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Discovery Patagonia
11 days - 10 nights

The tour combines the very best of Patagonia with the comfort of our fine selection of lodges in the area. The design of the program includes some moderate treks, which are performed at a slow pace with all the necessary stops, meaning you do not need to be really fit to take these trips. All treks include a mid way turn around point. We visit, hike and enjoy 2 of the most important National Parks of Patagonia, Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, both Worl Heritage by the UNESCO.

The trip offers a perfect balance of outdoors and comfort, making special emphasis in the Natural History and discovery of Patagonia.

Day 1 El Calafate airport - El Calafate
We welcome you at El Calafate airport and transfer to town, where we check in at our lodge. In the evening we meet our tour leader, details of the program and to share our first dinner with our fellow travellers.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Dinner

Day 2 El Chaltén - Cerro Torre trail
Alter breakfast, we take our bus towards the picturesque village of El Chaltén, at the foot of Fitz Roy. We drive km across the steppe and around lakes Argentino and Viedma. Upon arrival, we go hiking in the Cerro Torre trail, reaching the first viewpoint of the valley, from where the Cerro Torre group and valley is entirely visible. For those willing to walk further, our guide leads you to Laguna Torre, something like 9 km away from town. The trail goes in a glacier origin valley. The lagoon features the Torre glacier calving in the far side, and the Cerro Torre group & spires rising in the background. 3 hs round trip to the first viewpoint. 6 hs round trip to the lagoon.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner

Day 3 Fitz Roy trail - Laguna Capri
Fitz Roy trail climbs gently in the slopes of Cerro Rosado and along the “Chorrillo del Salto” valley, a beautiful mountain stream with rapids and waterfalls. Our destination is Laguna Capri, a beautiful lagoon in the forest with full views on the Fitz Roy spires and glaciers. For keen hikers, the option is to continue to Rio Blanco (basecamp for climbers) and to Laguna de los Tres, end of trail and one of the highlights of the National Park. The sight of the spires and glaciers from here are breathtaking. 2 hs from town to Laguna Capri, 1 more hour to Rio Blanco and 1 hour of steep climb to Laguna de los Tres. We hike back to Chaltén along the same trail.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner

Day 4 Loma del Pliegue Tumbado
This 1500 mts hill, immediately south of Cerro Torre valley, offers some of the best views over the different group of mountains, glaciers and lakes that features the area. From the lower terraces to the summit, you can get spectacular views of Fitz Roy, Torre and the spectacular glacier valley in between both. From the summit the bonus is the sight of Paso del Viento and some of the mountains that stick out from the Patagonian Icefield. According to the group capacity, we choose the lower terraces or try the summit, a long but gentle climb in scree. The lower part of the mountain is covered by shrubland and forest.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner

Day 5 From El Chaltén to El Calafate
Morning at leisure or to go in some optional excursion, as the boat trip & glacier walk in lake and glacier Viedma or the visit to Lago del Desierto.
In late afternoon we take our bus to El Calafate, 220 km away, a 4 hs trip.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 6 El Calafate - Perito Moreno glacier
We dedicate this day to one of the World’s Natural Wonder: the Moreno glacier. This ice field- type glacier flows down from the Patagonian Icefield, and big sheet of ice that with its 22.000 square kilometres is the third largest glacier area in the world, after Antarctica (14 M sq km) and Greenland (1 M sq km). Because unusual favourable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes. A beautiful, short trail, will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints. The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water, makes out of this day a very special and unique experience. We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 7 El Calafate – Torres del Paine
We leave early in the morning from El Calafate in our way to Torres del Paine National Park. The road is a typical Patagonian steppe road. There are many chances to see lesser rheas and flamingos during the trip. In about 4 hours we cross into Chile across Cancha Carrera international border point. A couple of hours later we enter Paine, which holds the UNESCO World Heritage status. During this last portion of our drive, the Paine Massif will be visible, weather permitting. We then follow the spectacular interior road of the National Park all the way to our hosteria. We will make all the necessary stops for pictures of the mountains and fauna of the Park, arriving to our hosteria by late afternoon.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn , double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner

Day 8 Torres Del Paine – Puerto Natales
We visit some of the most spectaculars viewpoints of this National Park. In the morning we visit Salto Grande, an impressive waterfall just where river Paine enters lake Pehoe . From there a low difficult trail lead us to the shores of lake Nordenskjöld . From here we see the whole Paine massif from south: French Valley in the centre of the picture, flanked by Paine Grande (3050 mts above sea level) with its impressive hanging glaciers on one side and the Paine Horns, featuring their unique geological formations, on the other side. In the afternoon, we visit the west end of the Park, the lake Grey area. An easy and beautiful walk along its south shore, lead us to a rocky promontory from where we see the glacier calving down in the lake from the Ice Field in the far side of the lake. In the spring and summer the shore is covered by the icebergs pushed by the wind to this side of the lake.
In the late afternoon, we leave the Park and travel to Puerto Natales (2 hs), a picturesque fishermen town in the shores of the Last Hope Sound .
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn , double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch

Day 9 Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers
This morning by 8 we got on board for our boat trip along the “Last Hope” Sound. In our way to glaciers Balmaceda and Serrano, we are going to come inside one of the most remote and virgin areas of Southern Patagonia: the Bernardo O‘ Higgins National Park . During our trip we are going to visit Cerro Balmaceda (south end of the Patagonian Ice Field) the huge glaciers coming down towards the sea and a wide variety of flowers. We make a short walk in the far end of the Sound. We'll be back around 18 hours so we can have enough time to enjoy the city in the evening.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn , double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 10 Puerto Natales - Calafate
After breakfast, we start our trip back to El Calafate where we'll have the rest of the evening free to enjoy the town.
Lodging at Hosteria or Inn , double or single room with private bathroom.
Meals we provide: Breakfast

Day 11 El Calafate airport
After breakfast we take our transfer to El Calafate airport where our services end.
Meals we provide: breakfast.

Season: October thru April
Beginning day: Sundays
Minimun of 2 passengers
Difficulty: Low difficulty
Trip starts at: El Calafate airport
Trip ends at: El Calafate airport

2012-2013 Prices per person in US$:$3487 in double, $4383 in single with English-speaking guide.
High season supplement = $172

Dates: 14-oct-12 24-oct-12 , 28-oct-12 07-nov-12 , 11-nov-12 21-nov-12 , 25-nov-12 05-dic-12 , 09-dic-12 19-dic-12 , 23-dic-12 02-ene-13 , 06-ene-13 16-ene-13 , 20-ene-13 30-ene-13 , 03-feb-13 13-feb-13 , 17-feb-13 27-feb-13 , 03-mar-13 13-mar-13

Included:
Bilingual tour leader (Spanish - English) during all the trip.
Mountain guides while on trek.
All excursions as shown in the itinerary.
All transportation as shown in the itinerary combining private and regular buses.
10 breakfasts, 5 box lunch & 5 dinners
10 nights lodging in Hosterias double or single room with private bathroom

Not included:
Entrance fees to National Parks.
Medical and life insurance.
Tips.
Drinks and beverages (all foods are without alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks).
Flights or airport taxes.
Optional excursions.
Services not shown or detailed in the program.

List of suggested personal equipment:
Backpack, 40 lts or so
Trekking shoes or boots
Thermal underwear
Trekking pants
Fleece
Parka and overpants
Gaiters
Gloves
Termal socks
The necessary spare cloth
Wool hat
Sun hat
Sun glasses
Sun screen (UV is very strong during the southern spring, from september thru december)
Personal items
Lamp
Trekking poles (recommended, if you are use to them)
Personal medication
Personal documents to cross the border between Argentina and Chile.

Weather in Patagonia is unpredictable. Not very cold, but it is usually windy. To dress in layers is the best advice.