Patagonia Extension (Essence)

On arrival into Punta Arenas airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

Full Day Tour: Torres del Paine NP & Milodon Cave (Seat in coach: incl. lunch + fees)

Full day visit to Torres del Paine National Park, admiring its wonderful flora and fauna, and the beauty of the lakes against the imposing backdrop of the Andes Mountains. The tour includes a vist to the famous Milodon Cave, boxed lunch and entrance fees for Milodon Cave and Paine National Park.

Without a doubt, Paine Towers is one of the most spectacular mountain areas on earth.In the center of the park is a granite massif from which rise the Torres (Towers) and the Cuernos (Horns) of Paine, oddly shaped peaks of over 2,600 meters. There are 15 peaks in the park above 2000 meters, the highest of which is Cerro Paine Grande.

The valleys are filled with beautiful lakes and the enormous Campo de Hielo Sur icecap gives the park four main glaicers: Grey, Dickson, Zapata and Tyndall. Two other glaciers descend from the west side of the central massif.

There is an abundance of wildlife in the park due to a mico-climate especially favorable to plants and wildlife.

There are 105 species of birds including 18 species of waterfowl and 11 birds of prey. Particularly noteworthy are condors, which are quite common, black-necked swans, rheas, kelp geese, ibis, flamingos and autral parrots.

There are also 25 species of mammals including guanacos, hares, foxes, huemules (a species of deer), pumas and skunk. (Seat in coach service, including Entrance fees and lunch)

* * TRIP ITINERARY * *
7.30am: Departure from Puerto Natales (pick up from hotel)
8.00am: Milodon Cave visit
9.30am: Cerro Castillo border
11.00am: Amarga Lagoon entrance (10.30am: In case of bad weather:- Sarmiento Lake entrance)
1.30pm: Lunch at Hosteria
2.45pm: Departure from Hosteria
3.00pm: Visit to Grey Lake (does not include navigation in Grey Lake)
4.40pm: Departure from Grey Lake and surroundings
7.55pm: Drop off at your hotel in Puerto Natales.

• Tour includes: Bilingual guide, land transportation, entrance fees for Milodon Cave and Paine National Park & boxed lunch. (Tour duration: 10 Hours – Depart Puerto Natales at 07:30AM

Full day Balmaceda & Serrano Glacier

Lancha Tonina begins their navigation by the Canal Señoret, heading Northwest to Monte Balmaceda, while the gests have breakfast on board.

The first high spot is the Frigorífico Bories Historical Monument. The Sociedad Explotadora Tierra del Fuego founded this cold-storage plant in 1913; and for over 60 years, it was the most important slaughterhouse in the area. Renowned by its bricklaying and industrial architecture of English post-Victorian style.
By going further on Canal Señoret, the tour heads to Guanaco Island to watch the small and wonderful Magellanic dolphins or toninas.
Later, through Margot Farm, access to Pared de Cormoranes, a place with a great amount of rock shags (Magellanic cormorants) on plain sight, ventilating their extended wings to the wind.
The tour continues to Punta de Lobos, home for sea lions. Then, a visit to the waterfalls and cliffs to observe condors. On each high spot, the boats Agunsa Orca and/or Angusa Tonina shall stop so the guests enjoy the landscape and attraction.
The journey continues to Monte Balmaceda (at 2,035 m height/6,676 ft. height) to first observe the glacier with the same name. Later, landing in Puerto Toro to begin a one-hour walk, round trip, by the shore of Témpanos lagoon, with the constant company of a bilingual guide. Through a native forest of Dombey’s beeches, Antarctic beeches and Chilean fire trees, heading to Serrano glacier, the guests will enjoy the amazing vegetation and the contrast of clean skies and sea ice, along with the astonishing Serrano glacier.

At the allocated time, you will be picked up at your hotel by our driver, and transferred to your hotel in El Calafate (Regular bus services, no guide.)

El Calafate is the centre of the tourist network in the deep south of mainland Argentinian Patagonia, and is one of the country’s most-visited tourist destinations. Overnight at hotel in El Calafate.

Full Day Perito Moreno Glacier & Navigation Safari incl Nat Park entrance fee – Seat in coach service.

** this tour DOES NOT include the cost of the Navigation**

Departure from El Calafate bordering the southern arm of the Argentine Lake to get to Los Glaciares National Park (90 km away). It is an 80 km long bus ride, which means there will be lots of photo opportunities as the bus makes several stops.

All the way a guide from “Los Glaciares” National Park will be with us, giving us all the information about the surrounding area, the history and mysticism of this unique glacier. The road turns winding and bordering Brazo Rico leaves behind the Sighs Curve and reaches the paths to the Glacier. Perito Moreno Glacier is about 30.000 years old. Its surface is 192 km2, the front wall is 5 km long and some of its peaks are 80 metres high. The deep blue base is almost as dark as the water that surrounds it.

The deep silence is suddenly interrupted by the tremendous noise of huge pieces of ice that crack from the glacier and fall into the lake to float on the Canal de los Tempanos (Icebergs Channel). The continuous advance of the glacier eventually separates this Channel from the rest of the Lake. As the Channel is its only communication with the rest of the lakes in the area, the lake grows to reach over 30 metres above its normal level and floods the surrounding areas. Such pressure opens a tunnel in the ice wall forming an arch that eventually collapses in the world famous ‘breaking of the glacier’. This spectacle used to take place every 4 years but due to the planet heating it hasn’t happened in the last 10 years.

In order to get a closer look at this majestic glacier, your boat departs from port Bajo de las Sombras, inside the National Park, and sails along Brazo Chico on Argentino lake toward the Northern wall of the Perito Moreno glacier.

For almost an hour you will sail along the 70m wall getting an amazing view of the falling ice and a superb perspective of the entire glacier.

Late in the afternoon, you will return to your hotel in El Calafate.

On arrival into Bariloche airport, you will be met by our guide and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at hotel in Bariloche.

Today you will be doing the “Circuito Chico” tour, a scenic 50km drive skirting Lake Nahuel Huapi, offering vistas of the Andean peaks, including Tronador (Thundered) the highest (3554m). The road winds along Lake Moreno to a panoramic point, which offers a breathtaking view of Lakes Moreno and Nahuel Huapi, Victoria Island and the Andes in all their splendour. You’ll have an opportunity for an optional stop at Cerro Companario to take the chair lift(additional cost)to the summit for a spectacular panorama of the area.

Overnight at hotel in Bariloche.

Full Day Lakes Crossing:

Full day crossing where you will experience the majesty of the Argentinean and Chilean Lakes District. The land of snow capped volcanoes, emerald green lakes, set amid beautiful mountains, spectacular waterfalls and friendly villages, this trip is renowned for its beauty.

After leaving the hotel we travel on a bus to Puerto Pañuelo. Upon arrival we board El Condor Catamaran and sail the Blest Branch of Nahuel Huapi lake.

We enjoy lunch (optional) in the cozy restaurant of the Blest Hostal with a magnificent view of the lake. After lunch we start a bus trip to Puerto Alegre which borders the Frías river during 3 km. On board the Caleuche or the Dalca motor ship we sail Frías Lake for 15 minutes. From where we shall have the first view of Tronador Hill.

Upon arrival at Puerto Frías we clear Argentine customs and proceed on a bus through lush Andean vegetation to the Vicente Pérez Rosales pass and then 29 kms. To the Chilean customs at Peulla. After customs, it is a short ride to board the Lagos Andinos Catamaran and set out to cross the waters of the Todos Los Santos lake. We are continuing our tour by coach to Puerto Varas, travelling past Lake Llanquihue along the way.

Overnight at hotel in Puerto Varas.

Today you will enjoy a half day city tour of Pto Montt & Pto Varas.

Driving along Costanera Avenue with a magnificent view on the Reloncavi Bay, visit the main square facing the monument to the German Settlers, Cathedral church of the beginning of the century, Antonio Varas streets, main commercial district, Angelmo fishing village, regional market, bordering Tenglo channel towards Chinquihue, Pelluco towards the city of Puerto Varas, also known as the “city of roses” along costanera Avenue Mount Calvario, Philippi park residential districts and the municipal market.

After a tour you will transferred to airport for your flight to Santiago de Chile.