Patagonia United

Our trip begins with a morning pick-up from the airport or your hotel in Punta Arenas before we venture off to EcoCamp Patagonia, the world's first geodesic dome hotel located in Torres del Paine National Park. Alternatively, you can also start your trip in Calafate. On the way to EcoCamp, we’ll make a stop in Puerto Natales, a small town on the shores of Last Hope Sound (Ultima Esperanza) where we will enjoy a hearty lunch. Afterwards we will continue our journey into heart of the National Park, where will we enjoy epic views of the Paine Towers and look out for unique native fauna. After arriving, you can settle into your cozy Standard Dome and enjoy the company of your travel companions.

Today we'll trek up to the base of the Paine Towers, one of the most glorious sights in the entire park. We’ll start walking from EcoCamp and head towards Hostería Las Torres, joining the uphill path to the Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line this scenic walk. Our big challenge is climbing the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading towards the base. The famous Torres del Paine namesake (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consists of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers will eventually come into full view, rising majestically with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we’ll backtrack along the same trail through the Ascencio Valley to our 'dome sweet dome' for a good night's rest.

Today we’ll begin by driving across the park, admiring the views of Paine Grande and the black, granite horn-like spires of Los Cuernos (the Horns). Walking along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we can admire the furious Salto Grande Waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Lake Pehoe. Our gentle walk continues along the Nordenskjold trail until we reach a spectacular lookout point. Later, back at Lake Pehoe, we'll drive south to a beach along the glacier-lined shores of Lake Grey. Here we’ll enjoy a tasty picnic by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible close-up of the glacier, it’s time to drive back to EcoCamp.

*During Shoulder Season (October and April), the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be canceled due to failing to acquire the minimum number of 12 passengers. If this is the case, you will take part in a suitable alternative excursion in the park.

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, it’s time to board the bus to Argentina and pass through the international border crossing at Cerro Castillo. Once we have completed the immigration process, we'll enter Argentina and continue to El Calafate, a small town alongside the edge of Los Glaciares National Park. At the bus station, a local representative will greet us and take us to lunch at a nearby restaurant before enjoying some free time in the area. In the late afternoon, we'll catch the bus to El Chalten, around 3 hours drive away. The drive takes us along isolated roads and across pampas along the northern end of Viedma Lake. El Chalten is a tiny outpost at the foot of impressive Mount Fitz Roy and beside the national park. We’ll arrive at our hotel in time to get a warm meal and some well-deserved rest.

Today’s hike is along the Rio Blanco (White River). First we'll drive to El Pilar, 11 miles north of El Chalten, and then follow the trail to the Piedras Blancas Glacier, a hanging glacier that descends from the base of Mount Fitz Roy. We’ll enjoy a tasty picnic here before continuing along the Rio Blanco Trail, which will eventually bring us to one of the best views of Mount Fitz Roy, Los Glaciares’s most iconic landmark. After enjoy the incredible views, we'll descend back on another path and head past Laguna Capri before returning to El Chalten.

Today we’ll take on a full day hike along the Cerro Torre Trail to Laguna Torre, a stunning mountain lake before the majestic Mount Torre. After a filling breakfast we'll walk eastwards, following the trail through plentiful beech forest until we reach the Fitz Roy River. From here we will continue until we reach Base de Agostini Camp, from where we’ll do a short hike to Laguna Torre. Icebergs can be seen peacefully floating on Laguna Torre as the wind pushes them to the coast and we can stop at different points to take in the magnificent views and enjoy a picnic. Once arriving back at the hotel, we’ll gather our luggage and then take the bus back to El Calafate. We’ll arrive at our hotel for the night after a 3-hour drive.

Now it's time for our final excursion to the beautiful Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most famous landmarks in Patagonia. We’ll go first to the glacier’s less-frequented northern face where we’ll observe (and hear!) giant chunks of ice plummet straight down into the waters of Lake Argentino. We’ll then continue to the footbridges and take a break, enjoying the surroundings at our own leisure. We’ll also have the opportunity to do a short nautical safari to observe this magnificent glacier from up close. After a thrilling encounter with the Perito Moreno, we'll drive back to El Calafate for our final night.

Today we'll finish up this memorable trip - adiós Patagonia! After having breakfast, a transfer will take us to the airport and we’re free to continue traveling on our own or to take another extension with Cascada.