Patagonia Highlights: 13-Day Adventure

Transfer El Calafate Airport / El Chaltén Hotel

Welcome to Patagonia, one of South America’s most spectacular and remote regions, shared by Argentina and Chile and renowned for its dramatic mountains, immense glaciers, turquoise lakes, and vast wilderness.

Upon arrival at El Calafate Airport, you will be transferred to your hotel in El Chaltén. The approximately 3-hour journey takes you across the open landscapes of the Patagonian steppe, with the legendary Route 40 offering your first glimpse of the scale and beauty of Southern Patagonia.

Nestled at the foot of the iconic Mount Fitz Roy, El Chaltén is known as Argentina’s trekking capital and one of Patagonia’s premier hiking destinations. Surrounded by glaciers, rivers, forests, and dramatic mountain peaks, this small village is the starting point for some of the region’s most scenic trails.

Once you arrive in El Chaltén, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Take a short walk through the surrounding landscapes, visit a nearby waterfall, explore the village, or simply relax at one of its local breweries as you prepare for the adventures ahead.

At the appropriate time, you will be picked up from your hotel in El Chaltén and travel by bus to El Calafate, continuing your journey through the spectacular landscapes of Southern Patagonia.

During the approximately 3-hour drive, sit back and relax while enjoying views of the vast Patagonian steppe, distant mountains, and open skies along the way. Upon arrival in El Calafate, you will be transferred to your hotel, ready to discover the glaciers and natural wonders that make this one of Patagonia’s most iconic destinations.

Full-Day Perito Moreno Glacier & Mayo Spirit Navigation

Today, we will pick you up early in the morning for a full-day exploration of Los Glaciares National Park, one of Patagonia’s most spectacular protected areas and home to the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier.

The adventure begins at Punta Bandera, where you will board a boat and navigate the turquoise waters of Lake Argentino. Sailing through the Mayo Channel, you will reach remote areas of the park that can only be accessed by water, surrounded by glaciers, mountains, and pristine Patagonian wilderness.

At Toro Bay, disembark for a guided walk through the Andean-Patagonian forest, surrounded by native vegetation and impressive geological formations. The trail leads towards a stream and waterfall before returning to the boat to continue the navigation.

As you sail through Seno Mayo, enjoy impressive views of the Mayo Glacier and the hanging glacier of Cerro Negro. After disembarking near Cerro Negro, take another guided walk through the native forest, following a stream towards a panoramic viewpoint. From here, admire the hanging glacier and spectacular 360° views of the surrounding mountains and remote Patagonian landscape.

The journey continues by boat towards the north face of the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the great natural icons of South America. After disembarking at the Moreno dock, you will have time to explore the network of walkways and viewpoints, each offering a different perspective of the glacier’s immense walls of ice.

After a day combining navigation, hiking, forests, mountains, and glaciers, you will return to El Calafate.

The itinerary may be modified due to weather conditions.

Today you will have a free day in the city.

After an early morning pick-up from your hotel in Puerto Natales, travel through the spectacular landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park for one of the most iconic hiking experiences in Chilean Patagonia: the trek to Base Las Torres.

From the Las Torres sector, begin hiking into the Ascencio Valley, crossing the Ascencio River and gradually ascending through the dramatic Patagonian landscape. The trail continues along green slopes and through native forest before reaching the Chilean Campsite area.

From here, continue towards the moraine that leads to the final viewpoint. The last section becomes steeper and more demanding as the trail climbs over rocky terrain, but the reward is one of South America’s most unforgettable mountain panoramas: the granite towers of Central, Monzino, and Dagostini rising dramatically above a turquoise glacial lagoon.

Take time to enjoy the scenery, capture photographs, and have lunch surrounded by the impressive wilderness of Torres del Paine. Afterwards, begin the descent along the same trail.

At the end of this challenging but rewarding Patagonian adventure, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Puerto Natales.

Bus Ticket Puerto Natales / Punta Arenas 

Today, you will make your own way to the Puerto Natales bus station for your journey to Punta Arenas, continuing south through the vast landscapes of Chilean Patagonia. Upon arrival, you will make your own way to your hotel.

Located on the shores of the legendary Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas is one of the southernmost cities in South America and an important gateway to Antarctica. Its strategic location once made it a major maritime crossroads between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, long before the opening of the Panama Canal.

This fascinating history can still be seen in the city’s elegant European-influenced architecture, historic mansions, and colorful houses. Surrounded by the windswept landscapes of Patagonia and overlooking the Strait of Magellan, Punta Arenas offers a distinctive combination of history, culture, and remote southern scenery.

Bus Punta Arenas to Ushuaia

Early in the morning, you will make your own way to the bus station for a full-day journey from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia, crossing from Chile back into Argentina and traveling through some of the most remote landscapes in South America.

The approximately 12-hour journey takes you across the vast Patagonian steppe, where open grasslands, grazing sheep, traditional ranches, and distant horizons reveal the character of this sparsely populated region. One of the highlights is the ferry crossing of the legendary Strait of Magellan, following a historic passage that has connected the Atlantic and Pacific worlds for centuries.

After crossing the strait, continue towards Tierra del Fuego and cross the international border into Argentina. As you approach Ushuaia, the scenery gradually transforms: the open steppe gives way to wild guanacos, forests, lakes, and snow-capped mountains.

Upon arrival, you will make your own way to your hotel. Welcome to Ushuaia, famously known as the “End of the World” and one of South America’s southernmost destinations. Its name comes from the language of the Yámana people, the original inhabitants of the region, and means “protected bay.”

Enjoy the rest of the day exploring this compact city on foot. Discover its fascinating maritime and pioneering history, visit one of its museums, stroll along the waterfront, or experience the local gastronomy. Surrounded by the Beagle Channel and the mountains of Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia is also an excellent place to taste some of Argentina’s finest seafood.

Today, you will be picked up from your hotel to explore Tierra del Fuego National Park, one of the southernmost protected areas in South America and a remarkable combination of forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, and coastline.

After reaching the park, begin a scenic hike along the approximately 4-mile (6.5 km) Coastal Path. As you walk through the Fuegian landscape, enjoy views of the Beagle Channel, surrounding mountains, native forests, and secluded bays while experiencing the wilderness of the End of the World.

After the hike, continue to Lake Acigami, also known as Lake Roca, where you will enjoy a hot lunch inside a heated dome tent overlooking the surrounding scenery.

The adventure continues on the water. After being equipped with rubber boots, waterproof trousers, and life jackets, board inflatable canoes and paddle along the freshwater of the Lapataia River towards Lapataia Bay. Weather permitting, the paddling experience lasts approximately one hour and offers a completely different perspective of this remote corner of Patagonia.

The excursion ends at Lapataia Bay, where Argentina’s legendary National Route 3 reaches its southern end, surrounded by the wild landscapes of Tierra del Fuego.

After experiencing one of the most remote and fascinating environments in South America, you will be driven back to your hotel.

Follow in the footsteps of the explorers who once sailed through these remote waters on a navigation along the legendary Beagle Channel, one of the most iconic waterways at the southern tip of South America. Named after HMS Beagle, which sailed through the region during the expedition that carried Charles Darwin, the channel separates Argentina and Chile across the extraordinary landscapes of Tierra del Fuego.

At the appropriate time, you will make your own way to the tourist pier in downtown Ushuaia and board a boat for an approximately 3-hour navigation. As you leave the city behind, enjoy panoramic views of Ushuaia Bay, framed by the Martial Mountains and the dramatic Fuegian landscape.

Along the way, discover the rich marine wildlife of the Beagle Channel, including colonies of cormorants and South American sea lions. With Argentina on one side and Chile on the other, continue sailing towards the iconic Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, one of the most photographed landmarks in Tierra del Fuego.

On the return journey, stop at Bridges Islands for a short interpretive walk, where you will learn about the native flora and fauna as well as the history of the Yámana people, the original inhabitants of the Beagle Channel region. You will also have the opportunity to see ancient shell middens that reveal traces of their presence in this remote part of South America.

During the navigation, enjoy a hot drink while taking in the scenery of the End of the World. Once back at the port, you will make your own way to your hotel.

Departure from Ushuaia 

At the appropriate time, you will be transferred from your hotel to Ushuaia Airport for your flight, bringing your 13-day adventure through Argentine and Chilean Patagonia to an end.

From the granite peaks of El Chaltén and the immense glaciers of El Calafate to Torres del Paine, the Strait of Magellan, and the remote landscapes of Tierra del Fuego, this journey has taken you across some of South America’s most extraordinary wilderness.

We make every effort to deliver your itinerary and hotel reservations exactly as planned. Occasionally, weather conditions, natural events, or other circumstances affecting your safety may require our local operators to modify the order of services.