South America - Wild Patagonia from £3,635

Please note this itinerary can be done in reverse

Day 1 – 5 Leaving Santiago we will visit the Maipu and Colchagua Valleys, famous for producing some of the countries finest wines before arriving into Pucon located in the heart of Chiles Lake District. Enjoy walks through the Huerquehue National Park that protects 12500 hectares of rivers, waterfalls, alpine lake and forest, a soak in natural outdoor thermal springs and a day at leisure to hike up the Villarica Volcano or enjoy some of the numerous outdoor activities on offer.

Day 6 – 10 Crossing into Argentina we visit Bariloche, nestled peacefully on the shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake. Explore the scenic circuito chico taking in panoramic views of the lake and the national park some leisure time to pursue interests such as fishing, horse riding on a local estancia, paragliding or walking. Enjoy camping in Los Alerces National before crossing the mighty Futeleufu river into Chiles remote southern region, the Carraterra Austral.

Day 11 – 15 The Carratera Austral (Southern Road) is often referred to as one of South Americas best road trips and gives us the opportunity to get up close to a spectacular hanging Galcier in the Queulat National Park. We travel down Route 40, paralleling the remarkable Andean range, through the vast Patagonia plains stopping overnight at a remote Patagonian Estancia until arriving into El Chalten, and the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. We will take a boat trip here across the lake to the Viedma Glacier, the largest in Argentina, where we will have the opportunity to explore ice caves and take a gentle walk atop this mighty ice sheet.

Day 16 – 20 Our next stop is El Calafate, our base to visit the impressive Perito Moreno glacier, one of the earths most dynamic and accessible ice fields. We then cross again into Chile we arrive at Torres Del Paine National Park where we will camp on the edge of the picturesque Lago Pehoe and enjoy day hikes to explore what is to many South Americas finest national park.

Day 21 – 26 Next we head to Punta Arenas stopping on the way to visit Seno Otway penguin colony, home to approximately 6000 breeding pairs. Continuing across the Straights of Magellan we will arrive into the most southerly city in the world, Ushuaia, and our final destination. Explore the Beagle Channel and the Tierra Del Fuego National Park before concluding the tour with a meal at one of ushuaias famous seafood restaurants.