking days on moderate to steep trails, 5-8 hours a day, altitudes below 4,000 feet, possible extreme wind and sudden rainstorms
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