Get off the beaten track on this 23-day adventure visiting the spectacular Chilean Lake District, the Perito Moreno Glacier and the southernmost city of Ushuaia, alongside trekking the famous W-Walk through the Torres Del Paine National Park.
Trip Highlights
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Itinerary
Santiago
Welcome to Chile! Make your own way to our joining hostel in Santiago. At 6pm we have a welcome meeting with your tour leader and fellow travellers. The rest of the evening is free for you to relax after your journey or explore the cosmopolitan capital of Santiago.
Overnight: Santiago
San Javier & Buchupureo
Santiago - San Javier - Buchupureo. This morning we bid goodbye to Santiago and journey to San Javier, where we take a wine tour and enjoy a tasting at one of this region’s famous vineyards. After lunch we continue to Buchupureo, a laid-back farming village on the Chilean coast. Here we enjoy a couple of hours relaxing by the beach. Tonight we camp in a well-equipped campsite.
Overnight: Buchupureo | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Pucon
Buchupureo - Pucon. Today we travel to Pucon, a town situated in the beautiful lake district of southern Chile. Boasting scenery similar to the Swiss Alps or New Zealand, this area is well-known for its adventure activities.
Day 4 offers free time to enjoy a range of optional excursions. Perhaps start your day with a sunrise climb up the Villarica Volcano or head off on an exhilarating white-water rafting trip on the rapids of the Trancura River. Go horse riding through the surrounding forests or enjoy a relaxing visit to the Pozones natural hot springs.
Overnight: Pucon (2) | Breakfast x 1, Lunch x 1
Bariloche
Pucon - Bariloche. Today we cross the border from Chile into Argentina, entering at Mamuil Malal and continuing along the scenic Ruta de los Siete Lagos (Seven Lakes Route). Our journey ends in Bariloche, a picture-perfect resort town set on the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. Here we stay in a comfortable hostel in the town.
Day 6 offers free time to enjoy Bariloche and its stunning surrounds, with plenty of optional excursions to choose from. Either explore Lake Gutierrez on a tandem kayaking trip, go mountain biking through the surrounding hills, visit the Fenoglio Chocolate Museum or discover the scenery of Lake Nauhel Huapi Lake by boat.
Overnight: Bariloche (2)
Futaleufu
Bariloche - Futaleufu. Crossing back into Chile at Rio Futaleufu, we drive to the serene frontier town of Futaleufu. Joining one of the most stunning roads in South America, the famous Carretera Austral, we enjoy beautiful mountain and forest scenery.
Overnight: Futaleufu | Lunch, Dinner
Queulat National Park
Futaleufu - Puyuhuapi - Queulat National Park. Leaving Futaleufu, we drive through the Chilean Fjords to Puyuhuapi, the gateway to Queulat National Park. Dominated by the Patagonian Andes, this park features glaciers of up to 12 kilometres in length. Its centrepiece is the Queulat Hanging Glacier and, if time allows, we take a short walk through the 'Enchanted Forest' to view this magnificent natural feature.
Overnight: Puyuhuapi | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cerro Castillo National Reserve
Queulat National Park - Cerro Castillo National Reserve. Today we continue our journey south through Chile’s beautiful scenery to reach the Cerro Castillo National Reserve, famed for its rugged scenery and photogenic Cerro Castillo mountain. Here we camp at a family-run campsite and enjoy a delicious Chilean BBQ.
Day 10 is free to explore the reserve, perhaps go horseriding or take a hike to the stunning turquoise waters of Laguna Cerro Castillo.
Overnight: Cerro Castillo (2) | Breakfast x 2, Lunch x 2, Dinner x 2
Argentinian Patagonia
Cerro Castillo National Reserve - Rio Pinturas area (Argentina). Crossing the border at Huemules, we enter Argentina’s Patagonia region, renowned for its desolate landscapes, mountain scenery and glaciers. We continue along the famous Route 40 and then spend the night wild camping in the Rio Pinturas area.
Overnight: Rio Pinturas area | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
El Chalten & Los Glaciares NP
Rio Pinturas area - El Chalton. Driving into the heart of the Patagonia region, we reach El Chalten. Situated in Los Glaciares National Park, this remote town is overlooked by the iconic Mount Fitz Roy and is a fantastic base from which to explore the park.
Day 13 is free to take advantage of the excellent trekking opportunities and optional activities available in the stunning Los Glaciares National Park. You may wish to take a kayaking trip down the Rio de Las Vueltas or head on a rock-climbing course close by.
Overnight: El Chalten (2) | Breakfast x 1, Lunch x 1
El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier
El Chalten - El Calafate. This morning we have a short drive to El Calafate, a small town on the southern shore of Lago Argentino and the gateway to the spectacular Perito Moreno Glacier.
On day 15 we enjoy a full-day guided visit to view the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is one of the most famous glaciers to be seen anywhere in the world. Perhaps take an optional boat trip beneath the glacier to gain another perspective of its vast size or learn all about it in the fantastic Glaciarum Museum, which features an ice bar in its basement.
Overnight: El Calafate (2)
Torres del Paine
El Calafate - Torres del Paine National Park (Chile). Today we cross the border back into Chile at Cerro Castillo and journey to the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. A highlight for many people visiting Chile, this park contains some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. We spend the night at a stunning campsite inside the park, which is our ‘base campsite’ for the W-Walk.
Overnight: Torres del Paine | Dinner
The W-Walk
Today we embark on the full W-Walk with a local guide, trekking from west to east to enjoy the spectacular views. We wake early and transfer by truck to a catamaran to cross Lago Pehoe. We then set up camp at Paine Grande, before choosing between two hikes (4 or 8-hour round trips) to enjoy views of Glacier Grey.
On day 18 we hike for around 8 hours, with the route taking us into the stunning French Valley, before making our way to Camp Cuernos in the afternoon.
Day 19 is a slightly easier day, as we hike for 5 hours along the edge of Lago Nodenskjold, around Almirante Nieto and stay just outside Valley Ascencio, before arriving in Camp Central.
Please note: the full W-Walk is included on this tour. If you do not want to trek and wish to remain at our base camp, please inform us at time of booking so that we can arrange your meals and guides.
Overnight: Torres del Paine (3) | Breakfast x 3, Lunch x 3, Dinner x 3
Final leg of the W-Walk
The final and most spectacular day of the W-Walk, today begins with a steady climb up Rio Asencio. Whilst the final hour is a relatively steep scramble up to the Tarn and Mirrador Las Torres, the reward is fantastic views of the iconic towers. We then transfer back to our base campsite for the night.
Overnight: Torres del Paine | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tierra del Fuego
Torres del Paine National Park - Tierra del Fuego. Today we have a full-day drive to cross the Magellan Strait to Tierra del Fuego. With its name meaning ‘Land of the Fire’, this island is Patagonia at its most remote and desolate. Wildlife such as condors, buzzard eagles, sea lions and seals all call this windswept landscape home. Tierra del Fuego is divided into Argentinian and Chilean sides and tonight we wild camp on the Chilean half.
Overnight: Tierra del Fuego | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego - Ushuaia (Argentina). This morning we cross the border at San Sebastian into the Argentinian side of Tierra del Fuego, where we continue to the port town of Ushuaia. Known as the ‘end of the world’, this is the world’s most southern city and it boasts a spectacular setting beneath the snow-capped Martial mountain range.
Overnight: Ushuaia | Breakfast, Lunch
Ushuaia
Today marks the last day of our Patagonian adventure. The final day is free for you to take optional excursions such as horse riding along the coast, a boat trip to see the wildlife of the Beagle Channel or a visit to the impressive Martial glacier.
If you would like to extend your stay, we can arrange post-tour accommodation by request.
Breakfast
Is This Trip Right For Me?
Overlanding is not a style of travel that will suit everyone so please carefully read the Trip Notes before selecting this tour and be realistic about your ability and desire to join such a trip. If you’re the adventurous type who’d rather spend a night roughing it in a rainforest than luxuriating in a boutique hotel, then overlanding is for you. You just need the right attitude, an open mind, and a desire to participate fully in the trip.
Overland travelling can be demanding and challenging. On your trip you’ll travel in a purpose-built expedition vehicle on an off-the-beaten-track adventure along rugged roads, sometimes across vast distances. You will find the drive times noted on the Trip Notes.
On an overland journey you are more than just a passenger, these are full participation trips and everyone gets involved and pitches in! You will also be expected to erect your own tent and help with camp chores including cooking meals for the group on a rota basis. Like all great adventures, the more you put in the more you'll get out!
The type, variety and standard of accommodation can vary greatly from very basic rooms without electricity or running water to comfortable hotels with good facilities. Generally in hotels most rooms will be twin-share, but some may be triple/quad-share. Hostels are nearly always multi-share and may be mixed sex.
The campsites we use range from basic to those with excellent facilities, including swimming pools, restaurants and a bar. On some occasions we wild camp with no facilities, which means there are no toilets - just the vast expanse of the great outdoors and a shovel!
Our overland journeys are designed to offer freedom, and many of our routes have a large degree of flexibility rather than a strict hour-by-hour or even day-by-day itinerary. We intend to follow the planned route but exact night stops and inclusions cannot be guaranteed and it sometimes happens that we decide to make a change to our planned itinerary.
How Challenging Is This Trip?
Patagonia Adventurer is strenuous in parts, with a multi day trek, walking for 5-8 hours per day. It is also fairly challenging, travelling through rough terrain to the southernmost point of South America, where you should expect extreme weather conditions. It is ideal for lovers of the outdoors, who are prepared to sacrifice a few home comforts for the challenge and beauty of pristine landscapes. Great wild camping, mixed with hostels and hotels; wonderful opportunities for walking, horse riding, rafting, ice climbing and exploring.
Prices & Dates
Departure dates noted with a 'G' are guaranteed to operate. All other departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. Prices shown above are per person travelling. These overland trips are designed for shared accommodation, whether camping or staying in hotels or hostels, and therefore do not involve a single supplement. Hostels are nearly always multi-share and may be mixed gender and many hotel rooms in South America are triple/quad-share. Whilst the crew will do their best to accommodate couples travelling together in twin rooms, all our travellers should expect to stay in multi-share accommodation when staying in hostels.
Local payment - $1050pp, paid in USD
Please note that this is payable locally on day 1 of your trip in the currency specified.
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In Brief
