Delve into the heart of Chilean Patagonia by the new Route of Parks of Patagonia (Ruta de los Parques de la Patagonia) on this 13-day hosted overland tour. Beginning in the country's largest lake, with a view of Patagonia's tallest peak, we will navigate into marble caves, hike into Chile's newest National Park, traverse Glacier Sound into the rain forest, cross the fjord closest to the equator, and be witness to some of Chile's most impressive volcanoes. Then we fly down to immerse ourselves in Chile's premier national park: Torres del Paine.  Patagonia is on many travelers' bucket lists, and with more than 13 years of experience on the road, we know where to take you.

Morning flight LATAM 275 departs Santiago 7:45 am arrives Balmaceda 10:00 am (you will need to be at the airport at least 2 hours early during high season). Greeting at airport by Wangulen Team. We begin our Chilean Patagonia Overland Odyssey by heading south through the Simpson Valley and Cerro Castillo National Reserve, making a stop at Devil's Pass to see the Ibanez river valley with Cerro Castillo (2,675 meters) and Cerro Campana (2,194 meters). We make a stop in the small town of Cerro Castillo for lunch, then, as the paved road ends, we drive along the Ibanez river and into a valley that became a river of flowing lava after the 1991 eruption of the Hudson Volcano, leaving behind a “Rio de la Muerte” (River of the Dead), a riverbed of scorched tree trunks as a reminder of nature’s power. The entire area was covered in up to a meter of ash. We then continue to the western shores of General Carrera Lake, the largest in Chile, and the second largest in South America, making stops for photos. Then we drive south along the glacier-blue waters of the Baker River. This river has the largest discharge in Chile and is famous for fly-fishing. We will leave the Carretera Austral and turn into the Chacabuco Valley. This used to be the largest sheep ranch in the region and was bought by Douglas Tompkins to preserve one of the most remote and rare lands in Patagonia, hardly seen by other travelers, even Chileans. This unique piece of land supports an amazing quality and diversity of wildlife. We will check into our lodge and have dinner.
Lunch, Dinner
Driving Distance: 300 km (mostly dirt) 

After breakfast in the main lodge, we will have our Safari day in Chile’s Parque Patagonia, Chile’s newest national park, where we will share this land with the Guanaco, Fox, Grey Fox, Common Skunk, Pichi, Lesser Rhea, Condor, Chilean Flamingo, Black- necked Swan, Upland Goose, Great Egret, Buff necked Ibis, and many different varieties of ducks, hawks, eagles & falcons. First, we will see the Visitor’s Center to learn more about the park, then we will drive into the park and take a few hikes to experience the remoteness and beauty of this land, with only the sounds of wind and wildlife. After our box lunch in the park, we will leave the Chacabuco Valley and drive a little more than 1 hour to the town of Puerto Guadal and to our cozy complex on the south shore of lake General Carrera. Our view is of the Northern Ice Field across the lake, including Patagonia's tallest peak of San Valentin (4,058 meters). Dinner in the main lodge.
Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 125 km (all dirt) 

Today after breakfast, we will take a half-day speed boat trip on Lake General Carrera to visit two separate Marble Cave complexes.  We will first visit the most popular formations near Puerto Rio Tranquilo including the Cave, the Chapel, and the intricate system of water-filled caverns called the Marble Cathedral. Then we will navigate north around some islands in the lake to reach Puerto Sanchez, with close to 1 kilometer of marble formations. Return to the lodge for our box lunch, and the remainder of the afternoon free to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Note: Boat trip subject to weather conditions
Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 0 km 

This morning we will return north along the Carretera Austral and stop for lunch at a local restaurant for a home-cooked meal with fresh ingredients grown on site. Then we continue up the Carretera Austral, into the Simpson River valley, reaching Coyhaique, the capital of the Aysen Region, and the largest city we'll see until the end of our trip. Coyhaique has ATM machines, a Post Office, supermarkets and shops. Dinner at the hotel.

Note: Tonight pack a day pack for the next 2 nights, as we will leave the van and take a boat across the fjord to our hotel. Don't forget to pack your swimsuit to enjoy the hot springs!
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 275 km (mostly dirt) 

 Today we drive through the Simpson River Valley, passing by verdant green lands along the river with waterfalls all around. We then head north along the Manihuales river and into Lago Torre National Reserve, as we enter the rain forest. Then we leave the paved road and make our way up and over the Queulat pass and into what many consider to be Chile’s most beautiful park: Queulat National Park. After making our way back down the windy dirt road, we will take a hike to see the Hanging Glacier and have a picnic lunch. The hike is easy, relatively level, and 30 minutes each way. We will then reach the Glacier Fjord, where we leave our van and take a 20-minute boat across the fjord to our lodging for the night. Dinner will be served starting at 8:00 pm (a la carte).
Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 250 km (mostly paved) 

Think about how long you have traveled, the money you have spent and the amount of time you have waited to be here. This is a wonderful day to relax and enjoy your time in the rain forest. Puyuhuapi Lodge is the perfect place to disconnect and pamper yourself. Here you can decide to take self-guided hikes, soak in the outdoor natural hot springs, enjoy the internal pools, 1 hour of kayaking, or read a book listening to the sounds of birds and water lapping the shore. All or nothing. The lodge also offers numerous massage treatments (at an additional cost) which you can schedule the day before. Whatever you do today, we will meet at 1:00 pm for our light lunch and 8:00 pm for dinner.
Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 0 

We will meet in the main dining room at 8:00 am for breakfast, then we will take the boat back across the fjord and meet up with our van who hopefully got a good night’s rest from the dirt roads! We will then continue north, through the town of Puyuhuapi at the northern end of the fjord, through sections of the road currently being paved, and cross from Aysen into the Lakes Region. We will pass by the town of Santa Lucia (named after the wife of Agusto Pinochet), by the shore of Lake Yelcho (famous for fly-fishing), then up and over a mountain pass and through a glacier-carved valley into the town of Chaiten. This town was nearly washed out to sea from diverted rivers after the 2008 eruption of the Chaiten Volcano. After driving through the town, with many houses still filled with ash as witnesses to the force of Mother Nature, we make our way toward Pumalin Park. This is a large section of temperate rain forest purchased by Douglas Tompkins, founder of North Face and Esprit, who donated the land back to the Chilean government under protection from development. Then we make our way into the park, with the tallest peak, the Michinmahuida Volcano (2,400  meters) to our east, for two hiking opportunities. The first one is the trail to the Hidden Waterfall, which is a moderate-level hike, through thick forest with some steep climbs, including a wooden stairway leading down to the base of the falls.  Then we will drive a few kilometers farther to an easy, flat hike to witness groves of Alerce trees, the tallest of the southern beech trees, and related to the California redwood, reaching heights of more than 150 feet tall with many of them more than 3,000 years old. Because of their resistance to insects and their tall, straight trunks, they were nearly forested to extinction. We will also be surrounded by the temperate rain forest with tree species such as Coihue, Manio, Guindo, Tepa, Ulmo, Canelo, and others. Then we drive the last 15 kilometers of the day to our private cabins at the end of the road in Caleta Gonzalo, on the edge of the Renihue Fjord.  
Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 300 km (mostly paved) 

Today we will take 3 ferries through some of the most impressive fjords in southern Chile. The first is 30 minutes in the Renihue Fjord. Then we take a 4-hour trip into the Comao Fjord, the closest fjord to the equator. The ride offers astounding views of the Andes to the east and we will be witness to diverse marine wildlife. We will have our lunch on the ferry before arriving to the town of Hornopiren. We will drive through the forest for 1½ hours, where we will take a 30-minute ferry across the Reloncavi Estuary, where we will stop for a snack. Then we drive through Puerto Montt, the capital of the Lakes District and the northern entrance to Chilean Patagonia. We will take Route 5, or the Pan-American highway which stretches from Alaska to Chiloe Island, up to our final destination, the lakeside town of Puerto Varas, and check into your last hotel for the trip.
Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 150 km (mostly paved) 

We will pick you up from the hotel around 11:00, head north along the western side of the lake to visit the German colonial town of Frutillar. First we will take a tour of the Teatro del Lago (Lake Theater), a famous venue for musical and other events. Then we will make a stop at an open-air colonial museum run by the Universidad Austral de Chile, a replica of a German farmhouse and outlying buildings. After that we will have lunch at the German Club in Frutillar before returning to Puerto Varas. Dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Driving distance: 100 km (all paved)

This morning we will head to the airport outside Puerto Montt for our flight down to Punta Arenas, situated on the shore of the Magellan Strait. Here we will take a bus up through the Pampas (3 hours approx.) and to our hotel in the town of Puerto Natales,.  This small town, on the Last Hope Sound, is directly across from the Southern Ice Field and is the staging point for excursions into Torres del Paine National Park.  We will check into our hotel and then walk a few blocks to a local restaurant for dinner. 

Breakfast, Light Lunch, Dinner

Driving distance: 250 km (all paved) 

Today we will begin our adventure with an overview of Chile’s most visited park:  Torres del Paine National Park, designated in 1978 a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The park is home to at least 25 species of mammals, as well as more than 115 species of birds. Let's keep our eyes out for the Guanaco, Red Fox, Grey Fox, Common Skunk, Pichi, Lesser Rhea, Andean Condor, Chilean Flamingo, Black- necked Swan, Upland Goose, Buff necked Ibis, and many different varieties of ducks, hawks, eagles & falcons. This morning we will head north from Puerto Natales, making a stop in the town of Cerro Castillo, then continue into Torres del Paine. For our first day in the park we work our way from the northeastern section, which offers the best views of the Torres, (Towers), all the way westward through the park.  Our first stop will be at Lago Sarmiento where we will have photo opportunities. Then we will head north into a section with few visitors. We will have our box lunch at Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon), a spot often filled with herds of guanacos and numerous birds. If the weather cooperates, we will have great views of the Towers from here, across the deep blue water. Then we will head back southwest, into the “guanaco valley” and drive all the way through the park. We will pass in front of the Cuernos (Horns), along the shore of Lake Pehoé, then along the Paine River and to our hotel for the next two nights, with spectacular views of the entire Torres del Paine massif. Free time until dinner is provided at the hotel. 

Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner

Driving Distance:  200 km (mostly dirt)

Today we will have two relatively easy hikes:  The Horns Lookout (6 km, 2½-3 hours roundtrip) and a Cave Paintings trail (5 km, 2 hours roundtrip).  The park’s most spectacular waterfall and an astonishing viewpoint are highlights of this relatively easy excursion. The adventure starts with a 45-minute drive to Pudeto in the heart of the park’s lake district. The trail leads us through a portion of the park impacted by the great forest fire of 2012. Between the remains of the fire-ravaged trees, new life is already sprouting from the rich Patagonian soul. The path continues to Sendero Mirador Cuernos. Possibly the Park’s most spectacular viewpoint, the panorama features the “Horns” (Los Cuernos), Mount Paine Grande and the French Valley and Glacier rising straight up from the the other side. Then we return to our vehicle and drive to the trailhead of our second hike, which will take us by small lagoons offering opportunities for bird-spotting, ending at some cave paintings dating back thousands of years.  After another good day of hiking, we return to the lodge for dinner. 

Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner

Driving Distance:  100 km (all dirt)

After breakfast in the lodge, we will say goodbye to Torres del Paine, as well as Patagonia, as we drive back down to Puerto Natales and take our bus to Punta Arenas for your flight to Santiago, and then your international connections home.

Breakfast, Light Lunch

Driving Distance:  350 km (mostly paved)

TOTAL DRIVING DISTANCE COVERED:  2,400 km