Patagonia Hiking & Trekking Small Group Tour: Chile & Argentina

Our Patagonia tour starts in Buenos Aires. Your hotel is booked in a well-located area of the city.

There is no planned program on arrival day. Everyone makes their own way to the hotel and checks in independently.

After that, the day is yours. You can rest after the flight, walk around the neighborhood, have dinner, or just take some time to settle in before the journey continues.

Overnight in Buenos Aires.

On our first guided day, we will explore Buenos Aires. The city grew beside the wide estuary of the Río de la Plata, on flat land that opens toward the Pampas. Over time, it was shaped by immigration, trade, and the constant movement of people, ideas and money.

In the morning, we will walk through San Telmo, one of the oldest and most characterful neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. Its old houses, inner courtyards, antique shops and street life still give a sense of the old city. From there, our route will naturally lead us to Plaza de Mayo, the historic centre of Buenos Aires. This is where the political and colonial history of Argentina can be read most clearly, from the time of the Spanish viceroyalty to the modern republic.

In the afternoon, we will move toward Recoleta, a quieter and more elegant part of the city, with a strong European influence. Here Buenos Aires feels different: wide avenues, mansions, French and Italian-style façades, former aristocratic homes and green parks. Recoleta is one of the places where it is easiest to understand why Buenos Aires is often compared with European capitals, although the city remains deeply Latin American in its rhythm, temperament and energy.

This will be a full walking day, but not just a tour of the main districts. It will also help us understand the character of Buenos Aires: its contrasts, its layers of history, its port identity, and the mix of influences that make it one of the most distinctive cities in South America.

In the evening, after the tour, those who wish can join a tango lesson at Teatro Gala. This will continue our introduction to the cultural life of Buenos Aires, a city where tango is still a living part of everyday culture.

Overnight in Buenos Aires.

After breakfast, we will transfer to the airport for our morning flight to El Calafate. About four hours later, we will arrive in southern Patagonia.

On arrival in El Calafate, we will meet our private transfer and continue to El Chaltén. The drive takes about 2.5 hours. The road passes lakes, open steppe and the quiet landscapes of Argentine Patagonia. If the weather is clear, we may see Mount Fitz Roy and the mountains of Los Glaciares National Park as we approach El Chaltén.

El Chaltén is a small mountain village at the entrance to the northern part of Los Glaciares National Park. The village is easy to get around on foot, and nature feels very close here. Many of the streets gradually lead into hiking trails, which makes El Chaltén a natural starting point for our Patagonia hiking tour in Argentina.

After arriving in El Chaltén, we will check in at the hotel and have time to rest before the next day's trek.

Overnight in El Chaltén.

Today we will take one of the best day hikes in the El Chaltén area: the trail to Laguna Torre. The hike is long, but the ascent is gradual. The full route is about 19 km and usually takes 7-8 hours.

The trail begins in the village. After about 40 minutes, we reach the first viewpoint near the Fitz Roy River canyon. If the weather is clear, this is where we get our first views of Mount Fitz Roy and the nearby mountains.

From there, the trail continues through open sections of a glacial valley and forest before reaching Laguna Torre and its hanging glacier. At the viewpoint, we will stop for a short break, have a snack and spend some time by the lagoon before walking back.

For stronger hikers, there is a more demanding alternative: the trek to Laguna de los Tres. This is a full-day route with a higher level of difficulty and one of the closest views of the Fitz Roy massif. The hardest part is the final climb to the old moraine. From there, the trail opens onto the lagoon, the De los Tres glacier and the granite walls of the massif.

Whichever option we choose, this will be a full day on the trails around El Chaltén, surrounded by valleys, rivers, glaciers and the granite peaks of southern Patagonia.

Overnight in El Chaltén.

After breakfast, we leave El Chaltén and drive toward Lago del Desierto, about 37 km north of the village. This area is quieter and greener than the main trails around El Chaltén.

The road follows the Río de las Vueltas valley, with forest, water and mountain views along the way. From there, we take the trail to Laguna Huemul and the viewpoint over Huemul Glacier. The walk takes about 2 hours in total.

There is a climb of about 250 metres, but the route is not long, and the views come quickly. From the top, we can see the lagoon, Huemul Glacier and, in clear weather, the northern side of the Fitz Roy massif.

After the longer hike of the previous day, this route gives our Patagonia hiking tour a quieter change of pace. It is shorter and does not take the whole day, but it still gives us time on a quiet Patagonian trail, away from the busiest paths that start in El Chaltén.

The trail passes through forest, with moss, ferns, lenga and ñirre trees. In season, we may also see small wildflowers along the way.

After the walk, we return to our vehicle and drive back through El Chaltén toward El Calafate. The drive takes about 3 hours. On arrival, we check in at the hotel and have time to rest.

Overnight in El Calafate.

This day brings a different rhythm to our Patagonia tour: we will explore Los Glaciares National Park from the water and on foot. The Mayo Spirit Trek combines a boat trip on Lago Argentino with short walks on shore, forest trails, waterfalls, glacier views and a visit to Perito Moreno Glacier.

In the morning, our day starts in El Calafate with a transfer to the pier, where the boat trip begins. The route takes us toward Mayo Bay, a remote part of the national park that cannot be reached by the regular road. This makes the day more than just a visit to the glacier. It also gives us access to a quieter and less visited part of the park.

The boat makes several stops where we can go ashore. At Bahía Toro, we walk through sub-Antarctic forest to a waterfall. Later, near Cerro Negro and Cerro Mayo, short trails lead to views of rivers, cascades and hanging glaciers on the slopes above the lake.

This day adds a different side to our Patagonia hiking tour. Instead of one long trail, we combine short walks with time on the boat, reaching parts of the park that are not accessible by road. While we are on board, the guide explains how this landscape was shaped by ice, how glaciers move and why they may gain or lose mass over time.

In the afternoon, the boat reaches the northern side of Perito Moreno Glacier. We then go ashore and continue to the viewing walkways in front of the glacier. This gives us time to see Perito Moreno from a different angle, after approaching it from the lake.

The walks are short and easy, but the day itself is long, and the weather can make it feel different each time. Perito Moreno is the main highlight, of course, but the quieter parts of Los Glaciares National Park are an important part of the day as well.

Overnight in El Calafate.

After breakfast, we visit an Argentine estancia, a Patagonian ranch. This gives us a chance to see Patagonia beyond glaciers, lakes and mountain trails.

Estancias have been part of rural life here for generations. Sheep farming, horses, long distances and the work of gauchos are all closely connected with this landscape. During the visit, we will learn how people live and work on the land in southern Patagonia.

At the ranch, we will have a Patagonian lunch with lamb cooked over the fire and wine. After lunch and some time to rest, we transfer to the El Calafate bus terminal and continue by regular international bus to Puerto Natales, on the Chilean side of southern Patagonia.

The road from El Calafate runs across the open steppe of Santa Cruz province. As we travel west, the landscape slowly changes from the wide plains of Argentina to the mountains and glacial valleys of Chile's Última Esperanza province. The journey takes about 6 hours.

On arrival in Puerto Natales, we check in at the hotel and have time to rest.

The order of the program may change. In some cases, we may cross into Chile earlier in the day and visit a Chilean Patagonian ranch in the afternoon.

Overnight in Puerto Natales.

Today we spend the day in Torres del Paine National Park, one of the most recognizable places in Chilean Patagonia. After the international transfer the day before, we start later than usual, at 10:00, so the morning is not rushed.

We will spend the day moving through the park by road, stopping at viewpoints and taking short walks where the route allows. The day includes the Laguna Amarga area, with views toward the towers, Salto Grande waterfall, Laguna Sarmiento, Puente Weber and Lago Toro, the largest lake in Torres del Paine. We will also stop by lakes Nordenskjöld and Pehoé, where the views open toward the Paine massif and the Cuernos del Paine.

Wildlife is part of the route too. Guanacos and Darwin's rheas are often seen near the road. Condors, caracaras and foxes may also appear during the day. Pumas live in the park, but they are difficult to spot; their colour blends with the dry grass and the steppe.

Depending on the weather, we add an easy hike of about 1.5 to 2 hours. This keeps our Patagonia hiking tour active without turning the day into a long trek. One option is the trail near Laguna Sarmiento, an open and windy route that leads toward the lake and an area with rare carbonate formations called thrombolites. Another option is the Misceláneo trail, a short climb to a viewpoint over the lakes, the Cuernos massif and the surrounding landscape.

The order of stops may change depending on the weather, wind and visibility in the park.

Overnight in Puerto Natales.

Today is the main trekking day in Torres del Paine: the Base Las Torres trail. The route leads to the lagoon at the foot of the granite towers that gave the park its name.

After an early breakfast, we drive to the trailhead. The drive takes about 2 hours. After registering at the trail entrance, we leave the vehicle at the parking area and start walking. The trail climbs gradually toward the Ascencio Valley, then continues over open slopes, through forest and across rocky sections.

The final part of the trail is the hardest. The path becomes steeper and rockier as we climb toward the lagoon below the towers, so we will move at a careful, steady pace.

At the top, the view opens to Torre Sur, Torre Central and Torre Norte rising above the glacial lagoon. If the weather is clear, this is the classic Base Las Torres view: three granite towers, cold water below and the rock changing colour with the light.

We may see birds along the way, including birds of prey, small forest birds and, with luck, a Magellanic woodpecker. Guanacos and condors are more common in the open areas of the park, but this trail is mostly about the walk and the view at the end.

This is the hardest hiking day of our Patagonia hiking tour. The full route usually takes 8-9 hours: about 20 km there and back, with roughly 900 metres of elevation gain. It is not a technical climb, but it is a long day in the mountains. Participants should be comfortable walking uphill for several hours and moving on rocky terrain.

For those who prefer not to do the hike, there is a lighter option near Puerto Natales: a 3-hour group trip to Cerro Dorotea, about 20 minutes from town. The ascent is by off-road truck, with stops at viewpoints over Última Esperanza province. This is a slower day, with time for views and some information about local plants and wildlife.

Overnight in Puerto Natales.

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and drive toward Puerto Natales Airport. Before the flight, we end our Patagonia hiking tour with an easy walk near Cerro Benítez.

We visit Rupestre, a paleontological and eco-park not far from the airport. This area is known for rock paintings, small caves and traces of prehistoric fauna, including the mylodon, a giant ground sloth that once lived in Patagonia.

The walk is about 3 km and usually takes around 2 hours. The trail passes rock shelters, cracks in the cliffs, small caves and areas with rock art. These natural shelters were used by people long before permanent settlements appeared in the region.

As we walk, the landscape opens around us: the Patagonian steppe, Laguna Sofía and the Eberhard Fjord. In good weather, condors are often seen near Cerro Benítez. They nest on the cliffs of Cerro Toro and Benítez and can glide for a long time in the warm rising air, almost without moving their wings.

After the walk, we take a short transfer to Puerto Natales Airport for the flight to Santiago. On arrival, we check in at an airport hotel and have time to rest before the journey home.

Overnight at a hotel near Santiago Airport.