Puerto Natales Retreat
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
7 days, planned by Pumice & Pine
Puerto Natales is the staging town — everything you forgot can be hired or bought here and nowhere past it.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Patagonian steppe |
| Puerto Natales |
| Seno Última Esperanza |
Nineteen kilometres and a boulder field at the end for three granite towers over a glacial lake. The wind on the last hour is the hardest part.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Las Torres |
| Ascencio valley |
| Chileno |
Hanging glaciers calve off Paine Grande all day and you hear them before you see them.
| LANDMARKS |
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| French Valley |
| Paine Grande |
| Cuernos |
| Mirador Británico |
Grey is the front of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and icebergs from it drift down the lake past the refuge.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Grey Glacier |
| Lago Grey |
| Icebergs |
The border crossing is straightforward and slow. Carry your passport somewhere accessible.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Lago Grey |
| Cerro Castillo border |
| El Calafate |
Perito Moreno is one of the few advancing glaciers left, and it drops sixty-metre blocks into the lake most hours.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Perito Moreno |
| Los Glaciares National Park |
El Calafate flies direct to Buenos Aires, which is the sensible way out.
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
Hotel or lodge, twin sharing
6 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 4 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
13 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
“Andes and Central America, altitude planned properly”
Every itinerary is built around where you sleep rather than where you go, because in the Andes that is the only decision that matters.
Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard. Crew were professional without being stiff about it.
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
Long transfer at both ends that isn't obvious from the listing. Budget a day either side. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it.
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
The trek itself is good but the group was too large for the trail on the summit day. Crew were professional without being stiff about it.
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Hotels were clean and central, which saved a lot of time. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Would book with them again.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Did this over 7 days and it was the best walking I've done in years. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Meals were good throughout and the vegetarian options weren't an afterthought. Recommended.
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Good value for what's included.
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
Pace was set for the fastest people in the group and it made the middle days hard.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. Would send friends their way.
For December to February, six to eleven months. The park caps beds and camping places and checks reservations at the entrance — you are not admitted to the route without them. This is the main thing an operator is doing for you here.
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →