Itinerary

Days 1 & 2

U.S. / Santiago / Punta Arenas

Fly independently to Santiago. After arriving in Chile, connect with your flight to Punta Arenas, weather permitting, soaring over the Southern Patagonia Ice Field for great views of the mountains. Spend tonight at the Hotel Diedo de Almagro. (Day 1: Meals Aloft; Day 2: D)

Day 3

Punta Arenas / Eastern Torres del Paine National Park

To begin our Patagonia adventure, travel to Torres del Paine National Park, stopping to watch Andean condors at the Rio Verde condor roosts and visit the Milodon Cave, learning about the prehistoric giant sloths which once roamed the area. Torres del Paine National Park encompasses almost 600,000 acres of arid Patagonian steppe, pre-Andean shrubbery, Andean desert and deciduous forests. The eastern margin of the park receives the least rainfall, and is characterized by low hills and shrub-covered depressions. Spend the next two nights of our Patagonia expedition itinerary at the Hosteria Lago Grey. (B,L,D)

 
Day 4

Lago Grey / Grey Glacier

From the beaches of Nordenskjöld Lake, we enjoy a magnificent view of sunrise over the “Cuernos del Paine” (the Paine Horns). While dominated by the imposing Paine Massif, a surprising variety of more than 400 plant species dot the Patagonian steppe, forest and Andean desert found in Torres del Paine National Park. Each day of our Patagonia expedition itinerary brings new opportunities to be charmed by the Lady’s slipper, Chilean fire bush, Magellanic raspberry or yellow ground orchid that grow in the Austral summer, and to examine the lichens and mosses that spread like a blanket across Eastern Torres del Paine. We take a ship along the 15-mile long lake, formed by the retreat of the glacier and surrounded by mountains including Paine Grande — at 10,006 feet the park’s highest point. Grey Lake is full of icebergs calved from the Grey Glacier, the final tongue of the 300 mile long Southern Patagonia Ice Field and one of the 48 main basins of this ice field. Often, we see great icebergs floating in the lake and caught along the shores after calving from Grey Glacier. Explore the glacier on foot before enjoying drinks served with 20,000-year-old ice! In the afternoon, we’ll walk to a beech forest and the Ice Beach, where the icebergs from the glacier end their journey. (B,L,D)

Day 5

Western Torres Del Paine National Park

Join our naturalist guide walking through the Nothofagus forest, where we scan for Magellanic woodpecker, Chilean flickers, Austral parakeets, foxes and unique flora. Continuing across the park, we visit the impressive Salto Grande and Salto Chico waterfalls. Both this evening and tomorrow on our Patagonia adventure we search for pumas, in an area that boasts the world’s highest concentration. Spend the next two nights at Hosteria Las Torres. (B,L,D)
 
Day 6

Torres Del Paine National Park

Sunrise paints the park’s renowned granite towers red — a great start to a day of nature hikes in this secluded area of Torres del Paine. The granite towers soar up to 9,350 feet. We may find torrent ducks swimming in the rapids, or Chilean flamingos and grebes on the lakes. Spend the morning hiking around breathtaking Blue Lake for a spectacular view of the Towers. This afternoon on our Patagonia expedition itinerary is at leisure at Hosteria Las Torres so that you may hike the many trails or even treat yourself to the spa. (B,L,D)

Day 7

Gaucho Farm / Otway Sound / Punta Arenas

Leave for Punta Arenas, stopping at a private gaucho farm to enjoy a traditional asado al palo barbecue lunch. It’s a great chance to learn about the way of life of people who have lived in Patagonia for generations. The hardy people of Patagonia have etched out a life centered around the farms and pampas of this solitary region. Learn how our host Gerardo and other gauchos have fared for generations in the unforgiving landscape, still tending to sheep and cattle, and chasing off the occasional puma. Our afternoon will also include an opportunity to watch Gerardo’s dogs demonstrate their herding abilities. We continue to the Otway Magellanic penguin colony, arriving when penguins typically return to the colony after a day of fishing. Spend the last full-night of our Patagonia tour itinerary at the Hotel Rey Don Felipe in Punta Arenas. (B,L,D)
 
Days 8 & 9

Punta Arenas / Santiago / U.S.

After a short tour of Punta Arenas, fly back to Santiago and connect with flights home. (Day 8: B, Meals Aloft; Day 9: Meals Aloft)

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