Patagonia, Traveling at the World’s End

Your Escape Details

Join us for a wide-ranging adventure showcasing the region’s natural wonders and fascinating cultures, offering the perfect combination of guided excursions, interacting with locals and free time to explore on your own. Our expert local leaders will share with you Buenos Aires, Perito Moreno Glacier, Mt. Fitz Roy, Torres del Paine Nation Park, a typical estancia and finally the end of the world, Ushuaia, home of exquisite flora and fauna, as well as perennial favorites – penguins!

10 amazing days

Our small group tours are specifically curated to bring you deeply into the destination. Food, drink, people, customs and soft adventure activities to get you close to the natural surroundings. Travel through parks, glaciers, cities, the country side and small towns.  Hiking beautiful trails, traveling on memorable roads, with a flight and a boat ride to round out the traveling experience. Each day will feature astonishing and breathtaking views that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Our service is second to none, from your decision to join our tour, throughout the trip and when you get home, we will be there for you.

Each escape brings you experiences you wouldn’t find on your own.

Tour begins on November 2, 2019 returning on November 12th

From the bustling metropolis and city of the Tango, Buenos Aires, explore both the Argentinian and Chilean Patagonia! Participate in moderate treks and nature walks. Visit the world famous Perito Moreno Glacier. Enjoy the best views of FitzRoy. Explore the beautiful landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park. Experience a local Patagonian culture on a typical Estancia. Ending at the ‘end of the world’ in the city of Ushuaia where you will see exquisite flora and fauna as well visit with the local penguins.

Escape With Us

Our escapes are unique in offering you an adventure filled itinerary with a local flavor. We work with local guides, planners and connections to make sure you do, see and even eat and drink things you may not have even thought of on your own.

Small Groups

We keep our groups small so we get to know each other and travel together, unified by the destination and our experiences.  Often lifelong friendships are forged. If anything, our growing group of like minded travelers start traveling together on future trips. “Where should we go next?” is often the last question asked as we depart for home.

Are you traveling solo? It is our pleasure to welcome you to our small group. We will match you with another solo traveler of the same gender. If you wish, you may choose to pay a solo supplement to have your own room. Please check for availability.

For each trip, you will be invited to our Facebook group so you can chat with fellow travelers, dream about the upcoming trip together, maybe prepare together, hiking, practice a useful skill, etc. Usually, we also organize a get together about a month before the trip to share information, pass out travel documents, and ‘break the ice’ so when we embark on our trip we already know each other a bit. If you don’t live in the area, no worries, we will Skype you into the party and mail you your travel documents.

Why negotiate and plan yourself. Even the best guidebook can’t give you the freedom to embrace and immerse yourself in the destination. Enjoy the pleasure of travel without having to think about the details, leave the planning to us, your job is to fully embrace the journey without the hassles! We are so happy you are considering being our guest and can’t wait to deliver your fantastic experience!

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Our Itinerary

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 1

Buenos Aires

Welcome to Argentina! A transfer will be waiting for you at Buenos Aires airport, to take you to your hotel. In the afternoon you will explore Buenos Aires during a City Tour.

Accommodation – Hotel Bristol or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 2

 

Buenos Aires – El Calafate (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

A transfer will take you to the airport to board your flight to Calafate. After a transfer to your hotel head off to Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the most famous landmarks in Patagonia. Observe, and hear, giant chunks of ice plummet into the waters of Lake Argentino. Your guide will answer questions about the glacier and the park. Then continue to the footbridges and take a break, enjoying the surroundings at our own leisure. After the thrilling encounter with the Perito Moreno you will drive back to Calafate.

Accommodation – Hostel del Glaciar Pioneros or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 3

El Calafate – El Chalten(Breakfast)

An early transfer will take you to the Calafate bus terminal to board the public bus to El Chalten, a tiny outpost beside Los Glaciares National Park, and at the foot of the impressive Mount Fitz Roy. The drive will take you across isolated dirt roads, through the pampas and along the northern end of Viedma lake. Once you’ve checked into your hotel in El Chalten, it’s time to get some rest and prepare for the upcoming days, explore the village on your own or take a short afternoon hike in El Chalten´s surroundings on your own.

Accommodation – Patagonia Travelers Hostel or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 4

El Chalten / Mount Fitz Roy Hike (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

Today’s hike is along Rio Blanco. We drive to El Pilar, 11 miles north of El Chalten, and follow the Rio Blanco Trail to Piedras Blancas Glacier, a hanging glacier descending from the base of Mount Fitz Roy. We picnic here, marveling at the glacier, and then continue up Rio Blanco Trail until reaching one of the best views of Mont Fitz Roy – the landmark in Los Glaciares National Park. We descend via another path heading past Laguna Capri, ending back in El Chalten.

Accommodation – Patagonia Travelers Hostel or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 5

El Chalten – El Calafate – Puerto Natales (Breakfast)

A transfer will take you to the Calafate bus terminal. There you first board the public bus going to El Calafate and then continue further to Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of “Seno de Ultima Esperanza”. Explore the small, cozy village, there are several restaurants, a few bars and a boulevard. In the evening you can walk along the banks of Ultima Esperanza Fjord and watch the sunset.

Accommodation – Hostal Amerindia or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 6

Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine (Breakfast | Box Lunch | Dinner)

Today´s excursion will be an absolute highlight of your trip: You visit Torres del Paine National Park and you can expect huge mountains, glittering lakes and seemingly endless steppes. Thundering rivers plunge into the valley as waterfalls and lonely, dark forests weigh their black tops in the piercing south wind. This wilderness is a unique retreat for rare animals such as guanacos, andean foxes, flamingos and condors, kings of the skies.

Accommodation – Overnight Camping Torre Central

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 7

Torres del Paine – Puerto Natales (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

Today you will continue exploring Torres del Paine during a predominantly flat trek that boasts stunningly diverse natural scenery and offers the chance to feast your eyes upon a startlingly blue lake, which is secluded from all the other water systems of the area. There will be ample opportunity to spot many graceful guanacos and great grebes along the way. First you will examine the geology of the area’s turbidite rock folds, before descending the isthmus which separates Lake Sarmiento from Lake Sarmiento Chico. You will eventually arrive at an impressive bay on the western side of Lake Sarmiento, admiring a breathtaking view which could easily be mistaken for a piece of art! Then begins your ascent back to the van, and along the way you will stumble across an awe-inspiring, panoramic vista of Lake Sarmiento from its western shore, looking towards its eastern coast glimmering on the horizon. From here you drive back towards Puerto Natales.

Accommodation – Hostal Amerindia or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]DAY 8

Puerto Natales – Punta Arenas (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

Prepare for a unique cultural experience! During a visit of Estancia Peninsula you will learn about life at a Patagonian ranch combined with a navigation through the fjords, adventurous activities and delicious food. Meet the Estancia´s intelligent sheepdogs, learn how through holistic livestock management they perform responsible shearing of their sheep and how the process and classification of wool works. Be part of a project based on animal welfare, conservation of nature, sustainable production and high-quality service. After concluding your visit to Estancia La Pensinsula you will be driven to Puerto Natales to board the bus to Punta Arenas.

Accommodation – Hotel Plaza or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]Day 9 Punta Arenas – Ushuaia (Breakfast)

 

In the early morning, you will be taken to the bus station to embark on a full day bus trip to Ushuaia, crossing the mystical Strait of Magellan before arriving at Tierra del Fuego Island. After crossing the border between Argentina & Chile, the bus will keep driving south, until finally arriving to Ushuaia, known as the City at the End of the World. This beautiful city is surrounded by mountains and facing the Beagle Chanel. Upon arrival in Ushuaia you will be taken to your hotel.

Accommodation – Hotel Tolkeyen or similar

[divider style=”dotted”]Day 10

 

Ushuaia / Gable Island & Penguin Colony (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

After breakfast, you will be picked up by a shared tour towards Harberton Estancia & Gable Island. Travelling through glacial valleys and forests we will reach Harberton Estancia, where we will tour around its natural environment. Embarking on a motor boat we will sail towards Martillo Island where will watch the beautiful Magellanic Penguins. We continue sailing towards Gable Island and its untouched nature in the middle of the Beagle Channel. The island shows a primal and infinite landscape, both magic and extreme. At the end of the tour we navigate back to Harberton and continue to your hotel in Ushuaia.

Accommodation – Hotel Tolkeyen (or similar)

[divider style=”dotted”]Day 11

 

Ushuaia / Tierra del Fuego National Park (Breakfast | Box Lunch)

At appropriate time you will depart on a half day tour towards Tierra del Fuego National Park. We take National Route 3 form Ushuaia and stop at a Panoramic Point in the Beagle Channel. Then we get to Tierra del Fuego National Park and begin our trekking, to the gaze at Lapataia. At Lapataia Bay, a road sign indicates the end of this route and the distance to its opposite extreme of the country in the City of La Quiaca, on the border with neighboring Bolivia. There are many coves and points shaping beaches and cliffs, creating a perfect shelter for sea fauna. Mountain ranges cross the park dividing it into valleys which make access difficult to reach. Unlike other Andean-Patagonian parks, it has forests by the seashore, six kilometers along the Beagle Channel: Lapataia Bay, meaning “woody bay” or “bay of wood” in the Yámana tongue.

Accommodation – Hotel Tolkeyen (or similar)

[divider style=”dotted”]Day 12

Ushuaia (Breakfast)

Goodbye Argentina! After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight back to Buenos Aires and back home.

Your Investment

Your Investment starts at $4390 per person based on double occupancy (we will match same gender roommates) Call for single pricing.

The deposit to hold your space is $250 per person.  Final Payment is on September 1, 2019.

If you prefer to make payments, please contact us and we will arrange a plan that works.

Your Trip Includes

  • 10 overnights in the hotels mentioned in the itinerary or similar hotel categories
  • 1 overnight camping
  • Land based services as mentioned in the itinerary
  • Local English-speaking guide during excursions
  • The following excursions and transfers are quoted as shared services (depending on the group size other passengers might be included in the service): City Tour Buenos Aires, Transfers Calafate, Transfers Chalten, Transfers Puerto Natales, Transfers Punta Arenas, Excursions Ushuaia and all public buses
  • Entrance fee to Perito Moreno Glaciar, Los Glaciares National Park, Torres del Paine National Park and Tierra del Fuego National Park
  • 12 Breakfasts, full day tours include a boxed lunch.

Your Trip Does Not Include

  • International Airfare
  • Travel Insurance (required)
  • Meals not included in the itinerary
  • Gratuities for tour guides and drivers

How We Make Your Escape Awesome!

We are ready to answer your questions throughout the process via phone or email.

Once you sign up and pay your deposit:

  • We will send you a link to your My Trips account. You can view your trip details any time from your PC or Mobile Phone.
  • We will send you arrival and departure details so you can make your flight arrangements.
  • We will email you your final payment reminder about 1 week before it is due.
  • About two-three months before the trip we will send significant details like packing lists, further itinerary details, etc.
  • One month before the trip we will mail you your travel documents (or pass them out at a gathering for those local).
  • Hassle free arrivals, once you have collected your luggage and entered the airport arrivals hall, simply look for the PlanUrEscape sign. We will get you to your boat and started on the journey.

Facebook Group

You will be invited to a private Facebook group where you can meet, virtually, your fellow travelers, discuss the trip, make any preparation plans together, and share your excitement.

Our groups are typically 10-15 travelers. We aren’t a ‘big bus’ tour and don’t want to be. We don’t just look out the window and drive by the sights. Typically, our tours are custom and private. The advantage is, we can say, ‘stop here, we want to see this’ and we can stop and explore, even if it isn’t in the plan. Yes, we have an itinerary, but we also feel it’s important to take advantage of unexpected moments that arise. We attract travelers who are flexible and adventurous. A bit of spontaneity is a good thing!

(Please note, some tours lend themselves to a bit larger group so at times, we may expand the group to a maximum size of 25. We make group size decisions with the commitment that none of the spontaneity or sense of adventure will be impacted by the group size.)

You should know, our travelers are like you, they don’t want a canned tour, they like a sense of freedom on their trip, they understand the value of flexibility in travel, and they love the idea of working with a planning team that understands and respects their travel values.

So, Is this Trip for You?

  • You love traveling with like minded people and a tour company that is focused on traveling deeply into a destination, knowing how to read the group and make the best decisions for a perfect trip.
  • You find joy in trying new things, food, activities, etc.
  • Plans are good, and important to a great trip, however, flexibility sometimes brings a deeper experience and it’s OK with you.
  • You enjoy meeting and traveling with new people.
  • Some moderate physical activity will bring you the memories that make your trip special.

This Trip is Not for You If…

  • Travel is stressful and sometimes you find yourself anxious and frustrated when things don’t go perfectly as planned.
  • New things, new situations, aren’t really your thing.
  • You don’t like trying unusual local foods.
  • You feel uncomfortable and unsafe in places that are ‘foreign’ to Western culture.
  • Too much walking for long distances is tough.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often will I change accommodations during the trip?

Please refer to the itinerary. Accommodations change often and include hotels, tent, etc.

Can I extend my stay?

Absolutely, adding a pre or post stay always enhances a trip. You spent the money to get there, why not stay a while? We will be happy to help you make plans.

What airport do I fly into and out of?

You will fly into and home from Buenos Aires, Ministro Pistarini International Airport (Airport code – EVE).

What are VISA requirements for these countries?

ARGENTINA

U.S. citizens need a valid passport to enter Argentina. … Private U.S. citizens do not need a visa for visits of up to 90 days for tourism or business.

CHILE

U.S. citizens entering Chile must have a valid passport. U.S. citizens traveling to Chile for recreation, tourism, business, or academic conferences do not need to obtain a visa prior to their arrival in Chile. A Tourist Card will be issued for a stay of up to 90 days.

What type of currency is used in these countries?

The Argentine currency is the peso ($). There are $ 100, $ 50, $ 20, $ 10, $ 5 and $ 2 notes, varying in color, and 1, 0.50, 0.25, 0.10 and 0.05 cent coins. ATM machines are plentiful in Buenos Aires and using your ATM card will generally give you the best exchange rate available.

The Chilean Peso is the currency of Chile. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Chile Peso exchange rate is the USD to CLP rate. The currency code for Pesos is CLP, and the currency symbol is $.

Who do I contact for other questions and travel advice?

Call us at 860-779-6531 or send an email to lwhittemore@cruiseplanners.com

What is the age group of my potential fellow travelers?

Our guests typically range in age from 45-75. They tend to be of an age where they are either already retired and traveling is an objective for them, or are getting close. There are some tours that attract a younger group, sometimes adult children of a traveler in the group will join the tour.

Groups tend to be predominantly female, although we are wanting a good mix of men and woman, solo and couples traveling.

In any case, our travelers are in good health, active and adventurous.

I’m not a tour person, will this be too much of a standard tour for me?

No worries here, your fellow travelers feel exactly the same way and so do we, your tour curators. Of course there are some parts of our tours that are standard, we travel often by a van or motor coach, we eat together and do activities together. What makes us different, are two critical things, we don’t like traditional touring either, we work hard to be different. And two, you will always have the opportunity to choose. If you want to do something on your own or different than the group plan, you are welcome to do that.

We would love to have you join us! We will do our best to provide the opportunities and activities that allow you to make amazing memories and lasting friendships. We are looking forward to traveling with you.

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