Patagonia & Torres del Paine vacation
Spectacular. Breathtaking. You'll run out of superlatives on this 15-day small group tour through Patagonia. With jaw-dropping hikes around Mt Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine.
El Calafate El Chalten Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre Massif Loma del Pliegue Perito Moreno glacier Torres del Paine National Park Puerto Natales Rio Grande Ushuaia Beagle Channel boat trip Tierra del Fuego National Park Optional activities: Viedma ice trek and Tempranos Channel boat trip
Price
US $3995 excluding flights
Description of Patagonia & Torres del Paine vacation
Price information
US $3995 excluding flights
Check dates
2023: 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 23 Dec
2024: 13 Jan, 3 Feb, 17 Feb, 2 Mar
2024: 13 Jan, 3 Feb, 17 Feb, 2 Mar
Travel guides
There’s an old saying you’ll often hear in this part of the world – ‘Those that hurry in Patagonia waste time.’ Which is exactly why there’s no better...
Jagged rocky fingers, reaching into the Patagonian sky, glow blood-red in the early morning sunshine; at sunrise, Torres del Paine’s iconic ‘towers’ a...
Vacation information
Diet:
We cater for both vegetarians and vegans.
Reviews
2 Reviews of Patagonia & Torres del Paine vacation
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 22 Mar 2023 by Catherine Parisio
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The whole trip was peppered with fantastic experiences, so it's hard to pinpoint one or two. Although the weather was not ideal, the stark landscape and views were still spectacular. Walking over the ridge to see the view of Lago de Los Tres backed by towering mountains was breathtaking. The best hike was climbing 3000 feet to have lunch under the looming Torres del Paine. And having the strong wind knock be off the plank bridge and into the bog was certainly memorable! The best part of the whole trip was our amazing travel group. I was traveling with my friend from home, but within days our group of 15 felt like family. It was very hard to say good bye!
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
This is a very active trip, and the unpredictable weather means you need to be prepared for anything. A flexible mindset and ability to handle cold and damp conditions is key. Waterproof gear is essential (at least if you have weather like we did) and pack layers, as the weather changes by the minute (literally!). You need a moderate level of fitness as there are many days where you hike 10 miles or more with a fair bit of elevation change. Most of the hikes are out and back, so there are opportunities to shorten the distances, but you probably won't want to do that! I brought a lot of hiking snacks which really weren't needed as the food provided was ample. I also brought my own backpacking sleeping bag. This is not needed, but since I sleep cold and my bag is only a little over 2 pounds, I was happy to have it for the extra warmth on the coldest nights.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All our guides were local (and they were all excellent!), as were our accommodations in town, so I feel we definitely contributed to the local economy. Of course, by hiking and camping we had minimal environmental impact, and we traveled between places by a minivan that held all 15 of us plus our guide, so we maximized the space. It's probably the most efficient way for a group that size to travel. Boxed lunches used minimal packaging and some recyclable packaging, and we used few bottles of water since we could easily refill on the trail from the crystal clear glacier streams.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This ranks among the top 5 trips I've ever taken (and I've done a fair bit). Everything was impeccably organized and executed and I can't think of a single complaint (aside from the couple rainy days, but what can you do?). Most of the food was fantastic (the camp food at Torres del Paine was mediocre, but it's privately run, so not a lot to be done about it), the guides were outstanding, and I felt totally taken care of. I had been eyeing this trip for a few years and I'm so glad I finally made it happen. Absolutely fantastic!
Reviewed on 20 Feb 2019 by Claire Harding
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Hiking and camping in the magnificent landscape of Patagonia.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Don't bring too much! Costs rise due to high National Park entry fees, and high cost of extra excursions. Argentina is not a cheap country, due to inflation, there, and the poor £ exchange rate!
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Local guides and money spent in restaurants, yes. Not sure otherwise.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
9 out of 10, and only not 10 due to the higher costs than expected... Very varied programme made it a surprise every day!
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet
1) Wildlife - We have a couple of endangered species in the area. Main one is a local small deer by the name of Huemul, and also a river duck by the name of Torrent Duck. We encourage our guests to enjoy them if visible at all time, but we give strict standards of how to behave in their presence if they happen to appear.2) Waste - We leave nothing in the place of our camps, but organic stuff. All contaminating or non bio degradable stuff is brought back to town and disposed properly. We are very creative on how to minimize the bulk and weight to transport, as we need to use llamas (not horses) to do it.
3) We agree with our National park Administration not to allow any more fires in the National Park.
4) We encourage and support, though it was a challenge for us, to no longer use horses for load transportation as horses are the most important trail and soil erosion factor in the area.
People
1) A fair deal - We hire local trekking & mountain guides, either in Fitz Roy and in Paine, so they are argentinians in Fitz Roy and chilean in Paine. We support their training and development, for example, nominating them for Top Guide prize of some of our customers, sending them abroad to exchange experiences,or giving them access to new courses, either new technic courses, first aid revalidation courses, and so on.2) Local crafts and culture - We always encourage guests to get to the local market places, we explain the basics of local handcrafts.
3) We fight for an open business format instead of exclusive concesions inside the National Park. In other words, we fight for the idea that everyone can work inside the National Parks, not just a few people that was lucky to get there the first (though we are pioneers in the area)
4) We support with money and man power the trails restoration work that the National Park Service puts in motion every year
5) We offer our camps facilities for schools and other non profit organizations.
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