Let’s travel to the end of the world: Patagonia.
In southern Argentina and Chile, you’ll find one of the last remote, rugged, and pristine wildernesses in the world, Patagonia. Although many Patagonia trips stick to only the Argentinian side to make the planning easier, we have put all of our heart into this itinerary so that you can make it to the highlights of both Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia. Along the way, you’ll discover Gatorade blue lakes, glacial lagoons, jagged mountain peaks, and massive glacial fields while also trying delicious empanadas and maybe even learning how to tango or spotting a puma (Patagonia has the highest density of Pumas in the world, but don't worry; they keep their distance).
On day one, you’ll arrive in El Calafate, Argentina, and meet your new travel friends at the included welcome dinner Argentinian-style. On this trip, you'll have plenty of opportunity to see why Argentinian steak and wine are so famous, but vegetarians will also love the local foods! After a good night of rest at the hotel, the group will head out to view the mighty El Perito Moreno Glacier, which covers 100 square miles of Patagonia and even continues to grow despite melting ice and retreating glaciers elsewhere around the world. You'll be able to check out several viewpoints of the glacier and then join the group on a boat ride to get an up-close look at just how massive this glacier is.
The private bus will continue onwards to El Chaltén, a tiny village in the Andes that was built to house climbers and trekkers from all over the world who were drawn to the striking mountain peaks of Mt. Fitz Roy and Torre Egger. During the first full day in El Chaltén, the group will hike on the Loma del Pliegue Tumbado trail, a favorite amongst locals, for the ultimate panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, glacier lakes, and valleys. On the next day, you'll have the option to explore viewpoints near town (where the local bakeries are enough to keep anyone busy for an afternoon), go horseback riding as an extra excursion, do a Via Ferrata as an extra excursion, or join a hike with Marie to Laguna de Los Tres, a turquoise lake at the base of Mt. Fitz Roy in Los Glaciares National Park.
On the next day, you'll cross another country off your bucket list: Chile! The group will travel together from El Chaltén to Puerto Natales, a small town in Chile that serves as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and offers lovely cafes and craft breweries. The cozy lodge that the group will stay in has stunning fjord views. From Puerto Natales, the group will head into the park the next morning, and it will be an action-packed day. The day will begin with a catamaran ride through the bluest lakes you've ever seen with a screensaver-worthy backdrop of the world-famous torres that the park is named after (the distinctive peaks of the Paine mountain range). The group will then be led by a local guide on one of Marie and Gavin's favorite hikes in the world into the French Valley to see the imposing French Glacier up close. After the hike, the group will take the catamaran back to the other side of the park, where your cozy lodge inside the park will be waiting for you. Spending a night in Torres del Paine is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stunning views right from the lodge and also makes it possible to explore even more. On the next day, the group can opt-in to hike to the most well-known viewpoint in the park, Base Torres, which takes you to a dazzling emerald-colored glacier lake underneath the three famous peaks. The day will end back in Puerto Natales with an included final dinner at the lodge, so you can try delicious fresh seafood or a hearty warm meal to celebrate the end of an amazing trip. On the final day, airport transfers will be provided to the Puerto Natales airport.
Some trips to Patagonia exclusively stick to the Argentinian side to save money and make it easier to plan but not TWC. If you're going to fly down to this bucket list spot, do it right and see both the Argentinian and Chilean sides of Patagonia. For those who love nature and spotting wildlife, there is no place on Earth that compares to Patagonia.
DATES
March 2-9, 2025.
Travelers may need to depart their home airport on March 1st in order to arrive on the 2nd.
The cost of this trip package is $3,899. Only a deposit of $299 is needed to sign up. The rest can be paid in full or via a monthly payment plan from July through December 2024. Repeat travelers, don't forget that you get an additional discount! Only 16 total spots are available.
6 of 16 total spots are now available.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
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7 nights in accommodations
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All rooms are double-occupancy private rooms with ensuite bathrooms. There will be 2 travelers from the TWC group per room. Limited single occupancy upgrades are available for an additional cost while signing up.
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13 meals
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7 breakfasts, 3 dinners, and 3 lunches are included.
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Transportation from El Calafate to El Chaltén, El Chaltén to Puerto Natales, and into and around Torres del Paine National Park back to Puerto Natales
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Airport transfer service on arrival in El Calafate and departure in Puerto Natales
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Several fun excursions
- See the full itinerary for specific details on included excursions.
- Most notably, the group will take a boat ride to see El Perito Moreno Glacier up close, have the opportunity to join two bucket list hikes in El Chalten, take two scenic catamaran rides in Torres del Paine National Park, have the opportunity to join two world-famous hikes inside Torres del Paine National Park, and stay overnight in a lodge in Torres del Paine.
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A group leader for the duration of the trip
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Marie will be on this trip!
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Local hiking guides on several days of the trip
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Account to manage your booking and access to a private Facebook group for the trip
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Each TWC Traveler will be given access to their own account where they will find a trip-specific packing list, a payment section to manage and make payments, options to contact their trip consultants with any questions, a link to a private Facebook group, and more preparation information.
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TWC trip consultants leading up to and during the trip for travel advice and to answer any questions
1. Note that your international flights to El Calafate in Argentina and from Puerto Natales in Chile are not included. However, we have free information on how to find the best flights, and we work with travelers to help find available deals.
2. There is a 3% fee for paying with a credit card. Alternatively, travelers can pay via bank transfer to avoid any processing fees.
3. Note: The activity level of this trip is high. There are 2-4 days of hiking, and there will be a lot of walking involved on most other days. The terrain on the hiking days is strenuous and can be steep at times. The mileage of the hikes in Patagonia is long, but they are at lower elevations. All levels of hikers are invited to join this trip, but preparation will be essential to make the hikes as comfortable as possible. Preparation advice will be given. Prepared hikers are the happiest hikers.
4. Each traveler will also have to purchase travel insurance of their choosing that fits specific requirements. This insurance starts at approximately $20.
Day 0
Flight to Patagonia
Note: Flights to Chile and Argentina are cheaper than flights to Europe at this time in general! When searching for flights, it is often much more affordable to book a multi-city trip for the international portion. When using flight search engines, there is an option to book a round-trip, one-way, or multi-city trip. Click on multi-city and put in your dates and destinations. For those flying on the exact dates, you will likely book a flight leaving from the USA to Buenos Aires on March 1st (one day before the start of the trip), and then you will book a flight leaving Santiago, Chile on March 9th, ideally sometime later in the day to give you time to get to Santiago from Puerto Natales. You can use the multi-city function on Google Flights to search for flights into Buenos Aires and out of Santiago, and you still get deals for booking round-trip fare together.
It will likely be more expensive if you search for a flight from the USA all the way to El Calafate, but that is also still an option! We are expecting to help everyone search for flights, so please don't hesitate to send an email or message if you have options that you want us to look over or if you don't know where to start. We can help give advice on how to book your flights using the multi-city method above, as you want to be careful when doing this to give yourself enough time on the layovers.
Day 1
Arrival in El Calafate
Arrive in El Calafate, the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park, home to the massive Perito Moreno Glacier. You'll get a professional airport transfer straight away to the accommodation.
Join the group for an included welcome dinner in the evening and get to know your fellow travelers and hikers! On this trip, you'll have plenty of opportunity to see why Argentinian steak and wine are so famous, but vegetarians will also love the local foods!
Dinner is included.
Day 2
Perito Moreno Glacier
In the morning, the group will head out to view the mighty El Perito Moreno Glacier, which covers 100 square miles of Patagonia and continues to grow despite melting ice and retreating glaciers elsewhere around the world. There will be time to check out several viewpoints of the glacier before the group takes an included boat ride to get an up-close look at just how massive this glacier is.
The private bus will continue onwards to El Chaltén, a tiny village in the Andes that was built to house climbers and trekkers from all over the world who were drawn to the striking mountain peaks of Mt. Fitz Roy and Torre Egger.
Breakfast and lunch are included.
Day 3
Loma del Pliegue Tumbado Hike
It's time for the first hike of the trip! The Lome del Pliegue Tumbado trail is a hidden gem loved by locals.
This is the only trek that does not go into a valley but rises above it. It is one of the most impressive panoramic views of the entire El Chaltén area. The trail begins right in town and will lead the group through forests and past marine fossils that are 100 million years old.
Once you reach the top, you will get to take in views of the Fitz Roy mountain range, the Cerro Torre mountain range, Laguna Torre, and many more Patagonian highlights.
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Hike Length: 17.1 km / 10.6 miles
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Elevation Gain: 905 meters / 2,970 feet
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Duration: 6 – 8 Hours (with extended breaks, time for photos and enjoying the views, and everyone going at their own pace)
After the hike and some time to unwind, the group will head out for an optional but delicious dinner in town.
Breakfast is included. The group will pick up snacks and delicious Argentinian sandwiches for lunch.
Day 4
Free Day / Laguna de los Tres Hike
It's time for a free day or another hike!
You can opt in for an optional excursion to go rafting or ice climbing, or you can choose to spend the day hanging around the quaint town of El Chaltén.
For those up for another hike, you can join Marie to hike to Laguna de los Tres, which takes you to a turquoise lake at the foot of Mount Chaltén in Los Glaciares National Park. This natural viewpoint is the closest site to the mythical walls of Mt Fitz Roy and its surrounding granite peaks. The group will bypass the first half of the out-and-back trail by taking a bus there and then hiking the rest of the way.
Breakfast is included.
Day 5
El Chalten to Puerto Natales
Today it is time to head to a new country: Chile! The group will travel together from El Chaltén to Puerto Natales, a small town in Chile that serves as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. The group will stay in a cozy high-end lodge just outside of town with stunning views of the surrounding fjords and ocean inlets.
After checking in, the group will be transported into town to check out this little town full of character. An optional dinner will be planned, but people can also explore on their own.
Breakfast is included.
Day 6
Torres del Paine
Start the day with breakfast in the picturesque lodge. Next, it's time to head to the highlight of the trip: the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park!
The day will begin with a catamaran ride through the bluest lakes you've ever seen with a screensaver-worthy backdrop of the world-famous torres that the park is named after (the distinctive peaks of the Paine mountain range).
The group will then be led by a local guide on one of Marie and Gavin's favorite hikes in the world into the French Valley to see the imposing French Glacier up close.
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Hike Length: 19 km / 12 miles
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Elevation Gain: 548-914 meters / 1,800-3,000 feet (depends on how far into the valley each hikers chooses to go)
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Duration: 7 – 9 Hours
After the hike, the group will take the catamaran back to the other side of the park, where your cozy lodge inside the park will be waiting for you. Spending a night in Torres del Paine is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience with stunning views right from the lodge and also makes it possible to explore even more.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Day 7
Torres del Paine
Wake up in your laptop screensaver and enjoy an included breakfast. (Take all of the photos you can to keep these memories with you always.)
The group can join to hike to the most well-known viewpoint in the park, Base Torres, which takes you to a dazzling emerald-colored glacier lake underneath the three famous peaks. Those who don't want to join in the hike may be able to add on a horseback riding excursion, but this will need to be discussed with TWC in advance.
The day will end back in Puerto Natales with an included final dinner at the lodge, so you can try delicious fresh seafood or a hearty warm meal to celebrate the end of an amazing trip.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Day 8
Flight Home
Time for the final goodbyes! (Where will the reunion be?!) Enjoy one last included breakfast with fjord views in Puerto Natales.
Professional transportation from the accommodation to the Puerto Natales airport is included.
Breakfast is included.