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£1.899,-

Patagonia Fly Drive Argentina El Chaltén

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday

On this Self-Drive Holiday, you will drive a hire car through the region between Argentina’s El Calafate and Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.

You’ll visit the spectacular glaciers at El Calafate, the rocky mountainous area around El Chaltén and the stunning hiking region around Torres del Paine.

This holiday includes domestic return flight from Buenos Aires, 9 nights of accommodation and 10 days of car hire.

Daily Itinerary for the Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday

Day 1 - Drive from El Calafate to El Chaltén (more than 200 km)
Upon your arrival at Calafate airport, your hire car and welcome hamper will be ready and waiting. You can then drive at your leisure to nearby El Chaltén, one of the most beautiful places in Patagonia. This remote town is accessed via a desert-like area in which only a few guanacos (a species of lama) live. El Chaltén is located in the heart of the Andes at the foot of Mount Fitz Roy. El Chaltén is very popular amongst mountaineers. Many tours to and around Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre start here. Hiking enthusiasts can have the time of their lives here and can head out on expeditions across the magnificent landscape. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 2 - Day in El Chaltén
Today, you could visit the area around ‘Lago Desierto’ (only 40 km to the north), a beautiful, richly-forested area surrounded by mountainous landscape. Even the route is spectacular as it meanders through forests and along waterfalls and lagoons. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday Perito Moreno

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday Perito Moreno

Day 3 - Drive back to El Calafate
Today, you will drive the more than 200 km back to El Calafate, the base from which you can visit the ‘Los Glaciares’ National Park. This park has nearly 50 glaciers that form part of the large icecap covering the Andes Mountains. This icecap is the last remnant from the ice age, a period around 10,000 years ago. This ice mass is four times larger than the Alps ice mass and is the second largest compact icecap, eclipsed only by the South Pole. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 4 - Day in El Calafate
It is possible to drive to the famous Perito Moreno glacier, the only glacier in the world that is still gradually growing. It slowly creeps across the landscape, forming a kind of a bridge. Because of the elevation difference between the 2 neighbouring lakes, this bridge is put under pressure and – every few years – it breaks and creates a spectacular avalanche of ice. Due to the continuous growth of the glacier because of snowfall, chunks of the ice wall as large as apartment blocks occasionally break off, making a deafening noise. 2/3 of this wall of ice is below the waterline. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 5 - Day in El Calafate
As an optional excursion, you could take a day trip on a catamaran across the ‘Lago Argentino’ and ‘Brazo Norte’ lakes. This will allow you to visit the Upsala glacier, the largest glacier in the region with a surface area of almost 600 km. Your catamaran will depart from nearby Punta Bandera and sail across the bright blue lakes, passing a number of glaciers. En route, you’ll stop in Onelli Bay, where you can enjoy lunch and take a walk. To fully enjoy the atmosphere and the incredible views, pack your own picnic lunch instead of dining at the restaurant. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday Torres del Paine

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday Torres del Paine

Day 6 - Drive to Torres del Paine in Chile (more than 250 km)
Today, you will cross the border into Chile and visit the Torres del Paine National Park, one of the best hiking regions in Latin America. The park owes its name to 3 striking granite towers that rise from the steppe, the Torres del Paine. This park features unique flora and fauna and is particularly popular among hiking enthusiasts. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 7 - Day in Torres del Paine
You could use this day for hiking. Various trails have been marked out on the varying landscape, starting at Laguna Amarga. Here, you will find a small ‘refugio’, where you will be required to pay your park admission fee. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 8 - Dag in Torres del Paine
Today, you could travel through the park in your hire car. You could also go on an optional boat trip across the Grey Lake for more stunning views of the Torres. During the summer months, it’s possible to trek across the glacier. Accommodation includes breakfast.

Day 9 - Drive back to El Calafate
Today, you will drive the more than 250 km back to civilisation, returning to Argentina and El Calafate. You’ll drop the hire car at El Calafate airport and fly back to Buenos Aires to catch your flight to your next destination.

Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday Prices

• From £ 1.899,- per person
• Based on 2 persons sharing
• Available until 01 December 2019
• Comfortable hotels

The Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday includes:
- Domestic return flights between Buenos Aires and El Calafate.
- 9 nights of shared accommodation including breakfast
- 10 days of car hire, based on a 4-door Vauxhall Corsa or equivalent vehicle, including unlimited mileage and insurance
- English-language service during the holiday.

The Patagonia Fly Drive Holiday excludes:
- Intercontinental flights
- Optional excursions
- National Park admission fees
- Personal expenses
- Fuel
- Tips
- Other meals and drinks
- Local departure tax