Patagonia, Atacama & La Quebrada (RTA)

We welcome you at Calafate airport and transfer to town to check in at your hostel. You get the rest of the day to enjoy the town and later you have your welcome dinner.

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom / Meals we provide: Dinner
• Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Dinner

Alter breakfast we take our bus for the 220 km long drive to El Chaltén, a small and picturesque village at the foot of Fitz Roy & Cerro Torre massif. We make a stop half way to enjoy local pastries and hot coffee. Once in Chaltén, we’ll meet fellow travellers coming from up north (Route 40) and start our trek. We carry in our packs only the necessary items for this 3 nights and 4 days in which we’ll overnight in our Full Camps inside the National Park.
We hike up a gentle slope on Fitz Roy trail to gain height over the River de las Vueltas valley up to the first viewpoints over Fitz Roy massif. Our hike to Laguna Capri will take us no more than 2 hours and a half, in a clear and easy trail. Once on our Laguna Capri Full Camp, we leave our stuff in our tent and we enjoy an afternoon walk to the sightseeing points around the lagoon.
Full Camps are pitched up early in the season, so we find the camp ready upon arrival. It offers comfortable 3 people igloo type tents for each 2 passengers, with mattresses and sleeping bags. An inside cotton sheet is provided as inner clothing for the sleeping bag. The camp also features a spacious dinning tent, a kitchen tent, tables, benches or chairs and a full set of table service and kitchenware. The sanitary services are latrine-type.

• Lodging at Laguna Capri Full Camp in double or single tent (rural area) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner

Early in the morning, before the first coffee, we can try to match up the morning Light getting pink in Fitz Roy granite walls. You only need this to feel the trip is worthwhile. But of course the day offers much more.
After breakfast, carrying only day personal items such as our parka, gloves, our camera, water bottle and box lunch, we hike along Fitz Roy trail up to Rio Blanco, climbers basecamp to the east side of the mountain. From here a steep 1 h trail leads us to one of the most spectaculars viewpoints of the National Park: Laguna de los Tres, with its zephyr blue colour, lays at the foot of the massif, offering full close up views of Fitz Roy massif spires and glaciers. Each wall rises something from 600 to 1500 mts above the surrounding glaciers. Fitz Roy, with its 3405 mts above sea level, is considered the “King of Patagonia” and also considered one of the three most beautiful mountains on Earth (together with Alpamayo in Perú and K2 in the Karakoram). We hike back to Laguna Capri in the late afternoon. Walking time is 5 to 6 hs.

• Lodging at Laguna Capri Full Camp in double or single tent (rural area) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner

Today we make it around Laguna Capri to get to the Lagoons Madre and Hija Valley and down to Fitz Roy river valley, where we meet Cerro Torre trail and we get to Cerro Torre Full Camp. The trail runs along beech forest, bogs and shrubland. From the camp, a short hike takes us to Laguna Torre, enclosed by morraines and with the Glacier Grande calving in its west side. It is usual to see icebergs pushed by the wind in the coast of the lagoon. The thin and elegant 3128 mts of Cerro Torre group and the Adela range in the background complete this spectacular view. Walking time 3 to 4 hs.

• Lodging at Cerro Torre Full Camp in double or single tent (rural area) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner

In the morning we visit Laguna Torre again to reach the old Maestri basecamp, located in a high site up along the north morraine of the lagoon. For keen hikers, we offer an optional excursion, the so called “Holiday on Ice”: early start, crampons and harnesses, a tyrolean (horizontal fixed rope attached to both sides of a river) to cross Fitz Roy river, and we visit Glacier Grande, where we will visit crevices, ice caves and we’ll practice ice climbing with the proper advice of experienced mountain guides.
Late in the afternoon we walk back to Chaltén along Fitz Roy river valley. Total estimated time of the standard day: 4 to 5 hs. If you go on the “Holiday on Ice”, it is 7 hs plus the trail back to Chalten which is 2 and a half hours more.
Optional excursion: Holiday On Ice

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom. / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner.
• Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch and dinner.

Morning at your own to visit the picturesque village or to make optional excursions such as Lago del Desierto (in spite of its name, its a beautiful, beech forest surrounded lake, with hanging glaciers in its west side), or to see very interesting information at the National Park Visitor Centre.
By 5 pm we take our bus to our next destination, El Calafate, gateway for the glaciers area of the Park. Arrival time is scheduled for 9 pm. Driving distance: 220 km

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom. / Meals we provide: Breakfast
• Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast

We dedicate this day to one of the World’s Natural Wonder: the Moreno glacier. This ice field- type glacier flows down from the Patagonian Icefield, a big sheet of ice that with its 22.000 square kilometres is the third largest glacier area in the world, after Antarctica (14 M sq km) and Greenland (1 M sq km). Because unusual favourable local conditions, this glacier is the only one in the world that shows a closure and rupture process. The road leads to the very front of the glacier, which will be only meters away from your eyes. A beautiful, short trail, will lead us from the shores of the lake to the upper viewpoints. The roar of the chunks of ice falling inside the glacier or from the glacier into the lake, the frequent collapse of the front seracs into the turquoise water, makes out of this day a very special and unique experience. We will drive 80 km (1 and a half hour) to get and come back from the glacier across the steppe, watching a wide variety of birds.

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom. / Meals we provide: Breakfast
• Alternative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast

Early start for a 6 hs drive to our camp in Paine. We drive across the steppe, still following by parts the legendary route 40, to get around Sierra de los Baguales, an impressive range in between Calafate and Paine. We cross the Argentinean Chilean border at Cancha Carrera/ Cerro Castillo. After the border crossing, we start our final sprint to Paine National Park, World Heritage by the UNESCO (United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization). Approaching the Park, we start to see the different mountains that feature the area: Paine Grande, the Horns, Admiral Nieto and the Towers. We enter the Park by Porteria Sarmiento. A rich wildlife: guanacos, lesser rheas, condors and all types of wetland and buzzard birds, will be available for our eyes and cameras. We’ll stop in the Lake Nordenskjöld and in Salto Grande viewpoints for short walks. In the afternoon we continue to visit the westernmost side of the National Park, lake Grey area, where a short and easy hike along the south shore of the lake allow us to enjoy the blue icebergs that calving from the glacier in the northern side of the lake are pushed by the wind to this side.
Lake Pehoe Full Camp keeps the style of Laguna Capri and Cerro Torre Full Camps, but combined with the first class facilities provided by the campsite: good and clean bathrooms and hot water showers, water and electricity in each camping site.

• Lodging at Camping Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.

We drive an tour to get to Estancia Cerro Paine, headtrail for the world famous Paine towers. We “warm up” hiking a steep one hour slope, to get inside the Ascensio river valley, a narrow “V” shape alpine valley coming from inside the Paine massif. A gentle downhill leads us to Refugio Chileno, a cozy and comfortable mountain lodge, which can be a good turnaround point for those not willing to make a full day hike. We then walk in a gentle slope along the river side and inside beech forest. A final climb on moraine take us to the Towers viewpoint: a glacier origin lagoon and the three towers rising vertically 1000 mts from the glacier. The lack of breath will be either because the climb and the sight!!!! We go back to our camp on the same way we came. Walking time: 7 to 8 hs.

• Lodging at Camping Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner.

Early in the morning a short drive takes us to Port Pudeto to board the catamarán that cross lake Pehoe twice a day. We carry only the necessary stuff to be 2 days and 1 night away from our Camping Pehoe Full Camp, where the rest of our luggage will stay. One in the far side of the lake, we leave unnecessary items in our tents and we set out to the French Valley trail. The trail skirts Paine Grande south slopes and lake Skottberg, to take us after 2 hs and a half of continuous ups and downs, to the hanging bridge upon the French River. This breathtaking location is at the foot of both the 2700 mts south east face of Paine Grande (to the west) and the Horns, with its characteristic black sedimentary topping, to the east. Keen hikers can go on and reach the upper viewpoints of the valley, from where you see the whole group of spires that feature the high valley: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (The Fortress).
Walking time for those who reach the upper viewpoints: 8 to 9 hs. For those reaching the lower viewpoints: 5 to 6.
We retrace our steps back to Refugio Pehoe Full Camp.

• Lodging at Refugio Pehoe Full Camp in double or single tent (area with sanitary services) / Meals we provide: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner

Lake Grey trail leads from Pehoe Valley across ridges to reach Grey valley. This magnificent valley flows down somewhat of 60 km from the Patagonian Icefield, featuring the huge glacier calving down in the grey colour lake. Our trail skirts the lake, going up and down the westerns slopes of Paine Grande, offering some of the most impressive sights of the Park. From the high sections of the trail, many different viewpoints allow us to see the south end of the lake where the blue icebergs gather, the mountains rising far in the distance above glaciers Grey and Tyndall, and of course lake and glacier Grey. The trail reaches a close up point to the front of the glacier. We come back along the same trail, crossing bogs, shrublands and forest. In the evening we take the boat to cross lake Pehoe back and then we go to our accommodation in Puerto Natales, a picturesque fishermen town located in the shores of the Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) fiord.

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunche
• Altrnative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunche

This is a free day for you to enjoy different optional activities. We suggest the boat trip of the fiordo Ultima Esperanza which visits the glacieres Balmaceda and Serrano.

• Lodging in a Hostel room with shared bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast
• Altrnative: Hosteria or Inn, double or single room with private bathroom / Meals we provide: Breakfast

We are transferred to the airport of Punta arenas where we flight to the Calama Airport. Upon arrival we will be transferred to San Pedro de Atacama and our accommodation.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast

This day we will visit the Miscanti y Miñique lagoons; with its wonderful colors are located over 4000 meters over the level of the sea. On our way to them, we stop at a Toconao, an old town made complete of stone, where the art craft is also well known. Another highlight of this is the ‘ Salar de Atacama’ which is over 100 km of extension. . We will also appreciate some of the birds and fauna that has manage to survive in one the most desertic places of the earth. All this will require from us around 6 hours. Our lodging will be around 90 Km from San Pedro de Atacama.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast

This day starts quite early in the morning. We will depart before dawn (4 AM) in order to go to the TATIO volcano, located 4500 meters over the level of the sea. First thing we’ll do once we arrive is to go to the geothermal field located in the mountain range of Los Andes. Early in the morning this place has an amazing steamy activity because of the high temperatures that are coming up from the craters. The boiling water, the huge columns on steam and the water that runs underneath the surface makes of this, and unforgettable experience.
We will have breakfast here, and then we’ll take a walk and those who want to might take a bath in the warm water near the geysers. (That’s why we recommend you to bring along besides warm clothing, a swimming suit, towel, sun block)

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast

Early in the morning we say goodbye to San Pedro de Atacama and by bus we go back to Argentina crossing the mountain range of Los Andes. Thru el Paso de Jama we will be able to appreciate the “Salinas Grandes”; then descending over the path of the Lipan, we’ll make a stop at the town of Pumamarca and its famous Mount of the ‘Los Siete Colores’. Later we arrive to our lodge at the painteresque town of Tilcara.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast

We’ll have the morning free to discover the town and its unique things such us: la plaza grande, la plaza chica, the town church - and the Pucará de Tilcara. In the afternoon we’ll do a small trek to the devil’s throat, walking along the old Kollas paths and watching the amazing view. After 3 or 4 hours we finally go back to Tilcara.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast

Early in the morning we take a local bus and go to a small town located right in between the mountains, Iruya. From it we can have a special view since its right on the end of the valley. After enjoying the town we spend the night at Humahuaca.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunch.

Alter breakfast by bus we leave Humahuaca and alter 10 km we arrive to the small town of Uquía. Once there we visit the church of “San Francisco de Paula” with its altar laminated in gold by the Jesuits in 1691 - year in which it was built - and adorned with the pictures of the brought arcabuceros angels brought from Cuzco. Then we do a small trek to the la Quebrada de las Señoritas o Yacoraite. The intense red color makes of it a shocking place; also because it’s known for its paleontological deposit where have been rest fossil of the last great mammals that inhabited the Earth, like milodontes and gigantic perezosos. Back in Uquía we visit a place where vicuñas are raised and an old hydraulic mill. At the end of the day we go back to Humahuaca.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunch

We leave Humahuaca and we cross “Peña Blanca”, east border of the Quebrada of Humahuaca. Here we begin our adventure of “colorful towns and quebradas”. After a few kilometers we meet the first towns. The overwhelming plains of the Cocataca Valley reminds us of one of the main Inca agricultural sites. During the morning we walk this valley and take our lunch once in town. During the afternoon we go hiking for 2 and a half hours to watch the ancient paintings on rocks on Cerro Negro. From here we enjoy spectaculars view over the valley. After getting back in our vehicle we cross by sifferent towns such as Valiaso and Pucara to climb the Serrania of Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara Hills) reaching 4200 mts above sea level. We end up the day at the viewpoint in Cerro Horconal, with beautiful views over the Abra (huge prairie) de Zenta. We take a typical northwest tea time and get back to our hotel by 7 pm.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single / Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunch

We depart in our mini bus for Humahuaca to the Quebrada de Sapagua, where we’ll take a walk around the area. For there we continue to the small community of the Hornaditas, where we will be able to share the life experience of the natural inhabitant of the area, who open the door of their homes. Finally we go back to the city of Salta.

• Lodging at Hosteria double or single/ Meals we provide: Breakfast & box lunch

After breakfast we are transferred to the airport or bus Terminal where our tours ends
Meals we provide: Breakfast