Patagonia · 12 days
Southern Patagonia
Ushuaia · Tolhuin · Punta Arenas · Puerto Natales · Torres del Paine · El Calafate · El Chaltén
Twelve days through the far south of Argentina and Chile, from Ushuaia to El Chaltén. The program combines Tierra del Fuego National Park, the End of the World Train, and the Beagle Channel with the 4x4 crossing to Tolhuin and the ferry across the Strait of Magellan. It continues on to Fuerte Bulnes, the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers, Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno Glacier, and Lago del Desierto.
Highlights
- End of the World Train and the Beagle Channel boat excursion
- 4x4 expedition over Garibaldi Pass to Tolhuin
- Ferry crossing of the Strait of Magellan
- Boat excursion to the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers
- Torres del Paine with a walk to Lago Grey
- Perito Moreno Glacier boardwalks and the Todo Glaciares cruise
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Ushuaia
Arrival at Malvinas Argentinas Airport in Ushuaia. The city, whose name means “bay looking west” in the Yámana language, is surrounded by Mount Martial to the west and by Mounts Olivia and Cinco Hermanos to the east. Depending on the flight schedule, we will take an orientation tour of the city. We will visit the west side of town, home to the iconic Ushuaia sign set against the backdrop of the Beagle Channel and the Andes, and continue on to the old airport, the La Misión neighborhood, and the Bahía Encerrada Nature Reserve, before heading to the northwest sector, home to the Glaciar Martial hotel zone (Reserva Hotelera Glaciar Martial) and the base of Martial Glacier. Afterward, transfer and accommodation at the selected hotel. Set on the shores of the Beagle Channel, Ushuaia offers a unique landscape that combines mountains, sea, glaciers, and forests, and it is the only Argentine city located west of the Andes. Day at leisure to enjoy the city or visit some of its museums, the two main ones being the Maritime and Prison Museum and the End of the World Museum. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in Ushuaia.
Day 2 · 120 km
Ushuaia · Tierra del Fuego National Park · Ushuaia
Breakfast. On a half-day tour, we will explore Tierra del Fuego National Park, a unique setting that brings together lenga, ñire, and coihue beech forests, streams, and mountains. Along the way, we will not only enjoy the scenery but also come to understand it, learning about the history of Ushuaia and the formation of the land, with the chance to spot wildlife such as foxes, guanacos, and birds typical of the region. The highlight is Bahía Lapataia, where RN 3 comes to an end: the southernmost point that can be reached by road anywhere in the Americas. To round off the experience, we will ride the End of the World Train, which recreates the last kilometers of the historic railway once used by the inmates of the Ushuaia Prison. After the excursion, we will return to the city, where we will have free time for lunch (not included), followed by the Beagle Channel boat excursion, an unforgettable experience sailing the Beagle Channel and visiting Isla de los Lobos, Isla de los Pájaros, and Les Éclaireurs Lighthouse. The most anticipated moment is the arrival at the Isla Martillo penguin colony, where we will observe Magellanic penguins in their natural habitat from the boat. It is an ideal way to discover not only the Beagle Channel but also the city from a different perspective. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in Ushuaia.
Day 3 · 120 km
Ushuaia · Lakes Escondido & Fagnano · Tolhuin
Breakfast. Today the adventure begins! Aboard 4x4 vehicles, we leave Ushuaia behind to follow off-road tracks, crossing lenga forests, peat bogs, and backcountry areas that reveal the most authentic side of the destination. The route includes Garibaldi Pass, one of the finest viewpoints on the island, and then continues to Lakes Escondido and Fagnano, two of the most important lakes in Tierra del Fuego. Throughout the experience, our guide will help us read the landscape, explaining how the land was formed and the natural dynamics of the area. We will stop at the lodge for lunch before continuing to our final destination, Tolhuin. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Tolhuin.
Day 4 · 620 km
Tolhuin · Cabo San Pablo · Punta Arenas
Breakfast. Today we will cover one of the longest stretches of our journey. Early in the morning, we will head north on RN 3 and then take secondary road A to Cabo San Pablo, site of the wreck of the cargo ship Desdémona, which ran aground in 1985. We will trek along guanaco trails to the top of Cabo San Pablo to visit its lighthouse, built in 1941 and destroyed by an earthquake in 1949, where we will enjoy panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. We then descend to rejoin RN 3 northbound as far as the San Sebastián international border crossing, where we will complete immigration formalities to enter Chilean territory. We will continue on CH-257 for about 170 km to Bahía Azul, where we will board the ferry that crosses the legendary Strait of Magellan in 30 minutes at its narrowest point, just 5 km wide, landing us at Punta Delgada. We continue overland on Route CH-255 and Route 9 to Punta Arenas, arriving in the late afternoon. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in Punta Arenas.
Day 5 · 365 km
Punta Arenas · Fuerte Bulnes · Puerto Natales
Breakfast. Afterward, we will take Route 9 and, after 56 km, reach the Strait of Magellan Park. There we will visit the few remaining traces of the town of Rey Don Felipe, located in the area known as Puerto del Hambre and founded in 1584 by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa to fortify the Strait of Magellan. The expedition failed and its inhabitants died of starvation, so much so that in 1587, when the English privateer Thomas Cavendish sailed through the Strait, he found the few survivors and renamed the place Port Famine (Puerto del Hambre). Next to it stands Fuerte Bulnes, a reconstruction of the first Chilean settlement in the area, established in September 1843 on the initiative of President Manuel Bulnes, who ordered that Chile take possession of the Strait of Magellan. After the visit, we will return to Punta Arenas, where we will have free time for lunch (not included), and then continue north to our final destination, Puerto Natales, arriving in the afternoon. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in Puerto Natales.
Day 6 · 120 km
Puerto Natales · Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers · Puerto Natales
Breakfast. Today we will enjoy one of the most beautiful excursions on our itinerary: the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers boat excursion. At 08:00 we will set sail from Puerto Bories through the Última Esperanza Fjord toward the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers, taking in mountains, waterfalls, estancias, and Patagonian birdlife. After 2.5 hours we will sight Balmaceda Glacier, and half an hour later we will disembark in Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, where a walk through a lush forest of coihue and ñire will bring us to the foot of Serrano Glacier. We then return to the boat and head for Estancia Perales, enjoying an aperitif on board served with millennia-old ice. At the estancia, a three-course Patagonian lunch awaits us (carbonada stew – Patagonian lamb grilled over embers – dessert) with a glass of wine. We will then return to Puerto Natales, arriving at around 17:00. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in Puerto Natales.
Day 7 · 500 km
Puerto Natales · Torres del Paine · El Calafate
Breakfast. Early in the morning, we set out for one of the most pristine and photographed corners of Chilean Patagonia: Torres del Paine National Park. Our first visit is the Cueva del Milodón Natural Monument, a cave more than 200 m deep, 80 m wide, and 30 m high, where in 1895 the settler Hermann Eberhard found the hide of a prehistoric herbivore known as Mylodon darwinii. We will enter the park through the Laguna Amarga sector entrance. From there, if the skies are clear, we can capture a postcard-perfect view of the Torres del Paine, the park's main attraction and part of the Paine massif (Cordillera Paine). Farther on, we will stop to admire another of its icons, the Cuernos del Paine. We will walk to Salto Grande, the largest waterfall in the park. Our last stop will be Lago Grey, where we will walk through a coihue forest and across a suspension bridge over the Pingo River to reach the lake's beach and observe the varied shapes and hues of the icebergs floating in the lake, produced by the thawing of Grey Glacier. Paine Grande will serve as our backdrop. Along the way, we will stop for a box lunch. After a final stop at the Mirador Grey viewpoint, we will skirt Lago del Toro to Cerro Castillo, where we will complete immigration formalities to leave Chile, entering Argentina at Cancha Carrera. One last stretch of just over 200 km awaits before we finally reach El Calafate at night. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in El Calafate.
Day 8 · 180 km
El Calafate · Perito Moreno Glacier · El Calafate
Breakfast. We will set out with our local guide on the excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier. As we leave the steppe behind, the scenery gradually changes until we enter the area of higher rainfall, where lenga, ñire, coihue, and notro trees grow together into a forest that tempers the winds and creates milder climate conditions. During the drive through the Magellanic forest, we will make a few scheduled stops before arriving at the boardwalks, where our guide will give a glaciological explanation of the origins of the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier, whose surface area of 195 km² is almost equal to that of the city of Buenos Aires. We will walk along the boardwalks, and once we have visited their viewing balconies, we will have free time to take in the magnificent setting that nature offers us and to have lunch at the Resto del Glaciar. Return to El Calafate and accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in El Calafate.
Day 9 · 94 km
El Calafate · Punta Bandera · El Calafate
Breakfast. Today we will enjoy one of El Calafate's most iconic excursions: the Todo Glaciares cruise. A 47 km transfer will take us to Punta Bandera, where we will set sail at 09:00 to cruise the North Arm of Lago Argentino. We will approach to within about 10 km of the face of Upsala Glacier, a spectacular wall of ice, for a panoramic view. We will then sail through the Spegazzini Channel, viewing Seco Glacier and finally Spegazzini Glacier, the highest in the National Park at 130 m above sea level; we will also take in the Heim Sur and Peineta Glaciers. We then prepare to disembark at Base Spegazzini and begin our visit to the area, walking along the forest trail to the lodge. This 300-meter trail is accessible, and along the way we will pause at stations and viewpoints overlooking the whole of Bahía de los Glaciares. Free time for lunch at the lodge. From there we will sail back to Punta Bandera, arriving at 16:00. Return to El Calafate and accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in El Calafate.
Day 10 · 215 km
El Calafate · El Chaltén
Breakfast. We will head northwest on a three-hour drive along RP 11, RN 40, and RP 41, with a stop along the way at the Parador y Hotel de Campo La Leona, which has witnessed and played a part in the legendary history of our Patagonia for more than 110 years. Following the La Leona River, flanked by Lago Argentino, Lago Viedma, and Viedma Glacier, and with the Andean range always in view, we will reach this magnificent tourist town. Arrival in El Chaltén and accommodation at the selected hotel (rooms available from 14:00). Free time for lunch (not included). Afterward, we will take the excursion to Lago del Desierto, tracing the history of this corner of Patagonia amid a unique natural setting. The tour includes a visit to Lago del Desierto, with stops along the way (an optional 45-minute boat trip is available, subject to quotation and advance booking) and free time to enjoy the scenery. We leave El Chaltén to cover the 37 km to Lago del Desierto on a beautiful gravel road that follows the Las Vueltas River. Along the way, our guide will share information about the area and its history, particularly the border dispute with Chile that led to the founding of the town of El Chaltén in 1985, with stops to get out at scenic viewpoints. Return to El Chaltén and afternoon at leisure. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in El Chaltén.
Day 11
El Chaltén
Breakfast. El Chaltén is considered Argentina's National Trekking Capital, and its greatest attraction is its self-guided trails, which start right from town. Laguna de los Tres: the most iconic trail in Patagonia, about 24 km round trip. Laguna Torre: an 18 km route in total, with less elevation gain than the Laguna de los Tres (Fitz Roy) trail. Loma del Pliegue Tumbado: a 20 km round-trip hike whose great advantage is a unique, simultaneous panoramic view from above of Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre, and Lago Viedma. On this day, the desired activity will be planned according to the group's request; it may include a box lunch and the assistance of a mountain guide, or the day can be left free so that each participant can choose their own activity. Accommodation at the selected hotel. Overnight in El Chaltén.
Day 12 · 200 km
El Chaltén · El Calafate
Breakfast. At a time to be arranged, transfer to El Calafate airport for the return flight (we recommend a return flight departing at 13:00 or later). End of services.
Sample itinerary. Included services, hotel category and meals are detailed in the quotation.
