Patagonia Active Itinerary: Patagonia with Private W trekking in Torres del Paine
Updated: Oct 20, 2021
If you are an active traveler and you are planning a trip to Patagonia, where should you go? If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the options, our Active Patagonia itinerary Trekking with private W trek in Torres del Paine Trip is the perfect place to begin!
Highlights of this sample trip includes
* Have the once-in-a-lifetime experience to walk on the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier
* Enjoy a Kayak Experience surrounded by Glaciers
* Prepare to have a lot of fun running very fast rapids in a beautiful scenery
* Trek through Torres del Paine W Circuit
Enjoy the best trekking with amazing views in El Chalten Patagonia Argentina.
What will you experience in our Trip?
Enjoy a unique experience and fall in love with Patagonia in this 16-days tour for those adventurous travelers who love nature and active trips. This tour is best suited for trekkers with hiking experience, or physically-fit adventurers.
Start in Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America. Take a flight to El Calafate, where you will be able to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience to walk on the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier and take a Kayak experience to see the glacier from a truly unique perspective.
Continue the adventure in the town of El Chalten, to enjoy amazing trekkings and have a lot of fun running very fast rapids in a beautiful scenery.
Travel to Torres de Paine National Park to start the private W Circuit trekking and where you can marvel at the park’s turquoise lakes, icebergs, rivers, lenga forests and extensive pampas visited by guanacos, ñandúes and pumas.
Finish your trip in Santiago de Chile and enjoy this magnificent city.
Day by day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Buenos Aires
Welcome to Argentina! Upon arrival at Buenos Aires International Airport, a driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. You’ll have the rest of the day to explore the city at your leisure.
Day 2: From Buenos Aires to El Calafate. Trip to the Grand Glaciers of Patagonia. Transfer to Buenos Aires domestic airport (Aeroparque Jorge Newbery). Reception at El Calafate airport and transfer to your hotel.
The Perito Moreno Glacier, El Calafate. Prepare yourself to be amazed by the majesty of this unique glacier. Its size, colours, and sounds will stimulate your senses!
Day 3: Minitrekking on the Perito Moreno Glaciar..
Today you will have the once-in-a-lifetime experience to walk on the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier, one of Patagonia’s most spectacular sites.
The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO heritage site.
The excursion begins in the embarking pier located in “Bajo de las Sombras” port, about 6 km before the glacier Balconies- where you embark for a 20 minutes navigation across the Rico Arm, enjoying breathtaking views of the Perito Moreno glacier’s front wall. You disembark on the opposite shore, where specialized bilingual mountain guides welcome you and lead you to a small shelter. After checking the last details, groups of not more than 20, follow their guides along the lake’s shore towards the edge of the glacier. Once on the ice the guides put each participant a pair of crampons on, and explain how to use them. The 1:30 hours circuit that follows introduces you to the fascinating landscape of the glaciers: streams, small lagoons, gullies, cravasses and plenty of ice formations of the most incredible blues. The trekking is moderate. The ice surface over which you walk is irregular, but firm and safe. You will receive explanations about flora, fauna and general glaciology of the region and also about the particular phenomenon that happens in the Perito Moreno Glacier and eventually produces its rupture. After the walk, a stroll through the forest brings you back to the shelter.on the Glacier.
Mini-trekking is the best way to experience the Perito Moreno glacier!
Day 4: El Calafate. Kayak Experience surrounded by Glaciers.
Today you will enjoy the unique experience to see the glacier from the water and felt very small next to the giant glacier! If you haven´t kayaked before, have no fear as you will be given very good instructions, the guides will teach you how to move safely within the astonishing glacial waters. If you have kayaked before you just go and enjoy a very different way to see Perito Moreno.
This Perito Moreno Kayak Experience grants you exclusive access to the natural site and offers a truly unique perspective.
The excursion begins with the pick up at your hotel and transfer to Los Glaciares National Park, arriving at about 9:30 after a drive of 74 km,
The Perito Moreno Kayak experience begins with free exploration. From 9:30 to 11:30, you have two hours to free explore every corner of Perito Moreno Glacier. You will be able to take in the sights and sounds of the breathtaking site as you walk through the footbridge and gawk at the incredible viewpoints along the way.
Then you will head to Perito Moreno Kayak Experience’s Meeting Point, located near the main parking area, where our team will greet and brief you.
You will get dressed in state-of-the-art gear as the guides give you a rundown as well as an in-depth safety briefing.
From 12:30 to 14:00 Paddling in Lago Argentino on the north face of Perito Moreno Glacier.
Once prepared and briefed we depart, with kayaks in hand, to Los Templanos beach. We will paddle down towards the glacier so that it is facing us the whole time. We will stop for our postcard picture moment and learn more fun facts about the fascinating Perito Moreno area in Patagonia.
At 14:00 Return to the dome for hot drinks and snacks.
At 15:00 Transfer back to El Calafate. Arrival time to your hotel is around 17:
Inclusions:
• Pick up from the hotels in El Calafate
• Transfer to Los Glaciares National Park
• + 1,5 hours kayaking
• + Lunch Box, snacks and hot drinks
• Duration: Full Day. Pick up: from 07:30 / Return to El Calafate – hotel 17:00
• Exclusion: Entrance fee to Los Glaciares National Park (must be paid for at Entrance Gate)
Notes
• Quantity to confirm departure: Minimum 2
• Maximum capacity: 20 pax
• Kayaking time: 1,5 hours (it might vary depending on the weather conditions)
• Minimum age required: 14 years old. People between 14 and 18 years old must be accompanied by their parents or legal tutor
• Cancellation policy: Tour guides may cancel the activity if the weather conditions are considered inadequate.
• Difficulty: Average
• No previous kayaking experience needed.
• Kayaks: Clients use double kayaks. Clients will use grouped in pairs
• Equipment included: waterproof dry suit, thermal suit, boots, life jackets
• Entrance fee to Los Glaciares National Park: Excluded. Clients are required to bring cash to
Kayak experience, exciting adventure to the Glaciers!
Day 5: From El Calafate to El Chaltén. From the Glaciers to the Trekking district.
Transfer in Regular bus to El Chaltén. Reception at bus terminal and transfer to your hotel.
Day 6: El Chaltén. Day at leisure.
Today you can enjoy trekking on your own following the pathways with different levels of difficulty and length.
Trekking Fitz Roy and Laguna de los Tres, Trekking Cerro Torre or Trekking Pliegue Tumbado; they last around 6 to 8 hours and are good for beginners with a moderate level of difficulty.
We do suggest adding in advance the following Optional Tours: * Mountain guide to accompany you during one of your chosen trekking’s; * Viedma Glacier (12 hours), for beginners and high level of difficulty; * Viedma Navigation and Ice Trekking; this is a navigation tour and ice trekking with crampons on the Viedma Glacier, for beginners and of moderate level of difficulty.
El Chalten, discover some of the most amazing landscapes in Patagonia
Day 7: El Chaltén – Rafting
Prepare to have a lot of fun today running very fast in a beautiful scenery!
In the town of El Chalten, Santa Cruz, we found the Rio de Las Vueltas which originates at Lake Desert to 506 meters above the sea. Its most important tributaries are the Rio Electric, and the Rio Fitz Roy both glacial (Marconi Glacier and Glacier Torre respectively).
As glacial tributaries, it is a river that has the characteristic whitish stable water levels; or brown in case of rain or snowmelt. The water temperature is between 5 and 7 degrees.
During spring, summer and autumn (September to April) its average flow is 52.35 m³ / s, which allows to the confluence of the river Fitz Roy, navigate between slopes and enjoying the quiet landscape around us .
The experience begins when passengers “Rafting El Chalten” arrive at the base in the village, where they will welcome you and be informed about the area (Glacier National Park), and then explain the development of the activity.
Each passenger will be provided with the required technical equipment: thermal suit, dry suit, helmet, life jacket and neoprene boots.
Once passengers are equipped, they are transferred to the entrance area to the river where the guide will give a talk about technique and safety of the activity, then embarks and starts the activity in the water.
The first area consists of four kilometers of calm and meandering waters with Fitz Roy behind us; familiarisarse ideal area to raft the river and practice paddling techniques needed.
The second area is that of the canyon. Having avoided the rapid initial we will find a series of fun and exciting rapids for 8 kms.
We finish the fall with an area of 2 km of calm waters. At the end of the tour we were waiting for our car to take us back to El Chalten
Season
FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH
• Quantity to confirm departure: Minimum 3
• Maximum capacity per raft: 8 pax
• Rafting tour: 2 hours
• Minimum age required: 12 years old.
• No previous rafting experience needed.
• Equipment included: waterproof dry suit, boots, life jackets, helmets.
• Fitness level: medium
• Rapids category III
Get ready to have a lot of fun with this rafting activity. Incredible Picturesque views, unforgettable adventure!
Day 8: From El Chaltén to El Calafate. Transfer back to El Calafate in Regular bus. Reception at the bus station and transfer to your hotel.
Day 9: From El Calafate to Puerto Natales. From the Argentine Glaciers to the Chilean Glaciers.
Transfer from El Calafate to Puerto Natales in Regular bus. Reception at Puerto Natales bus station and transfer to your hotel.
Puerto Natales is the gateway to the famous Torres del Paine National Park.
Day 10: Private W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park.
Get ready to start your adventure! We invite you to see the massive granite towers up close that give the Park its name, walk alongside the breathtaking “Cuernos del Paine” and to be amazed by the stunning shapes of the “Francés Valley. We will take the 2:30 pm bus to Torres del Paine National Park. The trip takes about 2.5 hours (112 km). You will arrive in the afternoon, have dinner, and sleep in the Central Sector.
Lodgment Central Sector Refuge
W Trek route in Torre del Paine
Day 11: Hike to Las Torres Base Lookout Point
You will depart early to one of the landmarks of the park, the Las Torres Base Lookout Point.
During the first stretch, you will walk through the pampa, cross the Ascencio River, and then climb 3 km up to Los Vientos Mountain Pass, where you will enjoy amazing views of the valley and lakes. You will continue your journey to the Chileno Mountain Refuge, and then go deep into a lenga beech forest up to La Morrena, where the hardest part of the hike begins. You will follow a rock trail to the spectacular Las Torres Base Lookout Point. Later, you will begin the descent to the Central Sector to have dinner and sleep
Lodgment Central Sector Refuge
Hike to Base las Torres unique and one’s lifetime experience. One of the true highlights of the “W” circuit of Torres del Paine National Park.
Day 12 Hike Francés Sector
You will walk about 13.5 km along the shore of Nordenskjöld Lake, Almirante Nieto Hill, and the striking Cuernos del Paine. During the hike, you will enjoy magnificent views of Los Cuernos, hanging glaciers, lakes, and the abundant local vegetation and wildlife.
You will have dinner and sleep in the Francés Sector
Lodgment French Sector Refuge
Day 13 Hike Francés Valley
The day begins with one of the icons of the circuit, the Francés Valley. You will start early with a light hike to the Italiano Campsite. From there, you will begin the climb through the woods (about 2 km) up the Francés River Valley. We will continue to the Francés Lookout Point, where you will enjoy one of the most breathtaking views of the circuit, the view to the valley framed by the Hills Paine Grande, Catedral, Hoja, Máscara,
Espada, Aleta de Tiburón, and Cuerno del Norte. It will leave you speechless. After this spectacle, you will begin the descent to the Paine Grande Sector.
Lodgment Paine grande Sector Refuge
Hike to the French Valley. The Valle Frances is one of the main attractions in Torres del Paine National Park; it takes roughly 2 hours to trek into the valley and reach the hanging Glaciar Frances, where you’ll hear the rumble of small avalanches in the distance and watch ice calving from the glacier. the French Valley.
Day 14Hike Grey Glacier Sector – Pehoé Lake Navigation – Return to Puerto Natales
On this day, you will reach the third milestone of the circuit, a place that is one of the most unforgettable sceneries of the park, the magnificent Grey Glacier.
The trail goes around the Paine Grande Hill, the highest peak in the mountain range (3,050 m), with incredible views of its hanging glaciers. Walking amidst Antarctic Beech (ñirre), Dombey’s beech (coigüe), and Chilean firebush (notro), you will reach the first lookout point of Grey Lake, where we will see floating pieces of glacier. We will continue to walk towards the imposing view of Grey Glacier to reach the Grey Mountain Refuge.
Then, you will return to the Paine Grande Sector and take the 6:30 pm catamaran that will take you to Pudeto. There you will meet the bus that will take you back to Puerto Natales
Hike Grey Glacier Sector: a place that is one of the most unforgettable sceneries of the Torres del Paine National park
Day 15: From Punta Arenas to Santiago de Chile
Return transfer by regular bus to Punta Arenas to take your flight to Santiago de Chile.Upon arrival At Santiago International Airport, a driver will meet you and transfer you to your hotel.
Make sure to to enjoy a culinary dinner in one of the great restaurants and wine bars of Bellavista neighborhood!
Discover Santiago a multi-faceted capital of Chile, with fine parks and numerous sporting and cultural activities. You’ll enjoy fabulous food in the city’s many and varied restaurants, as well as a thriving nightlife scene.
Day 16: Goodby Santiago
It’s time to say goodbye. Transfer to the international airport for your flight back home. ¡Buen viaje!
Your Perfect Patagonia Active Itinerary
We hope this sample Patagonia active itinerary helps you plan your perfect trip! If you are ready to start planning your trip contact us and we can help you design your perfect itinerary!
Clara Barciela ❣️ Founding Partner & Director Across Argentina & South America Follow us on Instagram or facebook for more inspiration about Argentina & South America!
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About us! Clara & Maria
We believe South America is one of the most unforgettable places on earth – and we want you to help you fall in love with the continent just like we have. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, we founded Across South-America to help guests experience the ‘real’ South America – without compromising on comfort. A decade later, and Across South-America is a well-known boutique travel agency crafting outstanding vacations for couples, friends and families from all over the world. Our main point of difference is that we’re local experts. South America is our backyard. . Read More Let us show you the South America we know and love. Contact us!
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