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Arrive in Punta Arenas where we will meet you at the airport to begin our Odyssey. First we will drive over to the Otway Sound to visit a colony of Magellanic Penguins. Once back on the highway we head north and make our way into the town of Puerto Natales, in an unbelievable setting on the Last Hope Sound. We’ll have a welcome dinner to discuss trip.

Today we enter Chile’s most visited park, Torres del Paine, which was designated a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in 1978, being the home to at least 25 species of mammals, including guanacos, pumas and foxes, as well as more than 115 species of birds. We will see various lakes, the famous North and South Towers and of course the Paine “Cuernos” (Horns). We will take an easy 1-hour hike to reach the best view of the Horns in the park, have our box lunch and take another hike to the Condor’s Lookout, offering us amazing views of the park. Then we’ll make our way to a working ranch just outside of the park for dinner and a good night’s sleep.

This morning we leave Torres del Paine and make our first border crossing of the trip at the town of Cerro Castillo. We will drive through part of the Pampa as we make our way into El Calafate for lunch. You will have some time to stroll around and shop, then you will take an afternoon tour for a close-up view of the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most active glaciers on the planet, often with sections of ice calving off every few minutes. The almost constant sound of ice cracking and shifting inside the glacier is something you will never forget. Once back in town, we will have a buffet-style dinner.

This morning you will be able to visit a nature sanctuary at the edge of town and take a couple of hours to stroll around the lagoons, the home of hundreds of birds and ducks. Then we will leave El Calafate, head east around Lake Argentino, then up and around the northern side of the equally turquoise Lake Viedma. The beauty in front of us grabs our attention and pulls us in to our destination for the day of El Chalten, where trekkers and climbers from around the world come to tackle the immense Mount Fitz Roy, Torre and numerous other mountains, and enjoy the vast glaciers in Glacier National Park. You will have the remainder of the afternoon free to stroll through this unique, fast-growing town, 100% built around backpackers and other travelers.

Today you can either relax around El Chalten or choose between various activities, such as: 1) Mountain and Ice Trekking for those prepared for a fairly difficult full day hike to and from Tower Lagoon, including ice-trekking on the Tower Glacier, 2) Day cruise and Ice Trekking on Lake Viedma and the Viedma Glacier, or 3) Day trip to the Laguna del Desierto for a hike to visit a glacier followed by a typical Argentinean lunch. Whatever you decide, we’re sure the combination of tired muscles, clean mountain air, and a good hot meal will help us all sleep like babies!

Today will be our longest day on the road, as we tackle the famous Route 40 up through the steppes of Argentina. Adjectives used to describe this road include: vast, desolate, isolated, untamed, owned by nature’s fury, and above all, unforgettable. This area is one of the last remaining stretches of wide-open, undeveloped Pampa on the planet, which surprisingly supports a multitude of wildlife. Our destination for the day is the town of Lago Posada, the most remost destination of our trip, where we will visit some “Caves of the Hands”, then stay at a comfortable Inn for the night.

After breakfast we will head along some wind about roads as we make our way back to the border, crossing into Chile at the most remote vehicle border crossing in the country. Then we head west into the Chacabuco Valley and follow the river of the same name. The conservationist Douglas Tompkins, founder of the North Face outdoor clothing company and Esprit, recently purchased this entire valley and is converting it into a nature preserve. Today’s drive will be a Patagonian safari, where you will most likely get to see more wildlife than on any other part of the trip, including guanacos, rheas, foxes, and hopefully some condors. Then we enter Chile’s Carretera Austral, or “Southern Highway” (which is actually a dirt road most of the way), head north and drive along the incredible glacier-blue waters of the Baker River. We will make it to our beautiful lodge for the next two nights on the shore of Lake General Carrera, Chile’s largest, in time to walk around the grounds and enjoy the surroundings.

Today is another day to relax in the middle of a majestic environment: on the shores of Chile’s largest, bluest lake, with a view of Patagonia’s highest peak, San Valentin, on the other side. After breakfast we will take a full day hiking excursion up to a lookout point over the entire valley. Thousands of years ago this area was all covered by ice, then water, and is replete with marine fossils. The area, with astounding views of the lake and ice fields from here is a perfect place for our lunch. Then we return to the lodge for dinner and a pisco sour.

This morning you will be transferred to Puerto Montt either for your flight back to Santiago or to continue your vacation.