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active 26 mins ago

Erin Wiley

Put simply, travel makes people happy and I want to be a part of that. If I am not traveling myself then I want to surround myself with people who are.

Originally from Michigan, I grew up camping and adventuring along the shores of the Great Lakes from a young age. My love affair with South America started in 2006 when I took my first international trip to Peru. Since, I have been back and forth between my home in Michigan and South America, having spent considerable time both working and traveling across the continent. I am currently based in Puerto Natales, Chile where I am lucky enough to have Torres del Paine National Park as my backyard.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"We specialize in trips in and around Torres del Paine National Park as well as Los Glaciares National park in Argentina.

I can help you organize anything from the standard ´W´ Hike to more exclusive and off-trail hikes in some of the parks hidden valleys. Would you fancy a 3-day camping and kayaking expedition? I can do that too!

Adventure, adventure, adventure! "

How did you get involved in travel?

"Around 2008 I began traveling to Peru each summer, organizing trips for a University of Michigan based sustainable development project. This initiative brought me back each summer and from there I discovered the world of backpacking. After numerous trips and years spent in South America it became clear that I wanted to root myself here, and what better place than Patagonia. With over 10 years experience in the hospitality industry and a grand passion for travel and the outdoors I decided that a career in the adventure travel industry was the way to go, and here I am!"

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

"I spent 4 days in a hammock on a boat floating (very slowly...) down the Amazon River."

Erin is part of the following groups: Argentina Travel Agents, Patagonia Travel Agents, Chile Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
Luxury itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Erin

Amazing Family Patagonia Trip
Patagonia | Oct 5 - Oct 12, 2024

Kara
Kara R.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Oct 20, 2024
Erin was so great to work with in planning. She listened to our requests and made recommendations and adjustments/tweaks along the way. We had an unfortunate snag with one booking a few days before it was scheduled and Erin took care of the last minute change to ensure we could still see penguins in Ushuaia. Cami was an amazing guide on our private tour of Torres del Paine, which was easily our favorite part of our trip! Read more

Erin was so great to work with in planning. She listened to our requests and made recommendations and adjustments/tweaks along the way. We had an unfortunate snag with one booking a few days before it was scheduled and Erin took care of the last minute change to ensure we could still see penguins in Ushuaia. Cami was an amazing guide on our private tour of Torres del Paine, which was easily our favorite part of our trip!

Activity Reviews
Half Day Hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park
Half Day Hike in Tierra del Fuego National Park
Ushuaia

We learned a lot from our tour guide, Lucas; however, we were expecting to do more hiking and this was more of a guided tour. We did hike for maybe 30 minutes to a lookout, but the rest was being driven from location to location for pictures. It was a packed 18 person van and we were the last pick-up, so my husband didn't have a seat with a window and missed most of the scenery while were were in the van.

Quality of Experience
Just not what we were expecting, since we were expecting more hiking
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
It was a packed 18 person van and we were the last pick-up, so my husband didn't have a seat with a window and missed most of the scenery while were were in the van.
Horseback Riding at Laguna Sofia
Horseback Riding at Laguna Sofia
Puerto Natales

Estancia Laguna Sofia was absolutely stunning and being able to view the laguna and beautiful ranch from horseback was truly an experience the family will never forget. The staff was great with the kids and tailored to our riding levels (none to very little).

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Train at the End of the World (premium class)
Train at the End of the World (premium class)
Ushuaia

While the premium class was definitely a treat yourself experience, I'm so glad we did it. We ended up having entire car to ourselves and the time of our train was noon, so having lunch on the train was perfect after a morning in the national park. We also learned a lot during the ride using the provided earphones.

Quality of Experience
Food
Delicous dishes for the adults and kid-friendly dishes (pizza) for the kids.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Patagonia

This was our favorite activity on the trip! The private tour is now the way we will book on future trips. Cami was an AMAZING guide, shared tons of information throughout the day, and was great with the kids. We did two longer hikes that ended with beautiful/picturesque views. In hindsight, I wish we stayed longer (more days) in Torres del Paine.

Quality of Experience
Food
We enjoyed the box lunch.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Cami was the best guide!
Transport
Clean and spacious
Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour
Perito Moreno Boat & Walking Tour
El Calafate

On the boat tour, we got super close to the glacier, which was a very cool experience. The walking tour was on our own, which we liked.

Visit the Fishing Village of Puerto Almanza
Visit the Fishing Village of Puerto Almanza
Ushuaia

Our original itinerary had this included with a trip to the boat trip to the penguins, so this wasn't what we originally planned for (so please take my review with a grain of salt). Our guide was knowledgable and shared a lot of info, but we had two other individuals with us, cramped into a car, so the drive was uncomfortable. We would have enjoyed this more as a private tour where we were on our own timeline and had more space in the car. It also didn't help that this was after a full 12 hour day the day before (again due to an unexpected, last minute change). The hike to and from the waterfall was only about 30 minutes total, so not as much hiking as we were expecting. The food was delicious, but due to it being an Argentine holiday, we had to wait almost an hour to be seated, which extended the day longer than planned.

Quality of Experience
Food
Delicious!
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Uri was super knowledgeable and share lot of info with us throughout the trip.
Transport
Cramped. Having three adults sit three-across on leather seats meant we were sliding or trying not to slide into strangers for the 3+ hours in the car.
Visit the Penguin Colony on Martillo Island by Catamaran
Visit the Penguin Colony on Martillo Island by Catamaran
Ushuaia

Seeing the sea lions, elephant seal, and penguins was truly an experience!

Quality of Experience
Transport
Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures
Trip Briefing at Dittmar Adventures
Puerto Natales

We didn't have any specific questions, so having someone walk through the itinerary we were already provided and had read through was not the best use of time.

Local specialist: Erin Wiley
Erin
Erin Wiley
Local specialist in Puerto Natales, Chile | Replied on Oct 23, 2024
Kara - planning with you was equally a pleasure! It makes me so happy that you enjoyed the private tour of Torres del Paine with Cami, she's a wonderful guide and it makes me so proud that our small operation was the one that provided the best experience for you all. The rest of your feedback is so helpful, particularly about the tours in Ushuaia. While some of those changes were unexpected (we appreciated your ability to roll with it!), others we can improve how we present to future... Read more

Kara - planning with you was equally a pleasure!

It makes me so happy that you enjoyed the private tour of Torres del Paine with Cami, she's a wonderful guide and it makes me so proud that our small operation was the one that provided the best experience for you all.

The rest of your feedback is so helpful, particularly about the tours in Ushuaia. While some of those changes were unexpected (we appreciated your ability to roll with it!), others we can improve how we present to future travelers, and make sure to provide options for private tours where it would make the experience better.

THANK YOU KARA - wishing you and your family the very best.

The guide at Perito Merino was excellent whil...
Patagonia | Apr 12 - Apr 16, 2024

R
Ravi J.
India | Reviewed on Apr 26, 2024

The guide at Perito Merino was excellent while the one at Patagonia was also very good but one step below at Perito Merino

However our driver at Patagonia n the same driver who drove us to El Calafate was not as good - very fussy n not really cooperative n a snob

Overall everything went very well

Local specialist: Erin Wiley
Erin
Erin Wiley
Local specialist in Puerto Natales, Chile | Replied on Apr 26, 2024

Hi Ravi,

Thanks for leaving your review with us! We're in touch with our transportation provider to find out more about what happened, and we are so glad that you all enjoyed your trip to Patagonia. We've sent your positive feedback to both of the guides that accompanied you all.

Best,
Erin

Very responsive and patient. Trip went smooth...
Patagonia | Mar 21 - Mar 29, 2024

Z
Zinnia S.
Bremerton, WA | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2024
Very responsive and patient. Trip went smoothly and can honestly say worth the money. Excellent local guides. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Highly recommend! Read more

Very responsive and patient. Trip went smoothly and can honestly say worth the money. Excellent local guides. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Highly recommend!

Activity Reviews
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Patagonia

We got Daniel and Andres and could not have asked for better. Super good guys with extensive knowledge on area, history, flora and fauna. Very professional and fun to be around. This guided tour around the national park and the subsequent day hiking to Base Las Torres on our own were our favorite parts of the trip. So Glad we booked this and cannot recommend enough!

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier
Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier
El Calafate

Fun experience, relaxing. Guides were great.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Erin Wiley

I had an amazing trip in Patagonia.
Patagonia | Mar 1 - Mar 12, 2024

Sin-Sin
Sin-Sin H.
Saratoga, CA | Reviewed on Mar 28, 2024
I had an amazing trip in Patagonia. I did all the 5 hikes that I wanted to do. The guide that I had for the Mirador Base Las Torres was really nice and interesting; I think his name was Miguel (?). For the other 4 trails, I did it myself; Thanks Erin for sharing the alltrails route; without it I would have gotten lost a couple of times on the way back when there wasn't a lot of people around. Also thank you Erin for telling me what to do when there is gust of wind; it was really helpful on... Read more

I had an amazing trip in Patagonia. I did all the 5 hikes that I wanted to do. The guide that I had for the Mirador Base Las Torres was really nice and interesting; I think his name was Miguel (?). For the other 4 trails, I did it myself; Thanks Erin for sharing the alltrails route; without it I would have gotten lost a couple of times on the way back when there wasn't a lot of people around. Also thank you Erin for telling me what to do when there is gust of wind; it was really helpful on my hike to Laguna Los Tres when I encountered rain, hail and strong wind.

The kayaking trip was great as well. I was lucky to be the only person on the trip. The guide Juan was great. It's cool that he also took pictures and videos of me kayaking.

Perito Moreno Glacier was amazing. I am really glad I got to see it.

Thank you Nara for being immediately available when the person at Bonanza could not find my reservation. The horse riding with Bonanza is the only part of the trip I was meh about. I think the group was too big; there were maybe 15-20 of us. I was mainly at the back, so I could not hear the guide at the front at all.

Overall, I am really happy with detailed itinerary that kimkim has planned out for me. It makes the trip completely stress and hassle free.

Local specialist: Erin Wiley
Erin
Erin Wiley
Local specialist in Puerto Natales, Chile | Replied on Apr 03, 2024

Hi Sin-Sin,

Thank you so much for this detailed review!

It makes me really happy to hear that you had such a memorable trip and that all of the planning and tips were well served in the end. Much of this is due to you as well! You were such a great partner in planning, I found all of your questions very well thought out and appreciated your participation in the planning process. I'm also very thankful for the feedback on Bonanza, I've already relayed your experience to my team and we'll be taking that into consideration for other trips.

Thank you for everything and wishing you the best!

Breathtaking scenery on trip Santiago to Patagonia
Patagonia | Mar 2 - Mar 17, 2024

S
Susan L.
Bon Air, VA | Reviewed on Mar 20, 2024
Wow, travelling thru 7 cities and 6 national parks of Chile in just 16 days, from Santiago to the Carretara Austral Lake District thru the end in Patagonia was a complex itinerary to plan, and amazing! Thanks go out to Erin and Nara for making this dream trip possible. Special thanks to our wonderful tour guides, hiking guides, drivers and hoteliers. All were very accommodating, knowledgable, punctual and kind. Jass company who provided hiking guides in Alerce Andino and for the Osorno... Read more

Wow, travelling thru 7 cities and 6 national parks of Chile in just 16 days, from Santiago to the Carretara Austral Lake District thru the end in Patagonia was a complex itinerary to plan, and amazing! Thanks go out to Erin and Nara for making this dream trip possible. Special thanks to our wonderful tour guides, hiking guides, drivers and hoteliers. All were very accommodating, knowledgable, punctual and kind. Jass company who provided hiking guides in Alerce Andino and for the Osorno Volcano and Paso Desolacion, and Aysen Tours in Cerro Castillo, and Litour driver in Torres del Paine deserve particular 3 cheers! Highlights of our trip have to start with the beauty of the Carretara Austral Lake District and the hike to Osorno Volcano and Paso Desolacion, beautiful Puerto Varas, stunning scenery of the Cerro Castillo valley, visiting San Rafael glacier from a boat with seals floating by on icebergs, kayaking to the marble caves in Rio Tranquilo, visiting Magdalena Island to see penguins up close in their natural habitat, and of course day hiking in Torres del Paine with highlights the French Valley and Macho canyon and seeing wildlife including a puma in the wild hunting a guanaco, a magellanic woodpecker, flamingos, deer and grey fox. The food in Chile was wonderful, people kind and welcoming, and scenery like a NatGeo documentary. One surprise was that although the average, historical temperature was 50-60 degrees at this time of year, our trip was not the average, with daily temperatures 20 degrees below normal, with driving, icy rain and even light snow falling in early March on some days. Additionally, while I knew the itinerary included long transfers, 3-5 hours straight on unpaved, rocky and pot-holed roads can get very punishing, so traveling thru the Lake District requires some hardiness, but the rewards are worth it!asks again for an amazing trip.

Local specialist: Erin Wiley

Overall, KimKim did a fantastic job
Patagonia | Feb 10 - Feb 17, 2024

Walter
Walter S.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Mar 08, 2024
Overall, KimKim did a fantastic job helping us to plan our trip and supporting us on the ground during our excursion. We needed a somewhat atypical itinerary in the Torres del Paine park, and KimKim quickly understood our needs and customized the travel and lodging arrangements to fit them. Their communication was excellent during that process and in the intervening weeks before our trip started, including providing a very detailed written itinerary, maps, and vouchers for all... Read more

Overall, KimKim did a fantastic job helping us to plan our trip and supporting us on the ground during our excursion.

We needed a somewhat atypical itinerary in the Torres del Paine park, and KimKim quickly understood our needs and customized the travel and lodging arrangements to fit them. Their communication was excellent during that process and in the intervening weeks before our trip started, including providing a very detailed written itinerary, maps, and vouchers for all transportation and lodging. Once we were in-country, KimKim was very responsive to questions we had, including via WhatsApp while we were in the park itself. All arrangements were as KimKim had described, and exceeded our expectations.

Aside from a small scheduling glitch regarding one bus ride (which turned out to have no negative consequences), our complex 7-day trip proceeded extremely smoothly and we had a great time. I would recommend KimKim to anyone planning a trip in Torres del Paine.

Local specialist: Erin Wiley

Our Patagonia trip organized by KimKim (Erin ...
Patagonia | Feb 13 - Feb 24, 2024

L
Loralee T.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on Mar 04, 2024
Our Patagonia trip organized by KimKim (Erin and Nara) was wonderful . All our connections and transfers were spot on. It was absolutely peace of mind knowing all the details behind the scene were taken care of from lunches to excursions. All of the hiking was spectacular and we would highly recommend all the areas and trips we did. We hiked the W trek, Perito Moreno Glacier, Via Ferrata to a glacier and finally to the spectacular Fitz Roy range. Truly a trip of a lifetime and KimKim’s... Read more

Our Patagonia trip organized by KimKim (Erin and Nara) was wonderful . All our connections and transfers were spot on. It was absolutely peace of mind knowing all the details behind the scene were taken care of from lunches to excursions. All of the hiking was spectacular and we would highly recommend all the areas and trips we did. We hiked the W trek, Perito Moreno Glacier, Via Ferrata to a glacier and finally to the spectacular Fitz Roy range. Truly a trip of a lifetime and KimKim’s Erin and Nara made all the details come together and were so helpful when we added an excursion or needed assistance along the way. I highly highly recommend them.

Local specialist: Erin Wiley

What a great trip! The itinerary provided by ...
Patagonia | Feb 13 - Feb 24, 2024

Ellen
Ellen R.
Manhattan, KS | Reviewed on Feb 28, 2024
What a great trip! The itinerary provided by both Erin and Nara was spectacular! Everything was laid out for us and all of our questions answered in a timely manner. The activities, lodging, and logistics were well planned and very accommodating. Our group even made a last minute change at the briefing and we were able to experience a truly unique and adventurous hike from one of Erin’s suggestions ( via ferrata and private glacier hike!). We did take longer than the suggested time frames... Read more

What a great trip! The itinerary provided by both Erin and Nara was spectacular! Everything was laid out for us and all of our questions answered in a timely manner. The activities, lodging, and logistics were well planned and very accommodating. Our group even made a last minute change at the briefing and we were able to experience a truly unique and adventurous hike from one of Erin’s suggestions ( via ferrata and private glacier hike!). We did take longer than the suggested time frames for hikes but that wasn’t a big deal. Overall, a great experience and I recommend Dittmar agency without reservation!

Local specialist: Erin Wiley

Very good experience in Patagonia
Patagonia | Feb 19 - Feb 24, 2024

M
Mathilde P.
Flagami, FL | Reviewed on Feb 26, 2024
Erin did a great job iterating the itinerary to lower the overall cost to fit my budget.
We did enjoy most the day at the estancia La Peninsula, which was not the most attractive option at first on the paper. However, the location is fantastic, the landscape breathtaking, the personnel was excellent, the food tasty and the drinks options very diverse. Particular mention to Alejandro, the guide and Donald Mac Leod, the captain / horse rider / sheep sheerer.
It was very pleasant to have a...
Read more

Erin did a great job iterating the itinerary to lower the overall cost to fit my budget.
We did enjoy most the day at the estancia La Peninsula, which was not the most attractive option at first on the paper. However, the location is fantastic, the landscape breathtaking, the personnel was excellent, the food tasty and the drinks options very diverse. Particular mention to Alejandro, the guide and Donald Mac Leod, the captain / horse rider / sheep sheerer.
It was very pleasant to have a private tour for the Torres del Paine. Camila and Juan, the driver, were very attentive to us, answering all the questions from the kids. I obviously liked the detail with a cake on my birthday. Also having a drink at my leisure in front of the cuernas de las Torres was spectacular.
We liked the dolphins afternoon a lot. The dolphins were jumping everywhere and the snack after the tour was very welcome in the dining room with chimney. Also, Benjamin, let us drive the zodiac at the end. It was a hit with my boy!
On the less positive note, I still believe it was very confusing to write in the itinerary that the Pinguins tour at the isla Magdalena departs at 7:00 from Punta Arena. In fact it departed even earlier than 6:30am from Solo Expedition. Fortunately, Solo expedition could book us for the 10:00am tour and we managed to change our bus ticket also, so the inconvenience was very reduced, as we did not have additional cost and only arrived in Puerto Natales 2hr later than plan.
I think it helps a lot that I speak very well Spanish as I could handle all sort of situation to reprogram and to book taxi, talk to hotel staff etc...
It was also very easy with the bus to / from Punta Arenas / Puerto Natales.
Overall was very good vacation.
Thanks for the suggestions and the planning.

Activity Reviews
Dolphin Watching on the Magellan Strait
Dolphin Watching on the Magellan Strait
Punta Arenas
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Visit the Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony
Visit the Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony
Punta Arenas
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Torres del Paine Full Day Private Tour
Patagonia

The overall rating is not excellent because the weather did not allow to see the full landscape. However, the guide and driver did a very good job accompanying us.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia
Day Trip to a Patagonian Estancia
Patagonia
Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Erin Wiley
Erin
Erin Wiley
Local specialist in Puerto Natales, Chile | Replied on Mar 12, 2024

Mathilde,

I am so glad that you enjoyed your vacation to Patagonia with your kids and that you had a fantastic birthday in Torres del Paine. I am also very glad that Solo Expediciones was able to accommodate you on a later departure. While the 6:30 presentation time was indicated on your itinerary, I can see how the tiered timing set up may cause confusion and will be sure to bring that up with kimkim, they are great with making improvements based on traveler feedback.

Thank you for everything and I am really glad that we were able to make this trip happen for you!

All the best,
Erin

Patagonia January 2024
Patagonia | Jan 8 - Feb 8, 2024

L
Lavier G.
Australia | Reviewed on Feb 18, 2024

We have recently come back from a Trip to Patagonia (both Chile and Argentina) which Erin organised for 4 of us prior to a cruise to Antartica.
Erin suggested a very good itinerary to accomodate this, which we subsequently modified considerably based on timing, cost etc. All enquires were answered promptly and with Erin's suggestions we had an excellent itinerary.

The trip itself was excellent. All operators turned up on time as per the schedule . Guides Camila and Mateus were execellent.
I would definately recommend Erin in planing any trip to Patagonia

Local specialist: Erin Wiley
Erin
Erin Wiley
Local specialist in Puerto Natales, Chile | Replied on Feb 22, 2024

Hi Lavier,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review. I'm really happy to hear that you all had a memorable trip! I agree that both Mateus and Camila are wonderful guides, and have sent that feedback along to them and their bosses. I loved planning this trip with you all, you all were so present in the planning process and booked well in advance which makes for a really smooth trip and process on our end. Wishing you all the best and thanks again for everything!

Erin