Patagonia Wildlife & Photography Tour - 15 Days

Highlights

• Embark on Patagonian safaris to spot elusive animals like pumas and condors
• Explore the region by boat, traveling to national parks and penguin islands
• Ride horses around Patagonian ranches and enjoy rustic barbecue meals
• Hike around Torres del Paine in Chile and atop glaciers in Argentina

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Punta Arenas (Chile), Optional Activities

Welcome to Patagonia! After a connecting flight in the capital of Santiago, you'll arrive in Punta Arenas. Located on the Strait of Magellan, this colorful city lies deep in Chilean Patagonia. This area comprises part of the southern cone of South America (the other portion is on the Argentine side). The city of Punta Arenas dates to 1848 and was once home to the crème de la crème of Patagonian society. Today, it's a tourist destination and is a hub for adventures in Torres del Paine National Park.

At the airport, a driver will transfer you to your hotel. Then you can enjoy a self-guided stroll around town. Perhaps start at the charming Plaza Muñoz Gamero, with its French street lamps, Magellan statue, and surrounding neoclassical mansions. Then, visit the 19th-century Palacio Sara Braun—a throwback to the time of wealthy sheep-ranching families—and continue to the revitalized waterfront area for a seaside walk. Lastly, venture to Mirador Cerro de la Cruz to enjoy perfect sunset views over the Strait of Magellan before indulging in a delicious seafood dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: Wildlife Boat Tour on the Strait of Magellan

Rise and shine! Today's adventure will take you on a thrilling private excursion down the famed Strait of Magellan. But this is no leisurely cruise—you'll be zipping along strait in a Zodiac-style speedboat. It's a full-day tour celebrating the marine and wildlife of the region.

First, journey to the San Isidro area in search of the beautiful Peale's dolphin. This species is native to the waters of southern Chile and is known for its unusual black and gray coloring. It's common to see pods of up to 12 adults swimming alongside the boat and performing aquatic acrobatics. Also, keep an eye out for sea lion colonies, as well as various sea birds, such as albatross, petrels, and penguins. After a full day of traversing the strait, you'll return to Punta Arenas in the late afternoon.

Day 3: Bus to Puerto Natales, Optional Activities

Wake up early and hop on a bus for the three-hour drive north to Puerto Natales. This small port city on the Seno Última Esperanza (Last Hope Sound) is famous as the main base for adventures in Torres del Paine, the crown jewel of Chile's national parks. This legendary protected area covers 700 square miles (1,810 sq km) and is renowned for its circuit treks.

Upon arrival, you'll transfer to your hotel and will have the rest of the day free. If you like, take a sunset stroll along the waterfront promenade, which fronts the Seno Última Esperanza and is backed by epic views of the Cerro Benitez and Cerro Toro mountain peaks.

Day 4: Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia

After breakfast at your hotel, you'll set off to visit the beautiful Estancia La Peninsula. This full-day tour is the perfect way to learn about daily life at a working Patagonian ranch. The adventure starts with a 30-minute boat ride through the fjords to the ranch, where a welcome pastry and cup of coffee await.

Then, choose between a variety of activities such as horseback riding, hiking, or a land tour in a 4WD vehicle (the area offers great bird-watching). For lunch, enjoy a traditional barbecue followed by a demonstration of sheepshearing and wool classification. You'll also get to meet the estancia's resident sheepdogs. At the end of the tour, return by boat to Puerto Natales and spend the evening relaxing.

Day 5: Boat Ride to Torres del Paine

Embark on an amazing boat adventure through the Seno Última Esperanza today. During the voyage, there will be opportunities to stop at many viewpoints for a chance to see glaciers, waterfalls, cliffs, and condors. Eventually, you'll arrive at Bernardo O'Higgins National Park. Disembark for a short walk through the native forest toward the Serrano Glacier.

Continue the journey by boat up the Río Serrano, enjoying the region's remote location and natural beauty with few tourists around. After finishing a peaceful ride up the river, arrive in Pueblo Serrano, a village known as the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. A delicious meal (and your luggage) will be waiting for you. Then you'll head into the park and check into your lodging for the night.

Day 6: Torres del Paine Photography Tour

Time for a safari! After breakfast, you'll grab your camera and meet your private guide for a full-day photo tour in Torres del Paine. Cruise around the park's plains, rivers, and shimmering lakes as you stop to photograph resident wildlife. Expect to see plenty of exotic specimens, including guanacos (a type of camelid related to the llama), south Andean deer, and (if you're lucky) the impressive condor. This bird, whose massive wingspan can reach 10 feet (3.3 m), nests in the surrounding mountains and is often spotted circling overhead, looking for food. At the end of the day, you'll return to your hotel in the park.

Day 7: Puma Observation in Torres del Paine (Day 1)

It's another early start as you leave the hotel around dawn in search of the elusive puma. These big cats are most active at sunrise and sunset, as that's when they're on the hunt for food. For this outing, you'll have a private specialized puma guide, as well as a personal driver and vehicle at your disposal.

Throughout the day, you'll travel to the sections of the park that are known for puma sightings and will have the chance to snap plenty of photos. Take some time at midday to rest, then go back out at dusk for a second shot at spotting these beautiful creatures. 

Day 8: Puma Observation in Torres del Paine (Day 2)

Get ready for day two of your puma safari in Torres del Paine. As with yesterday, you'll have the entire day to try and spot these big cats. While generally elusive, there have been common sightings in the Laguna Amarga area of Torres del Paine, near the park's borders. Your private driver will likely take you here and to other prime viewing spots, and your personal guide will be in charge of tracking the animals. At the end of the day, you'll return to your hotel.

Day 9: Bus to El Calafate (Argentina), Optional Activities

After breakfast, you'll transfer back to Puerto Natales and board a bus for the five-hour drive north into Argentina and El Calafate. Sitting on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, this town is the gateway to the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field, home to Los Glaciares National Park. Within this protected area is the region's star, Perito Moreno, a 96-square-mile (250 sq km) ice formation that is one of the few advancing glaciers in the world. Upon arrival at the airport, a driver will transfer you to your hotel.

You can then spend the rest of the day relaxing or opt for a stroll around town to visit its charming cafés and boutiques. There's also the nearby Glaciarium, a multimedia center that has an ice museum, various interactive displays, and educational information regarding glaciers. Here, you can don a coat, boots, and gloves to enjoy a drink at the museum's Glacio Bar, Argentina's first bar made totally of ice.

Day 10: Day Trip to Perito Moreno

Today's adventure takes you to the famous Perito Moreno Glacier. In the morning, transfer to the port, where you'll board a boat and sail along the Témpano Canal. The journey takes you along incredible landscapes of glaciers and mountains, and you'll disembark for short hikes. During these excursions, you'll trek through ancient forests and alongside pristine waterfalls as you enjoy panoramic views.

As you enter the park by boat, you'll catch your first glimpse of Perito Moreno. This expansive ice mass flows down from the Andes out over the turquoise waters of Lago Argentino, ending abruptly in a great wall that curves around the lake. Witness "calving," the awe-inspiring sight of ice breaking off the facade and crashing into the tranquil waters below. The boat will drop you near the visitor's center, where you can spend an hour exploring boardwalks and viewing platforms offering sweeping views of the glacier. At the end of the afternoon, you'll return to El Calafate.

Day 11: Fly to Ushuaia, Optional Activities

Pack your bags once again because, in the morning, you'll transfer to the airport for the 1.5-hour flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Located on a bay in the Patagonian region of Tierra del Fuego, the city lies between the jagged peaks of the Martial Mountains and the silver waters of the Beagle Channel. This is the same waterway where Charles Darwin sailed the HMS Beagle almost 200 years ago. A driver will pick you up at the airport and transfer you to your hotel.

After checking in, feel free to head out and explore Ushuaia's compact city center on a self-guided tour. Highlights include the Maritime Museum, housed in a building that was once a prison, or the Museo del Fin del Mundo (End of the World Museum). Located on the waterfront, this small museum features fascinating exhibits on the region's natural and Indigenous history. There will be ample opportunity to do some shopping on Avenida San Martín, plus you can stop in at a local seafood restaurant—be sure to try the centolla (king crab). 

Day 12: Visit Isla Martillo Penguin Colony & Explore Puerto Almanza

Meet a guide for an adventure that will take you east of Ushuaia through a glacial valley to Brown Bay, where you'll catch a boat for a cruise down the Beagle Channel. This sailing trip traverses some of the region's most incredible landscapes, crossing islets home to colonies of sea lions. The major highlight is Isla Martillo, which is a habitat for thousands of adorable Magellanic penguins.

After the tour ends, you'll meet a local family for lunch in the small village of Puerto Almanza. Enjoy fresh, local foods, like seafood caught from the waters of the channel, and learn about the traditional ways of the fishermen and other inhabitants of the village.

Later, head southeast for a hike through the forest along the Río Lasifashaj. The short route passes through meadows before reaching the Cascada Lasifashaj, a hidden waterfall off the beaten path. After the hike, head to the famous Flag Tree of Tierra del Fuego to watch the sunset. The area is full of these "flag trees," or trees that are misshapen and bent due to the extreme winds. Once the sun sets at this Instagrammable spot, you'll head back to Ushuaia for the night. 

Day 13: Half-Day Hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park

Spend half a day exploring the wonders of Tierra del Fuego National Park. You'll arrive in the morning with your guide, who will lead you to some of the best spots within the 155,000 acres (62,726 ha) of this protected area. It stretches all the way from the mountains to the ocean, with plenty of meadows, rivers, valleys, forests, and lakes in between.

The hike follows a coastal path along the Beagle Channel. As you go, enjoy sublime views of the channel, appreciate the diverse flora and fauna of the area, and pass remnants of ancient settlements once occupied by the Yámana people, a local Indigenous group. End at the Alakush Visitor Center for a delicious lunch with views of the Río Lapataia and Lago Roca.

Day 14: Half-Day Trek to Laguna Esmeralda

Lace up your hiking boots, as this morning you're off on a half-day hiking tour. Your driver will take you north of Ushuaia on the scenic Ruta 3 to Valle de Los Lobos, one of the most beautiful valleys in the region. At a trailhead, you'll set off on what many consider the best hike in Tierra del Fuego: to the glassy waters of Laguna Esmeralda.

This moderate, 6-mile (9.6 km) round-trip hike takes you through an otherworldly forest of native lenga trees, across a peat bog, and along a mountain stream before you reach the lake. The turquoise water is backed by hanging glaciers and the high peaks of the Cordón Toribio mountains. Take a break at the lakeshore to admire the dramatic views as well as to enjoy a picnic lunch. After eating, you'll return to the valley via the same trail. There, your driver will be waiting to take you back to the city.

Day 15: Fly to Buenos Aires, Depart 

The time has come to bid a fond farewell to Patagonia. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, followed by a return to the airport in Ushuaia. There, you'll board a plane to Buenos Aires, arriving in time to catch your connecting flight home. Adiós!

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