Customer Reviews

Hiking Valley Frances was our most spectacular day - epic views of peaks, avalanches, rushing rivers and lake below. We also had a terrific kayak trip that offered another way to see more of Patagonia.

Highlights, trekking to el Chalten, Laguna Capri and Las Torres; visiting Perito Moreno Glacier. The landscapes were stunning and the wildlife was everywhere. The people were lovely. Have told many friends/family and will likely tell more. Surprises? Yes. The weather! We were graced with sunshine on our treks. A clear sky and still water at el Chalten. The guides had never seen a day like that ever. The magical moment was when I reached base of Las Torres. I rounded a corner and boom, there I was.

The highlight of the trip was arising to the wonder of a firey early morning sunrise on the day we were trekking to the Three Towers of Torres del Paine National Park. The mountains were lit in shades of red, pink, hints of blue–setting the stage for the most perfect conditions to hike. We were bathed in sunshine and experienced very little of the infamous Patagonian winds. What a day!

I expected to see penguins but wasn't expecting to see loads of wildlife of all kinds including dolphins in the bow wave, dolphins performing somersaults and dozens off whales including a very big one that dived, massive tail fluke up, right in front of the boat.

The "W" (your part of our trip to Patagonia) exceeded our expectations. We were prepared for, as you must be, autumn Patagonia rain and were delightfully surprised by shorts and t-shirt weather. The guides were terrific, the other hikers a real joy to be around, and the refugios quite comfortable. Food was both healthy and plentiful. We hike around big rock piles all the time (Bend, OR), so the reason we take these trips is to have new experiences and meet other people. Everyone could not have been any nicer or (for the most part) polite. The only advice we might add is: take your time, don't allow yourself to get sucked into a "got-to-get-there-now" attitude. Amble, turn around once in a while, then amble some more: the view is everywhere. Food, showers and conversation come soon enough; most of the magic happens on the trail.

The highlight was the amazing landscape and how it changed every day. The refugios were more comfortable than expected (didn't expect a bar!) and the staff were friendly. We were pleasantly surprised to get a pisco sour on the boat back across lake grey complete with glacier ice cubes. Personally my most magical moment was getting engaged at the base of the towers, somewhere I've wanted to go for as long as I can remember!!! Thank you for making it happen!

There were a lot of highlights. We very much enjoyed Puerto Varas and surrounding areas. Our mix of activities centered around PV were really fun and diverse; the birding trip with an excellent Birds Chile guide, Carlo, to the Alerce forest natural park was a nice hike and we saw a number of birds; the kayak trip across the fjord was fun and our wonderful guide, Paz, was fun and we had lunch at a sheep farm, which was special. On our off day, we rented a car and drove into the Petrohui National Park and hiked up the flank of Osorno volcano, which was a bit challenging but really fun. The Mero Gaucho B&B was the best place to stay and had great staff. Puerto Varas was a nice little place to walk around and we found great places to eat. The second phase of the trip to Patagonia was really great. We had a good experience with the car rental and able to manage getting gas. Arriving at the Estancia Cerro Guido was a real highlight. The staff was wonderful and the accommodations were great and very interesting. We ended up going into Torres del Painey every day for hikes and drove through most of the park on one day. It was spectacular scenery and we especially enjoyed the ferry out to the Francis valley for a hike up towards the lookout was awesome. The other hikes we took were also suggested by the staff at the Estancia and those were excellent. We saw a lot of guanacos, rheas, flamengos, swans and geese. The food at the Estancia was excellent and we had very nice conversations with the waitstaff at the restaurant. Very special place. On the first night in the Estancia, after a long day of travel it was special to be able to see the Torres in the sunset. We have already told our friends about how wonderful our trip was to Chile in general and these places in particular. We were surprised by how open we found everyone in Chile to be and how enjoyable it was to talk to everyone we met; even those people who didn't speak much English and we speak very little Spanish, and much of that badly. We also had a chance to meet with one of the owners of the Estancia, who was on a visit to the ranch, and had a very interesting conversation. The gas situation in Patagonia was not really a surprise but we did find it manageable with some planning.

Peace in nature in the purest sense. It's a prime place to disconnect and enjoy being a human. In summary, it was surfing on rainbows. Thunder Pass day 2 is the pinnacle and the progression of the features along the trail really delivers. The great weather was the biggest surprise, our expectations were (properly) set for inclement weather. The crew was absolutely fantastic, friendly and funny when we needed it, highly professional when it mattered. Couldn't have asked for more.

It is difficult to single out just one highlight as every day brought new things to marvel at. The magesty of the mountains, the awesome glaciers, the variety of birds, the characterful range of animals, the ever-changing vistas, the charm of the different cities and towns and the ever-present friendliness of the people we met en route. One of the many images that will stay with me is the magical sight of Andean Condors soaring above our heads on the thermals at Torres del Paine. Also the reflections of snow capped mountains in the glass smooth water at Rio Serrano, the towering wall of the Perito Moreno glacier as we sailed closer and closer and the comical antics of the Humboldt and Magellanic penguins on the Isolets de Punihuil off Chiloe. Even the torrential rain, complete with thunder and lightning, that we walked through at the Iguazzu Falls and which left us all soaked, literally, to the skin despite waterproofs was an experience to remember !

Everything was fantastic. The highlights were the W Trek and the hikes in El Chalten. I was very lucky to have perfect weather for those.

I was amazed at the distances we covered and the varied terrain. The highlight was the John Gardner pass day. I was amazed by the Gray icefield. I'd never seen anything like it.

Clients say it was the trip of a lifetime! It was pristine other than in and around some of the busy campsites. The people we met (guides and porters for example) were amazing. Highlight was seeing clients complete the O and the W in 5 days with a smile on their face.

Highlight - climbing to the base of the towers. Landscape - nice, nothing unique. Opinion would be weather dependent. People - lovely. What will you tell? - worth a trip if part of a wider SA tour. Surprises? None Magical moment - arriving at the base of the towers (Torres) in glorious sunshine so could witness in all its glory. Also got a suite, with jacuzzi in the hotel - VERY welcome after two 22Km days!

Highlight - scenery which came up to expectations. Wildlife pretty good. people we dealt with generally excellent. That said, the reason I have ticked 'maybe' on the 'would I return' box is because TdelP in particular is now being 'loved to death'. If I returned to Patagonia I'd need to be convinced that I could do so with fewer people around - and preferably without the need for guiding all the time. [I would add that one thing I will consider and would need a guide for is an ice shelf walk out of El Chalten. As a general comment I preferred the experience at Fitzroy cf TdelP except for the back end of the O circuit. I would recommend Fitzroy over TdelP W circuit. Magical moments - there were a few - the Loma de Plieges Tumbado walk on a brilliant day was one. Arrival at Petit peninsula in Barriloche was another (what a top hotel). Going over the top of the John Gardner Pass. And a little thing, but being met by Victor at AEP in BA and him driving me to the Holiday in at Ezeiza was a pleasure for me as I was not comfortable with travelling across BA at night.

I would not say that the people working in the refugios were particularly friendly, but wow the people we met along the trail were all so unbelievably friendly! Almost everyone we passed said Hola, and it felt like we were all friends sharing this great experience together. The landscapes were unique and breathtaking, something new around every corner. We were fortunate enough to have good weather, as I think that would be the biggest cause for disappointment for most trekkers in Patagonia. The most magical moment was when we reached Mirador Britanico... impossible to describe the feeling of being in such an overwhelming place. Much like the first time I looked down into the Grand Canyon. The biggest surprise was how beautiful Los Cuernos were in person; photos do not do them justice. But Mirador Las Torres was the real reason for the entire trip to Patagonia, and despite the huge amount of people there and on the trail, it was one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen.

We had a very lovely guide from Antares, Phillipe, who did a great job showing us around. My sons were particularly impressed by seeing the puma having her morning breakfast. The landscapes were impressive, and I enjoyed seeing the wildlife. The Pampa Lodge was particularly nice. I really enjoyed the quiet and the view from the lodge itself. Everyone we interacted with was very nice and friendly. The only confusion was in arrival from El Calafate. Apparently, the Always Glaciers company does not have the right to go in to the bus terminal, and we arrived a bit later than Antares was anticipating. In the end it was fine, and I have no hard feelings with Antares for that. It was a simple mix-up and they did offer an additional dinner as compensation for the confusion. We did really enjoy our itinerary with them -- I'll say it again... puma!

Overall a magnificent trip. A wide variety of experiences, both urban and rural, varying landscapes and activities. Chile and Argentina fishing lodges were both wonderful. They were different but would recommend each of them. The owners and staff of each lodge were amazing, as was the food and level of attentiveness and service - we felt like well treated family members at each. We also met some other travelers that we enjoyed spending time with in the evenings and at meals. The fishing in Chile was more difficult than in Argentina but the water in Chile was unbelievably beautiful - an amazing shade of blue. Flying by helicopter over the Chilean Rivers was one of the magical parts of the trip. We were in Santiago and Buenos Aires for a day each and were glad we stayed a night on the way in and out of South America. The boutique hotels were both lovely and we were happy to be in smaller properties.

Highlight: whale watching Landscapes & wildlife: amazing, diverse, often overwhelming Great people, though not demographically diverse Have told family and friends to make this trip Some surprises with pickups, but most were good: service, activities Magic: horses in the evenings at Torres del Paine

Highlight was definitely all the hikes. The landscape and wildlife were amazing. The drive itself wasn't that great, except from El Calafate to El Chalten. However, I enjoyed seeing all the guanecos everywhere! We didn't quite meet too many people, but everyone was friendly that we met. Especially in El Calafate, when we had issues with our car and had to change our plans - the hotel staff were especially helpful. Seeing Mt. Fitz Roy, cloudless and framed by the beautiful lake was amazing.

I loved it! The group dynamic was great and by the end of the trip had the feeling of having known everyone for years instead just 12 days. The landscape was breathtaking but that was expected