Patagonia had been in the top 3 of our dream trips for several years. However, we had been postponing it for a while because we wanted to prepare well for it and had completed other trips beforehand. And finally, in March 2023, we decided it was time to tackle this beautiful and challenging land. 🙂 We started preparations 4 months before the departure – quite a short time, but in the end we managed to realize everything we dreamed of. Today we would like to share with you our itinerary and inspire you to create your own. Also look out for our ebook on self-organized trip to Patagonia, which will be released really soon!
Itinerary:
Day 1
We started our journey at Warsaw Chopin Airport. We flew via Frankfurt, Bogotá and Buenos Aires and arrived in El Calafate after more than 35 hours. There we rented a car and headed to El Chaltén. A small town that is a mecca for all people who love mountains!
Day 2
El Chaltén – trek to Laguna Torre and Laguna Hija.
Day 3
El Chaltén – trek to Laguna de los Tres with views of Fitz Roy.
Day 4
This is where our plans changed. That day was supposed to be El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier, but we headed to Torres del Paine National Park because there was supposed to be a weather window and then the weather broke. We put everything on one card, changed our reservations and headed to Chile.
That day we went around the park and did more food shopping in Puerto Natales, the town closest to the park and where we stayed overnight.
Day 5
Torres del Paine National Park – trekking to Grey Lake and the glacier of the same name. There the weather was very demanding – jackets, pants and trekking shoes made of Gore-Tex a must!
Day 6
Torres del Paine National Park – trekking to Mirador Base de Las Torres. One of the most famous views in all of Patagonia.
Day 7
We caught a cold and the weather was worse, so we spent the day resting and treating ourselves. We explored Puerto Natales a bit in the process.
Day 8
We went to Torres del Paine National Park again and visited all the points on the park map that you can drive to. And it was beautiful! We didn’t have to rush anywhere, so we were able to take pictures in all the beautiful places, have coffee overlooking the Patagonian mountains and just feast our eyes on the views, which is not always the case when trekking.
In the evening, drive to Punta Arenas.
Day 9
Visiting Punta Arenas and the Straits of Magellan. Sending postcards “from the end of the world”.
Day 10
The drive from Ushuaia, which we ended up failing due to weather conditions. A snowstorm unleashed in the Andes, which made it impossible for us to cross the pass on summer tires.
Day 11
Arrive in Ushuaia. Tour of the Martial glacier and the city.
Day 12
A tour of the Fire Land National Park.
Day 13
Return to El Calafate – stage 1. By the way, we visited the royal penguin reserve en route.
Day 14
Getting to El Calafate. Touring the town, the reserve with flamingos (were we the only ones who thought flamingos liked the warmth?), trying a delicious Argentine steak with Malbec wine.
Day 15
A tour of the Perito Moreno glacier.
Day 16
Fly to Buenos Aires – visit attractions such as Ateneo Splendid, El Obelisco, Floralis Generica and the San Telmo district.
Day 17
Buenos Aires sightseeing continues. The popular La Boca district with its El Caminito street and La Bombonera stadium, Casa Rosada, the Japanese garden and the Palermo Soho district (full of murals, especially recommended for an evening stroll).
Day 18
A day trip to Iguazu Falls.
Day 19
Departure home.
You can, of course, allocate much more time to explore Patagonia, as it is an extremely vast land. However, we think that in these 3 weeks you can already see really a lot! We decided to ourselves that we will return to Patagonia at some point in the future, because we loved it incredibly! Everything looks even more beautiful than in the photos.
PS. Our favorite Patagonian view! Beautiful, isn’t it?
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