Compare Argentina, Chile: Hiker's Patagonia by MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) vs Exploring Argentine & Chilean Patagonia in 15 days by Qwerty Travel Argentina

Day 1: Arrive in Punta Arenas

Accommodation: Hotel Cabo de Hornos

Upon your arrival in Punta Arenas, on the northern shore of Chile's Strait of Magellan, your trip leader will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel. In the evening the group will gather for a briefing on the adventure ahead.

Day 2: Take a scenic drive to Torres del Paine National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Las Torres

From Punta Arenas we’ll drive about three hours across the Patagonian plains to the quiet fishing town of Puerto Natales on the shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound). Here we’ll stretch our legs a bit and have lunch before continuing on to Torres del Paine National Park, where we'll take in the first spectacular views of the Paine Massif (weather permitting). There is also a very good chance of seeing guanacos—small cousins to the camel and llama—on the way to the park. Because the sun sets late in Patagonia's summer, there's plenty of time to admire and photograph the amazing landscape. In the evening we'll settle in at Hostel Las Torres, ideally situated for our exploration of Paine at just 5 miles from the base of the Torres del Paine.

Day 3: Explore majestic Torres del Paine

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Las Torres

We´ll get an early start for our all-day hike to the Torres del Paine lookout. We follow the Asencio River over a low pass into the Ascencio Valley, passing through beautiful beech forests, talus-covered slopes and finally boulders before arriving at a spectacular viewpoint, where the towers rise majestically before us and the glacial lake is visible below. This is one of the most scenic spots in the world and very fitting for our first impression of the National Park. We´ll enjoy our packed lunch en route before hiking back to our hotel.

Tonight you will be given a waterproof bag (approx. 620 cubic inches) In this bag you must pack clothing and other essential items you’ll need for the upcoming two nights. This bag will be carried by porters while you carry your own day pack—with your camera, extra layers and raingear, personal papers and medication, lunch etc. Meanwhile your duffel, containing the rest of your belongings, is taken to a safe place and will meet up with you again at Hotel Lago Grey on Day 6. The waterproof bag is limited in size. Bring only the essentials.

(Hiking time: Approx. 9 hours, 11½ miles; Start: 400ft/ End 400ft Elevation gain: 2,500ft)

Day 4: Hike beneath the jagged Cuernos del Paine

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Cabañas de los Cuernos

Today we'll begin our trek deep into the park, hiking at a relaxed pace along the north shore of Lago Nordenskjold to Los Cuernos, following the Paso Los Cuernos trail beneath the jagged Cuernos del Paine. The views throughout this hike are magnificent including seeing for the first time the Southern Patagonia Ice Field! Tonight we’ll stay in cozy cabins set on the mountain side right next to a waterfall on the most isolated spot of our journey. The early arrival gives us time to enjoy a soak in the hot tub with privileged views. Overall, this is an excellent staging area for tomorrow's hike to the French Valley.

(Hiking time: Approx. 5 hours, 7 miles; Start: 400ft/ End 200ft Elevation gain: 1,400ft)

Day 5: Hike through the spectacular French Valley

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Refugio Paine Grande

Today we'll hike into the French Valley, one of the most spectacular cirques in the Paine Range. We'll walk below the glaciers that descend from the massifs highest summit in the Paine range, Paine Grande, and marvel at the gray granite peaks of the Cuernos del Paine, which are topped with fantastical black “horns” of slate. Two different hiking options are available today. We can take an 11-mile hike back to camp (approximate hiking time is 6 hours, with a 1,300ft elevation gain) or up to the mirador (viewpoint) above Camp Británico—another 4 hours roundtrip hike—for one of the most impressive views in the park (weather permitting)!

We'll overnight at the Lodge Paine Grande located in the heart of the park on the shore of Lago Pehoé. Your luggage will be carried in by porters.

(Hiking time – option 1: Approx. 10-12 hours, 15 miles; Start: 200ft/ End 250ft Elevation gain: 2,000ft)

(Hiking time – option 2: Approx. 8 hours, 10 miles; Start: 200ft/ End 250ft Elevation gain: 1,200ft)

Day 6: Take a boat to Grey Glacier

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel Lago Grey

We’ll arise early and hike along the Paine Grande Mountain towards the face of stunning Grey Glacier, at the southern end of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. We'll enjoy our packed lunch en route, before boarding a catamaran that takes us close to the front of the glacier and then down to the southern shore of the Lago Grey (Grey Lake)—where our hotel for the night is located.

(Hiking time: Approx. 4 hours, 7 ½ miles; Start: 250ft/ End 200ft Elevation gain: 800ft)

Day 7: Travel to Argentina and explore El Calafate

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Mirador del Lago

Today we depart Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park and drive across the border into Argentina (please be prepared for delays of up to a few hours while crossing the border). We'll proceed over the flat grassland steppes to the town of El Calafate, located on the southern shore of glacial lake called Lago Argentino. El Calafate is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and is a great town to explore. You trip leader will recommend restaurants for your dinner on your own tonight.

(Driving time: approx. 7 hours)

Day 8: Marvel at the famous Perito Moreno Glacier

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Mirador del Lago

Today we'll enjoy a full-day excursion to Los Glaciares National Park to see the renowned Perito Moreno glacier. At this very active glacier, a 200-foot-high headwall continually calves massive blocks of ice into the lake with a thunderous roar—an awesome spectacle of nature's power at work. Hiking options are available, depending on the weather, and include a walk on the glacier itself  (this walk is available for travelers under 65 years of age). This is an outstanding but easy glacier hike among the great ice peaks and towers. We'll enjoy a picnic lunch and return to El Calafate at the end of our day. Dinner tonight will be on your own.

Day 9: Drive to Los Glaciares National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Cabañas Fitzroy

After an early breakfast, we’ll continue our drive across the steppes and along the northern end of Lago Viedma to the little town of El Chaltén—our base for  the following days' excursion into the park. The views get better and better as we approach the mountains and glaciers, and we'll soon appreciate why we have traveled so far! We’ll stop for a picnic lunch en route, and once we arrive at our lodging we might do some hiking if time permits.

(Driving time: 3 to 4 hours)

Days 10-11: Explore Los Glaciares National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Cabañas Fitzroy OR Destino Sur

On these two days, we'll enjoy long day hikes into the park's interior. We'll be treated to some commanding views of the spectacular peaks of Fitz Roy (11,072') and Cerro Torre (10,280'), both sought after by photographers and climbers the world over. Where we hike is weather and group dependent, but with so many great options, we can’t miss! If conditions permit, we'll visit the base camp for Cerro Torre climbs, Laguna Torre, which is situated on a beautiful glacial lake with the stunning monolith framed behind it. Other possible destinations include Laguna Capri and Laguna de los Tres, as well as Piedras Blancas and Piedra del Fraile, the east entrance to the famous Southern Patagonia Ice Field.

Day 12: Return to El Chaltén

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Destino Sur

We'll rise early to enjoy one last hike in Los Glaciares National Park before returning to El Chaltén in the afternoon. Tonight we'll gather for a farewell dinner.

Day 13: Fly to Buenos Aires

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation: Loi Suites Recoleta

This morning we'll transfer to the town of El Calafate, where we bid farewell to our guide, before catching a flight to Buenos Aires—the cosmopolitan capital of Argentina, often referred to as the "Paris of South America." Upon arrival in Buenos Aires we'll transfer to our hotel in the city's stylish Recoleta district. Dinner will be on your own in Buenos Aires, where there is no shortage of tempting culinary offerings!

Day 14: Take in the sights of Buenos Aires and depart

Meals: Breakfast

The day is free for shopping and sightseeing. You may wish to explore the Recoleta district in the northwest sector of the city, famous mainly for its nightlife but also well worth a visit by day. Close by are the Museum of Fine Arts and the National Cemetery, which holds the tombs of many famous people—among them, Argentinian first lady Eva Peron. The downtown district, especially along Calle Florida, contains many galerias (huge enclosed shopping malls) with dozens of stores and colorful stands.

In the evening, we'll transfer to Buenos Aires airport for homeward-bound flights. Your international flight can depart at any time on this day, but we highly recommend staying on a few extra days to take in Buenos Aires.

Day 1: Buenos Aires

Arrival at Buenos Aires airport and transfer to your accommodation.

Day 2: Buenos Aires – City tour

During the morning visit the city of Buenos Aires. This tour gives you the emotion of a multiple Buenos Aires. We will see the symbol of our city: the obelisk. We will visit different squares such as Plaza de Mayo, Plaza San Martín, Plaza Congreso. Avenues like Corrientes, Mayo, 9 de Julio, among others. Historical neighbourhoods: La Boca, San Telmo, Montserrat. Elegant neighbourhoods such as Palermo and Recoleta, and the most modern: Puerto Madero. Parks such as Lezama and Tres de Febrero. We will also visit financial and commercial areas and a Football Stadium.

Day 3: Buenos Aires – Ushuaia

Transfer to the airport. Flight to Ushuaia. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Day 4: Ushuaia - Tierra del Fuego National Park

Represents the southernmost protected area, the only National Park that has coastlines, covering a stretch of 6 km. Wide over the Beagle Channel and an area of 63,000 hectares. It is reached by the National Highway No. 3 to N.A. Ushuaia, met along the way Pipo River, Monte Susana, Ensenada Bay, Redonda Island sighting, lake Roca Casita del Bosque, Laguna Verde and Negra, beaver dam, Lapataia Bay, marking the end of the route, to 3,242 km. Federal Capital. The topography of the park is extremely varied, everything is a series of craggy mountains, rivers, valleys and lakes, resulting in varied landscapes from the picturesque and lively stream to the mass of towering mountains, or the extraordinary spectacle of the majestic Canal Beagle . During the spring and summer, you can admire varied and colorful flowers: mutillas, violet, primrose, white orchids, armories, white and yellow daisies, and the various tree species: Cinnamon, Wood Dura Notros Lenga Ñire, Burgundy presenting as Misodendro parasites and the Llao Llao, observing lichens, which hang in the form of a beard. The most common mammals are foxes and rabbits, living in the Park also muskrat and beaver. Among birds, Upland Goose and gray-headed, steamer ducks and great grebe, the black carpenter and rayadito giant, as the Park presents exclusive marine birds such as albatross, the oystercatcher overo the white Cauquen and mammals such as seals and otters sea.

Day 5: Ushuaia– Calafate

Transfer to the airport. Flight to Ushuaia. Arrival and transfer to your accommodation

Day 6: Perito Moreno Glacier with nautic safari

Departure from the morning to travel the 80 kms distance separating El Calafate Perito Moreno glacier, unique in the world in constant progress. During the trip you know beautiful places in the Andean foothills, along the south bank of Lake Argentino. After crossing the river Centinela and Mitre, was reached at Brazo Rico to enter the National Park Los Glaciares. Bordering the Lake Rico began to spot the icebergs floating on the water until we can finally appreciate the full extent of this natural wonder has been declared by the United Nations as World Heritage. Stay in place and return to El Calafate.

Day 7: El Calafate

Day at leisure to discover this amazing ville by your own or enjoy some suggested optional excursion.

Day 8: Calafate – Puerto Natales

Regular bus to Puerto Natales.

Day 9: Torres del Paine

The excursion begins visiting the Milodon Cave, a natural monument located on Benitez Hill, 25 kilometres from Puerto Natales, where in 1895 were found remains of extinct animals like Sabre Toothed Tiger, American Horse and a large mammal known as Milodon. It is necessary to walk for half an hour to go into the cave and observe the stalactites, places where the remains were found and a replica of Milodon.

Afterward a technical stop is held in the village of Cerro Castillo, where there are possibilities for shopping, enjoy the coffee service or just for a break.

Continuing the trip toward Torres del Paine National Park, visitors will be able to enjoy the most diverse landscapes, such as, the Magellanic deciduous forest and the vast Patagonian steppe dominated by the wind and aridity. On the way is possible to find two species members of the local fauna: the Patagonian guanaco, South American camel and relative of Llama, and the endemic lesser Rhea (Ñandu), relative of the African Ostrich. Once we get to the park, which is a biosphere reserve with a surface over 242.000 hectares, the landscape changes drastically becoming unforgettable due its dozen lakes populated by marine birds, and in the background granite picks dominating the area. Turquoise lakes, waterfalls and mountains covered by ice are the predominant landscape inside the park. A walk for 15 minutes into the park is necessary toward the Waterfall (Salto Grande), which is communicating two big lakes inside the park; Nordenskjold and Pehoe Lakes. After lunch the trip continues with a walk on the shores of Grey Lake, where blue icebergs can be seen, and in the background the vast Grey glacier. Depending on the requirements, the return is done by the same road, or by the new road bordering lakes Toro, Porteño and Sofía.

Day 10: Puerto Natales – Punta Arenas – Puerto Montt/Puerto Varas

Transfer to Punta Arenas on Regular Bus. Arrival at Punta Arena’s airport. Flight to Puerto Montt. Arrival and transfer to the hotel in Puerto Mont or Puerto Varas.

Day 11: Puerto Montt/Puerto Varas – Andean Crossing - Bariloche

Andean Crossing. This pioneering journey quickly became one of the attractions of Lake Todos los Santos and Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, the first national park in Chile and the second oldest in America. The circuit offers travelers the opportunity to marvel at the nature of two national parks Andean environment, the Pérez Rosales in Chile and the NahuelHuapi in Argentina, "surf" the Andes through lakes and rivers, visit places magic, as Puerto Blest and Peulla, and enjoy, in the headwaters of the course, two beautiful cities: Bariloche and Puerto Varas

Day 12: Bariloche – Short Circuit with Campanario mount

Circuito Chico is a Scenic Tour on which to enjoy good food as well as the beautiful views. The scenery is magnificent along the whole drive, and there are several natural lookouts, such as López Bay and "Punto Panorámico" panoramic lookout. Cerro Campanario, a hill standing "in the center of the landscape" (Km 17), has a chairlift that will carry you up to "the heights of amazement" to enjoy the most beautiful view in the area.

Tasty specialties at several tea houses and restaurants along the way add flavor to the scenic tour. Hotel LlaoLlao and San Eduardo Chapel, opposite Puerto Pañuelo, are unique tourist attractions. If you have time, the easy paths through LlaoLlao Municipal Park provide an opportunity for a peaceful walk through the forest. Another alternative is to drive a few more kilometers to the traditional village Colonia Suiza with its unique atmosphere of a historical old rural settlement.

Other attractions along Circuito Chico are regional craft products including knitted garments, woodwork, candles, pottery and cosmetics, among others. Don’t miss the Small Circle Scenic Tour!

Day 13: Bariloche

Today you have a free day to enjoy and spend on your own.

Day 14: Bariloche– Buenos Aires

Transfer to the airport. Flight to Buenos Aires. Arrival and transfer to your accommodation

Day 15: Buenos Aires

Transfer to the airport.