Patagonia & the Carretera Austral

Enjoy included VIP airport lounge access before your overnight flight from the UK to Santiago, arriving the next day.

After landing In Chile's capital city, you'll be met and transferred to your hotel in the centre of town. Set in the shadow of the vast snow-capped peaks of the Andes to the east and a lesser coastal mountain range to the west, Santiago enjoys an enviable location and those that explore its pleasant plazas and tree-lined boulevards will be rewarded with first-class food, interesting museums, lively nightlife and a flourishing bohemian art scene to rival any of its Latin American counterparts. An optional tour of the city will take you to Santa Lucía Hill, Barrio París-Londres with its faded colonial buildings, and the colourful Central Market where you’ll try local’s favourite, Colo de Mono; similar to a White Russian it combines fiery aguardiente with milk, sugar, coffee and cloves.

Transfer to Santiago airport and board a flight south to Balmaceda, the starting point for your journey along the Carretera Austral. Collect your 4x4 hire car on arrival and set off south to Villa Cerro Castillo. Here the tarmac ends and the dirt road begins, leading you through a mountainous landscape to Puerto Guadal on the southern shores of Lago General Carrera for your three-night stay. The next two days will be free to explore the lake and surrounding region. A number of excursions offered by the hotel will help you make the most of your stay with options ranging from self-guided mountain treks and lake cruises to kayaking, jet boating and glacier walks. You can also head south towards the Chacabuco Valley, a remote valley rich in native wildlife overlooked by the imposing Mount Tamanguito. 

Stay: Mallin Colorado Ecolodge (Superior)

Despite reaching the southernmost point of your journey along the Carretera Austral your adventure isn't over yet. Retrace your route this morning, heading back north to Lago General Carrera and the town of Puerto Rio Tranquilo. Check into the Hostal El Puesto*, a small family-run lodge with just three rooms overlooking the lake. Over the following days, perhaps head to the Marble Cathedral and Marble Chapel, a series of twisted caverns, columns and tunnels set beneath one of the lake's wind-sculpted islands. Take the chance to explore them on an optional boat or kayak tour, otherwise choose from a range of other excursions, which include the likes of guided glacier tours and hikes.

*Closed for a few months in 2024; please see below for an alternative accommodation option during this time.

Stay: Aparthotel Valle Exploradores (Standard)

Return to Balmaceda and board a flight, via Puerto Montt, to Punta Arenas in the wild southern reaches of Chilean Patagonia. On arrival, collect your hire car and drive to your hotel.

Stay: Hotel La Yegua Loca (Superior)

On the morning of day nine you’ll begin your drive north across the Patagonian steppe to Puerto Natales and on to the iconic granite spires of the Torres del Paine National Park. It’s a spectacular drive as you pass vast glacial lakes, windswept grasslands and mighty Andean mountains freshly dusted with snow. On arrival you’ll check into Hotel Lago Grey, the ideal base for self-guided journeys in and around the national park.

Stay: Hotel Lago Grey (Superior) 

Return by road to Punta Arenas where you’ll board a flight back to Santiago. The next morning, head back to the airport to begin your journey home.

Transfer to the airport in time for your flight home, arriving home on day 14.