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Patagonia Hiking Panorama, an action-packed Patagonia hiking tour
Panoramic views all around on this Patagonia Hiking tour
Duration: 14 days
4+ Travelers: $4,560 per person
3 Travelers: $4,860 per person
2 Travelers: $5,195 per person
Travel to the ends of the earth has always ignited the human imagination. So it's no surprise that Patagonia tours, encompassing the southern tip of South America shared by Chile and Argentina, has tantalized many. Patagonia is where Darwin formed part of his "survival of the fittest" theory; it's the region that British writer / explorer Bruce Chatwin sought to capture in his classic, In Patagonia; and, it's here that outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid took a sabbatical from their life of crime to try their hand at cattle ranching. Experiencing the grandeur of its spires, glaciers, ancient forests and lakes on this action-packed Patagonia hiking and kayaking adventure, you will understand the mesmerizing attraction of the region. By trekking Patagonia, you'll come away rejuvenated, with a heightened respect for nature and the strong-willed people who make this land of extremes their home.
This hiking Patagonia tour can also be arranged on a private departure basis. Please so we may explain details and costs.
Patagonia Hiking Panorama Tour Itinerary
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Day 1 (Sat): ARRIVE PUNTA ARENAS (Via Santiago, Chile)
View Punta Arenas accommodations picture gallery
Your Patagonia tour adventure kicks off with arrival at Punta Arenas airport where you will transfer on your own to your hotel.
View Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Day 2 (Sun): PUNTA ARENAS - PUERTO NATALES
View Puerto Natales accommodations picture gallery
Morning pick up at your hotel in Punta Arenas and transfer to Otway Sound, a highlight of all Patagonia tours. Here one of the largest colonies of Magellanic penguins returns each year to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. Later, you'll cross the Patagonian steppe to the charming port of Puerto Natales along beautiful Last Hope Sound. Spend the long evening of daylight exploring the waterfront and enjoy dinner at one of the fine restaurants in town on the first evening of your tour of Patagonia. Stay overnight in a comfortable hotel. (B)
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Day 3 (Mon): LAST HOPE SOUND - LOS TORRES PARK - SERRANO RIVER
Patagonia Hiking Panorama picture gallery
After a delicious breakfast, take an exciting cruise up the fjord to the impressive Mt. Balmaceda. From there, a short hike will get you to the foot of the Serrano glacier. After lunch, you'll board a zodiac to cruise up the Serrano River exploring the expansive Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, passing the massive Tyndall glacier along the way before arriving at beautiful Torres del Paine National Park, a classic stop on any Chile tour. Your first night is spent in charming cabins on the banks of the peaceful Serrano River, with spectacular views of the Paine massif across the pampas. While a delicious dinner is prepared, stroll along the riverbank or enjoy a glass of Chilean wine and the view from camp. (B,L,D)
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Day 4 (Tue): GREY GLACIER - PEHOE LAKE
Patagonia Hiking Panorama picture gallery
Today begins with a walking tour of Grey Lake beach with spectacular views of the largest glacier in the park, Grey glacier, that dwarfs the icebergs floating along the lake. A boat will take you out on the lake to get a closer look at this remarkable glacier, with Paine Grande and the surrounding mountains providing a striking backdrop. Continue along the lake shore on foot to the Mirador. Climb up and out of the valley on one of the classic Patagonia hikes, enjoying views of Grey glacier, the Patagonian Icecap and many peaks. The shore of beautiful Lake Pehoe is the setting of tonight's campsite, with full facilities. (B,L,D) (Meals taken in refugio.)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
6.1 mi; 500 ft elevation gain.
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Day 5 (Wed): VALLE FRANCES - LOS CUERNOS
Patagonia Hiking Panorama picture gallery
Today you'll hike through the French Valley along the shore of Lake Nordenskjold on an all-day hike. On this scenic route, your breathtaking Chile tour affords views of a natural granite amphitheatre and unique views of lakes Pehoe, Scottsburg, Toro, and Nordenskjold below. The destination is the lively Cuernos refuge, set below the majestic Horns of Paine where you'll spend the night in an organized camp with full facilities. (B,L,D) (Meals taken in refugio.)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
13.2 mi/ 9.3 mi without reaching Britannica; 1,700 ft elevation gain reaching Camp Britannica /600 ft elevation gain without reaching Camp Britannica.
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Day 6 (Thu): LOS TORRES CAMP
Patagonia Hiking Panorama picture gallery
On this morning of trekking Patagonia, you'll hike the rolling foothills of the Horns of Paine beside the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Then trek towards Patagonia's Torres del Paine, the three granite spires that give this park its name. You'll spend the night at Las Torres at a campsite with full facilities. (B, L, D)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
7.8 mi; 200 ft elevation gain.
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Day 7 (Fri): ASCENCIO VALLEY - TOWERS OF PAINE
Patagonia Hiking Panorama picture gallery
Today's destination on your Patagonia tour is the Torres del Paine, the most difficult of the treks but well worth it. You'll hike into the Ascending valley through beautiful old growth beech forests, over a rock moraine just under the towers to one of the most magnificent views in the park. Weather permitting, youll enjoy the kind of picturesque picnics Patagonia tours are known for, as the lowlands stretch out below. Return to camp for the last night, where a hearty dinner awaits. (B, L, D)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
10.8 mi; 2,680 ft elevation gain.
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Day 8 (Sat): TORRES DEL PAINE - EL CALAFATE
View El Calafate accommodations picture gallery
Today, cross the Chilean border and continue the drive into El Calafate and transfer to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to explore this charming town on your own. (B)
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Day 9 (Sun): EL CALAFATE - HIKE ON PERITO MORENO GLACIER
View El Calafate accommodations picture gallery
In the morning, transfer to Los Glaciares National Park, which contains the 23,000 square mile sub-Antarctic Continental Icecap known as the "Third Pole," birthplace of several major glaciers along the Patagonian Andes. You'll travel by boat across Lake Argentino to the terminus of the Perito Moreno glacier where skyscraper-size chunks of ice regularly thunder into the lake from the 150-foot wall, a highlight of all Patagonia tours. You'll go ashore at an uninhabited beach to hike on the mammoth turquoise glacier and observe the area's many bird species including the Andean condor. (You'll need no additional equipment or previous experience). Return in the late afternoon to El Calafate to enjoy a free evening. Overnight at your hotel. (B, L)
BLUE ICE UPGRADE - $100 Per Person
For those interested in a more in-depth exploration of the Perito Moreno glacier, we offer an extension to traditional Patagonia tours, a full-day guided adventure hiking deep into the glacier. You'll first practice safety techniques with crampon gear and then spend the rest of the day with a local guide exploring the glacier and its ice caves, with plenty of time to stop for photos.
(Since this ice hike is very demanding, it is only appropriate for participants between eighteen and forty-five years old who are in good physical condition. The hike is around seven hours on uneven terrain that includes ice and loose pebbles.)
Click here to see the Blue Ice Glacier Hike picture gallery
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Day 10 (Mon): EL CALAFATE - EL CHALTEN
View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery
Transfer by private car for the drive to the windswept village of El Chalten, 149 miles north of El Calafate, at the foot of the imposing Mt. Fitz Roy (11,170 ft) and Cerro Torre, a dream destination for trekking Patagonia. On the drive to your hotel, you'll have dramatic views of the mammoth granite walls of Mt. Fitz Roy and other important peaks. After getting settled, enjoy an hour's hike to Piedras Blancas glacier on your own, an ideal warm-up for the Patagonia trekking that follows. You'll travel through a beech forest where you may see or hear the amazing Magellanic woodpecker and view the Marconi glacier, the gateway to the Continental Icecap. Or, you may choose to hike Cerro Polo (five hours) on your own instead, which offers a panoramic mountain view of the
Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Continental Icecap. Overnight at your comfortable hotel. (B,D)
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Day 11 (Tue): FULL DAY HIKING FITZ ROY
View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery
Today you'll take a challenging full-day hike to the Mt. Fitz Roy base camp and
Laguna de los Tres. The mist-enshrouded mountain was named after Robert Fitzroy, the captain of Darwin's ship, the Beagle. After breakfast you'll hike north seeing Mt. Fitz Roy ahead as you continue to the base of the towering mountain where three glaciers drain into Laguna de los Tres. Enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Viedma and the vast Patagonian steppe, returning in the late afternoon. Another restful night at your hotel (B,L,D)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
Start to Laguna Capri - 2.6 Miles, Altitude gain: 1200 ft
Laguna Capri to Laguna de los Tres - 2.7 miles, Altitude gain: 1800 ft
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Day 12 (Wed): CERRO TORRE HIKE
View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery
The last full-day hike is another Patagonian classic, the 10,259-ft Mt. Torre, famous for its beauty and also its elusive summit that many Patagonia tours attempt to reach each year, but only a few succeed. The trail enters a forest with a slight descent leading to a lookout facing the Cerro Torre range and the Adelas range. The trail ends along the shore of Laguna Torre offering beautiful views of Mt. Torre and the Torre glacier surrounded by the Egger and Standhard spires and the Adelas range. Hike back to El Chalten where a van will be waiting to return you to the hosteria. Another peaceful Patagonian night at your hotel. (B,L,D)
Patagonia Hiking Details:
Cerro Torre - 11 miles round trip, Altitude gain: 1,000 ft
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Day 13 (Thu): EL CHALTEN-EL CALAFATE - BUENOS AIRES
View Buenos Aires accommodations picture gallery
Transfer to the El Calafate airport for the flight to Buenos Aires, where we'll transfer you to your hotel for one last evening in the exciting capital city. (B)
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Day 14 (Fri): BUENOS AIRES - HOME
Transfer to the international airport for your return flight home, marking the end of Southern Explorations services and your tour of Patagonia. Trip extensions as well as extra nights in Buenos Aires can also be arranged. (B)
View Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Key:
(B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
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More information about Traveling in Patagonia
KEY TO MAP
Itinerary Map
CHILE EXTENSIONS
ARTICLES & INFORMATION ABOUT ARGENTINA
TOURS AND TRAVEL
CONTACT US
CALL
1.877.784.5400
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2012-13 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES
Saturday Departures
2 person minimum / 8 maximum
Oct
10/27-11/09
Nov
10/27-11/09
11/24-12/07
Dec
11/24-12/07
12/29-01/11
Jan
12/29-01/11
01/19-02/01
Feb
01/19-02/01
02/16-03/01
Mar
02/16-03/01
09-22
Private Departures can be arranged. Please regarding private departure costs.
2013-14 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES
Saturday Departures
2 person minimum / 8 maximum
Oct
10/26-11/08
Nov
10/26-11/08
11/23-12/06
Dec
11/23-12/06
12/28-01/10
Jan
12/28-01/10
18-31
Feb
15-28
Mar
08-21
Private Departures can be arranged. Please regarding private departure costs.
INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS
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Included in tour cost
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Professional, English-speaking local guides and camp staff
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All hotel and camping accommodations (twin shared basis including continental breakfast)
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Meals as indicated. Plentiful, nutritious meals and snacks while on the trek (Vegetarian option available)
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All transfers in private van
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Entrance fees for all scheduled tours, national parks, archaeological sites and boats
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Eureka tents - three person / for 2 people max
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Southern Explorations pre departure services
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Excluded in tour cost
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International round-trip airfare USA / Santiago / Buenos Aires / USA
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Airfare: Santiago - Punta Arenas $325 | El Calafate - Buenos Aires $325 (subject to change)
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Lunches and dinners in the cities (unless otherwise noted)
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Sleeping bag, hiking boots and other personal gear
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Personal expenses (tips and gratuities, alcoholic beverages, medical or travel insurance, laundry, airport taxes, etc.).
PHYSICAL RATING
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Moderate - Difficult
PATAGONIA ACCOMMODATION
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Patagonia Hiking Panorama :
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8 nights hotel
5 nights camping
(Eureka 3 person tents for 2)
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
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Additional $1,045
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Single Supplement is the additional cost of a single traveler not sharing a room in double occupancy. We will match you with another same gender traveler unless you request single accommodations.
Prices based on 3.5% cash discount
After a delicious breakfast, take an exciting cruise up the fjord to the impressive Mt. Balmaceda. From there, a short hike will get you to the foot of the Serrano glacier. After lunch, you'll board a zodiac to cruise up the Serrano River exploring the expansive Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, passing the massive Tyndall glacier along the way before arriving at beautiful Torres del Paine National Park, a classic stop on any Chile tour. Your first night is spent in charming cabins on the banks of the peaceful Serrano River, with spectacular views of the Paine massif across the pampas. While a delicious dinner is prepared, stroll along the riverbank or enjoy a glass of Chilean wine and the view from camp. (B,L,D)
Today you'll hike through the French Valley along the shore of Lake Nordenskjold on an all-day hike. On this scenic route, your breathtaking Chile tour affords views of a natural granite amphitheatre and unique views of lakes Pehoe, Scottsburg, Toro, and Nordenskjold below. The destination is the lively Cuernos refuge, set below the majestic Horns of Paine where you'll spend the night in an organized camp with full facilities. (B,L,D) (Meals taken in refugio.)
Today, cross the Chilean border and continue the drive into El Calafate and transfer to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to explore this charming town on your own. (B)
