Nordenskjöld Lake

Due to the expansiveness of Patagonia - over 400,000 square miles - and the fact it encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile; this is one of the more remote places to reach in the world. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers in the west and deserts, tablelands and steppes to the east. This itinerary was designed to experience a couple key areas of Patagonia on both the Argentinian side and the Chilean side; in a condensed amount of time. The focus of the itinerary is on Glaciers National Park, outside of El Calafate; and Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. The itinerary easily combines both countries, however, you can separate them out if you just want to focus on one area of Patagonia, and expand your touring from there. The itinerary will include additional places to say based on budget, mid-budget and luxury accomodations; as well as recommended restaurants, and optional tours and activities.

Torres del Paine National Park located in Chile's Patagonia region is famous for their soaring mountains, glaciers, and bright icebergs. Trekkers frequently take the W Trek or O Circuit to admire the famous granite towers - Torres del Paine and Cuernos del Paine. I hiked in Torres del Paine via the W Trek in January and have compiled my top tips for the park here. This guide will go over the key things to know in order to hike the W Trek such as the park geography, highlights of the W Trek, the W Trek vs the O Circuit, accommodations on the W Trek, the best time to go, weather, and what to pack. I have also outline the itinerary I followed for my trek starting with landing in Puerto Natales. I've included what I saw during the hike and things to look out for. I finish the guide by discussing ways to expand your trip to Southern Argentina including a promo code for my other Patagonia guides.