Adventure across the Andes between Argentina and Chile


Trip description

Ideal for travellers who want to explore the different roads of Patagonia! You start in El Calafate, in addition to the famous Perito Moreno Glacier, you will get to the feet of lesser known and so beautiful glaciers. To get there, you have to take the time to cruise and walk through the Andean forest. You cross the border and arrive in Chile at the Torres del Paine Park, which you discover on your own rythm and in total freedom. Disconnect on board the Navimag ferry, a cargo ship that supplies small villages in the Patagonian fjords. You cross the lakes region and reach Argentina in Bariloche, where the Andes Mountains dominate.

An ideal itinerary for slow travellers in search of authenticity!

Agency photo

Discover the agency :
TERRA ARGENTINA


17 days

From : €3,525*



Emilie

I am Emilie, travel designer at Terra Argentina. I live in Bariloche, a small town in Patagonia located between the Andes and the steppe. What captivates me the most is the immensity and the beauty of the landscapes of this region. The friendliness of its inhabitants makes this place a little corner of paradise. The best is to discover it by yourself by following the program "Trans Andean Adventure". I give you an appointment at the edge of the lake Nahuel Huapi!

Day 1: Buenos Aires - El Calafate

Day 2: Cerro Mayo, Cerro Negro and Perito Moreno Glaciers

Day 3: El Calafate - Dickson, Cubo and Grande Glaciers

Day 4: El Calafate - CHILE - Puerto Natales

Day 5: Torres del Paine National Park

Day 6: Torres del Paine National Park

Day 7: Torres del Paine National Park - Puerto Natales

Day 8: Puerto Natales - Navimag Ferry

Day 9: Navimag Ferry Puerto Natales

Day 10: Navimag Ferry: Bernardo O'Higgins National Park - Penas Bay

Day 11: Navimag Ferry: Penas Bay - Moraleda Canal

Day 12: Navimag Ferry: Moraleda Canal - Disembarking - Puerto Montt - Puerto Varas

Day 13: Puerto Varas - Argentina - Bariloche

Day 14: Bariloche - Circuito Chico by e-bike

Day 15: Bariloche - Encantado Valley - Villa Traful - Villa La Angostura - Bariloche

Day 16: Bariloche - Buenos Aires

Day 17: Buenos Aires - International Aiport Ezeiza

Day 1 : Buenos Aires - El Calafate

Le tango, institution à la Boca ©Stéphan SZEREMETA


Reception at Ezeiza International Airport and private transfer to Buenos Aires domestic airport. Transfer with an English-speaking guide.

Domestic flight Buenos Aires - El Calafate.

Transfer from El Calafate Airport to the hotel in pool service

The city of El Calafate offers a lot of activities, some suggestions :

- The Natural Reserve "Laguna Nimez" where you can observe flamingos.

- The Interpretive Center of El Calafate. This Information Center offers various themes: paleontology, geology, anthropology and history.

 

Night at the Roble Sur in standard room.




Day 2 : Cerro Mayo, Cerro Negro and Perito Moreno Glaciers

Glaciar Perito Moreno ©Larissa Chilanti - Shutterstock.com


Departure to the port of Punta Bandera. You will sail on the Tempanos Canal of Lake Argentino. There, you disembark at Bahía Toro and, accompanied by a Spanish-English speaking guide, you will walk for 15 minutes through the Andean Patagonian forest, you will observe an immense formation of limestone rocks.

Navigation continues towards the Cerro Mayo and Cerro Negro glaciers. You disembark for a 25-minute walk, you will approach these magnificent hanging glaciers and you will enjoy panoramic views that will not leave you frozen.

You will return to the boat which will take you to the majestic Perito Moreno glacier. You will disembark for 2 hours to explore the glacier walkways.

Finally, you will return to the boat which will take you back to the port of Punta Bandera to reach the town of El Calafate.

Entrance to Los Glaciares National Park included.

 

Night at the Roble Sur in standard room.




Day 3 : El Calafate - Dickson, Cubo and Grande Glaciers

Always Glaciers ©VarnaK - Shutterstock.com


Departure from your hotel in regular service, to Los Pioneros port, located in Los Glaciares National Park.

You sail for 1 hour then continue with a small trekking of 2 km until Lago Frías. Cross the lake aboard zodiacs and start the 2nd trekking of 4.5 km. You walk through a forest of centennial lengas, then an old glacial valley to finally reach the Frías Superior Lake. You can admire the Dickson, Cubo and Grande glaciers from there.

After lunch, return to El Calafate.

 

Night at the Roble Sur in standard room.




Day 4 : El Calafate - CHILE - Puerto Natales

Bois Pétrifiés La Leona ©Ugo GABERT


Transfer with a private vehicule from the hotel to the bus station in El Calafate.

You leave el Calafate by bus at 8h30. towards Puerto Natales (Chile). This township is located 360 km South of El Calafate. During the trip, you can watch the beautiful Patagonian landscapes across the Andean Range. As you reach Puerto Natales, enjoy the view on the many snow-capped mountain tops and glaciers. Arrival is scheduled around 13h30. Puerto Natales is a small town located at sea-level on the shores of the Senoret Channel.

Note: 362 km - 5 hours (subject to the border crossing).

Your driver welcomes you at Puerto Natales bus station and drives you to Puerto Natales.

 

Night in the hotel Andes Patagonicos




Day 5 : Torres del Paine National Park

Massif del Paine ©RichLindie - iStockphoto


You pick up your rental car:

Vehicule G category like Toyota Rav4 or similar, manual, with unlimited mileage and CDW insurance included.

Suggested itinerary:

Early morning departure to Torres del Paine National Park.

First stop at the Milodon Caves, a natural monument where you can see the archaeological remains of the ancient inhabitants of the area. There are three caves, the largest is 30 meters high and 200 meters long. In 1896 were discovered the remains of a prehistoric animal, a herbivorous giant that inhabited the area and disappeared 10,000 years ago.

You then head to the Torres del Paine Park, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. There are 2 entrances to the park: towards the Amarga Lagoon in the East or the Rio Serrano in the South. Enjoy a panoramic view of the famous Paine towers, long impressive granite blocks.

Along the way, you discover the most beautiful lakes of the park: Nordenskjold, Pehoe, the Salto Grande waterfall. Drive to Lake Grey to see the glacier and a great panorama on the Paine massif and its glacier. This park will amaze you with its massif and its turquoise lakes.

Entrance to Torres Del Paine National Park not included, to be paid on site. Estimated time to Torres Del Paine Park: 1h30

 

Night at the hotel Konkashken**, private cabin.




Day 6 : Torres del Paine National Park

Parque nacional Torres del paine ©JoaLacerda - Shutterstock.com


Suggested itinerary:

You go for a new day in Torres del Paine National Park. Many paths remain to explore, take the time to stop at new miradors, like the Mirador Cuernos or the short hike to the Salto Grande falls, right in front of the Paine range. And if weather is on your side, why not drive to the Grey Lake and take one of the boats that approach the Grey glacier?

 

Night at the hotel Konkashken**, private cabin.




Day 7 : Torres del Paine National Park - Puerto Natales

Paysage du Parc nacional Torres del Paine ©H.Fougère - Iconotec


Suggested itinerary :

New day at Torres del Paine National Park.

Many possible hikes of different duration and difficulty level:

* Grey Beach: Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 1h30

* Condor Viewpoint: Difficulty: Easy - Duration: 45 min to the viewpoint

* Cuernos Viewpoint: Difficulty: Easy - Duration: 1 hour to the viewpoint

* Laguna Azul: Difficulty: Easy - Duration: 1h30

* Mount Ferrier: Difficulty: Difficult - Duration: 4h00 - 5h00

* Base Las Torres: Difficulty: Difficult - Duration: 7h00 - 8h00

Estimated route to Puerto Natales: 1h30

 

Night in the hotel Andes Patagonicos**




Day 8 : Puerto Natales - Navimag Ferry

Bâteaux de pêche à Puerto Natales ©Ksenia Ragozina - shutterstock.com


Day at leisure

Puerto Natales is a small quiet town in the fjords of Patagonia. Take the time to relax when you arrive in Punta Arenas or after visiting Torres del Paine National Park. Take a stroll on the canal side, enjoy the restaurants or visit Patagonian crafts at the Ether Aike market.

Visit the small museum Museo Historico, to learn more about the region, from the first inhabitants, or the Yaghan people, nomads known to have lived in canoes all along the island of Tierra del Fuego, to the settlers for the most recent ones.

The check-in is done from 9 AM to 6:00 PM, our port staff will receive your luggage and guide you in loading your vehicle if you are travelling in one.

Passengers embark at 9 PM (day prior to departure). Once onboard, crew members will give a welcoming talk with some information for a safe and fun trip.

 

AAA Cabin - Cabin with 2 beds, a porthole and a private bathroom




Day 9 : Navimag Ferry Puerto Natales

Parque nacional Torres del paine ©Milonk - Shutterstock.com


Anchor will be weighed at 6 AM and we start our journey through the Patagonian fjords, with final destination at the city of Puerto Montt.

We enter the Unión Sound to navigate through the narrowest part of the route, only 80m wide, called “White Narrows”, to later sail through the Santa María channel.

 

AAA Cabin - Cabin with 2 beds, a porthole and a private bathroom




Day 10 : Navimag Ferry: Bernardo O'Higgins National Park - Penas Bay

Navigation vers le glacier Balmaceda ©Arnaud BONNEFOY


You sail through the Patagonian Channel, Morla Vicuña, Escobar Doxrud Pass, Sóbenes Pass (the southernmost of the route), Unión Channel, Collingwood Narrows, Farquar Pass, Sarmiento Channel, Guía Narrows, Los Inocentes, Concepción, and Wide channels, Paso del Abismo, and Paso del Indio to arrive at the town of Puerto Edén, where the last population of native Alacalufes live. Puerto Edén is located on Wellington Island, one of the largest islands in Chile that forms part of Bernardo O´Higgins National Park.

After a short stay in this port, you will continue your journey towards the north going through the English Narrows, a narrow pass that allows the passage of only one ship at a time. You continue through the Messier Channel, where you will see the cargo ship Capitán Leonidas, shipwrecked since the 1970’s on a half-sunken islet called “Bajo Cotopaxi”. The wreck is currently used as a navigation lighthouse and point of reference for sailors.

At sunset you will start the ocean navigation in the area of the Penas Gulf, an approximate 12-hour crossing, where it is possible to see humpback, Minke, and blue whales, (depending on the time of year and climate).

 

AAA Cabin - Cabin with 2 beds, a porthole and a private bathroom




Day 11 : Navimag Ferry: Penas Bay - Moraleda Canal

Lago Chungara ©jarous - Fotolia


At dawn, the Captain will assess the weather information received, and with the information on the tidal currents in the channels and the positions of celestial bodies like the moon and the sun, he will decide the most appropriate route to continue the journey with the following options to leave the open Ocean Area: 1.- Pulluche Channel / 2.- Ninualac Channel / 3.- Boca de Guafo.

If he chooses the Pulluche channel, the most lush in vegetation (Southern Beech and Patagonian cypress forests), with luck, you will see marine birds, sea lions and native dolphins called “Toninas”.

You enter the Chacabuco Channel, and then sail through the Errázuriz channel, and finally sail through the Moraleda channel, a transit spot for notable sailors and canoeists from the Chonos and Chiloé archipelagos.

If the choice is through the Ninualac channel, you will reach the area around Isla Tuap, later entering the Moraleda Channel.

Finally, if the option is to continue in the open sea through the Boca del Guafo, you will sail amongst the Chonos Archipiélago to continue your route towards Puerto Montt.

 

AAA Cabin - Cabin with 2 beds, a porthole and a private bathroom




Day 12 : Navimag Ferry: Moraleda Canal - Disembarking - Puerto Montt - Puerto Varas

Eglise de Puerto Varas ©Arnaud BONNEFOY


Continuing our journey north, you will sail through the Gulf of Corvocado, then through the Apiao Channel, Ancud Gulf, and Reloncaví Sound, arriving at Puerto Montt in the morning, the city where this great adventure comes to an end.

Your driver picks you up at the port of Puerto Montt and drives you to Puerto Varas next to Llanquihue Lake.

You enjoy your day in this lovely town with a surprising German-like arquitecture and a stunning view on the Osorno volcano above the lake.

The Lake District is known for its beautiful landscapes but also for it rich gastronomy, make sure to try some of the local dishes in one of the many excellent restaurants in town, with view on the lake!

Another highlight is the imposing and colorful 1915 Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón, overlooking downtown from a promontory, is based on the Marienkirche of the Black Forest, Germany.

 

Night at the hotel Mero Gaucho**, standard room.




Day 13 : Puerto Varas - Argentina - Bariloche

Centro Civico ©Diego Grandi - Shutterstock.com


Your driver brings you from the hotel to bus station in Puerto Varas.
Regular bus from Puerto Varas to Bariloche.

Welcoming at Bariloche bus station and transportation to your hotel in private vehicle.

Enjoy your free time to discover Bariloche.

Suggested itinerary:

- Visit the Chocolate Museum, specialty of the city. After that what about having a break in one of the best chocolate shops of the city?

- Go for a walk to enjoy the view of the Nahuel Huapi Lake and of the many mountain ranges which appear on the background.

 

Night at the Hosteria Costas Del Nahuel in a lake view room.




Day 14 : Bariloche - Circuito Chico by e-bike

Même les cabines téléphoniques prennent des airs alpins ©Pierre-Yves SOUCHET


E-Bike rental during the day

We propose you to take an excursion with electric bicycles to discover the "Circuito Chico" starting at the roundabout at km 17 of Av. Bustillo.

With your e-bikes in hand, you go along Bustillo av. towards the Llao Llao Peninsula, where you will see one of the most emblematic hotels in our country. During the tour you can make numerous stops at viewpoints and observe the beauty that surrounds them.

As you reach the peninsula, the landscape becomes more rugged until you pass by Puerto Pañuelo and enter the Llao Llao Municipal Park, Lopez Bay, Moreno and El Trébol Lakes.

You will have the chance to stop for lunch in the small town of Colonia Suiza where on Wednesdays and Sundays there is a Craft Fair and where also the Curanto is made. Continuing along the way, you will stop at the famous Panoramic Point to be even more inspired and feel the wonder of nature that surrounds us.

25km approximately

Private transport to and from the beginning of the small circuit.

 

Night at the Hosteria Costas Del Nahuel in a lake view room.




Day 15 : Bariloche - Encantado Valley - Villa Traful - Villa La Angostura - Bariloche

©Antonio Salaverry - Shutterstock.com


Today we are off to a great tour through the Lake District and the Patagonian Steppe.

We leave San Carlos de Bariloche on a private vehicle. We skirt Nahuel Huapi Lake and we cross Limay River, entering a new environment, the Patagonian Steppe. Some minutes after we enter the Enchanted Valley characterized by its rock formations. Many shapes can be found here, all rocks eroded by millenniums of wind, rain and ice…

At Confluencia, we take dirt road for 50km to reach Traful Lake, to stop at a wonderful viewing point. Then we go into Villa Traful to have lunch. We have some spare time to enjoy the beach and then we continue until reaching the famous Seven Lake Circuit. We cross Coihue Forests (native tree) to get to the city of Villa La Angostura ... you visit downtown with many neat little shops, terraces, restaurants. And then you go to the historical area, where you will find old buildings and some lovely beaches.

Way back to San Carlos de Bariloche through Huemul Peninsula with its white sandy beaches and next crossing the typical landscapes of the Patagonian Steppe.

The road runs once again along Nahuel Huapi Lake, and in the distance, the peaks of Catedral and the town of Bariloche are revealed.

An English speaking guide will acompany you during your tour.

 

Night at the Hosteria Costas Del Nahuel in a lake view room.




Day 16 : Bariloche - Buenos Aires

Deux danseurs en démonstration dans la rue ©Maxence Gorréguès


Transfer in a private vehicle from your hotel to Bariloche Airport.

Domestic flight Bariloche - Buenos Aires

Transfer from Buenos Aires domestic airport to your hotel in a private vehicle.

 

Night at the Selina in standard room.




Day 17 : Buenos Aires - International Aiport Ezeiza

La grande fleur métallique de Floralis Generica dans le parc de la Plaza de las Naciones Unidas ©Stéphan SZEREMETA


Transfer from the hotel to Ezeiza International Airport in a private vehicle.




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