One of the most beautiful places in the world, Patagonia, the southernmost part of South America, is an incomparable place with unique and varied geography. Her stunning snow-capped mountains, glaciers, forests, rivers, and volcanoes will mark your memory for a lifetime! Our incomparable itinerary has the perfect combination of deep exploration and optional breathtaking hikes of all levels, and unique adventures.

 Here are some of the things we will do or have the option to do:

- Visit both the Chilean and Argentinean sides of Patagonia.

- Visit  Isla Magdalena, where we will see a colony of the adorable  Magellanic Penguin.

- See the beautiful Sarmiento Lake. 

- Visit Torres del Paine National Park.

- Hike the breathtaking base of Torres del Paine, one of the most beautiful hikes in the world.

- Visit an authentic Argentinian estancia and have an authentic Gaucho dinner. 

- See a demonstration of sheep dogs herding sheep. 

- See Perito Moreno Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the Americas and one of the only glaciers in the world that is growing, rather than shrinking.

- Kayak at Perito Moreno Glacier!

- Explore the beautiful village of El Chalten and hike the Mt. Fitz Roy trail. 

- Visit Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world.

- Sail the  Beagle Channel, one of the few waterways between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

- Go on a 4x4 and canoeing adventure in Ushuaia.

- Go on a scenic and culinary tour in Beagle. 

PAYMENT TERMS

- A deposit of 600.00 (non-refundable, but movable) starts your reservation. Once you make your deposit, you will need to sign our contract within 72 hours to guarantee your spot. You can read the contract in advance HERE.

- You will have until November 17 (three months before the trip) to finish making your payment. You can make payments in any way you prefer, so long as you are fully paid by November 17.

- Your deposit is movable. That means, if you need to cancel your participation in the trip for any reason before November 17, you may request a credit for 100% of your deposit that can be applied to any 1000 Treks Trip which departs within one year of the departing date of the original trip.

FLIGHTS

Flights are NOT included unless otherwise noted.

Flight Guidelines

Shuttles will be provided if you meet the flight guidelines below:

Arrival: Arrive at Punta Arenas International Airport (PUQ) on Saturday, February 17th at or before 10:30AM. If you arrive later, you will miss the Isla Magdalena penguin excursion, and meet the group later in the afternoon.

Departure: Ushuaia International Airport on Sunday, February 25th between 10AM to 5PM. If you are continuing on to the Antarctica expedition, a shuttle will take you to the ship in the morning.

IMPORTANT MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

- All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it prior to signing up for any of our trips. You can access it by clicking HERE or visiting https://www.1000treks.com/contract/. A link to the contract can also be found at the bottom of all our web pages under CONTRACT.

- Travel insurance is required. 

- VISA: As of the time of this posting American citizens don’t need a visa for either Chile or Argentina. If you have a foreign passport, you may need a visa. Here are the Chilean and Argentinian Embassy websites so you can look into that:

Chile: https://www.chile.gob.cl/estados-unidos/en

Argentina: https://eeeuu.cancilleria.gob.ar/en

We also recommend that even American citizens periodically check to make sure visa requirements have not changed.

ARRIVAL TO PUNTA ARENAS | LOS PINGUINOS NATURAL MONUMENT | TRANSFER TO PUERTO NATALES

We will arrive in Punta Arenas in the morning and go on an exquisite tour to Isla Magdalena, where we will visit a colony of the adorable Magellanic Penguins. 

Our driver will be waiting at the airport as we arrive, and will take us to the pier, where we will get on a boat to take us to the island, where Los Pinguinos Natural Monument is located. On the island we will also see the Dominican Gull, the Black-browed Albatross, the Imperial Cormorant, and sea lions.

Upon arrival back, we will drive to Puerto Natales, the city next to the magnificent Torres del Paine National park. 

Accommodations:  Hotel Big Sur, Noi Indigo, or similar

Meals: N/A

TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK | FREE DAY IN PUERTO NATALES | OPTIONAL HIKE TO SARMIENTO LAKE

Today we will have a free day in Puerto Natales. 

For the hikers in the group, we will have an optional (no extra cost) excursion and light hike to the breathtaking Sarmiento Lake, where we will not only get to see the lake, but also 6,000 years old cave paintings and wildlife such as  ducks, caiquenes, black necked swans,  Ñandú, gray fox, condor, black eagles, and more. With some luck, we can even see the largest predator in the region: the puma. 

Accommodations:  Hotel Big Sur, Noi Indigo, or similar

Meals: Breakfast

FULL DAY TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK TOUR | TORRES DEL PAINE BASE HIKE

Today is one of the highlights of our trip, where we will visit one of the most beautiful national parks in the world: Torres Del Paine National Park. Today you will have the choice to do it the chill way or the active way.

Chill Way: Full Day Tour by Van

We will be picked up from our hotel, and go on full day guided tour in a comfortable van. We will see the Caves of Milodon, Silla Del Diablo, Laguna Sofia, Lago Porteño, Mesa and Ballena Hills, Lago Grey (where we will have the opportunity for a short walk and lunch), Salto Grande, Nordenskjold Lake, Paine Waterfalls, and Laguna Amarga.  

The Active Way:  Hike Torres del Paine Base

For those of us who want an intense experience, we’ll go on a guided strenuous hike, considered one of the most beautiful hikes in the world: the Torres del Paine Base Hike. A 13-mile out-and-back hike to Mirador Torres, one of the most iconic sights of Patagonia, passing by some of the most beautiful and unique scenery in the world. The 8-hour hike is not for the faint of heart, but it will definitely be worth it for those of us who won’t shy away from a workout with great rewards.  

Accommodations:  Hotel Big Sur, Noi Indigo, or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (boxed lunch at tour or hike)

CROSS INTO ARGENTINA | ESTANCIA 25 DE MAYO | SHEEP DOG HERDING DEMONSTRATION | GAUCHO EXPERIENCE

After breakfast, we will get on our private transport and drive for 3.5 hours to cross into country #2: Beautiful Argentina. 

We arrive early in the afternoon, check in to our hotel, and go visit Estancia 25 de Mayo, an authentic Argentinean estancia (cattle ranch). With 42,000 acres of land, Estancia 25 de Mayo spans from the shores of Lake Argentina in the north to the border with Chile in the south. 

The Gauchos (South American cowboys) will welcome us with fried cakes and Argentinean mate, and tell us the history of the estancias. We will also learn about sheep herding, and watch a demonstration of sheep dog herding, one of the most fascinating and adorable events to witness, as we watch sheep dogs doing what they love the most: herding sheep. The experience will continue with a walk around the estancia, and a visit to the old shearing shed and the corrals, where we will learn about the sheep shearing, and watch a shearing demonstration with scissors. We will also visit the organic garden that produces their vegetables. 

We will cap our day with an authentic Gaucho dinner with creole turnover, Patagonian lamb with chorizo, blood sausage, and salads from the organic garden.

Accommodations: Rincon del Calafate or similar

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner. 

PERITO MORENO GLACIER | BOAT TOUR | OPTIONAL GLACIER HIKE | OPTIONAL KAYAKING BY THE GLACIER

Today we have another highlight of our trip, as we visit the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier. One of the world's few glaciers that are advancing instead of retracting, Perito Moreno offers a magnificent show of consistently rupturing walls of ice. We will see the glacier from land, and then get on a boat to also see it from the water. For those of us who want to get even more intimate with the glacier, we can go kayaking at the glacier lagoon! And for those of us who want to walk ON the glacier, a guided hike on the glacier will be available as well. Both kayaking and hiking are optional (extra cost) activities. 

Note: The entrance to Perito Moreno National Park has to be paid at the gate by each person, so it's not included in the price. The cost will be 10,000 Argentinean pesos (approximately $40 USD). 

After visiting Perito Moreno we leave El Calafate to visit the Argentinian capital of hikes, the mountain village of El Chalten. 

Accommodations: Chalten Suites, Hotel Destino Sur, or or similar

Meals: Breakfast

FREE DAY IN EL CHALTEN | HIKES, NATURE, BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE, AND OPTIONAL MT. FITZ ROY GUIDED HIKE 

Today we have a full free day in El Chalten. With variety of beautiful hikes of all levels, this beautiful village will offer us the option of enjoying a beautiful day in a stunning location, in any way we want. 

Some of us may wish to simply explore the village, while some of us might choose to enjoy nature with a light or moderate hike, and some of us might go on a hike to see Mt. Fitz Roy, as we will have a guided hike option of the Mt. Fitz Roy trail. The beautiful Mt. Fitz Roy is the most famous mountain in Patagonia. You know it, as the mountain pictured on the logo of the Patagonia clothing brand. The hike to see the 11,171 ft. Mt. Fitz Roy is challenging, but considered by some to be the most beautiful hike in Patagonia, even more beautiful that Torres Base. Well, we'll be able to determine that for ourselves, because we will have the chance to do both!

At the end of the day, we will head back to El Calafate, since we have a morning flight to Ushuaia out of El Calafate. 

Accommodations: Rincon del Calafate or similar

Meals: Breakfast

FLY TO USHUAIA | EXPLORE BEAGLE CANAL

Today we leave El Calafate in the morning, and get on a flight to our final beautiful destination, the southernmost city in the world: Ushuaia.

We will arrive in Ushuaia late in the morning, leave our bags at the hotel, and then get on a boat to explore Beagle Channel.  Named after the British ship Beagle, in which Charles Darwin explored the area, Beagle Channel is one of the few waterways between the Atlantic and the Pacific in South America. Beagle channel is also brimming with wildlife and beautiful scenery. 

We will sail the channel all day, including a visit to Bridges Island, where we will learn about the history of the Yámanas, the original inhabitants of the land. From there we will also have breathtaking panoramic views of Beagle Channel with the city of Ushuaia in the background. 

Accommodations: Hotel Cilene del Fuego or similar

Meals: Breakfast

 EXPLORE USHUAIA | OPTIONAL 4X4 AND CANOEING TOUR | OPTIONAL SCENIC AND CULINARY EXPERIENCE 

 Today we have a free day to explore Ushuaia at our leisure, or we have two optional super fun adventures (an active, and a chill one):  

Active: 4x4 and Canoeing Adventure:

We begin our excursion heading north of the island along National Route No. 3, where we will pass in front of the most popular ski center in the area, Cerro Castor. We cross the Andes and start the real 4×4 adventure! We go through huge mud and water roads until we reach the imposing shore of Lake Fagnano. At this point, our guests take a moment to contemplate this extraordinary place and its unique energy.

After this, we will take the open roads and enter the forest to walk through an exclusive area, reaching Lago Escondido where our refuge is located. At this point, our team prepares visitors an Argentine-style barbecue, accompanied with Malbec wine. Finally, we divide our group into pairs and take the canoes to explore the lake for about 45 minutes.Includes:

• Transportation
• English speaking guide
• Lunch
• Canoes and gear

Chill: Scenic and Culinary Experience in Beagle:

We depart from Ushuaia heading north to the detour of the provincial route “J” that will take us back to the Beagle Channel. We make a stop at Laguna Victoria, where we enjoy a snack. Once we arrive at Brown Bay we will deviate to see the famous flag trees, trees that were bent by the constant strong southwest winds of the area. After a delightful stroll around the area, we will return to the vehicle to go in the direction of Puerto Almanza, which is the main port for the local and traditional fish, mainly dedicated to the capture of crab. Passing Puerto Almanza a few kilometers away we will reach the house of one of the most recognized fisherwomen in this area, not only for her work but also because she is the only captain of the Beagle Channel. She will host us at her house, introducing us to the work of a fisherman in Patagonia and the amazing dishes you can create. Includes:

• Shared Transportation
• English speaking guide
• Lunch: 3 seafood and fish courses + dessert + wine and water
• snacks

In the evening we will have one last gift. Tonight we have a full moon. And, well, we are 1000 Treks, and we do everything that is amazing. So, for our last night, we will do a hike in Patagonia under the full moon. This will be an easy, hike with a beautiful scenery, so anyone who wants to do it, can come.  

Accommodations: Hotel Cilene del Fuego or similar

Meals: Breakfast 

FREE DAY | DEPARTURE

Today we'll have a free day in Ushuaia until your transfer to the airport to your flight home, or to the port for your Antarctica cruise.

Accommodations: N/A

Meals: Breakfast