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Route Rating Level 2 to Level 5

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RESERVE THIS TRIP!

Casual Inns
  • From $4,998
    To $5,398 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+From $1,520 To $1,790
    for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

9 DAYS, 8 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2008 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
2009 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
2010 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals included except 2 dinners.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

El Calafate, Argentina/Punta Arenas, Chile

Special Interest

Culture & History, Geological Wonders, Horseback Ride, Natural Beauty &/or Wildlife, Tropical/Winter Sunshine

My Backroads

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Contact Us

Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
E-mail us

801 Cedar St.
Berkeley, CA 94710

Business Hours:
7 days a week
from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

Or contact your travel agent

Chile Argentina Tour

Chile & Argentina Hiking

Glaciers & Mountain Peaks in Chile & Argentina

Marked by frozen mountains, gaping fjords, enormous glaciers and desolate rolling pampas, Patagonia is one of the world’s most spellbinding landscapes. Here Andean condors soar on air currents, guanacos graze in the alpine meadows and flightless ñandúes roam the wind-whipped prairies. With the jagged granite spires of the Torres del Paine and the 200-foot-high, 3-mile-wide river of ice known as the Perito Moreno Glacier, it’s easy to understand why explorers, adventurers—and the occasional outlaw—have been drawn to the area for centuries. Complementing the untrammeled beauty of the landscape, each night’s hotel welcomes us with plenty of creature comforts.

You are viewing the Classic Casual Inns version of this trip.
View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

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Days 1-3 El Chalten

Meet in El Calafate Shuttle to El Chalten, where you can look forward to some of the most spectacular hiking in Argentina Explore the remote northern section of Parque Nacional Los Glaciares Choose from such spectacular routes as Laguna Capri and Laguna de los Tres, which provide sweeping views of the Fitz Roy (Cerro El Chalten) massif.

Days 4-5 El Calafate

Enjoy a hands-on cooking class where you'll learn the secrets of making an authentic empanada  Relax, explore town or go horseback riding Strap on crampons and follow expert mountaineering guides across the Perito Moreno Glacier, a frozen landscape of crevasses and ice formations of the most incredible blue  Walk to the Balconies lookout along the iceberg laden Canal de los Tempanos.

Days 6-9 Torres del Paine

Arrive in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, a Biosphere Reserve that is one of the most remote and unspoiled places on earth Enjoy a traditional asado barbecue and visit a historic working estancia   Trek through a lenga forest and along a glacial river en route to the base of the breathtaking 12-million-year-old torres After boating across Lake Pehoé, continue on foot through the French River Valley, which cuts between the Paine Grande massif and the Cuernos (Horns) Shuttle to Punta Arenas, where our trip concludes.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

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Guest Trip Reviews

Patagonia is beautiful and the leaders and local guides made it even more interesting and beautiful. I learned so much about the land and the people. This trip had to go down as my best and most enriching Backroads trip.
Lisa Goldberg - New York, NY

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All Raves and Reviews

For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Chile and Argentina tour experts. For walking tours and hiking tours in Latin America, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Latin America walking tours and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Latin America biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Latin America multisport tours click here.

Chile & Argentina Hiking

HOSPITABLE HOSTERIAS: Casual Inns

Hosteria El Puma

El Chalten (3 nights): Located at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy and Mount Torre, the hotel’s warming fireplace lounge and charming guest rooms make this a great place to begin our trip.

Kau Yatun

El Calafate (2 nights): This country-style hotel is set on 10 forested acres at the foot of Mount Calafate and features a welcoming reading lounge, spacious guest rooms and two restaurants.

Lodge Cerro Guido

Comuna Torres del Paine (1 night): Featuring breathtaking views of the Paine Massif peaks, this lodge has retained much of its original architecture from the 1900s.

Hotel Rio Serrano

Torres del Paine (2 nights): This stunning hotel on the Serrano River offers panoramic views of the Torres del Paine.

Chile & Argentina Hiking Chile & Argentina Hiking

Hosteria El Puma

You are viewing the Classic Casual Inns version of this trip.
View the Classic Premiere Inns Itineraries.

Chile & Argentina Hiking

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Start of Trip
Day 2
  • Levels 2 to 5 3 Route Options Available
  • 6.2, 12.4, 15 miles
  • 500 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 3
  • Levels 4 to 5   2 Route Options Available
  • 10.6, 13.7  miles
  • 1000 - 2500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
  • Level 1  1 Route Option Available
  • 2.2 miles
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
  • Optional Activities
Day 5
  • Level 1 2 Route Options Available
  • Glacier trekking 2 hours
  • Walking 1 mile
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Level 1 1 Route Option Available
  • Walking 2.5 hours
  • 0 - 500 feet elevation gain
Day 7
  • Level 4 1 Route Option Available
  • 10 miles
  • 2000 - 2500 feet elevation gain
Day 8
  • Levels 4 to 5  2 Route Options Available
  • 9.9, 11.8 miles
  • 1000 - 1500 feet elevation gain
Day 9
  • Conclusion of Trip
Chile & Argentina Hiking Chile & Argentina Hiking

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles