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Luxury Patagonia Tour, experience Patagonia's unique wildlife and astounding geology in Luxury
Duration: 11 days
Cost: $6,615/Person
The southern tip of Chile and Argentina contains some of the most remote wilderness on the planet. This is Patagonia, land of explorers and adventurers, the beginning and end of mountains, rivers and fjords. Our custom luxury tour lets you experience Patagonias unique wildlife and astounding geology through a variety of activities such as hiking, horseback riding and catamaran/boat rides plus the enjoyment of world-class accommodations. This is truly an itinerary of comfort, luxury and exploration amidst one of the world's most exotic storybook locations. Trekking Patagonia has never been more inviting.
Please contact us if you would prefer to arrive and depart out of Buenos Aires.
Private departures for the Luxury Patagonia trip can also be arranged to suit your schedule. Call for pricing and other details.
Luxury Patagonia Tour Itinerary Details
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Day 1 Arrive Buenos Aires
View Buenos Aires accommodations picture gallery
Southern Explorations guides pick you up at the Buenos Aires International Airport and deliver you to the lap of luxury in the heart of the capital's fanciest neighborhood, the Recoleta. If you arrive early, optional tours of Buenos Aires and nearby sights can be arranged as extensions to traditional Patagonia tours.
Begin Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Day 2 Buenos Aires - Helsingfors
View Helsingfors accommodations gallery
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival in Calafate, guides will meet you at the airport. From Calafate, they will take you for a four hour drive along a primitive road, with stunning views of Mt. Fitz Roy and Los Glaciares National Park in the distance, to reach your first destination, Helsingfors. Along the way, your experienced Patagonia guides will explain the region's rich history, unique ecology, and fascinating geography. The drive is properly rewarded upon arrival at Helsingfors, a hotel located in a striking setting, boasting views of Fitz Roy, glaciers and lakes. You'll arrive in the late afternoon, early enough to take a stroll around the estancia grounds, admiring the phenomenal scenery that Patagonia has to offer. In the evening, you will meet the guide for a briefing on trekking Patagonia the next day. (B,L,D)
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Day 3 Helsingfors
View Helsingfors accommodations gallery
This morning of your Patagonia tour begins with a hike or ride around the estancia to learn more about what it means to farm cattle and sheep in the rugged area of the Southern Patagonian Icecap. If the weather permits, enjoy a zodiac ride to explore the nearby glaciers. On your return, you'll enjoy a delicious asado lunch of juicy lamb or beef roasted over a spit by gauchos, delicacies that set Patagonia tours apart. In the afternoon, choose horseback riding, hiking, fishing or relaxing. (B,L,D)
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Day 4 Helsingfors
View Helsingfors accommodations gallery
Today, you'll continue trekking Patagonia. A day-long hike or horseback ride brings you to the sublime lookout at Laguna Azul. On reaching the summit, you'll enjoy magnificent views of the glacier and lake below. At this prime spot, enjoy a picnic lunch in the shadow of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre mountains. (B,L,D)
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Day 5 Helsingfors - Los Notros
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After breakfast, you will be transferred from Helsingfors back to Calafate. You will have time to explore this charming town before driving to see one of the world's great natural wonders and a crown jewel of Patagonia tours, the Perito Moreno glacier. More than three miles wide and over twenty stories high, this advancing glacier is considered one of South America's three top sights. Today, enjoy short walks around the hotel grounds and spend a restful night at the perfectly situated Los Notros, with glacier views from every room. (B,D)
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Day 6 Los Notros
View Los Notros accommodations gallery
Today, you will board a boat on Lake Argentino to reach the glacier's massive blue terminus, looking out for floating icebergs. You make a beach landing along an ancient beech forest that meets the glacier. Capture the grandeur of this magical sight of trekking Patagonia for the folks back home. If you're feeling especially adventurous, do a little glacier hiking, and with luck, witness an ice wall calving into the lake. In the afternoon, enjoy a picnic lunch, accompanied by the sounds of melting and popping ice as it prepares to plummet into the waters below. In the evening, return to Los Notros for another comfortable night. (B,L,D)
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 7 Los Notros - Explora
View Explora accommodations gallery
Today is a long travel day, but the areas visited are can't-miss highlights of Patagonia tours. You'll travel across the Argentine border to Chile, stopping for a delicious lunch at the Estancia Tapi Aike. Enrique, the owner of the estancia, will show you around the grounds, revealing his passion for this remarkable place. From there, enter world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park. Surrounded by majestic mountains, you'll stop to view the summer grazing grounds of the now endangered guanaco. The lovely Explora Lodge provides accommodations in a Salto Chico room for the next three nights of your journey. Over evening drinks at the comfortable bar, the guide will discuss the full range of hiking, riding and sightseeing tour opportunities offered by the lodge. (B,L,D)
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Day 8-10 Explora Lodge
View Explora accommodations gallery
These three days of trekking Patagonia are dedicated to exploring the magnificent Torres del Paine. Choose your own adventure, from a hike to Grey glacier on the edge of an iceberg-choked lake or a more challenging climb to the base of the Towers that give the park its name. Exhaust your curiosity and your body in beautiful Torres del Paine with short exploratory walks, horseback rides through flowering fields, or full-day hikes, returning to the comfort of the Explora Lodge (Salto Chico room) at day's end. (B,L,D)
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Day 11 Explora Lodge - Santiago (B,L,D)
Early morning transfer to the airport at Punta Arenas for your flight to Santiago and connecting flight home. (End of Services at the conclusion of your tour of Patagonia.)
Begin Optional Post-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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Key:
(B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
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Activity Details
Day 3-4 Day 3-4 Choose from a range of possible hikes or horseback rides to such Patagonia natural wonders as the hanging French glacier, Salto Grande waterfall and Torres del Paine.
Day 5 1-2 mile lakeside hike near Los Notros hotel.
Day 6 2 mile beach forest walk followed by 2-3 hour glacier walk.
Day 7 2-3 mile lakeside hike near Helsingfords Lodge.
Day 8 2 mile glacier hike or 5 mile horse back ride.
Day 9 9.5 mile hike or horseback ride to a stunning vista
Day 10 1.9 lakeside morning stroll.
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ABOUT THE PROPERTIES
EXPLORA LODGE PATAGONIA
Situated on the shores of sublime Lago Pehoe in the heart of
Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, the Explora Lodge offers luxury accommodations surrounded by unspoiled wilderness. The hotel's location provides a convenient departure point for daily tour expeditions across the glacier-studded countryside. Designed to provide ultimate comfort and luxury, Explora offers comfortable private accommodations, with modern communication facilities, radio and television. Included in the rates are transfers from Punta Arenas airport or the Argentine border, four meals per day with wine and other beverages, guided daily excursions in Torres del Paine National Park, and use of all hotel facilities, including saunas, heated lap pool, outdoor Jacuzzi, horses, row-boats, bicycles, etc. Family discounts are offered. Choose from up to seventeen guided hiking, bicycling and horseback riding excursions, complete with gourmet picnic lunches. These tours range from easy walks to challenging hikes up to the very base of the glaciers.
LOS NOTROS
The view alone makes Hosteria Los Notros worth visiting. Situated on Lake Argentino, the Perito Moreno glacier towers before the grand windows of this Patagonia lodge. Watching enormous masses of ice crash into the deep blue waters is a surreal experience that never grows old. From Los Notros, you can navigate through chunks of gleaming icebergs on the lake, take a hike through the crevices and caves of the glacier itself or simply enjoy views from the catwalk. If you care to travel a little farther on your Patagonia tour, you may have a rewarding outdoor barbeque at one of the nearby estancias. Perito Moreno is just one of thirteen glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park that reach into Lake Viedma and Lake Argentino. Returning from your explorations, you'll enjoy dinner by a roaring fire with views of the glacial landscape stretching out before you.
HELSINGFORS
Located 111 miles north of El Calafate, Patagonia's Helsingfors Lodge is sheltered by coniferous forests that lead to a remarkable view of Lake Viedma and the surrounding mountains. Helsingfors offers cozy accommodations with eight comfortable rooms, each with its own private bath. The dining room, living room and all of the bedrooms are tastefully decorated with warm colors and rich textures that complement the natural environment. Argentine and Chilean wines from Helsinfors' own remarkable cellar accompany each delicious gourmet meal. This tradition of excellence has been carried on for over 100 years at Helsinfors. In the early 20th century, an adventurous Finn, Alfred Ranstrvm, arrived in Argentine Patagonia. Overcome by its beauty, he decided to make it his second home and established himself at the foot of the Andes on the southwest side of the Lake Viedma, with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fitz Roy. His love of trees led him to coax the surroundings into a magnificent wood, leaving his legacy in the colorful variety of coniferous species that welcome you to Helsingfors today.
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More information about Traveling in Patagonia
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FLEXIBLE DEPARTURES
*Please note that exact departure days of this trip are dependent upon availability of the hotels visited. Please contact us for more information.
Private Departures can be arranged. Please contact us regarding private departure costs.
INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS
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Included in tour cost
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- 1 night accommodation in Sofitel, Buenos Aires, with buffet breakfast included
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- 3 nights of accommodation at Helsingfors, with full board and all activities included. Meals in Helsingfors are without alcoholic drinks
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- 2 nights of accommodation at Los Notros Hosteria, with full board and all activities included. Meals in Los Notros are without alcoholic drinks
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- 4 nights of accommodation at Explora Hotel, with full board and all activities included.
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- All noted transportation
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- Above mentioned activities
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Excluded in tour cost
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- Round trip airfare USA / Santiago & Buenos Aires / USA
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- Flights Buenos Aires - El Calafate ($305) / Punta Arenas - Santiago ($325) [Prices subject to change]
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- Personal Expenses (tips and gratuities, alcoholic beverages, medical, insurance, laundry, airport taxes, etc...)
PHYSICAL RATING
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Moderate
CHILE ACCOMMODATION
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Luxury Patagonia:
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3 night hotel
4 night lodge
3 nights estancia
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
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Additional $1610
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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% cash discount
)
Duration: 11 days)
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival in Calafate, guides will meet you at the airport. From Calafate, they will take you for a four hour drive along a primitive road, with stunning views of Mt. Fitz Roy and Los Glaciares National Park in the distance, to reach your first destination, Helsingfors. Along the way, your experienced Patagonia guides will explain the region's rich history, unique ecology, and fascinating geography. The drive is properly rewarded upon arrival at Helsingfors, a hotel located in a striking setting, boasting views of Fitz Roy, glaciers and lakes. You'll arrive in the late afternoon, early enough to take a stroll around the estancia grounds, admiring the phenomenal scenery that Patagonia has to offer. In the evening, you will meet the guide for a briefing on trekking Patagonia the next day. (B,L,D)
)
This morning of your Patagonia tour begins with a hike or ride around the estancia to learn more about what it means to farm cattle and sheep in the rugged area of the Southern Patagonian Icecap. If the weather permits, enjoy a zodiac ride to explore the nearby glaciers. On your return, you'll enjoy a delicious asado lunch of juicy lamb or beef roasted over a spit by gauchos, delicacies that set Patagonia tours apart. In the afternoon, choose horseback riding, hiking, fishing or relaxing. (B,L,D)
)
These three days of trekking Patagonia are dedicated to exploring the magnificent Torres del Paine. Choose your own adventure, from a hike to Grey glacier on the edge of an iceberg-choked lake or a more challenging climb to the base of the Towers that give the park its name. Exhaust your curiosity and your body in beautiful Torres del Paine with short exploratory walks, horseback rides through flowering fields, or full-day hikes, returning to the comfort of the Explora Lodge (Salto Chico room) at day's end. (B,L,D)
)
The view alone makes Hosteria Los Notros worth visiting. Situated on Lake Argentino, the Perito Moreno glacier towers before the grand windows of this Patagonia lodge. Watching enormous masses of ice crash into the deep blue waters is a surreal experience that never grows old. From Los Notros, you can navigate through chunks of gleaming icebergs on the lake, take a hike through the crevices and caves of the glacier itself or simply enjoy views from the catwalk. If you care to travel a little farther on your Patagonia tour, you may have a rewarding outdoor barbeque at one of the nearby estancias. Perito Moreno is just one of thirteen glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park that reach into Lake Viedma and Lake Argentino. Returning from your explorations, you'll enjoy dinner by a roaring fire with views of the glacial landscape stretching out before you.)
Located 111 miles north of El Calafate, Patagonia's Helsingfors Lodge is sheltered by coniferous forests that lead to a remarkable view of Lake Viedma and the surrounding mountains. Helsingfors offers cozy accommodations with eight comfortable rooms, each with its own private bath. The dining room, living room and all of the bedrooms are tastefully decorated with warm colors and rich textures that complement the natural environment. Argentine and Chilean wines from Helsinfors' own remarkable cellar accompany each delicious gourmet meal. This tradition of excellence has been carried on for over 100 years at Helsinfors. In the early 20th century, an adventurous Finn, Alfred Ranstrvm, arrived in Argentine Patagonia. Overcome by its beauty, he decided to make it his second home and established himself at the foot of the Andes on the southwest side of the Lake Viedma, with a breathtaking view of Mt. Fitz Roy. His love of trees led him to coax the surroundings into a magnificent wood, leaving his legacy in the colorful variety of coniferous species that welcome you to Helsingfors today.
