Los Glaciares Gentle Adventure

Day 1: Transfer to El Chaltén; Madsen House & Museum

You'll be met at El Calafate Airport and take a private transfer to your accommodation in El Chaltén.

After checking in, you'll take a private transfer to the nearby Madsen House & Museum for a private visit. This is the house built by Danish pioneer Andreas Madsen in the early 1900s. Here your guide will take you back in time to learn about the challenges that Madsen and his family faced as they worked their remote ranch.

You can explore the house which remains largely intact and is filled with original furniture, tools and a collection of photos illustrating the daily lives of the pioneers.

You'll also enjoy some light snacks here including local pickles, cold cuts, bread, olives and some locally made soup with a drop of wine. You'll also discover Legui, a national distilled beverage, as you toast to the start of your Los Glaciares adventure.

After your visit you'll take a private transfer back to your accommodation. You'll be free this evening to enjoy dinner at one of the many local eateries that the charming village of El Chaltén has to offer.

Meals: Breakfast, light lunch

Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas (standard hotel) / Chaltén Suites (superior hotel), or equivalent

Day 2: Choice of three hikes near El Chaltén

Today you'll enjoy a choice of privately guided hike - all are low difficulty, but all offer breathtaking views.

• Hike to Laguna Capri (5 miles/8km, 4-6 hours) - The trail leads you out of El Chaltén along the picturesque Río de las Vueltas Valley. This is a forested trail on which you'll be surrounded by towering lenga and ñire trees and serenaded by the local birds. Upon reaching the shore of Lagna Capri you'll have stunning views of Mt Fitz Roy in the distance. After relaxing and taking photos, you'll retrace your route back to El Chaltén.

• Hike to Cerro Torre viewpoint (4.5 miles/7km, 4 hours) - You'll follow the trail out of El Chaltén on a 20-minute gentle ascent, after which you'll enter a lenga forest. It's another two hours walking to the Cerro Torre viewpoint where the forest opens up to a breathtaking valley. From the viewpoint you'll see the granite form of Cerro Torre, surrounded by other peaks forming a superb panorama, if the weather is kind to you. Remember, this region is renowned for its unpredictable and often tempestuous climate. After some time to relax and take it all in, you'll retrace your steps to El Chaltén.  

• Hike to Los Cóndores and Águilas viewpoints (4.5 miles/7km, 2-3 hours) - Your guide will take you to the start of the hike from where it's a gradual, and gentle, ascent for around 40 minutes up to the Los Cóndores viewpoint. It's from here that you can soak up the awesome panorama of the Torre and Fitz Roy mountain groups. You'll also be able to see the winding Río de las Vueltas and El Chaltén. Another 30 minutes hiking along flat terrain gets you to the Águilas viewpoint. You'll be treated to views of the deep blue Lake Viedma and the vast Patagonian steppe. The name of these viewpoints come from the condor and eagle birds that are often spotted soaring on the windy thermals in this area and which will hopefully make for some spectacular viewing and photo opportunities for you. Take some time to relax and take photos before heading back along the same route to El Chaltén.

Please note that as you will have a private guide for your time, you will be able to tailor your day's hike to your needs, and your guide's recommendation. Start and end times will vary and will be confirmed with you the night before the activity.

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch

Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas (standard hotel) / Chaltén Suites (superior hotel), or equivalent

Day 3: Lago del Desierto; Huemul Glacier viewpoint

Today will see you heading north of El Chaltén on the only road heading in that direction out of town. Take a private transfer through some of the region's most spectacular scenery of glaciated mountain peaks and vast forested valleys to eventually arrive at the stunning and wild Lago del Desierto. 

Once here you'll embark on a shared boat trip on this vast lake, as your guide on board describes the wonders that you'll be seeing. On a clear day, the vistas south to Mt Fitz Roy are truly beautiful. There's plenty of attractive scenery to enjoy along the way - crystal clear water and steep wooded slopes either side of the long yet narrow fjord-like lake.

Lunch will be an authentic picada argentina consisting of an array of local 'tapas' including cured meats and cheeses, pickled vegetables and other local delicacies.

You'll then embark on a private guided hike to a remote yet stunningly beautiful hidden gem of the Los Glaciares region: the Huemul Glacier viewpoint. This steep, but thankfully short, walk leads you to fantastic views of the hanging glacier in a region that is renowned to be a sanctuary of the elusive Huemul deer, and a wealth of endemic bird species, such as the Megellanic woodpecker. After your gentle walk, you'll head back down the valley, in the direction of El Chaltén.

There are other shorter/easier walks in the area should you decide you'd prefer to take it easier - your guide can advise you on the best option when with you.

Transfer: 22 miles/35km, 90 minutes each way

Hike: 3 miles/5km, 2 hours approx

Boat trip: 45 minutes

Meals: Breakfast, Argentine tapas/picnic lunch

Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas (standard hotel) / Chaltén Suites (superior hotel), or equivalent

Day 4: Transfer to El Calafate; Nativo Experience

This morning you'll take a private transfer from El Chaltén to El Calafate. This three-hour journey by tarmac road is a spectacular road trip across changing Patagonian landscapes. From the forested valley enclave of El Chaltén, past vast glacial lakes and gushing rivers, to the barren wind swept steppe to the town of El Calafate. It is wonderfully located on the southern shores of Lago Argentino - famed for its glowing turquoise colour, which mimics the colours of the Argentine national flag.

After you've checked-in to your hotel, you'll have time to relax, or explore the town on foot. El Calafate is like a small ski resort out of season. It has a host of small artisan shops and is close to the Laguna Nimes bird sanctuary. You won't be short of things to do in town.

In the early evening you'll set out on a fantastic group excursion: the unique Nativo Experience. Travelling by 4x4 vehicle, you'll head along the shore of Lake Argentino to an excellent viewpoint showcasing the lake and mountains. Your local guide will explain the details of this glacially-formed landscape and its unique wildlife.

Along the way your guide will talk about the history of the nomadic people in the area and their culture. You'll see some of this first-hand when you visit the small cave paintings at Hualichu.

As the evening draws in you'll settle down for a delicious traditional dinner, cooked and served in one of the caves... a truly Patagonian experience.

Excursion: 3 hours

Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Accommodation: Sierra Nevada (standard) / Mirador del Lago (superior), or equivalent

Day 5: Perito Moreno Glacier

Today you'll take an excursion to the breathtaking Perito Moreno Glacier: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a must-see iconic sight for any traveller to Patagonia. There are two options from which to choose:

• Option 1: Take a shared transfer from your hotel, westward to Estancia Nibepo Aike. Here you can learn about daily life for gauchos on the ranch, and watch sheep being sheared. A traditional lunch will be served here, consisting of Patagonian lamb, wine and a dessert. You'll then embark on a boat trip towards the Brazo Rico portion of Lago Argentino and land at a small beach. From here you'll take a gentle hike for 0.6-1.2 miles/1-2km through the southern beech forest and visit a picturesque glacier viewpoint only visited on this excursion.

Back on the boat, you'll sail close to the southern face of the imposing Perito Moreno Glacier, perhaps with a glass of whisky in hand, chilled by ice from the glacier, as you observe some of the frequent glacial calving events. The boat will dock and you can then stroll the glacier walkways in the afternoon when there are fewer visitors. You'll be able to view the glacier from other angles and hopefully see more of the spectacular sight of ice calving and crashing into the water with thunderous noise.

You'll then return to El Calafate by shared transfer in the late afternoon.

• Option 2: Take a private transfer from your hotel to Punta Bandera port for an 8:30am embarkation on board the cruise vessel Maria Turquesa. You'll head northwest, passing Punta Avellaneda and Boca del Diablo en route to the Spegazzini Channel, location of the stunning glacier of the same name - an awesome sight, towering up to 400ft/135m above the water.

The boat will then head to Puesto de las Vacas in a very tranquil bay where you'll disembark to take a guided gentle stroll to the old pioneer outpost amid beautiful scenery.

Back on board, you'll next head along the Upsala Channel to the Herminita Peninsula from where you'll have an awesome panoramic view of the Upsala Glacier. A gourmet box lunch will be served on board as the boat continues its journey.

Next you'll head along the Tempanos Channel to the north face of the Perito Moreno Glacier. From here you'll enjoy superb views of the glacier and, hopefully, see some ice calving. You'll disembark here and spend two hours on the walkways at Perito Moreno - there are fewer visitors here in the afternoons than in the busy mornings.

The Maria Turquesa will then commence the return journey to the port at Punta Bandera, arriving around 6:30pm. From here your private transfer will be waiting to take you back to your hotel for your final night in El Calafate, arriving around 7:30-8pm, after a long but exhilarating day and the world's most spectacular glacier.

Meals: Breakfast, box lunch

Accommodation: Sierra Nevada / Mirador del Lago, or equivalent

Day 6: Transfer to El Calafate Airport

This morning you'll check out of your hotel and take a private transfer to El Calafate Airport for your onward flight. You'll leave El Calafate 2.5 hours before your flight departure time.

Meals: Breakfast