Chile & Argentina Ultimate Patagonia Hiking

After breakfast, travel across the Patagonian plains to the quiet fishing town of Puerto Natales on the shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound). Stretch your legs a bit and have lunch before continuing on to Torres del Paine National Park and taking in your first spectacular views of the Paine Massif (weather permitting). There is also a very good chance of seeing guanacos - small cousins to the camel and llama - on the way to the park.

Get an early start for an all-day hike to the Torres del Paine lookout. Follow the Asencio River over a low pass into the Ascencio Valley, passing through beautiful beech forests, talus-covered slopes, and boulders. Arrive at a spectacular viewpoint that is one of the most scenic spots in the world, where the towers rise majestically before you and a glacial lake is visible below. Enjoy a packed lunch en route before returning to the hotel.

Begin your trek deep into the park, hiking at a relaxed pace along the north shore of Lago Nordenskjold to Los Cuernos, following the Paso Los Cuernos trail beneath the jagged Cuernos del Paine. The views are magnificent, including your first sighting of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. Stay in cozy cabins right next to a waterfall on the most isolated spot of our journey - an excellent staging area for tomorrow's hike to the French Valley.

Hike into the French Valley, one of the most spectacular cirques in the Paine Range. Walk below the glaciers that descend from the massif's highest summit and marvel at the gray granite peaks of the Cuernos del Paine, topped with fantastical black slate "horns." Two hiking options are available today, weather permitting: We can take an 11-mile hike back to camp, or continue up to the mirador (viewpoint) above Camp Británico for one of the most impressive views in the park.

Arise early and hike along the Paine Grande Mountain towards the face of stunning Grey Glacier, at the southern end of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. Enjoy a packed lunch en route before boarding a catamaran that takes us close to the front of the glacier and then down to the southern shore of the Lago Grey (Grey Lake), where our hotel for the night is located.

Depart Chile's Torres del Paine National Park and drive across the border into Argentina. (Please be prepared for delays of up to a few hours while crossing the border). Proceed over the flat grassland steppes to the town of El Calafate, located on the southern shore of glacial lake called Lago Argentino. El Calafate is the gateway to Perito Moreno Glacier and is a great town to explore. You trip leader will recommend restaurants for your dinner on your own tonight.

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Los Glaciares National Park to see the renowned Perito Moreno glacier. At this very active glacier, a 200-foot-high headwall continually calves massive blocks of ice into the lake with a thunderous roar - an awesome spectacle of nature's power at work. Depending on the weather, you can admire the amazing glacier from different viewpoints on a 2-mile footbridge walk. Enjoy a picnic lunch before returning to El Calafate at the end of the day.

We continue our drive across the steppes and along the northern end of Lago Viedma, with the views getting better and better as we approach the mountains and glaciers. Arrive at El Chaltén for lunch. Weather permitting, those who would like to may have a short hike to a scenic lookout, before continuing another half an hour to Laguna Condor.

We visit the private natural reserve, Los Huemules from where we start hiking at the Condor Valley taking us gently uphill from west to east as we approach Laguna del Diablo. This less travelled path boasts impressive views and solitude.

Another day, another inspiring day hike into Los Glaciares. A short transfer brings us to the trail head El Pilar, before setting out on an easy walk through a beautiful forest with impressive views of Piedras Blancas Glacier. From here, begin a steep climb up to Laguna de los Tres, situated just below the impressive Fitz Roy Mountain. At the top take in the beautiful surroundings before hiking back to El Chaltén. We pass the secluded and very scenic Laguna Capri.

Embark on a long day hike into the park's interior. Take in commanding views of the spectacular peaks of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre - both sought after by photographers and climbers the world over. Depending on the weather we might change the day 10 and 11 itinerary. We walk through a varied landscape formed by glaciers and stop at scenic viewpoints along the way to the Laguna Torre, situated on a beautiful glacial lake set against the backdrop of Cerro Torre.

Transfer to the town of El Calafate, where we bid farewell to our guide. Catch a flight to Buenos Aires, the cosmopolitan capital of Argentina that is often referred to as the "Paris of South America." Upon arrival in Buenos Aires, transfer to your hotel in the city's stylish Recoleta district. Dinner is on your own in Buenos Aires, where there is no shortage of tempting culinary offerings.

Today is free for shopping and sightseeing. Explore the Recoleta, famous mainly for its nightlife but also well worth a visit by day. Take in the Museum of Fine Arts and the National Cemetery, which holds the tombs of many famous people. Or browse the stores and colorful stands of the galerias in the Downtown district, especially along Calle Florida. In the evening, transfer to the airport - or stay on a few extra days to take in the beauty of Buenos Aires.