Hiking Patagonia on a Budget

Upon your arrival at El Calafate Airport in Argentina, a private driver will be waiting for you. You'll be transferred to your hotel where you'll rest before your hiking journey gets into full swing.

After breakfast, you'll take a bus along Lake Argentino to Los Glaciares National Park, where a local guide will take you to the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier. Be sure to ask about the additional option to explore the southern part of the ice front.

In the late afternoon, you'll continue by bus on the incredibly scenic Ruta 40 towards El Chalten, where you spend the night and rest up before the next day's hiking.

Travellers come from all over the world to see El Chalten's iconic peaks and crags. Today you hike above the Rio las Vueltas to see the huge tongue of the Piedras Blancas Glacier.

Once you reach the Poincenot campsite, it's a steady one-hour climb to the foot of the jagged stone giant Mt. Fitz Roy. The sight of the adjacent crags of Mermoz, Guillaumet and Saint Exupéry reflected in the Laguna de los Tres is a view you'll never forget!

Today's hike winds its way through the scenic valley of the Cerro Torre Mountain Range and along the Rio Fitz Roy, crossing several rock sills.

After three hours you reach Lago Torre at the foot of Cerro Torre, an impressive granite crag covered with a giant snow mushroom. After you take the same route back, you'll catch the bus to El Calafate where you spend the night in a cozy guesthouse.

You’ll depart early today to Chile and Torres del Paine National Park. The bus heads south through the vast pampas (plains) towards the border crossing towns of Cancha Carrera and Cerro Castillo.

Once you enter Torres del Paine National Park you'll walk to Salto Grande waterfall and cross Lake Pehoe by catamaran to arrive at Paine Grande.

Leaving the turquoise waters of Lake Pehoe behind you, start your hike to the Gray Glacier, one of Torres del Paine's most incredible sights. About halfway there, you'll reach the immense Gray Lake and catch a glimpse of the grayish-blue glacier sitting silently in the distance.

Tonight you'll camp near the glacier surrounded by a picture-perfect landscape full of icebergs and snow-capped mountains.

At midday, you'll hop on a boat catamaran to see the Gray Glacier up close from the water, discover its seracs and its icy blue depths, sipping “whiskey on the rocks”. Afterwards, you’ll navigate to the southern part of the Gray Lake. After landing on the black sands of Gray Beach enjoy a short walk through ancient lenga forests to meet the private transportation that will bring you back to lake Pehoe for a second Catamaran crossing of Lake Pehoe.

In case of bad weather conditions, instead of this navigation and transfer, you will have to walk the same way back to lake Pehoe and camping Paine Grande.

You won't believe your eyes when you unzip your tent and find the incredible views of Los Cuernos before you! And it only gets better when you hike to the black-tipped needles of the Cuernos, one of Torres del Paine's most iconic landmarks. The route takes you to Skottsberg Lake and continues to the foot of Paine Grande, which at 3050 metres is the highest peak of the Paine Massif.

From here you can continue up the valley or begin the long descent to a campsite perched right at the water's edge.

Today's section of the W Trek takes you along Lake Nordenskjold revealing great views of the jagged peaks of the black-tipped Cuernos. Keep an eye out for the native condor swirling in the winds above your head and the area's amazing forests. Soon you enter the Ascencio Valley and cross the river to reach the next campsite where you stay for the night.

All too soon, it's your final day of hiking in Torres del Paine. The last part of the “W” leads you up the Ascencio River to the foot of the moraine and then onward to the park's most famous viewpoint, the Mirador los Torres. Standing at the foot of the north, central and south towers you get breathtaking views of the glacier and 1000-metre high vertical granite walls.

After a quick lunch break, head back down and catch the bus to Puerto Natales for the night.

It's time to head home, unfortunately. A private transfer will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Puerto Natales Airport for your outbound flight. Have a safe journey home!