Highlights of Patagonia

After a 2 hours flight, we’ll reach Puerto Madryn, gate to one of the most spectacular ocean wildlifes in the world: Peninsula Valdes.  Depending on the flight schedule, we can organize activities in Buenos Aires or Puerto Madryn.

If your trip matches with the Whales and Penguins season (from mid of September till the ends of November), you’ll be able to experience the Peninsula in one of the best possible ways to do it.   The penguins stay from September till March, and the Whales from June to November.

The idea is to visit Peninsula Valdes in a full day excursion from Puerto Madryn.   This is a UNESCO site home to different species, such as Southern Right Whales, Magellan Penguins, Rheas (Ñandu), Guanacos, Sea Elephants, Foxes, Maras, Armadillos, different birds, etc..

It includes a whale watching navigation (1.30 hs) and walking among penguins at Estancia San Lorenzo (40 minutes).

NOTE:  if you travel between December and March, we suggest to take out Peninsula Valdes (since there won’t be Southern Right Whales) and see penguins in Ushuaia.  However, in March you may see Killer Whales attacking on the shores of Peninsula Valdes.

We’ll leave the Atlantic Ocean and flight to the end of the world: Ushuaia.  Upon arrival, we’ll have some time to discover this remote area that is surrounded by the mountains and the Beagle Channel.

During the morning, we plan to visit the National Park Tierra del Fuego, against the crowds and in a very interesting way.  This Park gathers different samples of the “fueguian” ecosystem, including peat bogs, mountains, rivers, and bays.

In the afternoon we’ll board a Yacht and navigate along the Beagle Channel, visiting spots such as the famous Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse and some islands such as the Lobos & Pajaros one.

The idea for this day is to discover the inner part of the island, visiting the lakes Fagnano & Escondido. To reach, we’ll cross the Andes in the only part where it lies from west to east.  We plan to combine off road circuits, with a little bit of paddling (in a canoe), soft hiking, and lunch at a private shelter in the middle of a forest.

We’ll fly from Ushuaia to El Calafate: Gate to visit Los Glaciares National Park.

Upon arrival, we’ll drive to El Chaltén, which is 3 hours away and it lies at the feet of Mounts Fitz Roy and Torre. If the weather allows it, we’ll be able to see both Mounts from the distance, getting one of the most spectacular natural postcards of Patagonia.

In this itinerary, we’re setting 3 nights in El Chaltén.  The main goal is to give you time to do some of the self-guided hikes (or with a guide),  including the epic “Laguna de los 3” (Fitz Roy Trek) and the “Laguna Torre” (Torre Hill).

These are full day hikes which don’t require a specific training neither technical condition, but you need to be able to walk several hours.   If you don’t like this kind of activity, we can reduce your stay there or change the activities or destination.

The village counts with different kinds of accommodation, therefore, you can opt if staying at a classic lodge, a premium hotel, or why not, to do some camping.

After spending another day in El Chaltén (which could be dedicated to do the “Loma del Pliegue Tumbado” trek, or visit “Lago del Desierto”),  transfer back to El Calafate.

Full day excursion to the majestic Glacier Perito Moreno.  There are different ways to visit this colossal Glacier, and most of them include a few hours of soft trek around the balconies of the National Park.  The balconies have panoramic viewpoints that reach quite close to the ice front of the Glacier.

Optionally, you can walk on top of the ice, or kayak near to its walls, or navigate around some of the arms of Lake Argentino.

The goal for this day is to take advantage of some of the other activities around Los Glaciares National Park.

Maybe the navigation that leads to Glaciers Upsala & Spegazzini,  or the full day experience at Estancia Cristina, a typical Patagonian ranch.  We’ll be very happy to assist you and help you plan the activities that match the best with your travel style.

After breakfast, we’ll cross to Chilean Patagonia, in order to visit one of the most spectacular National Parks in Patagonia: Torres del Paine.

To reach, we’ll cross part of the steppe and after 4-5 hours we’ll be at the gate of the Park.  This day will be dedicated to visit some of the main viewpoints of the park.

At the end of the day, drop off inside the Park, where we’ll have our accommodation in a hotel.

Full day in Torres del Paine, with different alternatives.

Our suggestion for this day is to do the full day hike to the Base of the Towers (one of the main highlights of the Park and one of the legs of the famous “W trek”).

You can also opt for something more relaxed, or a wildlife tour including Puma tracking.

We suggest to invest this day at the Park looking for Pumas (this is the best place in Patagonia to find them – even though it’s not guaranteed to spot them, chances are quite high at this park, particularly if you try it more than once).

You can combine this activity with other wildlife watching (seeing condors is also normal, here and in El Calafate and El Chalten),  while you visit other panoramic viewpoints inside the park.

At the end of the day, transfer to Puerto Natales (1.30 hours away), also in Chile.

Flight from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, in the heart of the Chilean Lake District.

Upon arrival, we’ll head to Puerto Varas, at the shores of Llanquihue lake, where we’ll stay.

Today, we’ll explore the villages next to Llanquihue Lake, including cultural icons such as Frutillar & Puerto Octay. The tranquility of the lake will invade our senses as we enjoy the nice weather of Northern Patagonia.

After visiting  Puerto Varas (Chile), we’ll return to Argentina through one of the most fantastic excursions in Northern Patagonia: the lakes crossing experience.  Click here to learn more about it!

This excursion finishes in Bariloche (Argentina), where we’ll stay during the following days.

During the morning, we’ll visit the classics of Bariloche’s surroundings, through an excursion known as “Circuito Chico”. This is about a 60 km scenic drive with stops in unique panoramic viewpoints.  These viewpoints include the Campanario Hill (awarded by the National Geographic) and the Llao Llao Hotel.

Afternoon free to enjoy at leisure, or optional activities such as kayaking, trekking, or horseback riding.

Our itinerary through the highlights of Patagonia continues, and now through the legendary 7 Lakes road.

This is a scenic drive that passes through the picturesque village of Villa La Angostura (where we’ll stop for a while), and different lakes that join Villa La Angostura with the city of San Martin de los Andes.   These lakes are about 7, and the road zigzags between these lakes and other mountains, forests, and rivers.

Transfer to the airport, and flight to Buenos Aires.

If you have the time, you may be interested in visiting the following attractions:

•  – Marble Cathedrals:  these colorful caves are located in the Chilean region of Aysen. Visiting them takes about half a day, thus, you can combine it with some other attractions across the Austral Road.  You can fly to Balmaceda, and stay in Coyhaique for 3 nights.  From Coyhaique you can visit the Marble Cathedrals in one day (combining it with Cerro Castillo National Park), and on the other day, visit the lagoon and glacier San Rafael.

•  – Cape Horn and Chilean Fjords:  there is a fantastic cruise that joins Ushuaia and Punta Arenas (and vice versa) through a 4 nights expedition which includes different disembarks.  It includes Cape Horn, different fjords,  and channels, glaciers, and wildlife.

And the list continues with the “Cave of Hands”, “Cabo Vírgenes”,  “Puerto Williams”,  “Los Alerces National Park”, and other destinations.

Last but not least, you can focus your Patagonia trip in different topics,  such as trekking, wildlife, cruises, and other interests.    If you have special interests, these tours may result interesting to you:  Patagonia Puma Tracking Tour and Orca Whale Watching,  Fitz Roy Trek, W Trek, and Patagonia Trekking Tour, and those tours that you can find in our Patagonia Tours section.

Last but not least, if the reason of your trip is a Honeymoon, we invite you to check our Patagonia honeymoon tour.