Day 01 Santiago
Reception and transfer from Santiago's airport to
the hotel. City tour of Santiago.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Santiago.
Day 02 Santiago-Punta Arenas - on the way
to Puerto Natales visiting the Penguins on the Otway
bay
Breakfast. Transfer from the airport Punta Arenas
to Puerto Natales, but on the way is possible to
watch different species of marine birds and in a
lucky day possibly dolphins. Then the road turns
heading North West to take an unpaved road that
goes through the Patagonian steppe, where different
sheep farms can be found and some species of the
native flora can be seen as well. The native fauna
of this area is composed by Lesser Rheas, Upland
geese, Andean condors, Kelp gulls, Eagles, skunks,
different species of ducks and foxes. Before approaching
to the Otway Sound the bus drives bordering a coal
open cut mine, important activity in the region.
At the then of the road is located the small colony
of Magellanic Penguins that every year come for
breeding and feeding. The walk stretches for about
one mile on a wooden trail with three different
observation points.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Puerto
Natal
Day 03 Puerto Natales - Excursion Torres
del Paine
Breakfast. Departure at 7:30 am from your hotel
to begin a full day excursion that will drive us
to the imposing Cave of the Milodon (Natural Monument)
and later to the Torres del Paine National Park
where we will be welcomed by an amazing panoramic
view of the famous Paine Towers. We will also admire
Lakes Sarmiento, Nordenskjold, and Pehoe. Typical
fauna such as guanacos and foxes roam the park and
a wide variety of birds can be easily observed during
the trip. A short trek will take us to a big waterfall
known as the "Salto Grande", part of the
park's hydrographical network. Later on, returning
to the main road, we continue to Lake Grey, where
we will reach a beach after a 30-minute walk through
a millenary forest to admire its glacier and a great
number of drifitng floes. Lunch in Hosteria Lake
Grey is included in the service.
At approximately 7:30 pm we return to Puerto Natales.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Puerto
Natales.
Day 04 Puerto Natales -
Excursion Balmaceda & Serrano Glacires
Breakfast. Departure at 8:30am for a water excursion
to the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers. Ahead of
us now we have the majestic Mt. Balmaceda and the
glacier leading off its eastern slopes. The mountain
is 2,035 meters high and only a few climbers are
known to have ascended it. The glacier is retreating
as are practically all glaciers on the planet; as
an indication of its shrinkage rate, it is interesting
to note that 15 years ago the foot of the glacier
was at sea-level. After four hours of sailing we
dock at Puerto Toro, from where you can walk the
last kilometer to the base of the Serrano Glacier.
The walk takes you through a wonderful native forest
along the shore of the lake. Both Balmaceda and
Serrano Glaciers are in the Mt. Balmaceda National
Park.
Back to Puerto Natales.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Puerto
Natales.
Day 05 Puerto Natales-Calafate
Breakfast. The bus picks you up at 07:00 am at your
hotel in Puerto Natales and continues driving along
the Patagonian steppes, known as the Pampa, this
time towards Argentina. We cross the border and
continue our way to Calafate. Eexcursion to the
Perito Moreno Glacier (with box lunch included).
Located in Los Glaciares National Park, this imposing
ice river, 3 km wide and 50 mt high, descends from
the Patagonian continental ice shield provoking
ice cracks and explosions during its slow descent.
Because of its breathtaking beauty and unusual behaviour
it was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
Visitors have access to several walkways offering
impressive views of the glaciar. Transfer from the
bus station to the hotel.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in El
Calafate.
Day 06 Calafate
Breakfast. Full-day excursion to the Upsala and
Onelli Glaciers. We'll sail through the northern
arm of Lake Argentina with destination to Upsala.
We'll disembark either in Onelli Bay or in Puesta
de Vacas, depending on the position of the glaciers,
from where we'll walk through forests. Lunch is
included.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in El
Calafate.
Day 07 Calafate-Bariloche
Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to Calafate’s
Airport.
Flight from Calafate to Bariloche.
Transfer from the airport to the hotel in Bariloche.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Bariloche.
Day 08 Bariloche
- Puerto Varas
Breakfast. We leave the hotel at 06:30am to start
the Lakes Crossing. We travel on a bus to Puerto
Pañuelo where we board El Condor Catamaran
and sail the long and narrow Blest Arm of Lake Nahuel
Huapi. We continue on another bus ride to Puerto
Alegrewhich bordering the Frías River for
a 3-kilometer stretch. On board the Caleuche or
the Dalca motorboat we sail Lake Frías for
15 minutes. Here we'll have our first glimpse of
Mt. Tronador. Upon arrival at Puerto Frías
we clear Argentine customs and proceed on a bus
through lush Andean vegetation to the Vicente Pérez
Rosales Pass and then 29 kms. to the Chilean customs
at Peulla. After customs, it is only a short ride
to Peulla Hotel (lunch optional in Peulla Hotel).
Later, we continue our journey and board the Lagos
Andinos Catamaran and set out to cross the waters
of Lake Todos Los Santos. On our trip we will be
able to view Mt. Puntiagudo and the impressive Osorno
Volcano. We arrive to Petrohué and during
our trip to Puerto Varas we stopover for a visit
at the magnificent Petrohué Falls.
(entrance fee approx USD 5).
Arrival in Puerto Varas 7:00pm.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Puerto
Varas.
Day 09 Puerto
Varas
Breakfast. Free day.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Puerto
Varas.
Day 10 Puerto Varas-Santiago-Calama-San
Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to the airport
with a city tour of Puerto Montt, capital of Region
X. We'll tour its streets, get to know its people
and typical architecture and pay a visit to the
Angelmó fishing cove with its handicrafts
center specializing in wool articles and baskets
and its fish market famous for its wide array of
typical seafood dishes. We will meet the fishermen
who bring in their catch everyday from nearby islands.
The tour will take us to a natural lookout point
from where we can enjoy a panoramic view of this
bustling city and the Reloncavi Estuary. The tour
includes a visit to Pelluco Beach as well as Chinqihue
Beach on the opposite end, which borders the Tenglo
Channel where old shipyards evoke the city's past.
Transfer to Puerto Montt's airport.
Flight Lan from Puerto Montt to Santiago and connecting
flight to Calama. Transfer to San Pedro de Atacama.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in San
Pedro de Atacama.
Day 11 San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast. Morning archeological tour to the Incan
fortress of Pucara of Quitor, then on to the LePaige
Museum, the barren Salt Mountain Range, and the
Tulor Ruins, over 3,000 years old. Return to San
Pedro de Atacama.
Afternoon tour of Toconao includes a 30-minute visit,
where we can admire typical handicraft made of cactus
wood, llama wool and volcanic stone. We continue
to the Liparita stone quarry in the Jerez Valley.
Then, on to the Atacama Salt Flats, including the
Chaxa Lagoon, to admire the flamingoes and wait
for the evening sunset with its spectacular colors
on the Andean Mountain Range. Back to the hotel.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in San
Pedro de Atacama.
Day 12 San Pedro de Atacama
We go out to the Geysers of Tatio, leaving around
04:00am. Breakfast upon arrival at sunrise, take
a walk among the geysers and a dip in a natural
hot springs pool. We then continue traveling through
the towns of Caspana, Chiu Chiu, Lasana. LLamas,
alpacas and vicuñas roam freely across the
Andes plateaus. Lunch not included. Transfer to
the hotel.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in San
Pedro de Atacama.
Day 13 San
Pedro de Atacama-Calama-Santiago
Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to Calama's airport.
Flight from Calama to Santiago.
Accommodation at the hotel of your choice in Santiago.
Day 14 Santiago
Breakfast. Transfer from the hotel to Santiago's
airport.
End of our service.