Overview of Your Patagonia Lakes & Glaciers Tour
The Lake District is considered by most travelers to be the most picturesque area in all of vast Patagonia, a region known for its beauty. You’ll spend several glorious days here, hiking and kayaking in both Argentina Patagonia and Chile Patagonia surrounded by towering evergreens and pristine lakes before heading south to tour some of Southern Patagonia’s most popular attractions. You’ll experience Patagonia in all its glory, staying in estancias, taking some of the most famous hikes of Argentina Patagonia. One highlight of this Patagonia adventure vacation is the opportunity to gaze at one the most famous sights in all of South America, the colossal, intensely blue Perito Moreno Glacier.
Trip Features
- 15 Days
- Starting at $9,680 per person
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PHYSICAL RATING
Moderate -
ACTIVITIES
Hiking, Kayaking -
HIGHLIGHTS
Patagonia Lakes District, Torres Del Paine, Bariloche, Perito Moreno, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre
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Talk to a Travel ExpertArrive Buenos Aires – 2 Hour Walking Tour
Buenos Aires is a city for walkers. Whether you wish to learn about its engrossing history or just soak up the atmosphere, there is a walking tour here to match your interests.
Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, a Southern Explorations guide will meet you and take you to your hotel. From your hotel, your guide will accompany you by taxi to reach the neighborhood of your choice and then show you the highlights. Safe, flat, and fascinating, these neighborhoods, traveled on foot, will make a memorable component to your Argentina tour.
Spend the rest of the day at your leisure, enjoying the many sights and sounds of this sophisticated metropolis.
After breakfast, you’ll be taken to the domestic airport for your flight to Bariloche, Argentina, a scenic resort town on the shores of picturesque Lake Nahuel Huapi. You’ll have the rest of the day to relax and explore this pleasant mountain town. Overnight at your comfortable Bariloche lodgings. (B)
After breakfast, you’ll be transferred from your hotel to the trailhead of today’s hike. Paced according to your liking, the two to three hour first leg of today’s Patagonia hiking takes you into the alpine zone, where you’ll stop for a gourmet picnic lunch amidst stunning lakes, glaciated summits, forests and the towering Andes. You’ll complete the remaining three to four hours of the hike after lunch and be delivered back to your hotel in time to choose one of the city’s fine restaurants for a delectable dinner. Another peaceful night at your accommodations. (B,L)
Today’s activity is a tranquil day of guided kayaking that may be enjoyed by all, regardless of fitness level. In the morning, you’ll be taken from the hotel to a unique launching beach to start your six hours of paddling. You’ll enjoy a tasty lakeside picnic in an idyllic setting. The trip ends at the landmark Llao Llao Hotel where you will be transferred back to your hotel for an evening on your own to enjoy a final delicious dinner. (B,L)
Patagonia Hike & Kayak Option Depending on your group, we can instead arrange for a day of soft trekking with kayaking. After breakfast, we will drive to Lopez Bay to begin the hike to Tristeza lookout point. The granite base offers breathtaking views that we enjoy during our lunch. After returning to the trailhead and receiving a safety briefing, we will paddle the Moreno Lake for the remainder of the afternoon. Returning to your Bariloche hotel in the late afternoon. (B,L)
After breakfast, you’ll enjoy the ultimate Lakes District tour. You’ll travel to nearby Puerto Panuelo pier for the serene catamaran ride across Lake Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Blest. A bus will take you a short distance through an Andean larch forest to reach Puerto Alegre. You’ll enjoy superb wilderness views along Lake Frias before arriving at Puerto Frias and the Chile Patagonia border in a lush cloud forest. From there, it’s a short bus ride to the village of Peulla for a delicious lunch. Next you’ll cruise along the emerald waters of Todos los Santos Lake to the Petrohue River. The memorable trip offers stunning views of three volcanoes: to the south, 11,453-ft Tronador, famous for the sounds of ice falling from its summit; 7,185-ft Puntiagudo to the north and 8,530-ft Osorno between the two lakes. After reaching the pier, you will travel to the quaint town of Puerto Varas where your comfortable hotel is located and spend a relaxing evening on your own. (B,L)
The most iconic sights of the Lakes District are easily the majestic Osorno Volcano and the gorgeous Petrohue Falls. The snow-capped image of Osorno adorns most photos of the area, as it stands looking over Todos los Santos and Llanquihue Lake. The falls are gentle and serene and bring an elegant beauty to this already spectacular landscape.
Departing from Puerto Varas, you’ll travel in vehicle to the beginning of the El Solitario trail. You will trek at the base of the Osorno Volcano, taking in amazing views of the surrounding scenery. The trek will lead you through an ancient forest, over volcanic rock, and between renewed native forests. You will be surrounded by beautiful views of three volcanoes: Osorno, Calbuco, and Puntiagudo. Ending the trek, you’ll head to the Petrohue Falls, where turquoise waters flow mightily over the rocks, a great place to enjoy a picnic lunch. Finally, you’ll make a stop at Lake Todos los Santos, where the Andes provide a magnificent backdrop for a peaceful rest and gorgeous photos. You return to your Puerto Varas hotel in the afternoon and have the evening on your own before a restful night at your lodgings. (B,L)
Today, travel south for the next leg of your Patagonia tour. In the morning you’ll be transferred to the Puerto Montt Airport for a flight to Punta Arenas in Chile Patagonia, where a Southern Explorations guide will pick you up to begin your trip across the Patagonian steppe towards Torres del Paine National Park. Along the way you can observe the unusual plant and animal life of the area. Upon arrival at the Las Torres lodge you will have the evening to get settled in your room and learn more about the myriad of activities available to explore this breathtaking area of Southern Patagonia. (B, L, D)
Spend these next two days touring Torres del Paine National Park and nearby areas of interest. Select from a number of Patagonia adventures, each lead by a knowledgeable bilingual guide. Hike up to the base of the giant Towers of Paine, horseback ride through the Enchanted and Ascencio Valleys, trek around the brilliant blue Lake Nordenskjold, visit the archeological sites, or enjoy any number of other activities for any activity level and interest. After full days exploring the area, return each evening to your comfortable accommodations. (B, L, D)
Enjoy one last breakfast at Las Torres before traveling over the border to El Calafate, Argentina, for the next leg of your Patagonia tour. Your afternoon is free to enjoy this charming city on your own. Overnight at an El Calafate hotel. (B)
PERITO MORENO GLACIER TOUR
Option 1: PERITO MORENO GLACIER TOUR SIGHTSEEING AND GLACIER CRUISE – minimum 2 travelers
This private tour allows you to spend the day gazing at the most famous glacier in South America from several angles. You’ll glimpse your first breathtaking views of the glacier down a narrow arm of Lago Argentino with the majestic backdrop of the Andes. As spectacular as this is, the view pales compared to the experiences you’ll have later today. From El Calafate, it is about a two-hour drive on a paved road to reach the Perito Moreno Glacier. Here you will spend time on the catwalks, taking in the mesmerizing views of the constantly calving glacier. The area’s wildlife includes Andean condors, buff-necked ibis, black-chested buzzard eagles and ashy headed geese. An hour-long afternoon tour starts at Bajo de las Sombra where you’ll board a vessel to cross Lake Rico, passing icebergs. On reaching Iceberg Channel, the boat will stop at a safe distance to allow passengers time to photograph the Perito Moreno Glacier’s wall and watch for falling chunks of ice. You will be returned to El Calafate in the afternoon. (B,L)
*Shared boat tour
Option 2: PERITO MORENO GLACIER ICE HIKE – $290 Upgrade Per Person
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. In the late afternoon, you will return to your hotel for another comfortable night’s rest.** (B,L)
*Shared boat tour
**The upper age limit for the regular Perito Moreno excursion is 65, regardless of fitness level with no exceptions.
In the morning, you’ll head to El Chalten at the north end of the park, the gateway town of Fitz Roy. In clear weather, this three to four hour drive will be one of the most beautiful segments of your Patagonia tours, filled with panoramic views of the Fitz Roy mountain range. Upon arrival in Chalten, you’ll be transferred to your hotel to get settled before spending the rest of the day hiking on your own to prepare for the Patagonia trekking ahead. You may want to make the hour-long hike to Piedras Blancas Glacier. The hike takes you through a beech forest where you may see the amazing Magellanic woodpecker and view the Marconi Glacier, the gateway to the Continental Icecap. Instead, you may choose a five-hour round-trip hike to Cerro Polo which offers a panoramic view of Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Continental Icecap. Overnight at your charming hotel. (B)
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)
Patagonia Hiking Details: 11-12 miles / Elevation gain: 1,000-1200 ft / Average time: 7 hours
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)
Patagonia Hiking Details: 13-14 miles / Elevation gain 2200-2300ft / Average time: 9 hours
Your Patagonia tours end with a morning departure for El Calafate to connect with your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you’ll be transferred to the international airport for your flight home. If you have extra time, we’d be pleased to arrange any of our tour extensions in the capital or more Patagonia tours. (B)
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We have so much to share with you! How does this all work? Start with the frequently asked questions below, and if you want to talk to us directly, simply reach out by phone or form.
Talk to a Travel ExpertYou have the flexibility to choose your own travel dates on most of our trips. Certain trips, such as cruises, have fixed schedules. Availability on these trips is always changing so please contact us with your preferred travel time and we can find the perfect itinerary for you
We provide full service tours so in general our trips include all guided activities with professional English-speaking guides, accommodations, transportation, airport transfers, entrance fees and permits, select meals, and pre-departure services. You will be responsible for international airfare while we will book all in-country airfare. Contact one of our expert travel planners for even more details on this specific tour.
The first step is to get in touch with a Southern Explorations travel planner for date availability and information on activities, accommodations and other travel aspirations you may have. Give us a call at 1.877.784.5400, fill out this form or email info@southernexplorations.com.
Yes! All of our posted itineraries can be considered a starting point and we’re happy to tailor a trip to your exact desires. There may be some elements of a trip, such as a cruise or all-inclusive lodge stay, that cannot be modified but we can always adjust the tours around those components.
We have more detailed information about each destination in the Plan Your Trip section of this website. Our team of friendly travel planners is also available to walk you through various options and to work with you on the perfect trip!
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Our trip was marvelous from start to finish. Southern Explorations is the only way to really enjoy Patagonia. Because the territory is so vast, having everything planned maximized our experience and minimized the logistical aspects and associated worry. This was our second trip with Southern Explorations and will definitely take another one.
– Anne Whitehair
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