Patagonia & Buenos Aires: Chile to Argentina

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PATAGONIA AND BUENOS AIRES

Experience the breathtaking beauty of mountainous landscapes, crystal blue lakes, and massive glaciers on this Patagonia and Buenos Aires tour, which includes accommodations and airfare. Starting in Chile, begin with some time in Santiago, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales to delve into the culture and enjoy the scenic surroundings. We also visit Magdalena Island to see the adorable Magellanic Penguins. Embark on a full day boat excursion along the picturesque Ultima Esperanza Sound and take a short hike into the Andean rainforest to view the impressive Serrano Glacier. At Torres del Paine National Park—a defining feature of Patagonia—you’ll venture out to admire the towering snow-capped mountains, tranquil lakes, and incredible wildlife, such as llamas! In Argentina, enjoy the town of El Calafate, a boat voyage to Glaciers National Park, and a Perito Moreno Glacier excursion on Lake Argentino. End this thrilling journey with a colorful exploration of Buenos Aires.
Chicago Tribune

Learn more about Torres Del Paine from travel journalist, Christina Pfeiffer

Did you know you can make this tour private? Find out about pricing and options for groups of 15 or more travelers.

Itinerary at
a Glance

Tour Itinerary:

  • 1 night in Santiago
  • 1 night in Punta Arenas
  • 3 nights in Puerto Natales
  • 3 nights in El Calafate
  • 2 nights in Buenos Aires

Tour Highlights

  • Tour of Charming Santiago
  • Magdalena Island Penguins
  • Ultima Esperanza Sound Boat Excursion
  • Torres del Paine Park
  • Perito Moreno Glacier (El Calafate)
  • Glaciers National Park
  • Experience Buenos Aires

Your Tour Includes

  • Optional round-trip airfare from Miami (MIA) including taxes, fees & fuel surcharges
  • All intra-South America flights & ground transportation
  • Accommodations at superior first class hotels
  • 15 meals: 10 full buffet breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D)
  • Comprehensive sightseeing tours as indicated in itinerary
  • English-speaking tour director in Patagonia and local guides in Santiago and Buenos Aires.

What to Expect

Max Group Size: 30 travelers

For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit our Before You Depart section.

Tour Itinerary

Map

Click the Day by Day itinerary above (or swipe on mobile devices) to see the experiences that await on each day of your tour.

Day 1: Arrive Santiago (Chile)

Day 2: Santiago/Patagonia/Punta Arenas - Magdalena Island Penguins

Day 3: Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales

Day 4: Ultima Esperanza Sound Boat Excursion

Day 5: Torres del Paine Park Excursion

Day 6: Puerto Natales/El Calafate (Argentina)

Day 7: Glaciers National Park Boat Excursion

Day 8: Perito Moreno Glacier Excursion

Day 9: El Calafate/Buenos Aires

Day 10: Buenos Aires

Day 11: Depart Buenos Aires

Guided Tour Pricing

We are working diligently to secure future tour dates and pricing for this itinerary. Please fill out the "Request a Future Date" form linked below, and we will notify you once dates are available.

Optional Tours Customize your trip with these optional tours.

Enhance your trip with our recommended optional tours. Indicated optional tours are available to pre-book when you reserve your trip and can be added to your reservation up to final payment. This is the best option to guarantee your spot on your preferred optional tour! Optional tours require a minimum number of participants. Optional tours are non-refundable unless they do not operate.

Some optional tours can be purchased in-destination and may cost extra. The payment methods and currency information to purchase tours in-destination will be provided on final documentation.

Tigre Delta Morning Excursion

Reviews

Susan T

Incredibly beautiful trip. Our guide, Patricia was a perfect fit for us. Hotels were much nicer than we expected. Flights were on time, our bus driver constantly washed Windows for easy picture taking. I highly recommend this company.

Carol

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of my Patagonia trip with Smartours. The best part of the trip was Patricia in Chile. She was fabulous. And she had to deal with two persnickety women which were total pain in the a**es. I loved the amount of free time and guided time on the tour. Would do it again.

Lisa

This was a first class tour! Patricia is a fabulous tour guide. She is knowledgeable, considerate and fun. Hotels were very nice. Meals included were very good. We were lucky to have a great group of people on the tour. Only negative was LATAM Airlines. I see more SMARTOURS in our future.

Jan W

This was my second Smartour. Our tour began in Santiago, Chile on January 20. We reached Punta Arenas on January 21 and we were met by Olga Mallo, our primary tour guide. Olga was with us until we departed for Buenos Aries and she was excellent. She was very knowledgeable and went out of her way to make sure that we experienced all that was promised in the itinerary. The local guides were also very good. The bus used for travel from Punta Arenas to El Calafate was very comfortable and the driver did an excellent job. The hotel selections were overall very good to excellent. The hotel in Santiago, Punta Arenas and Buenos Aires were first class. The hotel in Puerto Natales was my least favorite. It was situated on the water with lovely views of the sound. However, it was over heated, the WIFI was very weak in the rooms, the hallways were noisy and we had ongoing problems trying to get into our room as the card key would not always work. The meals provided on the tour were all fine. All of the hotels provided good breakfast buffets. The breakfast buffets in the hotels in Santiago and Buenos Aires were my favorite. Although I want to mention that we arrived in Santiago one day in advance of the group and we were able to take advantage of the breakfast buffet at that hotel. However, the day of the group departure to Punta Arenas, the buffet was not available so the group did not get a breakfast as promised. All of the tours to the national parks, glaciers, icebergs, and penguins exceeded my expectations. The visit to the estancia in Argentina was unique. The ranch owner and his wife were very hospitable. They provided a lovely lunch for the group as well as an interesting demonstration by one of their sheep herding dogs followed by a sheep sheering. The farewell dinner in Buenos Aries was excellent followed by a high energy tango show. Overall, we had a great time on this Patagonia tour.

Monica H

The Smartours trip to Patagonia was perfect in every way. Of course the area is magnificent--the glaciers stupendous. But in addition, our Patagonia guide was the definition of intelligence, wisdom and concern for all of us. Olga was always making an effort to explain, to teach and to relate individually. The hotels were excellent, the meals provided were also super. The entire tour was handled with proficiency, there were never any glitches or problems. The trip absolutely exceeded my expectations; I fully understand the enthusiasm that other trip participants who had been on previous Smartours expeditions expressed. All kinds of friends may be turning to Smartours for a Patagonia trip. Lots of people , including my younger daughter and husband, are thinking about it.

Anne M

This was our fourth SmarTours trip, and again SmarTours came through with an excellent itinerary at a great value. We had knowledgeable guides, excellent destinations and tours, and great hotels in convenient locations. The sights on this trip were dramatic and breathtaking and unlike any others from our travel experiences. Each day's destination surpassed that of the previous day. The tour participants were so well traveled and a pleasure to explore Patagonia with. We look forward to booking another SmarTours trip.

Brian

This was our first SmarTours trip. My partner and I througholy enjoyed all the destinations, activities, and the whole experience far surpassed our expectations. The accommodations were great, too. But what made the trip such a smashing success were the guides; Viviana in Santiago, Olga in Patagonia, and Nathalia in Buenos Aires. All were exceptional, but since we spent the most time with Olga, I would like to add a special note of appreciation for her. Olga sets the international standard for excellence and professionalism as a tour guide. My deep gratitude for all who helped made this trip truly incredible. I had a spiritual experience.

Shirley S

It was an amazing trip. Olga, our tour director was fantastic . She knows thecountry very well - both Chile and Argentina. The only part of the trip that I think needs to be looked at is the last day of the tour - the coming back to the U.S. That full day was wasted. We were in the lobby of the hotel from the check out time of 11am until 7pm when the bus took us to the airport for the 11pm flight. But over all, that tour is awesome. Patagonia is one of my favorite.

Jon W

We selected this trip for its itinerary and we were not disappointed. Saw all the places in Patagonia that were on our list. The tour was comfortable and well paced. We recommended this trip to family and friends. Accommodations and provided meals were first rate. We really enjoyed the tango show and dinner on the last night of the trip. We have just a couple recommendations for tweaks that will further improve a great trip: Olga, our tour director, was very knowledgeable and helpful but her restaurant suggestions were usually pointed out from the bus as we zoomed past and given the full Spanish pronunciation which was difficult for us to understand and write down. There was usually enough time that she could have walked the restaurant areas in each town with us and pointed out the recommended places. Our local guide in Buenos Aries, Lydia, was friendly and well informed but didn't seem to want to spend much time with us. We had lots of free time including 9 hours after we checked out of our hotel. We would have appreciated an optional tour to fill some of this time. The method SmarTours used to buy plane tickets resulted in my wife and I not being able to sit together both coming and going.
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