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 Valentín, on the other side. Mid morning we will drive to a lake which is the starting point of the Baker River, Chile’s most voluminous river, where we will get to experience level 3 whitewater rafting, which is not too difficult, but definitely exhilarating! Then, back at our lodge, you can put the perfect touch on the end of your day with an optional long soak at sunset in the wood-heated hot tub with a spectacular view of the lake.

After breakfast in the lodge, we head south and drive back along the incredible glacier-blue waters of the Baker River. Then we make a turn east into the Chacabuco Valley and follow the river of the same name. Douglas Tompkins 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. We cross into Argentina again and the scenery changes as we enter the pampa, or steppes. Then we make our way into the small dusty town of Lago Posada for our comfortable accommodations for the night at our most remote destination during the trip.

Today’s trip will be our longest, so we’ll need to get an early start. We enter Argentina’s famous Route 40 at the crossroads town of Bajo Caracoles and head south through wide open landscapes. Just before getting to Lake Viedma we turn back west and drive along the northern shores of the lake. The unparalleled beauty in front of us grabs our attention and pulls us in to our destination for the day of El Chaltén, where trekkers and climbers from around the world come to tackle the immense Mount Fitz Roy, Las Torres and numerous other mountains, and enjoy the vast glaciers in Glacier National Park. After a long drive, it’s good to stroll through this unique town, 100% built around backpackers and other independent travelers.

Today you can either relax around El Chaltén or choose between various activities, such as: 1) Mountain and Ice Trekking for those prepared for a 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!

Our drive will be relatively short today, with most of the road paved. We return along Lake Viedma, down to the south shore of Lake Argentino and into the tourist town of El Calafate for an early lunch. 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. You’ll have the remainder of the afternoon and evening free to enjoy the inviting shops and bookstores.

This morning you will be able to visit a nature sanctuary, 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 heading south to cross the border into Chile for the last time. After lunch we will make our way to just outside of Torres del Paine National Park to stay at a working Estancia. Hopefully we will get the chance to see some sheep shearing before having dinner with an amazing view of the Park.

Today we enter Chile’s most visited park, Torres del Paine National Park. The park 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 (Sarmiento, del Toro, Nordenskjold, Pehoé, Grey), the famous North and South Towers and the more photographed Paine “Cuernos”, or Horns. We will take an easy 1-hour hike to reach the best view of the Horns in the park. Then we will have a box lunch before taking another hike to the Condor’s Lookout, offering us unbeatable views of the park. After making our way back down, we will continue driving through the park, seeing innumerable guanacos, before going down to Puerto Natales, a small town in an unbelievable setting on the Last Hope Sound, for our farewell dinner.