Compare Patagonia Hiking and Chile Ski Special by Cascada Expediciones vs Patagonia Short Break - Torres Del Paine by Intrepid Travel

Day 1: Arrival in Chile's Capital

Accommodation: Hotel Meridiano Sur

Santiago de Chile

Upon arrival at Santiago de Chile's International Airport, you will be met by a Cascada representative and driven to your comfortable hotel to check in. After a short time in the hotel to freshen up and unpack our guide will come pick us up and we'll head downtown in Santiago's modern metro to begin our Santiago City Walking Tour.

We get off at metro stop Moneda and surface in front of Chile's famous presidential palace La Moneda, a symbol of Chile’s political past and its famously turbulent history. From here we head along Paseo Ahumada, a city centre walkway famous for its crowds, shops, and diversity of people. At the end of the Paseo we reach Plaza de Armas which is Santiago's main square and Chile's kilometer zero (the point from which all distances in the country are measured). From here we head to Santa Lucia hill where Santiago was founded in 1541by Pedro Valdivia and as we climb up we get great panoramic views of the city and the Andes Mountain backdrop. Our tour finishes by visiting the bohemian Lastarria neighborhood at the bottom of the hill, linedwith cafés, restaurants, small theaters, bookstores and boutique shops. Here we relax, chat with the guide and enjoy a coffee before taking the metro back to the hotel.

Day 2: Skiing in the Andes

Accommodation: Hotel Meridiano Sur

Valle Nevado

We are picked up early, at 7am, and start our adventure driving towards the Andes mountains. We quickly leave behind the city streets and follow a beautiful winding road going up to the ski centers. The views are breathtaking - white Andean mountains stretching across the horizon in clear blue skies. We arrive in Valle Nevado around 9am and choose our ski/snowboard equipment. After a brief explanation about the ski centre and distribution of a map with all the slopes, the excitement begins! If you want classes you can arrange this at the ski centre, there is a multitude of English speaking guides awaiting students.

Around midday we take a break for lunch and enjoy the culinary delights of Don Giovanni restaurant. Then we head back for an afternoon on the slopes, which cover 2,000 acres. 

At 5pm when the lifts stop running we give back the equipment and board the van back to Santiago to enjoy the downhill views while resting our legs. We arrive back at our hotel about 19.00.

Day 3: Onward Journey to Patagonia

Santiago de Chile

You'll be picked up from your hotel in the early morning and driven to the airport to check in for your onward flight to Punta Arenas. You'll be picked up at Punta Arenas airport and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. See our weekly transfer board for EcoCamp's pick up & drop off schedule. En route we make a couple of stops - First in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch, and second at Cueva de Milodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there's plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.

Day 4: Trek Towers Base

Torres del Paine NP, Chile

We walk from Ecocamp towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp.

Day 5: Drive & Walk Western Lakes, Navigation Glacier Grey*

Torres del Paine NP, Chile

We drive across the Park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires. Walking along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. The walk continues over the gentle Nordenskjold trail until until we reach its spectacular lookout point. Later, back at Lake Pehoe, we are driven south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey. Here we enjoy a tasty box-lunch by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible sight of the glacier up close, we drive back to EcoCamp.

(*During September the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be cancelled as the boat requires a minimum of 8 passengers to sail, which might not be reached in some cases. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the Park.)

**During Shoulder Season (September, October and April) the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be cancelled as the boat requires a minimum of 8 passengers to sail, which might not be reached in some cases. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the Park.)

Day 6: Return to Santiago

Torres del Paine NP, Chile

We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Those heading to Argentina board an earlier transfer heading to the border.

Day 1 Puerto Natales

Welcome to Patagonia! Few places on earth offer up such dramatic and breathtaking landscapes, the most iconic of which are contained within Torres del Paine National Park and Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, which you’ll be exploring over the next days. Your adventure begins at Puerto Natales airport, or at Puerto Natales bus station where you’ll be collected by a local representative and transferred to your hotel in the little city of Puerto Natales, sitting on the "Seno de Ultima Esperanza" (Bay of the Last Hope). Our adventure begins at 6 pm with the welcome meeting where you will meet our local representative. It is important that you try and arrive in Puerto Natales before this time. If you get here early enough we suggest taking a walk along the Costanera, leading to the historic remains of the Braun & Blanchard wharf (it’s especially beautiful at sunset). If you want to wet your whistle, the city is dotted with establishments serving up excellent Chilean wine and locally produced craft beer. Note: Confirmation of your arrival information is needed in advance. If you arrive from Puerto Natales Airport, or Puerto Natales Bus Station please inform your Intrepid agent and your transfer from there to your hotel will be arranged accordingly. Should you choose to arrive in Puerto Natales from El Calafate via public bus, the bus ticket will be sent to you in advance by email. Please inform your Intrepid agent to arrange for the bus ticket.

Day 2 Torres del Paine National Park

Today, after breakfast you’ll be joined by a local guide to explore the remarkable and diverse landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978. Stop off on the way at the Milodon Cave, an enormous cavern where remains of prehistoric mammals like the mylodon, an extinct ground sloth, have been found. Continue on to Cuernos de Paine, the towering granite spikes of Torres del Paine National Park. From here, walk to Salto Grande – at 15 metres high, this is the park’s largest waterfall. Take some time to admire the powerful cascade tumbling into the beautiful turquoise lake below. Next up is a visit to Lago Gray, a picturesque lake fringed by the icy blue Grey Glacier. Hike through a coigue Forest, crossing suspension bridge over the Pingo River and eventually ending up at the beach. Here you can observe icebergs of different shapes and colours floating in the lake, caused by the melting of the Grey Glacier. After an exciting day, return to Puerto Natales for an evening at leisure. Note: All entry tickets to National Parks are included, your local guide will have them and present them in the parks for you.

Day 3 Balmaceda & Serrano Glacier Navigation

Today begins at 7.30am at Puerto Bories pier, from where you’ll sail through the Senoret Channel and the Ultima Esperanza fjord. Cross into the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, the largest park in Chile and home to giant glaciers, lush vegetation, soaring waterfalls and loads of wildlife, including Andean condors, marine otters and cormorants. Sail past the seriously impressive Balmaceda glacier, hanging from the mountain of the same name. Dock at Puerto Toro and walk about a kilometer through a native forest filled with coigues, murtilla de magallanes, chaura and lichens. Walk towards the foot of the Serrano Glacier, following the edge of an iceberg-filled lake formed by its melt. Finally, enjoy an aperitif with glacial ice and have lunch at a typical Patagonian estancia before returning to Puerto Natales for the evening.

Day 4 Trek to Torres del Paine National Park

If you’re up for a serious challenge, an 8-hour serious trek to Base Torres is included today, serving up the most impressive views of Torres del Paine’s granite towers and glacial lagoon. You will contemplate the imposing towers, a wonder of nature. Be sure to have your camera ready as these are scenes you won’t want to forget! Enjoy an included dinner this evening to celebrate your adventure. If, on the other hand, feel that the long trek would be too strenuous for you and would like to take things easier then you can opt for our complimentary panoramic half-day tour of Puerto Natales. This beautiful half-day excursion will help you understand the origin of this centenary city. You will learn about the toponymy of its surroundings, its history and little known details. Admire and contemplate the coast of the Señoret channel with the mountains that surround it. Your tour will start at the old Puerto Bories Cold Storage Plant, an important manufacturing industry that marked the emergence of the city in the early twentieth century, now a National Historic Monument. Next will also visit the remodeled waterfront, the main square, the fishermen's dock and the artisanal village. And on the way be sure to take some time and admire the the coast of Señoret channel with its encircling mountains. Your tour will finish with a Pisco Sour at Rooftop in Puerto Natales.

Day 5 Puerto Natales

After an early breakfast at your hotel, you'll be dropped off at the Puerto Natales bus station, from where you'll have the option to take the local bus to El Calafate on the Argentinean side of Patagonia (bus ticket included). If you are flying out today, from El Calafate, please make sure you choose a flight in late afternoon, after 3 pm. If you would prefer to begin your trip in El Calafate and end in Puerto Natales, please get in touch ahead of time so your bus ticket can be arranged.