Expedition by car through incredible Patagonia
11 DAYS
24 PEOPLE
- EURO
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DESCRIPTION
Travel to Patagonia, the "Land of Bigfoots", to travel back three million years to a real Ice Age! Walk along the highest glaciers in the world! Enjoy an adventurous trek to the famous peaks of Cerro Torre, Fitzroy and the Blue Towers of Torres. Visit fabulous places that Jules Verne did not even know about when he wrote the book "Children of Captain Grant". Not only Jules Verne, even the real discoverers of Patagonia - Magellan, Fitzroy and Darwin, never learned about the hidden beauties of the "country of big-footed" hidden in the very center of the Andes!
For many years, we have been organizing trips to the very edge of South America, where the legendary and colorful mountains of Patagonia, amazing glaciers and lakes are located!
Now Patagonia is one of the most popular and difficult tourist destinations. Difficult because there is very little comfortable housing, there is a great demand for all types of services; because of it, prices there grow by 10% every year.
This time, we decided to add the famous Tierra del Fuego to our updated Patagonian program, a very beautiful region where the "Edge of the World" ends and where expeditions to Antarctica start. Another change will be that we decided to do this trip by cars to be as independent and mobile as possible. Accommodation of the Paganels will be in comfortable hotels, and inside the Torres del Paine Park, we will live in mountain shelters. It is the most difficult and the most expensive part of our adventure, as we can live only in few places of the park and we made a reservation for the Paganel Studio team a year and a half before the start of the trip. Any other lodging option outside of the park is a few hundred miles a day on a gravel road to see the mountains from afar. The program will be active, full of beauty and feasible for any person. All trekking in the most beautiful places of Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia will be comfortable and if you are not ready to go 10-18 km one day or another, then you will have a car nearby with the opportunity to go to see other beautiful places and photographic points!
The first Group of Paganels will celebrate the New Year in Patagonia. We will start our journey in Argentina, in El Calafate, where we will see all the most interesting things that are in this part of the route: the symbol of all Patagonia is Mount Fitzroy, the Perito Mareno glacier, El Chalten. We will taste the famous meat dish Asado Cordero from Patagonian lamb. And then we will move to the Chilean part and settle inside the Torres del Paine park, dedicate these days to insanely beautiful trekking, we will meet sunrises and sunsets among the peaks of Torres, watch the guanacos, take the most incredible photos, enjoy the most beautiful views, walk near the glaciers.
IMPORTANT!
Due to the fact that our expeditions do not include international flights to the starting point of the program, we cannot be held responsible for changes in flight conditions by airlines or airport requirements. Since our travelers fly from many different countries and cities, we never participate in the purchase of air travel and limit ourselves exclusively to advisory services in the selection of flights. Air agents or airlines from which tickets were purchased are responsible for the purchase and technical support.
Sviatoslav Strutynskyi
Expedition leader
More details
ROUTE
РІВЕНЬ ПІДГОТОВКИ
Normal physical form. Priority is given to participants who are able and willing to drive cars with a manual transmission. At least one person per crew. Other participants are admitted to groups on a residual basis.
-transfers to / from the airport along the entire route (if you arrive and depart on the dates in strict accordance with the program of our trip);
- car rental (manual box);
-car insurance and fuel;
-visit to the Perito Moreno Glacier park;
-entrance tickets and permits to the national parks Fitzroy and Torres del Paine;
-accommodation in comfortable hotels along the route, including a hotel in Torres del Paine Park (3 night)
-breakfasts in hotels;
-services of local guides;
-services of Spanish-Ukrainian-speaking guides of the Paganel Studio team;
-boats and ferries according to the route;
-entrance to Pinguino Rey park;
-entrance to the Tierra del Fuego National Park;
-for those who wish, master classes in DSLR video and photography.
ITINERARY
Day 1
28.12.25/10.01.26
Flight from your city to Argentina, El Calafate.
Meeting with the guide team at El Calafate Airport (FTE). We get our expedition cars and we go to the city. El Calafate is located in the steppe part of Patagonia, dry and dramatic. It is located on the border of Lago Argentino (the largest lake in Argentina). This is the gateway to the Argentinean part of Patagonia and to the world famous Perito Moreno Glacier.
Checking in a hotel.
After lunch, you can go closer to the lake and take pictures of pink flamingos or take a walk around the city, at the same time buying liqueurs and jams from local berries, with the same name "Calafate".
In the evening, we gather in one of the cozy restaurants of the city. We will try the local Argentine cuisine. We will hold a traditional evening of acquaintance with the Paganels, the presentation of nominal expedition T-shirts and badges.
(Included: Overnight at the Posta Sur Hotel)
Day 2
29.12.25/11.01.26
We get up early in the morning. We do not touch suitcases and things :) We have to spend the night in this hotel yet for the second time. We take cameras, trekking shoes, jackets just in case, sunglasses and sun cream, a bottle of water, load into our cars and drive 80 kilometers to see one of the main wonders of Patagonia - the Perito Moreno Glacier.
It is the largest of the forty-eight glaciers in Patagonia. It is only 60 meters in height, and this is a 20-storied building. And under water - three more times for the same amount! Its icy "tongue", 5 kilometers wide, stretches into the lake from the Andes for a distance of 23 kilometers. At the same time, Perito Moreno is a “living glacier”, it does not melt, and moves at a speed of 2 meters per day!
From specially equipped viewing platforms and paths, we will be able to walk and see the most breathtaking views of Perito Moreno.
Nowhere else on the Earth, you will find such a miracle, with thousands of ice ridges, towers and castles of bright blue color. As an additional option, you can take a boat trip closer to this amazing natural wonder or take a mini-trekking in crampons along the glacier.
In the evening, we return to the hotel, exchange impressions, admiration and photos. Rest.
Additional cost for mini-trekking: about 150 USD/person.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the Posta Sur Hotel)
Day 3
30.12.25/12.01.26
Early breakfast is at the hotel. Today we are moving in our cars to the tiny town of El Chalten, located at the foot of the famous Mount Fitzroy. The road will take 3 - 4 hours to get there. Along the way, we will stop to enjoy the atmospheric desert of South Patagonia on the famous Route 40. Here you can take cool photos because the road "Ruta No. 40" is considered iconic in South America. It runs along the western border of Argentina parallel to the Andes mountain ranges.
This is one of the longest roads in the world, 5 thousand km long, which begins in the south of Argentina near Tierra del Fuego and ends in the north of the country near the border with Bolivia, passing all the time along the Andean ridge and crossing 20 national parks, 18 large rivers, 236 bridges, along 13 large lakes and salt marshes and through 27 mountain passes, one of which reaches a height of 5000 meters. In Patagonia, the most difficult part of the Ruta-40 road is located, sometimes the side wind reaches 200 km / h and literally blows away cars. You rarely see cyclists or motorcyclists here. However, a car for such an adventure is just right! We will drive across the La Leona River, which connects Lake Argentino and Lake Vidma. Already approaching El Chalten, you understand how beautiful it is here. Handsome Fitzroy, shrouded in swirling clouds, rises before us in its splendor.
El Chalten is the most popular trekking destination, the Argentine capital of hiking. Nestled at the foot of Mount Fitzroy, surrounded by glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests, it is still the secret diamond of the area.
Upon arrival in the town, we check into a hotel, and then we go to explore the surroundings. We will walk to a small waterfall or to the Mirador de los Condores observation deck, which offers a “million dollar view” of the spiky Cerro Torre massif and Mount Fitzroy. Perhaps we will see and observe condors soaring in the sky.
In the evening, at a local grocery store, we take a snack for tomorrow lunch. Return to the hotel, rest.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the Pudo Lodge)
Day 4
31.12.25/13.01.26
Get ready for an exciting day out in the wild. El Chalten offers a wide range of options for all types of trekking and fitness.
We get up very early and have breakfast. For the most active members of our team today there will be long ascents and descents, the daily trekking route will be 20 kilometers! We rise to the Capri lagoon; here is one of the best panoramas of Fitzroy and its glaciers. Then we continue our way through the Magellan forests up to the very glaciers.
The last effort must be made before climbing to the De los Tres lagoon at the foot of Fitzroy. The indescribable beauty of the two lagoons will be waiting for us. Descent down. Further, if you desire, we will go along the river for another two kilometers to the Piedras Blancas lagoon to watch how blocks of ice break off the glacier into it.
If your fitness does not allow for such hikes, then in the Fitzroy area we will find a number of other tracks with a view of the famous mountain!
Return to the hotel in the evening! We decorate the New Year's "Christmas tree" or the tree that we will designate as "Christmas Tree" in the yard :) New Year's festive dinner and fun with songs about it! We give each other presents. We celebrate the New Year together. Tired but happy, we go to bed...
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the Pudo Lodge)
Day 5
01.01.26/14.01.26
Rest day. Free day, you can spend it as you like. Choose several activities and walks around the area that will suit your taste.
Those who are the most persistent photographers get into their cars and drive an hour before dawn to a special point on the highway, where Fitzroy, turning pink at dawn, is best seen. This is a very beautiful sight, especially if today is January 1 and you are meeting the first sunrise of this year with such an incredible view!
After that, we return to the hotel. We have breakfast and with all the rest of the couch potatoes, we can go to another bewitching track to the Cierro lagoon. We buy a snack for lunch at a local grocery store.
Returning to the hotel, dinner.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the Pudo Lodge)
Day 6
02.01.26/15.01.26
We do not rush to wake up. We drink our morning coffee. We have breakfast. We pack our bags, load into cars and say goodbye to the handsome Fitzroy.
Today we have a long way to go from Argentina to Chile. On the way, we stop for photos. At the appointed time, the entire Paganel detachment crossed the border with Chile. It is important no food to be left in the cars... NONE in the truest sense of the word, as Chilean customs can issue fines for bringing sausage into their sovereign territory.
Crossing the Chilean border, accommodation for a holiday in the beautiful town of Puerto Natales on the lakefront overlooking Torres del Paine.
Evening walk around the city, we buy a snack at the grocery store for lunch the next day. Relaxation. Dinner.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the Francis Drake Hotel)
Day 7
03.01.26/16.01.26
Early getting up. Breakfast. We refuel our cars to capacity, because there are no official gas stations on the territory of the park. Then drive to the Tores del Paine National Park. While we go through the formalities and our registration at the entrance, we will admire the gorgeous views of the park and the Torres Towers.
These days in Torres del Paine National Park will be dedicated to the famous W-trek trekking route. We reach the beginning of the trekking route of this day. We leave our things in the cars, take light backpacks, cameras and everything we need for a walk, we move towards the mountains. We gradually gain altitude, admiring the opened views of Lake Nordenskjold and the glacier of Mount Admiral Nieto. Then we go to the "Torres Towers" - it is 4 hours one way. First, the path runs through a strange forest, twisted by local winds, and then we climb a glacial moraine, which takes us to a beautiful observation platform in front of the three giant peaks of Las Torres: Torre Sur (2850m), Torre Central (2800m), Torre Norte (2600m), stretching straight into the sky for more than a kilometer!
The view is simply breathtaking: you sit on the shore of a small Torres lagoon and admire one of the most beautiful and famous places in the Torres del Paine National Park. Descent and return to the cars.
If your physical form does not require a long climb, then you are going with one of the guides to various interesting photographic places in Torres del Paine Park. At the appointed time, we all meet together and go to the hotel.
Dinner, rest.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the hotel.
Day 8
04.01.26/17.01.26
Breakfast. Today we have a day of relaxation and easy walks to the viewpoints near the hotel.
Torres del Paine is truly one of the most amazing places on Earth. This day promises to be easy and filled with enjoying the natural beauty of the National Park. We will hike along scenic trails with breathtaking views of sharp peaks, rushing rivers, a mirrored lake and a majestic waterfall.
We will see glaciers stretching their blue tongues into valleys where herds of graceful guanacos graze, creating a sense of complete fusion with the wilderness. We plan to visit a spectacular waterfall and walk along the shores of glacial Lake Grey, where you can feel the power of Chilean nature in all its pristine beauty.
We leave all our belongings at the hotel and take our camera, water and lunch box with us.
Return to the hotel.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the hotel).
Day 9
05.01.26/18.01.26
We wake up early. We go to meet the dawn in the heart of the park.
Then we have breakfast and leave early in the morning in the direction of Pudeto station, where we will take a boat to the Pine Grande shelter. We take our things for a day's trekking to the French Valley (Valle Frances 18 km, 7-8 hours round trip).
For those who do not have such a long route, we will offer a couple of beautiful alternatives with great views. Everyone will have great photos :)
The beginning of our journey to the French Valley lies along Lake Scottsburg (Lago Scottsburg) named after the Swedish botanist Carl Scottsburg, who worked in these places at the beginning of the 20th century. On the way, we will see fantastic peaks - Los Cuernos, the famous black "horns" rising straight into the sky.
Having reached the Camping Italiano, we will begin our ascent to the first stop, Plateau, with a fantastic view. The mountain range and the glacier will be just in front of us, and so close that it seems that you can reach out and touch the top. Below - a view of the azure lake Nordenskjold framed by the Magellan forests.
From the Plateau we go further up to the mirador Britannica, overlooking the peaks of Las Torres, only now from the back. And although the "Three Towers" no longer look so bewitching, but the view here is 360 degrees, when you are surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks: Paine Grande, Cerro Hoja, Cerro Mscara, Cerro Catedral, Cerro Aleta de Tiburn, Cuerno Norte. We descend to the Italiano campsite and return to our starting point, Pine Grande Shelter!
Paine Grande Mountain Shelter is a modernly equipped complex with great views of Lake Pehoe, great atmosphere, delicious food and friendly people. Here we will have a warm coffee and wait for the ferry to return to the big land. Then transfer to the hotel, dinner and rest.
(Included: breakfast, overnight at the hotel).
Day 10
06.01.26/19.01.26
We congratulate each other on finishing the trek in Torres del Paine. After breakfast, we finish packing and head to the marina to visit the picturesque Salto Grande waterfall, which connects Lakes Nordeskhold and Pehoe.
We then drive our vehicles to the park exit. Leaving the Torres del Paine Park and Chilean Patagonia. We cross the border and are back in Argentina! We make a long drive towards Calafate, stopping for coffee at a café in the village of Esperanza. Distance: 400 kilometres. The journey takes about 5-6 hours.
Return to the city. We rent out our expedition vehicles. We go to the embankment to one of the cozy restaurants to have a farewell dinner with a friendly company of Paganels with delicious dishes from local cuisine and a bottle of the famous Argentinean Malbec!
(Included: breakfast, overnight at hotel).
Day 11
07.01.26/20.01.26
Getting up. Breakfast. Tears of parting.
We say goodbye to each other until we meet again!
Transfer to the airport, flight home.
(Included: breakfast).
We are unique
For many years, we have been traveling the world to our small planet's most remote and unusual places. We do not use the services of domestic travel agencies. The trips we invent and carry out are always unique and have their unique zest, charm, and adventurous spirit.
WHY WITH PAGANEL?
Creation
The first thing that interests us is creativity in everything. During the expeditions, we shoot a lot of videos, take pictures, write stories, draw pictures. If you are interested in a creative approach to life and travel, then WELCOME... we are very happy to meet you!
Interest
By joining our team, you join a kind of club-family, which already consists of several hundred people who are interested in discovering the world with us.
Since most of the expenses for the organization of the trip are air tickets and travel documents for other types of transport, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. are not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We simply have no way to return it.
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