Can You Imagine the Holidays in Patagonia?

09/13/2019
Man standing in Torres del Paine National Park.jpeg

We did. And we can make it happen for you this year.

Cap off 2019 right. Relax, get some peace of mind and leave all the details to us this holiday season. From December 22, 2019 to January 3, 2020 we’re going to be exploring Patagonia on one of the more spectacular trips we could conjure.
 
It’s a 13-day twist on our Luxury Patagonia trip and includes a Christmas Day hike to Mt. Fitz Roy & Laguna de Los Tres with New Year’s celebrations at Tierra Patagonia, one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World.
 
This trip of a lifetime begins when you arrive in Buenos Aires on December 22. Our guides will be waiting for you at the airport to take you to your hotel and, should you arrive early, give you a chance to explore the city. A morning flight south from Buenos Aires on December 23 takes you to the near bottom of the continent and the city of El Calafate. From there, the road out to the outstanding Destino Sur hotel gives you the dramatic preview of what’s in store.
 
Imagine spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hiking one of the planet’s most striking landscapes. Mt. Torre, Margarita Waterfall, Mirador del Cerro Torre, Laguna Torre, Mt. Fitz Roy, Laguna del Los Tres and Laguna Capri are all on the list across two unforgettable days, followed by a December 26 trip back to El Calafate for a night at Xelena Hotel & Suites.
 
The lead up to the New Year will have you cruising across Lake Argentino, trekking across Perito Moreno Glacier and journeying to the second piece of this remarkable holiday in a destination that we’re confident needs no introduction: Torres del Paine National Park.
 
For the next five days you’ve got a Superior Room at the award-winning Tierra Patagonia spa and adventure hotel. From this remote lakeside lodge you’ll explore the Patagonian wilderness, dictate your own daily adventures, feast on Patagonian cuisine – an irresistible mix of hearty stews and delectable grilled dishes - and welcome in 2020 from the shores of Lake Sarmiento.
 
Don’t just dream about it this year. Welcome the next decade with your trip of a lifetime this holiday season. Call us at 877-784-5400 or email today and join the trip. Starting from $8,740. Complete itinerary and details below.
 



 
Complete Luxury Patagonia Holiday Season itinerary
 
December 22 (2019) – January 3 (2020)
 
22 SUN  ARRIVE BUENOS AIRES 
Southern Explorations guides picks you up at the Buenos Aires airport and you are taken to your hotel. If you arrive early, optional tours of the city and surrounding areas can be arranged.
 
23 MON  BUENOS AIRES – DESTINO SUR
Early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate. Upon arrival in Calafate you will be met at the airport. From Calafate continue for a four hour drive, with stunning views of Fitz Roy and Glacier National Park in the background. Along the way, enjoy the Patagonian steppe and its unique ecology and impressive landscapes. The drive is properly rewarded upon the arrival at Destino Sur a hotel located in the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy massifs. In the evening, you will meet your private guide for a briefing on the next day's adventure. (B,D)
 
24 TUE  FULL DAY CERRO TORRE HIKE
After breakfast, you will start a full day of hiking a Patagonian classic: Mt. Torre, famous for its beauty but also for its climbing difficulty. This is the pinnacle of trekking Patagonia. Every year, countless expeditions attempt to reach the summit, but only a few succeed. After a half hour of hiking, you reach the viewpoint of the Fitz Roy River and Margarita waterfall. Continue for another 30 minutes until you reach the Mirador del Cerro Torre, a lookout facing the Cerro Torre and Adelas ranges. From this point, the trail descends into the valley. The trail ends on the shores of Laguna Torre, offering a stunning view of Mt. Torre surrounded by the Egger and Standhard spires and the Adelas range as a backdrop together with the glacier Torre. You will have time to enjoy the view, eat lunch, and rest before returning on the same trail to the town of El Chalten. (B, L)
 
Hiking Details: 11-12 miles / Elevation gain: 1,000-1200 ft /Average time: 7 hours 
 
25 WED   FULL DAY HIKE FITZ ROY & LAGUNA DE LOS TRES
Today's segment of trekking Patagonia includes a full-day hike to the Laguna Capri base camp (Fitz Roy base camp). The hike towards Fitz Roy features spectacular views of the massif. The peak was sacred and venerated by local Tehuelche groups who believed the mists enshrouding it were volcanic ash, calling it Chalten (God of Smoke). You will begin hiking south from El Pilar, passing Laguna Piedras Blancas on the way to Laguna de los Tres, at the base of Mt. Fitz Roy. Three glaciers drain into this emerald lagoon with majestic Mt. Fitz Roy towering above. Stop en route for lunch and then resume the hike to Laguna Capri, where the image of Mt. Fitz Roy is reflected. You'll enjoy spectacular views of the sweeping Patagonian steppe and Fitz Roy, highlights of any Patagonia tour. After a full day of hiking, return to your hotel for a good meal and night's sleep. (B, L)
Hiking Details: 13-14 miles / Elevation gain 2200-2300ft / Average time: 9 hours 
 
26 THU  EL CHALTEN  - EL CALAFATE
After breakfast you will transfer from Desitno Sur back to the town of Calafate to begin the next leg of your Patagonia tour. You’ll be taken to Xelena Hotel & Suites in El Calafate and have the rest of the day and evening to tour this charming city on your own. (B)
 
Optional Self-Guided Tour: Glacier Museum (Approximate Fees: Museum - $20 (80 Argentine Pesos); Roundtrip bus - $6 (25 Argentine Pesos))
For those interested in learning about the formation and recession of glaciers during their Patagonia tours, a visit to the Glaciarium is a must. This one-of-a-kind ice museum is located six miles outside El Calafate. To get there, every hour on the hour, buses leave from the center of town. After exploring the history of the Patagonian ice fields, you may cap off this memorable experience with a drink at the museum’s Glacio Bar. The entire bar including the drink cups, tables and chairs are made entirely of ice.
 
At 7:30 P.M. you meet a Southern Explorations representative at your hotel to explain the logistics for the Mini Trekking excursion.
 
27 FRI  PERITO MORENO GLACIER – EL CALAFATE
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your El Calafate hotel. An hour long bus ride takes you to the Bajo de las Sombras port on the shore of Lake Argentino. From there, you will board a comfortable boat for a 20 minute navigation across the lake. The cruise offers incredible views of the Perito Moreno glacier with its massive front wall of blue ice and surrounding field of icebergs. Following a beach landing, you’ll stop at a small shelter where the trekkers will be divided into groups of less than twenty. A short walk along an ancient beech forest takes you to the edge of the glacier, a prime location for photographing this spectacular natural wonder. You will be fitted with crampons and receive a safety briefing from your guides before beginning an unforgettable two hour trek on the glacier, with time for photos and a lunch break. This moderate trek will take you past small streams, lagoons, crevasses, and other ice formations as you explore the fascinating landscape of the Perito Moreno glacier. After completing the trek, you will embark on the boat for the return trip across the lake. A short bus ride brings you to an elaborate boardwalk system located across the lake from the glacier. From here you will be able to view and photograph the glacier from many angles, and possibly witness icebergs calving thunderously into the lake. (This ice hike is available only for 12 to 65-year-old participants who are in good physical condition. Women who are pregnant are restricted from trekking on the ice. Please contact us for alternate excursions.) In the late afternoon, you will return to your hotel for another comfortable night's rest. (B,L)
 
Big Ice Upgrade - $200 Per Person:  This Patagonia tour is designed for trekkers who are interested in a longer, more in-depth exploration of the Perito Moreno glacier. Following the bus trip from El Calafate, your adventure begins with time to explore the expansive boardwalk across from the massive glacier. Continue by bus to the pier and embark on a boat trip across the lake. You will hike for an hour along a forest trail before getting fitted with crampons. After practicing safety techniques, you will spend three to four hours trekking deep into the ice field accompanied by local glacier guides. There is plenty of time for photos and a lunch break. A full day of exploring the glacier and its ice caves concludes with a return to El Calafate, arriving at your hotel in the evening. (This ice hike is very demanding and is only available for eighteen to fifty year old participants in good physical condition. The total trekking time is about seven hours and includes uneven terrain.)  *Please request upgrade at the time of booking
 
**The upper age limit for the regular Perito Moreno excursion is 65, regardless of fitness level. Please click here for alternative activities available for those over 65. 
 
28 SAT  EL CALAFATE - TIERRA PATAGONIA 
Today is a long travel day, but the areas visited are well worth it. Travel across the Argentinean border to Chile. From there, enter the world-renowned Torres del Paine National Park. View the summer grazing grounds of the now endangered guanacos. Surrounded by the majestic mountains, there you will stop to photograph these fascinating species. Tierra Patagonia provides accommodations for the next four nights of your journey. In the evening, the guides will discuss a full range of hiking, riding and sightseeing opportunities. (B,L,D)
  
29/ 02 (5 DAYS) TIERRA PATAGONIA 
Entire days are dedicated to exploring the magnificent Torres del Paine. Choose your own adventure, from a hike to Gray Glacier floating in the middle 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 then return to the comfort of the lodge. Experiencing the beauty of Torres del Paine, with short exploratory walks, horseback rides through flower-strewn fields, or full day hikes. Return each evening to Tierra Patagonia. (B,L,D)
  
03 FRI   TIERRA PATAGONIA - SANTIAGO 
Early morning transfer to the Punta Arenas Airport for flight to Santiago and connect with your return flight home. (End of Services) (B)
 
Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
  
2019/2020 TRIP COSTS PER PERSON:
$8740     Luxury Patagonia (includes 7D/6N Tierra Patagonia in Superior Room)
$475       Airfare: Buenos Aires/El Calafate (Subject to change)
$350     Airfare:  Punta Arenas/Santiago (Subject to change)
-------------------------------------
$9565    Total Trip Cost Per Person (Check Price)
$9900   Total Trip Cost Per Person (Credit Card Price)
 
**Christmas Departure 10 Travelers****
    
CONFIRMED HOTELS
Buenos Aires – Alvear Palace (Palace Premier Room) Dec 22
El Chalten – Destino Sur  Dec 23, 24, 25
El Calafate – Xelena Hotel & Spa (Lake View) Dec 26, 27
Torres del Paine – Tierra Patagonia (Superior Room) Dec 28, 29, 30, 31, Jan 1, 2
 
INCLUDED IN TRIP COSTS:
All airport/hotel transfers
All hotel accommodations
All listed activities
English-speaking certified guides
Entrance fees for all scheduled tours, national parks & archaeological sites
International and domestic transfers
Meals as indicated
All Internal Airfare [Prices subject to change]
Airport taxes, international and local
Southern Explorations pre-departure services
 
NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP COSTS:
International airfare to and from Central & South America
Tips and gratuities
Medical & travel insurance (highly recommended)
Hiking boots and other necessary sports gear
Carbon Offset
 
Call us at 877-784-5400 or email today to book.