If you had one chance to visit Patagonia, this would be the trip to take.

Some of this magnificent trip’s highlights: Forest day hikes around the foothills of Cerro Fitz Roy, horseback riding with gauchos around a historic estancia, and hiking on top of the Perito Moreno Glacier. This exploration of Patagonia’s most distinguished natural features is designed for hikers who want to enjoy nature, but not leave civilized comfort behind.

The mountains of Patagonia are flanked to the west by the Patagonia Icefield, to the east by the arid steppe, and to the south by the jagged fjords of the Magellan Strait. This combination of differing landscapes in such close proximity makes it a giant outdoor playground and a hiker’s paradise.

The first three days will be a sampler of the best mountain hiking to be had in Patagonia. We’ll explore the lower elevations of the Cerro Fitz Roy and Torre massifs, hike through southern beech forests and get a close look at these natural cathedrals. These peaks were first climbed in the 50s and today just a handful of the most talented alpinists in the world are able to reach their summits.

On our fourth day, we’ll drive around Viedma Lake to the estancia Helsingfors, a traditional ranch, and a great opportunity to witness first-hand the rugged life of the gauchos. We’ll enjoy an asado (BBQ) and the hospitality of the ranch owners, a family that has operated this estancia since the 60s. The next day we’ll take a horseback ride with the gauchos of this estancia to Azul Lagoon, a beautiful alpine lake with a hanging glacier.

Heading south again, our next destination is a United Nations designated World Heritage Site: the Perito Moreno Glacier. This glacier possesses a truly unique feature: it bisects Argentino Lake and periodically touches the land on the other shore, sometimes damming the waters of the lake. We’ll take an intimate look at this white giant by crossing the lake on a boat. Then we’ll strap on crampons and take a short hike across the ice. We’ll learn about the forces that carved this landscape on the last great glaciations 18,000 years ago, and see first-hand the processes that keep this glacier moving.

Our last four days will consist of a visit to the neighboring nation of Chile, and the beautiful Torres del Paine National Park. Closer to the Pacific, and exposed to more rainfall, here we can witness the Magellanic forest in all of its splendor.

The backdrop for these trees is no less magnificent: the sheer, polished granite walls of the Cuernos (horns) del Paine and the Torres (towers) that rise 3,000 feet off the ground. There is world-class hiking to be found among these mountains, and we’ll pick a couple of the best trails: the Torres viewpoint and the trail to Grey Glacier, the southernmost point of the Patagonia Icefield.

On our last day, we’ll drive back to El Calafate to catch our flight back to Buenos Aires.

Click here for a detailed description of this itinerary.