Trek at a glance:
- Highlights:
- Start at El Calafate in Argentina on 12/22/2018
- Travel by road to El Chalten ~3 hours
- Trek in Los Glaciares National Park - see Map 3
- -Piedra Blancas
- -Lago de los Tres
- -Laguna Torre
- Overnight camping in one of the campgrounds in the park
- Take in the stunning views of Mount Fitz Roy
- Back to El Chalten, then El Calafate
- Day trek to Perito Moreno Glacier (ice trekking is an option here) on Christmas Day!
- Travel across the border to Puerto Natales, Chile ~5 hours
- Trek 6 days/5 nights in Torres del Paine National Park - see Map 4
- - Hike to the Grey Glacier
- - Trek through the French Valley
- - Visit Los Cuernos
- - Trek through the Asencio Valley to the see the famous towers
- - Leave the park on New Year's Day
- Overnight in Puerto Natales
- Travel by road to Punta Arenas ~3 hours
- Fly out of Punta Arena on 1/2/2019
- -Piedra Blancas
- -Lago de los Tres
- -Laguna Torre
Map 3 - Los Glaciares National Park
Map 4 - Torres Del Paine National Park
Notes about Trekking Inside Torres Del Paine:
- The lower section where I have marked with bold letters is the so-called "W" trek. It can be trekked in both directions.
- The upper & the lower section combined is the so-called "O" trek - it takes about 10-11 days. It can ONLY be trekked counter-clock wise.
- We are doing the "W" trek due to the time constrain.
- There are 3 different agencies that provide accommodations: CONAF, Vertices and Fantastico Sur along the W trek at the following points: A, B, C, E, F & G
- The exact route will depend on the availability.
- It is also possible to trek the lower section without overnighting inside the park, starting daily from B or F. Many people do that.
Costs and Booking Tips:
- International airfare would be your biggest expense. In order to score better airfares, search for international flights from/to LAX. You can either drive up and park your car in LAX or rent a vehicle one way. My family has been doing this countless times.
- Use Buenos Aires and Santiago as the international arrival/departure points. Depending on your travel dates and/or whether you use points, you can expect around $1300-$1400 for an open-jaw ticket.
- Domestic flights within Argentina and Chile can be purchased separately - each country has its own version of "Southwest Airline". In Argentina, use Aerolineas Argentinas, and in Chile use LATAM or Sky Airline. Expect about $75 - $125 pp one way depending on your travel dates.
- National parks in Argentina are free, and in Chile costs about $30/adult & $10/students
- Accommodations cost vary on your comfort level, from hostel to AirBnb to fancy 5 star eco resorts. I would say about 1/2 of Mammoth's price during ski season - with more mid-lower end availabilities thru hostels and AirBnb.
- Buses ranges from $20 to $30 pp from El Calafate <-> El Chalten, El Calafate -> Puerto Natales, Puerto Natales to Punte Arena.