Jagged mountain peaks, icy blue lakes, and captivating glaciers embody the natural splendor of the landscape of this 14-day Patagonia tour. Traverse rivers of ice, explore untouched fjords, and discover active wildlife. From impeccable views of Paine Massif to flamingos that bask in Lake Argentino and from kayaking on Grey Lake to hiking branches of the famous W Trail, this tour will provide you with an action-packed adventure of Patagonia.
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
Santiago – Day at Your Leisure
The capital of Chile represents the cultural heart of the country with an endless array of galleries, museums, cafes, and shopping districts. Your flight will arrive at Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, where your private transfer will greet you at customs and escort you to your opulent accommodation. To begin your adventure, you can ascend to the top of Cerro San Cristobal, which is a hill that rises over 2,788 feet above sea level. You can take the funicular to the summit or enjoy a hike to Bellavista Park.
What's Included:
Day 2
Punta Arenas – Settle into the Scenery
Day 3
Torres del Paine – Wildlife Cruise to Magdalena Island
Day 4
Torres del Paine – Trekking in Torres del Paine
Day 5
Torres del Paine – Hiking the W Trail to the French Valley
Day 6
Torres del Paine – Hiking and Kayaking at Grey Lake
Day 7
Torres del Paine – Scenic Cruise and Glacier Hike
Day 8
El Calafate – Beautiful Drive to El Calafate
Day 9
El Calafate – Walking on a Glacier
Day 10
El Chalten – Rafting on Las Vueltas River
Day 11
El Chalten – Visit Los Huemules Reserve
Day 12
El Calafate – Hike to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado
Day 13
Buenos Aires – Enjoy the Day at Your Leisure
Day 14
Buenos Aires – Departure
Trip Highlights
- Traverse the epic surface of Grey Glacier during a guided glacier walk of its tunnels, caves, crevices, and slopes
- Explore branches of the renowned W Trail in the Torres del Paine National Park for views of French Valley and the horns of the Paine Massif
- Delight in a kayaking tour of Grey Lake for an unique perspective of the massive ice wall of Grey Glacier
- Discover the whitewater rapids of Las Vueltas River during a rafting tour that combines thrills, scenery, and natural history
- Enjoy the fascinating view of Perito Moreno Glacier’s advancing ice wall from the different angles of viewing platforms
- Sail on the Strait of Magellan to reach an uninhabited island that is home the largest colony of Magellanic penguins in Chile
- Revel in the unique challenge of the trek to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado for rewarding views of the Torre and Fitz Roy massifs
- Encounter remarkable scenery and captivating wildlife with specialist guides who are knowledgeable about Patagonia’s flora, fauna, and natural history
Detailed Description
This 14-day Patagonia adventure immerses you in the marvels of the untamed wilderness that spans the pampas, mountains, and glaciers of southern Chile and Argentina. Your unique accommodations and specialist guides will offer you a distinctive experience along famous trails, remarkable waterways, and vast ancient glaciers. From the Magellan Strait to Lake Argentino, you will traverse the trails of Torres del Paine, uncover the vistas of Mt. Fitz Roy, kayak alongside bobbing icebergs, and search for local wildlife.
Your Patagonia adventure will begin with your arrival in Santiago, where your private transfer will meet you at the airport. One night in Chile’s capital city will situate you in the comforts of your accommodations and provide you with enough time to enjoy the distinctive culture. You will then fly to Punta Arenas for one night. Here, you can traverse the elegant central plaza and visit the maritime museum before the true adventure begins with a cruise along the Strait of Magellan. Your time on the water will showcase the rugged landscape, dynamic sea, and colonies of penguins and sea lions.
Your arrival in Torres del Paine will provide four nights of exciting discovery in the pristine landscape known for its high-altitude plains and granite peaks. You will have guided tours along the hiking trails and a portion of the famous W trail. You will continue your exploration of the national park with a kayaking tour of Grey Lake for a different perspective of the water and glacier. Your glacier hike will reveal the texture of the frozen surface of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field.
The following day, you will have a scenic drive across the border into Argentina to the town of El Calafate. You can visit the Nimez Lagoon for an introduction to the dynamic scenery, and a day in Los Glaciares National Park will highlight the marvelous features of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Two nights in El Chalten will take you along the class III rapids of Los Vueltas River and into the captivating diversity of forest, mountains, and waterways. You will venture high into the mountains on the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail to view Mt. Fitz Roy and Torro before returning to El Calafate for a night. Your flight to Buenos Aires will give you one night in the Argentine capital and conclude the active excursions of your Patagonian adventure.
Starting Price
$5,700 per person (excluding international flights)
Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.
What's Included
The starting price is based on travel during the low season for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 3-star accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.86 stars based on 1040 reviews.
I have already mentioned Zicasso to many others for planning their future trips.
Reviewed By Mark L.
We are basking in the memory of a simply amazing trip to Argentina with Zicasso... it was awesome. The responsiveness of our specialist and guides, and the attentiveness of service overall, was very noticeable throughout. In particular, there was a storm that hit in the days prior to our arrival in Bariloche (Argentine Patagonia Lake District) which impacted boat schedules, and behind the scenes, without us knowing, we were rebooked and rescheduled for various activities in a seamless fashion to ensure we got the hiking and other experiences we were hoping for. Great service!
Reviewed By Keith M.
Zicasso's travel specialist helped by booking and planning every aspect of our trip (flights, hotels, transfers, tours, etc), all based on my wishes, along with his suggestions. He also ensured we had time to relax between activities (so often, an agent books so many activities you don't get a chance to stop and sit, but we had a few hours each day to do so). From meeting us upon arrival to the constant communication during the trip, he made sure everything ran smoothly. We had to adjust a tour due to weather, but he was on top of it, ensuring we had other options for that day.
Our agent and his team made everything run smoothly and ensured we had a great trip to an area we were not familiar with.
Reviewed By Michelle J.
Zicasso's trip planner is perhaps the best travel consultant I have ever engaged. As a point of context, I am a retired corporate executive who traveled 250K to 500K miles per year over the last 15 years of my career. I had the advantages of executive assistants, a corporate travel department, and extensive administrative support. Even with all those advantages, this trip planner and his team set a new standard of excellence. My trip planning covered Antarctica, Argentina, and Brazil destinations over a five-week trip. The full trip was for my wife and me, with an additional two-week block for my two children to join us partway through the vacation. He also helped to arrange the holiday for another couple who were supposed to accompany us, but they had a medical emergency occur before the departed. This necessitated a great number of changes and cancelations, which he handled, seemingly without any problems and without any complaints.
I had only traveled to that part of the world in a business capacity before, so I was entirely reliant on our travel agent, not just for the physical arrangements, but to also take the time to understand our interests, curiosities, and desired outcomes. He brilliantly translated that into choices and recommendations that I truly cannot complain about. He is so wired into the hotels, travel options, restaurants, sites, and culture of Argentina, Brazil, and Antarctica that we were blown away by his skills and knowledge. He arranged boutique experiences, personal guides, and superior transportation at all stops. There were no gaps in our travel coverage and I was 100% confident in all of our day-to-day experiences. He knew of things that I never would have discovered on my own. The ease of communicating with him was superior. He always responded to our queries within hours and even had a direct U.S. telephone number so I did not even have to pay for long-distance phone calls.
Our experience so far exceeded my already high expectations that we want to return to Argentina again, and we want to find a way to employ his services again to plan future trips to South America and Africa. Also, each person he had us interact with (drivers, guides, and support staff) was unbelievably capable, but also displayed exuberance and superior customer-service attitudes. Potential problems were non-existent.
I would be personally willing to speak directly to anyone who is considering using this tour company as their travel provider if that would sway them to choose him and his team. I have run out of superlatives, but trust me, I have very high standards. I have been to over 50 countries in my life. I have lived on three continents and (thanks to him) I can finally say I have set foot on all seven continents. With that said, this travel agent earned my admiration as a professional in his field. I believe if you engaged anyone other than him, you would likely receive a fantastic experience, but not as good as it could have been.
Reviewed By Paul N.
Zicasso's travel agency surpassed everything we could have hoped and expected for our first trip to Argentina.
We had a perfect selection, based on our wishes, of small and quiet boutique hotels, punctual transport, knowledgeable guides, and immediate help via WhatsApp in the few instances we needed some guidance on unfamiliar cases.
Reviewed By Henri V.
We enjoyed our trip very much. It was absolutely beautiful!
Reviewed By Barbara S.