The rugged landscape of Patagonia turns from dramatic backdrops to ineffable reality on this custom tailored Patagonia hiking tour. Snow blankets the mountains until the towering landscape resembles clouds in the sky. Ancient glaciers carved high-altitude lakes along plains and mountain bases. The southernmost city in the world looks out to the active waters of the Beagle Channel while sitting in the shadows of the Andes Mountains. Venture across hiking trails and rushing waters, from river rapids...
Customizable Itinerary
Day 1
El Calafate – Arriving in Patagonia
The beauty of Patagonia is apparent upon your arrival at Comandante Armando Tola International Airport in the town of El Calafate, Argentina. The alpine streets exude the aroma of pine and spruce. Chocolate displays decorate the numerous chocolate shops along the main street of Avenida Libertador. Cedar doorframes decorate stone buildings for a rustic and elegant architectural style. El Calafate sets the relaxed and welcoming pace of Patagonia. Your private transfer meets you at the airport and escorts you to your luxurious hotel. Consider learning more about your premier Patagonia tour operator who strives to provide you with the most memorable trip of your life. Outside of town, the windswept plains lead to the rolling mountain peaks on the horizon. North of town, flamingos graze in the shallow waters of Laguna Nimez. Their pink plumage adds bright color to the golden grasses and rugged foothills beyond the lake’s cobalt waters.
What's Included:
Day 2
El Calafate – Acquainted with Glacier Trails
Day 3
El Chalten – In the Shade of Fitz Roy
Day 4
El Chalten – The Smoking Mountain
Day 5
El Calafate – Softer Side of El Chalten
Day 6
Puerto Natales – Stepping into Chile
Day 7
Puerto Natales – The Pleasures of Torres del Paine
Day 8
Punta Arenas – Splendors of Leisure
Day 9
Ushuaia – Scenery at the Edge of the World
Day 10
Ushuaia – Tremendous Tierra del Fuego
Day 11
Ushuaia – The Waters of a Land on Fire
Day 12
Ushuaia – The Gratification of a Rewarding Experience
Trip Highlights
- Discover the charming shores of Laguna Nimez where local flamingos add a distinctive flair to the water
- Whitewater raft down the Rio de las Vueltas for a unique view of Torres del Paine National Park’s landscape
- Bask in a treasured experience of walking along the ice field of the Perito Moreno Glacier on a guided tour
- Discover the magnificent size of one of the world’s few remaining expanding glaciers
- Enjoy a marvelous trek to view the immaculate waters of Laguna de los Tres set amongst an unforgettable backdrop of Mount Fitz Roy
- Traverse the hiking trails of Torres del Paine, which lead to fabulous waterfalls, sensational lakes, and breathtaking views of the mountains
- Delight in a canoe excursion along the glassy waters of Lapataia Bay in the hopes of spotting Chilean dolphins or otters
Detailed Description
Patagonia will take your breath away. Dramatic cliffs ascend into majestic mountain peaks. Lakes shimmer with unadulterated clarity. Fishing boats bring fresh seafood to shore caught in the mystic southern waters. Ancient forests are matched only by the size and age of ancient glaciers. Your 12-day Patagonia hiking tour provides you with the endless adventures and activities of the landscape, taking you along the well-marked trails and often overlooked paths to ensure an unforgettable exploration of the region. The adventure begins with your arrival in the Argentinian town of El Calafate. The alpine style of the architecture has an undeniable charm.
Your private transfer escorts you to your comfortable hotel near the heart of town. The remainder of the day is at your leisure to enjoy the city and its surroundings, including the flamingo-clad lake of nearby Laguna Nimez. Your guide greets you at the hotel and leads you on a tour of Los Glaciares National Park, home to the tremendous Perito Moreno Glacier. Embark on the first of your many Patagonia hiking tours by undertaking an unforgettable ice trek, taking you to the top of the glacier. The following day, you venture to the town of El Chalten, near the foothills of Mount Fitz Roy. Explore the treasures hidden on Mount Fitz Roy as you set out on a trek of your preferred length and duration, one of which can provide you with a sensational panorama at Laguna de los Tres.
Enjoy the adventures around El Chalten once more, taking a hike near Mount Fitz Roy or enjoy a thrilling rafting trip down Rio de las Vueltas before returning to El Calafate for the evening. Make your way to the Chilean side of Patagonia, and settle in the waterside town of Puerto Natales. The following day, you have a full day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park to explore the wondrous landscape. Venture on a trail of your choosing to take in a powerful waterfall or view the imposing peaks for which Torres del Paine is known. Then, your private transfer escorts you to Punta Arenas.
Your flight from Punta Arenas, Chile takes you to Ushuaia, Argentina, considered the southernmost city in the world. These days in Ushuaia take you in and around Tierra del Fuego National Park. Follow the easy or challenging paths across the majestic landscape, canoe through the sensational waterways, and enjoy the indelible sites for which the national park is famous. On your final day, your private transfer greets you at your hotel and leads you to Ushuaia-Malvinas Argentinas International Airport for your flight home.
Starting Price
$4,900 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
- Accommodations
- In-country transportation
- Some or all activities and tours
- Expert trip planning
- 24x7 support during your trip
Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.
Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service
4.86 stars based on 1039 reviews.
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.
Zicasso's travel company and our agent were a pleasure work with. We adapted an itinerary to our interests and created a special private tour for ourselves. When we had a pharmacy need, they went out of their way to help us locate our medicines. Our guides were wonderful! I would recommend our tour company for future travel!
Reviewed By Katrina D.