Wild Landscapes + Unique Excursions
Patagonia is home to some of the most wild and pristine landscapes on earth. Over the course of twelve days you will find yourself in constant awe: of the Torres del Paine massif, the vastness of Patagonia National Park, the world-famous Fitz Roy Mountain, and of the unimaginably turquoise rivers and lakes that spread throughout the region. Whether exploring on foot or on horseback, from a kayak or a bicycle, the vistas will prove unforgettable and the wildlife endlessly fascinating. It is a part of the world whose beauty must be experienced first hand in order to be fully understood.
At Travel Beyond, we believe your trip should be designed just for you, not for the masses. Our travel consultants create a custom itinerary for each client, offering recommendations for places and experiences that best fit your style. The itinerary below was planned for a past client, but we’re sharing it for travel inspiration and as an example of what a trip to Patagonia might look like. Let us know when we can design a trip just for you!
Welcome to Chile! Upon arrival in Santiago, you will be met for your private transfer to the Ritz Cartlon Hotel, where you will stay for one night, including breakfast.
Your hotel is located in the city’s sophisticated El Golf neighborhood. Home to five-star restuarants and elegant boutiques, you can spend your afternoon walking the treelined streets, popping into some of the many establishments, or strolling through the nearby square. Keep your eye out for the various sculptures that are nestled throughout the neighborhood. The hotel’s spa and pool are also perfect if looking to relax and unwind following your flights.
Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure.
Ritz Cartlon Meals: N/A
This morning after breakfast, you will be met for your private transfer to the Santiago airport, where you will check in for your flight to Balmaceda. Upon arrival, you will be met by a lodge representative and transferred to Explora Patagonia National Park, where you will stay for three nights, including all meals, local drinks, and shared activities.
Considered one of the last wild places on earth, Patagonia Park lies in Chilean Patagonia’s spectacular Chacabuco Valley. Once an overgrazed sheep and cattle ranch, today it has been transformed into a magnificent sanctuary which serves to protect a biodiverse ecosystem. In fact, the land was gifted to Chile by Kris & Doug Tompkins, who initially purchased parcels for the purpose of rewilding. It is now home to one of the largest grassland restoration projects in the world. The breathtaking landscape is characterized by Patagonian steppe and majestic glaciated peaks, inhabited by rare and endangered endemic wildlife, including guanacos (llama), huemul, pink Chilean flamingos and the elusive puma.
Inspired by iconic national park lodges from around the world, the lodge’s detailed woodwork and original photography of local culture and nature provide a uniquely Patagonian experience. The central living and dining room are the ideal setting for resting after a day of travel, hiking, or exploration. Drink regional wine at the living room bar and enjoy views of looming Mount Tamanguito to the south through expansive paned windows. Nestle into overstuffed sofas, lounge by the fire, or venture to the patio by night to view an endless spread of stars. The lodge’s respect for the land and commitment to the environment is central to the guest experience. Complementing its surroundings, the lodge is built from stone quarried in the Chacabuco Valley. Its high beams and floors come from recycled and refurbished wood, and its lush grounds welcome frequent and personal wildlife encounters. They make a concerted effort to use mostly organic and biodegradable cleaning products. The park is moving toward a 100% renewable energy system, which will make it the first energy-independent park in the world.
Explora offers a variety of guided hikes and activities, as diverse as your preferences. Every evening before dinner, the guides will share with you the activities scheduled for the following day and assist you with choosing the best excursions according to your individual interests and abilities. Activities have difficulty levels ranging from easy to expert, half day to full day in Patagonia National Park. All excursions are shared with other camp guests, in the company of an English speaking guide.
Explora Patagonia National Park Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Spend your days at leisure enjoying Explora Patagonia National Park and the activities on offer.
During your stay, you will have several excursion options available for your selection, led by the lodge’s expert guides. You can choose between bike tours, hiking and overland experiences to explore this incredible destination.
There is no better base from which to explore Patagonia’s remote and untamed landscapes. Every excursion promises to thrill the senses and immerse visitors into the park’s unrivalled beauty. All meals will be served at the hotel or with your activities.
Explora Patagonia National Park Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
This morning you will be transferred to the Cochrane Airfield for your shared charter flight to Torres del Paine National Park. Upon arrival, you will be met by a lodge representative and transferred to Explora Torres del Paine.
Known for its spectacular beauty, Torres Del Paine National Park is a rich biosphere reserve in Chile’s Patagonian region. The park stretches over 242,000 hectares of magnificent landscape, featuring snow-capped mountains, ancient glaciers, cascading waterfalls, golden grasslands and several lakes that attract a variety of water birds. Three iconic granite pillars of the Torres del Paine tower over the landscape of emerald forests and the impossibly blue lake. Travelers may be able to spot the endemic guanaco llama, Andean condor, foxes, cougars, guanacos, Chilean Huemul, and around 15 birds of prey. Neighboring Bernardo O’Higgins National Park to the west and the Los Glaciares National Park to the north, Torres Del Paine is the perfect place for extended trips in the Chilean wild.
The lodge itself is anchored like a white ship on the shores of the turquoise Lake Pehoé. Its unique location sets travelers literally in the middle of Torres del Paine National Park, in the heart of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Over 40 different guided hikes and horseback rides offer travelers breathtaking views of glaciers, lakes and mountains in this exquisite national park. Explora Patagonia’s perfect position and adventure-full explorations offer you the ultimate Patagonian experience. The 49 rooms of this hotel are designed to take full advantage of the profound silence, privacy, and spaciousness of the surrounding landscape, ensuring deep rest after an exhilarating day of exploration in Torres del Paine National Park.
Enjoy your afternoon at leisure. Following dinner, you will have your nightly debrief with your guides during which you will discuss and decide on the following day’s activities. Each excursion has difficulty levels ranging from easy to expert, and different durations, half day or full day in Torres del Paine National Park. Activities take place in groups of no more than eight guests with an English-speaking guide.
Explora Torres del Paine Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Enjoy your days at leisure to enjoy Explora Patagonia and the activities on offer. All meals will be served at the hotel or with your activities.
Explora Patagonia lies in the center of Torres del Paine National Park and is in the heart of Patagonia. The area is known for its beautiful rivers and lakes, its towering mountains, and breathtaking glaciers that demand exploration. You will be actively introduced to some of the great scenery of South America from the shores of Lake Pehoe to the granite towers of the Paine Ridge.
Explora Torres del Paine Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Today after breakfast, you will be met for your shared transfer to El Chalten, Argentina, with border formalities en route. You will be delivered to Explora El Chalten.
With views to the Electric Valley and the Marconi Glacier, Explora in El Chaltén opened its doors in December 2021. Just 10mi away from El Chaltén –in the Argentinean Patagonia– the lodge is a headquarter from which to explore a world-renowned destination by those who love nature and trekking.
The Explora lodge in El Chaltén has been strategically built within the Los Huemules Conservation Reserve, a long-standing conservation partner in the region. Patagonia is not a country nor a place. It is a vast territory shared by Chile and Argentina, whose remarkable geography –shaped by mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers– offers countless exploration opportunities.
Enjoy your afternoon at leisure. Following dinner, you will have your nightly debrief with your guides during which you will discuss and decide on the following day’s activities.
Explora El Chalten Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Spend your days participating in the incredible activities available both on property and beyond. All meals will be served at the lodge or during the activities. Some highlights include:
De Los Tres Lagoon Full Day Trek: This hike starts with a transfer to the trailhead at El Pilar, located 11mi to the north of the town. Enjoy the attractive views of the valley and the Río de Las Vueltas, and the impressive Cordón de Los Cóndores mountains that you will drive alongside.
The walk begins through a dense forest of lenga trees that protect you from the winds coming off the Continental Ice Field. Right from the start you will be able to see many different glaciers; Marconi, Eléctrico, Cagliero and in the distance, towards Lago Del Desierto, the Vespignani glacier.
Arriving at your first viewpoint, Piedras Blancas glacier, you will then leave the forest, and end up in a clearing where you can admire in all their splendor the peaks of “S”, Saint Exupéry, Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Mermoz and Guillaumet. You will then begin the 1,312ft climb, and in about an hour you arrive at Laguna de los Tres.
During this steep climb up to Laguna de los Tres, the path will be rocky and contain steps; but arriving at the highest point on the path, you will be rewarded by the majestic views of Fitz Roy, the glacier de los Tres and its lagoon. The grandeur of this location makes you feel very insignificant. From here, circle Laguna de los Tres and head towards the viewpoint of the Laguna Sucia and its glacier. After a rest and a bite for lunch, start the descent and walk back to El Chaltén.
Lagoon Torre Full Day Trek: From El Chaltén you will head off on the Laguna Torre footpath and, after a small climb, enter a small Ñire wood. From here, the path starts to ascend more steeply alongside the Fitz Roy River until it arrives at a viewpoint of the canyon and the Margarita waterfall. You’ll look down over the FitzRoy River and its serpentine course with a backdrop of the unique Mount Solo, the Adela range, and the impressive Mount Torre.
After about an hour of walking you will arrive at the Mount Torre viewpoint, which affords unforgettable views of the surrounding mountains. You will then continue for another 2 hours through grand lenga forests, crossing old glacial moraines and wet plains until you arrive at Laguna Torre. In this section you may spot a wide range of birds, including the Magellanic woodpecker, and upon arrival at Laguna Torre will see huge icebergs floating, having calved from the Torre glacier face.
Explora El Chalten Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
This morning after breakfast and checkout, you will be met for your shared transfer to El Calafate Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, you will be met by a Travel Beyond representative for your private transfer to HUB Porteno Buenos Aires, where you will stay for one night.
This evening, you will be met for a private transfer to the Rojo Tango Show.
Buenos Aires is the place to watch captivating Tango shows, and each offers something different from the next. Rojo’s chic Tango club is found beneath the sumptuous Faena Hotel & Universe, hosting an avant-garde show which combines modern Tango with superb production. The club exudes an exclusive feel with its decadent interiors and intimate space; and the food is exquisite, too.
Following the show, you will be returned to your hotel.
HUB Porteno Buenos Aires Meals: Breakfast / Dinner
Today after breakfast and checkout, you will be transferred to the local airport for departing flights home.
N/A Meals: Breakfast
