Located in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region, between the Andes mountain range and the Patagonian Steppe, Torres del Paine National Park is considered the 8th Wonder of the World.   We chose the autumn for this tour because the winds are much less prominent vs. summer, the crowds have disappeared and the colors are peaking across the landscape.  This is the quiet time in Patagonia and we will be able to pick our spots for the best photos with plenty of elbow room.  Come prepared for chilly temps and superb-crisp light!

The goal of this photographic tour is to immerse ourselves in the splendor of the park and capture its countless photographic opportunities from the towering walls of granite to the multi-colored lakes that dot the landscape, to the large estancias (ranches) located on the steppes that surround the park . We will be hiking, sailing and driving to some of the most iconic locations where the character of this battered chunk of the southern Andes Mountains is bathed in the clean autumn light.

A characteristic of this rugged land at the end of the world are the winds that careen off the southern Patagonian Ice Cap, the second largest contiguous ice-field in the world, which adds a plethora of photo ops every single day.  Here is where fjords, glaciers, steep, rugged mountains, dense forests and steppe meet. The park includes numerous peaks over 2,000 m / 6,560 ft tall including Paine Grande (2,834 m / 9,798 ft), Cerro Paine Grande (2,933 m / 9,623 ft), Cerro Paine Chico (2,679 m / 8,789 ft), Cordillera Escorpion (2,600 m / 8,530 ft) and many others which are easily visible from each other due to their proximity. Explore this magnificent place and let mother nature show you her treasures.

Researched and designed, on-the-ground, by expert landscape photographer and author, Sergio Ballivian. This photographic tour explores the magical place where the Patagonian steppe meets the southern Andes mountains and where the alpine lakes lap at the feet of massive rock walls.  Before arrival in Patagonia, Sergio will guide you in choosing the right clothing for the weather that Patagonia is known for.  Tough and challenging conditions change every few hours, so expect 4 seasons in one day. With over 40 years of photographic and adventure guiding experience, he will make suggestions on the best photographic equipment to bring to capture the vast landscapes and the wildlife that are unique to southern Patagonia.

Included:  Airport Transfers IN and OUT of Punta Arenas (Chile), private vehicle and driver, bi-lingual photographer/guide, all hotel & estancia accommodations for 11 nights in shared double accommodations*, all entry fees and permits to protected areas, national parks, islands and museums, all daily meals as denoted on the itinerary as ‘B,L,D’ (If not marked, it’s not included), ship passage on Grey Lake and Catamaran on Pehoe Lake, 1 liter of bottled water per person per day, snacks during the whole trip, 35+ years of tourism experience. 

*We can accommodate single rooms per person.  Please note that each person will need to add the single supplement fee before final booking. That fee depends on which accommodations we will find space in. Please advise us of this requirement in our initial conversations so we can book hotel rooms ahead of time. We will quote your single supplement fee before booking your complete tour.

NOT included: international airfare to Chile, domestic airfare within Chile, visa requirement and fees, personal expenses of any kind, liquor, laundry, telephone, e-mail, Cel phone or Wi-Fi services, emergency evacuation expenses, personal travel or health insurance, doctor visits.  We, of course, would do whatever is necessary in case of medical emergency and evacuate to the closest hospital or clinic to make sure you receive medical care.

Arrive in Santiago, Chile (SCL), transfer to domestic flight to Punta Arenas (PUQ). Pick-up at airport and transfer to hotel in Punta Arenas. After a brief rest, we depart for a visit along the Atlantic coastline before dinner. O/N Hotel Isla Rey Jorge (4*)

The Strait of Magellan Park is a protected area documenting and protecting the first Chilean settlement at the end of the world with the establishment of a crude fort made of local hardwoods. Considering the harsh weather in this part of world, it’s remarkable that most of the people in the area survived for many years before moving permanently to Punta Arenas (Sandy Point). After lunch in Punta Arenas we drive north (2 hrs.) to a 100+ year-old sheep estancia for dinner. 

Hotel: Estancia Rio Penitente (4*)

Meals Included: B,L,D

After a hearty breakfast and a visit around the natural escarpments above the Rio Penitente, we head north to Puerto Natales, the entrance city to Torres del Paine National Park. We should arrive in time for lunch. After checking-in at our hotel on the waterfront with stunning views of the Sound of Last Hope, we will head out to see some estancias and the rugged Andes mountains on the western horizon. After sunset we will return for dinner (not included) in Puerto Natales. 

Hotel: Costaustralis (4*) 

Meals Included: B,L

It’s worth looking out your window in the morning to catch the sunrise hitting the Andes to the west! After breakfast we depart north along a combination of paved and gravel roads until we arrive at the southern entrance to Torres del Paine National Park. Our basecamp for the next couple of days is at Rio Serrano, just outside the park boundaries that offer stunning views across the Serrano River towards the “horns”...the iconic pointed towers cutting into the cold Andean sky. Depending on the current weather conditions we have lots of destinations to choose from, so we will make our decisions on what the finicky Patagonia winds bring to us. Dinner and overnight in Villa Serrano.

Hotel: Del Paine (4*)

Meals included: B,L,D

There are fewer more pleasant events than sitting in the dining room looking at the sunrise across Rio Serrano and hitting the Torres del Paine while enjoying your coffee! We head out and see what the weather dictates today; some of our objectives are Toro Lake, Nordenskjold Lake and the Cisnes lookouts. Lunch en route. We will find the best locatin for sunset based on what the weather gives us. There are lots of options to choose from. Afterwards we return to our hotel top freshen up and have dinner.

Hotel: Del Paine (4*)

Meals included: B,L,D

We depart early today so we can get the 2nd ship sailing on Lago Grey for the best light illuminating Grey Glacier in the late morning. This is a 3-hour sail on a very spectacular route, surrounded by the Andes and seeing the southern Patagonian Ice cap with your own eyes. You will feel it too, as the cold winds come across the ice cap and buffet the lake. No matter, the views are so stunning you will be concentrating on making beautiful photos instead. There are bathrooms and seating inside and hot drinks and snacks on board. After we dock and walk back to the departure point (45 minutes) we will have lunch. We return towards the heart of the park for the rest of the day and find another great location for sunset. We return to our hotel for dinner and rest.

Hotel: Del Paine (4*)

Meals included: B,L,D

As you will get accustomed to, the weather is hard to predict, much nail down in southern Patagonia. Today we depart this hotel and head to another hotel, located on an island, in one of the most amazing locations in the park – Lake Pehoe! As you will see, we have lots of amazing viewpoints, routes and trails to choose from to catch the best light on the iconic Torres del Paine massif. Lunch en route. We will get to the best location for sunset based on what the weather is doing. After sunset we return to our hotel to freshen up and have dinner.

Hotel: Hosteria Pehoe (3*)

Meals included: B,L,D

You don’t need to go far on this island to catch the sunrise at the top of the hill. Sunrises at this location are truly hard to beat, so don’t miss them. After breakfast we depart to the Condor Lookout, Salto Grande, and Pehoe Lookout. Lunch en route. In the afternoon we head to the Paine waterfall en route to Laguna Amarga and Laguna Azul. After sunset, we return to our island hotel for dinner.

Hotel: Hosteria Pehoe (3*)

Meals included: B,L,D

We make our way from Lago Pehoe northeast until we exit Torres del Paine National Park and head to a working Patagonia ranch shooting landscapes en route.  Lunch will be at a local restaurant. We arrive at the Estancia Tercera Barranca in the mid-afternoon with great views of the steppe and torres to the west. We hope to meet with the gauchos, the cattle and sheep wranglers, who call this windswept region home.   After checking-in we freshen up before dinner.

Hotel: Estancia Tercera Barranca (3*)

Meals included: B,L,D

We have a fabulous opportunity to head to a mountain range deep into the Patagonia wilderness, the Serrania de los Baguales; the Wild Horse Range. We will take our picnic lunch with us as there are only remote ranches in the area. The rugged beauty of this range becomes apparent as we see massive rock walls, deep canyons cut by freezing Patagonia rivers and vast, open estancias as far as the eye can see. This is a rugged and beautiful land! We will catch sunset with great views of canyons where condors are seen flying and nesting and guanacos run wild and free. After sunset, we head back to the estancia to clean-up before dinner.

Hotel: Estancia Tercera Barranca (3*)

Meals included: B,L,D

We have our last morning in the area so we head to say hello and farewell to the gauchos we met a few days ago, located at an outpost at the foot of a canyon that is over 100 years old. As we drive south, keeping Torres del Paine on our right, we begin our journey back to Puerto Natales through wide-open steppe and massive estancias. This location has lots of wildlife; southern Rheas, foxes, Guanacos, geese, armadillo and much more. We will have lunch at Cerro Castillo. We plan to arrive in Puerto Natales in the late afternoon. Our final dinner together in a local restaurant in Puerto Natales. 

Hotel:  Costaustralis (4*)

Meals included: B,L

Depending on your return flight from Punta Arenas (usually to Santiago), we will depart at an appropriate time. The scenic drive takes 3 hours from Puerto Natales at a steady pace. We will have lunch in Punta Arenas before heading to the airport (30 minutes from downtown). We should arrive at the airport 2 hours before your departure since you likely have an international connecting flight in Santiago. The flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago is 3.5 hours long. Upon arrival in Santiago you will self-transfer to the international concourse for your connection back home. 

Hotel: none

Meals Included: B,L

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