Patagonia Adventure: Chile & Argentina

Itinerary

• Day 1: Overnight Flight to Chile

  Sit back, relax, and unwind on your overnight flight to Santiago, Chile—the capital city of the country, and your base from which you’ll enter the Patagonia Region. Hope you packed a travel pillow for the plane, because you are in for plenty of neck craning in awe of the giant mountains on this trip.

• Day 2: Arrive in Santiago + Welcome Dinner

  Welcome to Chile! Santiago is an incredible, vibrant city that looks like someone dropped the world’s newest skyscrapers next to the most ornate old churches and placed the stunning Andes Mountains behind it all. Grab a pisco sour (the national alcoholic beverage) and take it all in.

  In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner of local cuisine and drinks with fellow travelers at an authentic local spot. Afterwards, you’re free to take the party elsewhere!

  Today's highlights:

  • Land at the airport and meet a waiting EF representative.
  • Transfer to your hotel to check in and check out your room.
  • Get familiar with the area around your hotel with an introductory walk with your Tour Director.
• Day 3: Fly to Punta Arenas

  Things are going south today (don’t worry it’s a good thing). Fly way down the country to Punta Arenas, one of the furthest south large cities anywhere in the world. Forgot to break in your brand new hiking boots before this trip? Take a few hours to walk around town exploring with your new travel BFFs. That’s what we call a win-win.

  Today's highlights:

  • Fly just about to the bottom of the Earth from Santiago to Punta Arenas.
  • Enjoy free time exploring Punta Arenas, just like Magellan.
• Day 4: Travel to Puerto Natales

  Great things often come in small packages. Case in point: Puerto Natales. Full of charming shops and craft breweries, this little port town is the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park.

  Today's highlights:

  • Board the bus with your group from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales—keep an eye out for sheep en route.
  • Arrive in Puerto Natales and enjoy some time getting acquainted with the rustic beauty of Patagonian civilization before you go off-the-grid.
• Day 5: Explore Torres del Paine National Park

  Funky mountains and breathtaking glaciers galore are on the menu today, and friend, it is going to be a feast. You’re going to Chile’s Patagonian pride and joy: Torres del Paine National Park. The park is named after the three spiky granite towers that you simply can’t miss. Get ready—this is what you came here for.

  Today's highlights:

  • Prepare for your mind to be melted and your camera roll to be filled on a full day guided tour of the rugged must-sees of Torres del Paine.
  • See firsthand how Lago del Toro got its name, no bull.
  • Spot icebergs in glacial Grey Lake.
  • See a shade of blue you didn’t know existed at Lake Pehoé.
  • Fuel up with an included lunch.
  • Stop at Cueva del Milodón en route back to Puerto Natales to see the caves that once housed extinct giant sloths 10,000+ years ago and cave people 8,000 years ago.
• Day 6: Travel to Argentina + Explore El Calafate

  Cross the border into Argentina today: land of steak, soccer, and gauchos. El Calafate is a little town of warm vibes and close proximity to glaciers. Hop your private bus to El Calafate in the morning and get ready to tango with Argentina.

  Today's highlights:

  • Cross another country off your list as you travel from Chile to Argentina.
  • Arrive in El Calafate and take advantage of a free afternoon getting acquainted with the town.

  Free time suggestions

  Avenida del Libertor San Martín: The main shopping drag of El Calafate has something for everyone. Wander in and out of the artisan souvenir shops, sample craft beers, or chow down on the famous Patagonian lamb dishes.

  Laguna Nimez: Can’t wait for more nature? Take a short walk to Laguna Nimez—a nature reserve in town that over 80 species of bird, including flamingos, call home.

• Day 7: Explore El Perito Moreno Glacier

  Two things you can always count on: steak tastes better with a glass of Argentinean malbec wine, and El Perito Moreno Glacier won’t shrink anytime soon. That’s right, despite climate change speeding up the melting of most glaciers, El Perito Moreno remains inexplicably strong. Today is all about hiking this resilient glacial king.

  Today's highlights:

  • Trek one of the world’s most beautiful glaciers with expert guides.
  • Discover lagoons & geological oddities on a full day hike of El Perito Moreno.
  • Wash down a day’s work with a well-earned glass of whiskey served over glacier ice.
• Day 8: Enter Glacier National Park

  Hey kid, wanna see the Andes Mountains? You’re in luck. El Chaltén is a little Andean mountain village that packs a lot of beauty into a small area. Like a lot a lot. And it’s all contained within your next stop: Argentina’s Glacier National Park.

  Please note: All outdoor and hiking activities may be adjusted on tour due to local conditions, such as weather or trail closures.

  Today's highlights:

  • Drive by the mind-blowing Andes Mountains en route to El Chaltén within Glacier National Park.
  • Relax and recover in El Chaltén.
• Day 9: Full Day Mt. Fitz Roy Trek + Farewell Dinner

  You didn’t come to Patagonia to not go big on a full-day hike, did you? Today you’ll get up close and personal trekking to the base of the nutso 11,000 foot high granite tower they call Mt. Fitz Roy around here. Get stoked, you’re gonna do great.

  Hike Info

  Distance: 12 miles

  Elevation: 2,959 feet

  Farewell Dinner
  Share some last laughs (and maybe shed a few tears) at an included farewell dinner with the group. You’re not leaving tonight—but this is your last dinner all together with your new travel family.

  Today's highlights:

  • Head out bright and early for your guided hike to Mt. Fitz Roy.
  • Check out sweeping views of the De Las Vueltas River Valley as you ascend.
  • Climb through scrub forest and rocky wilderness up toward Mt. Fitz Roy.
  • Finish the hike at the foot of the mountain, where views of the turquoise Laguna De Los Tres reward your effort.
  • Return to El Chaltén for some much needed relaxation.
• Day 10: Fly to Buenos Aires

  By now your legs are surely sore and your heart is surely full. Time to hit the big city for a little Latin American culture. You’re going to Buenos Aires: the colorful megapolis that gave us the tango dance, the current Pope, and your next travel crush of a city.

  Today's highlights:

  • Board your flight from El Calafate to Buenos Aires and fly over the very same mountains you’ve been trekking.
  • Arrive in Buenos Aires and get to know the city with your Tour Director.
• Day 11: Overnight Flight Home

  So this is it: the final day of your Patagonia adventure. The hiking blisters will fade, but the memories and new friendships will last a lifetime. Take one final day to pop in and out of markets, grab that last souvenir, and raise a toast to your group before you fly home tonight.

  Free time suggestions

  Milonga: For those of you just as excited to get some use out of your dancing shoes as your hiking boots, hit up a milonga. Simply put, it’s a place where you can tango dance. Let’s see what you’ve got!

  Café Tortoni: Opened in 1858, this regal café is one of the oldest in Argentina, and a reliably excellent place for a café con leche and some top-notch people watching.

• Day 12: Arrive Home

  Your next destination awaits—home, and you’ll arrive there in the late morning or early afternoon after your overnight flight.

  –OR–

  EXTEND YOUR TRIP 2 WAYS

  1. Double the fun
  A lot of our trips line up back to back! Give us a call—we can help you add another and save big while you're at it.

  2. Go ahead or stay behind
  Extending your trip is easy! During checkout, you'll have the option to fly to (or from) the gateway of your choice for an additional fee. We'll adjust your flights accordingly, but you'll be responsible to take care of your transportation, hotels, and other logistics outside of tour.

  Note: Depending on your desired gateways, additional fees may apply.