This itinerary takes you through three main bioregions of Patagonia, and three of its most important national parks. We'll visit penguin rookeries, glaciers, lakes, condor cliffs and guanaco mating grounds. We'll also visit working estancia and an estancia recovering from overgrazing. The coast, the steppes and the mountains of Patagonia in one trip.

Day 1: Arrive at Buenos Aires, hotel night arranged for your convenience, in Palermo, a traditional neighborhood in downtown.

Day 2: Meeting with your guide in Rio Gallegos International Airport. Transfer to Monte Leon National Park.

Day 3: Visit magellanic penguin rookeries, marine mammals and cormorans.

Day 4: Visit estancia historic buildings. We'll also visit the neighbouring estancia Dor Aike, a Patagonia Land Trust holding. We'll meet some gauchos and talk about the efforts for converting this estancia into a sustainable one.

Day 5: Transfer to Estancia La Oriental, 280 miles northwest of Monte León. We'll cross the incredible Patagonian steppe. It's common to see herds of guanacos and lesser rheas, and sometimes condors. We'll arrive in the afternoon at the estancia.

Day 6: Hike to Península Belgrano, with views to Lago Belgrano, a beautiful turquoise lake, and home to hundreds of guanacos. This is one of their reproductive summer grounds. In the afternoon we can do a short hike to the Mie Lagoon, home to the Maca tobiano, an endemic species from Patagonia.

Day 7: Hike to the top of Cerro Volcán, which boasts panoramic views of the park and its mountains.

Day 8: Transfer to Estancia La Maipú, located in the southern shores of Lago San Martín. This lake actually drains to the Pacific Ocean and shared in part with Chile. The estancia is very close to the lake, and in contrast to the estancias we visited before, this one is still active. On this day we'll apreciate the magnitude of distances in Patagonia, since we'll cover 300 miles to reach the estancia through mostly unhabitated landscapes.

Day 9: Hike to the Condoreras, a cliff chosen by dozens of condors to make their nests. We are usually rewarded with the sight of several condors at this place. We'll visit the working quarters of the estancia and a small museum.

Day 10: Horseback ride to the base of Cerro Astillado, the tallest mountain in the area.This is a place where gauchos take the sheep to feed during the summer, so we have a good chance of seeing them in action.

Day 11: Transfer to El Chalten, about 160 miles south. This small community was created in 1985 by the Argentinian goverment to prevent Chile from claiming these lands. Today it is the gateway for the northern section of the Glaciers national park. In the afternoon we'll get onboard a boat excursion to visit the Viedma Glacier, which drops into the lake of the same name.

Day 12: Hike to the Fitz Roy basecamp, and, weather permitting, we'll continue to Laguna de Los Tres, the best viewpoint for the Fitz Roy.

Day 13: Hike to Laguna Torre, and its basecamp, also known as "De Agostini basecamp". If the weather is generous we'll be able to see the Cerro Torre, Egger and Standhart, three of the most beautiful mountains in Patagonia.

Day 14: Transfer to El Calafate to board flight to Buenos Aires.

Personal Gear Checklist
This list is provided as a general guideline. These items are not included on the itinerary:

Daypack
Hiking boots
Long underwear top and bottom
Waterproof pants
Lightweight synthetic fleece
Heavyweight fleece
Flannel shirts
T-shirts
Waterproof jacket
Glove liners, fleece gloves and waterproof gloves
3 pairs of socks
Trekking poles
Insulated cap and sun visor
Camera
Lens with UV filter
30 SPF sun block and lip protector
One-liter Nalgene bottle
Blister kit
Pocketknife
Headlamp or flashlight with spare battery/bulb
Personal-care items
Personal medical insurance

Meals
The standards for our trips are as follows:
Breakfast: Continental breakfast
Bagged lunchs: Two sandwiches, fruit, energy bars and assorted desserts
Lunch or dinner: Appetizers or soup, followed by main course, dessert and coffee

We'll enjoy also a typical asado (BBQ), at some point during our trip. Prepared by the gauchos of the area, this is a typical tradition and a memorable event.

Included in the price of this itinerary:
- hotel night in Buenos Aires
- all lodging during your stay in Patagonia
- meals as specified below
- ground transportation from/to Buenos Aires Airport and El Calafate Intl. Airport.
- guides and special activities listed on this page.

Not included in this trip:
- International and local airfares.
- Visas, vaccinations and passport fees.
- Cabs, buses and any other ground transportation not quoted on the specific itinerary.
- Snacks, room service and any meals not listed on the specific itineraries. (You'll get a complete list of included meals with your booking package.
- Tips, gratuities or any other kind of gifts).
- Medical expenses originating from any kind of treatment, pre-existing condition or injury suffered during one of our trips or expeditions. Medical and evacuation insurance is not included.
- Additional costs originating from delays caused by bad weather, bad trail and/or road conditions, transportation delays, sickness, injuries, flight cancellations or delays, government intervention and any other contingency for which 40° South Expeditions cannot make provisions for.
- Currency exchange fees and services.
- Hotel phone calls and additional charges.
- Souvenirs and gifts.