Your Patagonian exploration begins at Buenos Aires’ Ezeiza International Airport (EZE). Upon landing, make your way to the Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires – MGallery where you’ll enjoy a peaceful night’s stay in preparation for your journey to stunning San Carlos de Bariloche tomorrow.
Five-star Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires – MGallery stay
This morning, you will meet your group in the lobby at 8am with your luggage to be transferred to Jorge Newbery Airport (AEP) for a two-hour economy-class flight to San Carlos de Bariloche Airport (BRC).
After settling in to your lakeside accommodation in Bariloche, you will tour the city’s main circuit. Catch a glimpse of major sites like Llao Llao Hotel, Llao Llao Municipal Park, Lake Moreno and Nahuel Huapi, as well as Mounts Capilla and Lopez. Ascend Cerro Campanario, either on foot or via an optional chairlift (additional cost), to witness one of the world’s most incredible hilltop views. Then, start your 60-minute hike to a hidden viewpoint to witness the Nahuel Huapi Lake from new heights.
After working up an appetite, your guide will take you to a local brewery for lunch before returning you to your hotel for a night at your leisure.
Optional activity:
- Cerro Campanario ascent by chairlift (additional costs apply).
After breakfast at the hotel, your group will take a 30-minute drive to Puerto Panuelo. From here, you will cross through the Andes Mountains en route to Chile.
Aboard the Gran Victoria, cruise across Nahuel Huapi Lake, before ending your first leg in Puerto Blest. From this point, a one-hour bus transfer will help you continue your journey along River Frias to Puerto Alegre. From her,e you will board a voyage across Lake Frias on the Victoria del Sur, enjoying views of Cerro Tronador. After a short sail, reach Puerto Frias and complete necessary border procedures to enter Chile.
After a further two-hour bus ride set against the Andes Mountains, you will arrive in Peulla where you can enjoy lunch (additional cost) at a lodge. Spend the rest of the afternoon crossing Lake Todos los Santos, gliding past Petrohue and finally arriving at your cosy quarters in Puerto Varas.
Nahuel Huapi Lake cruise
Today, head south to the port city of Puerto Natales. The ice-capped mountain ranges of Torres del Paine National Park await when you touch down in the city after your included two-hour flight.
This evening is yours, so relax before your adventure tomorrow.
Your full day of discovery at Torres del Paine National Park begins with a visit to the Milodon Cave, an historical monument where remnants of the extinct Milodon sloth were discovered. Along the way, enjoy coffee at Cerro Castillo before entering the park to witness the lakes of Nordenskjold and Pehoe, and the Salto Grande waterfall.
Savour a boxed lunch with a view of Cuernos del Paine at Camp Pehoe, then continue to Lake Grey and Grey Glacier for a hike and panoramic views. The return trip offers glimpses of wildlife and the Paine Massif, returning to Puerto Natales around 7pm.
Today, return to the water for an expedition starting in Puerto Natales. Board a catamaran to journey through the Senoret Canal, passing historic Puerto Bories Cold Storage Plant National Monument with its English-Victorian industrial architecture.
Continue to Guanaco Island, where the Magellan dolphins, or ‘toninas’, await. The main attraction is Mount Balmaceda, offering views of the Homonymous Glacier. Disembark at Puerto Toro for a guided walk along the Tempanos Lagoon, followed by a journey to the Serrano Glacier through a native forest. Enjoy a whiskey with glacial ‘millenary ice’ and savour a lunch of lamb roast.
Bid farewell to Puerto Natales today as you take a 3.5-hour transfer to El Calafate. This lakeside town is famous for its glorious glaciers which are ever-shifting along the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, part of Los Glaciares National Park. After settling in to your accommodation, don’t forget to look up as El Calafate offers clear, dark skies, making it an ideal location for stargazing.
Today will be spent exploring the northern reaches of Lake Argentino. Setting off from Puerto Bandera after a 45-kilometre drive along Provincial Route 11, board a modern catamaran for a float through the lake’s northern arm. As you navigate through the Devil’s Mouth and the Spegazzini Arm, marvel at the Heim Sur, Peineta, and Seco Glaciers before arriving at the Spegazzini Glacier. Disembark for an exploration of the area, following a forest path to the Refuge, which provides views of Glacier Bay. Enjoy a three-course lunch and drinks in the Captain’s Club, and possibly choose to take on the ‘mountain path’, a medium-difficulty 1,200-metre route with scenic viewpoints.
Conclude your adventure with a return to the port and a transfer back to El Calafate. Tonight, feast on a farewell dinner (drinks not included) and rejoice with your group over memories made in Patagonia.
On your final day, visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the last advancing glaciers in the world, located 80 km from El Calafate. Witness the carvings of this natural wonder as you follow Route 11 along the south shore of Argentino Lake. Upon reaching the Peninsula de Magallanes, make your way along the Rico Arm of the lake to the first lookout, Curva de los Suspiros or the ‘Bend of Sighs’, where the glacier unveils its grandeur for the first time – a perfect moment for a photograph.
Your adventure continues on to Puerto Bajo Las Sombras, where you can embark on an optional one-hour boat ride (additional charge), bringing you closer to the glacier’s south face. Drive further to get an up close look from the waterside walkways, offering an up close and upfront perspective of the glacier. You’ll have ample time to explore the nearby trails as well.
After this extraordinary experience, return to the hotel and make your way to the airport for your onward journey, bidding farewell to Patagonia.
Optional activity:
- One-hour boat ride to the south face of Perito Moreno Glacier (additional costs apply).
Perito Moreno Glacier visit