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Parks of the World: Exploring Patagonia
At-A-Glance
Trip Dates:
November 4, 2014 through November 11, 2014
NPCA Member Price From
$4,595-$4,995 per person double occupancy; $750 single supplement. All participants must also purchase group airfare estimated at $750 per person.
Deposit
$1,000 per person
Contact ParkScapes at 800.628.7275 or travel@npca.org
November 4-11, 2014
Enjoy a personal introduction to the people and places of Patagonia on an adventure that offers infinite opportunity to connect: with warm, hospitable people, robust food and wine, exotic wildlife, and a landscape that will make your heart dance.
This journey takes you to some of Patagonia’s most iconic miracles of geography at Los Glaciares National Park, including the dramatic granite massif Fitz Roy, the 50-mile long glacial Lake Viedma, and the awesome Perito Moreno Glacier—one of the largest living glaciers in the world.
You’ll stay active, hiking lovely mountain trails through beautiful beech forest, riding with gauchos (if you wish), boating to the base of Perito Moreno, and watching for Andean condors, black-necked swans, guanacos, and rheas. You get a true taste of rural Patagonian hospitality during a stay at an historic estancia, where you can hike, ride, fish, and enjoy the finest, garden-freshest regional cuisine.
For details about this trip, download the brochure (pdf)
Trip Details:
Tour Highlights
Hiking
Enjoy your choice of gentle walks or more strenuous trails in forest, pampas, foothill, and mountain terrain.
Horseback Riding
If you would like to, you can ride with gauchos on excellent Argentine mounts across the pampas or through beech forests.
Perito Moreno
The dramatic formations, sounds, and shifts of this enormous “river of ice” make a lasting impression.
TopTour Details
Arrive/Depart
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Length of Tour
8 days/7 nights
Pace
Easy to moderately active, offering a choice of activities each day to suit different activity levels and interests. Be prepared for a variety of hikes and walks on uneven trails.
Price Includes
All accommodations, meals as noted (B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner), ground transportation, entrance fees, professional guide services, park and other entrance fees, and miscellaneous program expenses.
Price Does Not Include
Roundtrip airfare to and from destination, gratuities for naturalist guides, alcoholic beverages, or personal expenses.
Payments/Cancellations
Space is confirmed by calling the NPCA at 800.628.7275. A $1,000 per person deposit is due at registration. Final payment will be invoiced separately and is due 120 days prior to departure. Cancellation notice must be submitted in writing and is effective upon date of receipt. Cancellations up to 91 days prior are subject to a $500 per person cancellation fee. Cancellations 90-61 days prior to departure, 25% of the tour cost is forfeited; 60-31 days prior to departure, 50% of the tour cost is forfeited; 30 days or fewer prior to departure result in the loss of 100% of your total cost.
Travel Insurance
To protect yourself from the loss of deposit and cancellation fees, you are encouraged to purchase travel insurance. If you need assistance, NPCA recommends contacting Travel Insurance Services.
TopDaily Itinerary
November 4: El Calafate and El Chaltén, Argentina
After a morning flight from Buenos Aires, we meet our local naturalist guide Cecilia Costa in El Calafate for the journey into the heart of Patagonia. We drive north about four hours to El Chaltén, a town situated at the northern tip of Los Glaciares National Park at the feet of Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. We’ll stop enroute at a historic roadhouse for a tasty Patagonian lunch. Cecilia will offer a preview of what’s to come on this great Patagonian exploration. Hosteria El Puma (L,D)
November 5-6: Los Glacieres National Park and El Chaltén, Argentina
We explore Los Glaciares with hikes to the base of Mt. Fitzroy and to the glacial lake at the base of Cerro Torre, and venture further afield to more remote trails around Lago Desierto. We’ll choose our hikes based on the group’s interests and to some extent, the weather. On any of these hikes, gentle mountain trails take us through beautiful forests, with views of glaciers and the monumental peaks of the FitzRoy massif. Hosteria El Puma (B,L,D)
November 7-8: Estancia Helsingfors, Argentina
Today, we follow the road until it ends at the lovely Estancia Helsingfors, legendary for its hospitality and gourmet cuisine. Your time here is flexible, so you can enjoy your own choice of activities. You may wish to ride with gauchos across the pampas plains, or hike or ride horses through a beech forest to glacial Laguna Azul. Memorable dinners cap each day; Helsingfors has its own vegetable garden and serves the finest regional cuisine. Estancia Helsingfors (B,L,D)
November 9: El Calafate, Argentina
We bid farewell to the estancia this morning and head back to El Calafate. We’ll enjoy another decidedly Patagonian lunch along the way. The remainder of the day is yours to explore and enjoy the exquite nature of this unique Argentine town. Shops and galleries will be open for browsing. Enjoy dinner is on your own tonight. La Posada de los Alamos (B, L)
November 10: El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
Today we go to the remarkable Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the largest and most active glaciers in the world. Its sheer magnitude is stunning, with a front wall that is 200 feet high and over three miles long. This morning we take a boat trip and guided walk at the base of this commanding glacier. The boat passes close to the glacier’s south face, so we might witness “calving”—the dramatic shedding of huge ice pillars into the lake. After lunch, we’ll some birdwatching at Nimez Lagoon – perhaps we’ll get to see flamingos! A festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant caps off our grand adventure. La Posada de los Alamos (B,L,D)
November 11: El Calafate and Departures Home
The airport is only about half an hour’s drive from town, so plan your flights out for anytime today. Or stay awhile longer to explore other compelling corners of Patagonia! (B)
Optional Post-Tour Extension
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Head across the border into Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park, and treat yourself to 4 days and 4 nights at the legendary Explora hotel. Amazing hiking, excellent riding, fine accommodations and more time in Patagonia will be your reward. Please note that your Patagonia small group adventure dates correspond exactly with the set arrival/departure dates of Explora. We can also recommend a wonderful new hotel on the Chilean fjords that offers kayaking, hiking, biking, and day trips to Torres del Paine.
TopPricing Details
NPCA Member Price From
$4,595-$4,995 per person double occupancy; $750 single supplement. All participants must also purchase group airfare estimated at $750 per person.
Deposit
$1,000 per person
TopMap
Alternate Departures
Unable to join us for this Patagonia departure? NPCA’s travel partner, Off the Beaten Path, is offering additional naturalist led journeys to Patagonia. Scheduled departures include:
- November 5-11, 2013
- March 8-14, 2014
- March 16-22, 2014
- November 4-10, 2014
Off the Beaten Path shares NPCA’s love of national parks and our philosophy of engaged, small group travel. For more information on alternate departures, contact contact us at 800-628-7275 or email us at travel@npca.org
TopOur Travel Partner
The National Parks Conservation association is delighted to be partnering with Off the Beaten Path (OBP) to bring you excellent, insider experiences in our cherished national parks. This well-respected travel company shares our love of national parks, and understands the significant role they play in safeguarding America’s most majestic landscapes. Off the Beaten Path also shares our travel philosophy of small group sizes and unique itineraries.
NPCA’s collaboration with Off the Beaten Path allows us to open up an even broader range of opportunities through which you can appreciate and enjoy your national parks. Off the Beaten Path is offering additional dates with similar kinds of experiences to the trip described in this official ParkScapes departure.
TopBooking Info
To contact NPCA's ParkScapes program for questions or reservations please call 800-628-7275 or email travel@npca.org. You may also book directly online.
