Patagonia Wildlife Safari

Location Patagonia, Chile Adventure Level Moderate Minimum age 6 (10 - 12 for hiking) From $985
Call toll-free 1 (800) 346-6277

Explore Torres del Paine National Park on this guided Patagonia hiking adventure where each day’s hike ends at a cozy dome with hot showers and hearty meals. Select from a menu of hikes and activities ranging from easy to challenging.

Torres del Paine National Park’s magnificent and unrivaled flora, fauna, and stunning vistas are at your fingertips with this customized adventure package, allowing you to handpick daily activities such as cycling, hikes, and nature walks, returning home to EcoCamp at the end of each day for cozy accommodations and sublime meals. Best of all, the Wildlife Safari offers you the best flexibility to see and explore the park and its inhabitants with shorter or longer stay options, ranging from 4 to 7 days so that you can get the most out of your stay at EcoCamp Patagonia!

Trip Highlights
  • Visit Torres del Paine National Park
  • Opt for nature walks, treks, and bike excursions
  • Explore unique fauna and flora
  • Stay in comfortable domed basecamp
  • Daily yoga stretching group class

What to Expect

Itinerary & Map

Itinerary at a Glance

We pride ourselves in running a relaxed and flexible schedule. Every Patagonia trip is different depending upon the group, other trips in the area, and sometimes the weather. The following is a sample of what your trip might be like:

Day 1

Your Patagonian Adventure Begins!

You’ll be picked-up from your hotel or the airport in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales (depending on your preferred flight) and driven to the basecamp located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. For guests coming from Punta Arenas, we’ll stop in Puerto Natales, a small town on the shores of “Seno de Ultima Esperanza,” where we enjoy a hearty local lunch.

The journey is scenic and highly atmospheric, featuring many wild birds and wonderful Patagonian landscapes. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at our basecamp, nestled in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park, with a prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11 PM during the summer months, meaning that there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked, mountainous horizon once you arrive.

Days 2 – 6 (Depending on trip length)

Torres del Paine National Park

Every day of the week offers a variety of excursions to choose from, each delivering you to a magnificent destination revered by trekkers and nature enthusiasts around the world.  The excursions range from easy nature walks to demanding treks that take all day.  We’ll hike, travel by boat and maybe even bike to reach the edge of enormous glaciers, some clinging to high ridge lines and others calving-off into the lake just meters from the boat.  Nature abounds as we seek out wild horses, gliding condors, graceful guanacos and great grebes along the way.

Throughout your stay, your adventure and destination options will include: the famous “Towers Trek,” Pehoe Lake & French Valley, Laguna Azul, Western Lakes & Glacier Grey, Cerro Ferrier, Sarmiento Lake, Lago Azul, Cerro Paine, Salto Grande & Condor Outlook and tracking wild horses.

Each day will start with a hearty breakfast, the opportunity to pack a lunch to take with you and will end with time to enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow travelers at the basecamp’s Community Dome before enjoying a multi-course dinner highlighting the cuisine of the region.

The Last Day of Your Trip

Adiós Torres del Paine!

After another hearty breakfast, we’ll take a scenic ride back to Puerto Natales and on to Punta Arenas. The included transfer arrives to the Punta Arenas Airport at approximately 1:30 PM, in time to catch flights departing later in the afternoon.

Meeting Time & Place

Location

Chile: Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales (airport or hotel)

Meeting time

Punta Arenas: 9 -11 AM or 3 PM
Puerto Natales: 2:30 PM or 6:30 PM

Return

Punta Arenas: 1:30-2 PM (to hotel or for flights after 3 PM)
Puerto Natales: 10:30 AM (to hotel or for flights after 12 PM)

Trip Map

Dates & Prices

Daily departures from September – May; please call to discuss your preferred dates and to check availability.

January – May 2024 Departures

Peak Season: Jan. 1 – Jan. 20
High Season: Jan. 21 – March 31
Shoulder Season: April 1 – April 17
Low Season: April 18 – May 4

September 2024 – May 2025 Departures
Low Season: Sept. 7 – 30 & April 18 – May 4
Shoulder Season: Oct. 1 – 31 & April 1 – 30
High Season: Nov. 1 – Dec. 14 & Jan. 15 – March 31
Peak Season: Dec. 15 – Jan. 14

Price
Low Seasonfrom $985
Shoulder Seasonfrom $1,175
High Seasonfrom $2,045
Peak Seasonfrom $2,260

January – May 2024 Departures

Peak Season: Jan. 1 – Jan. 20
High Season: Jan. 21 – March 31
Shoulder Season: April 1 – April 17
Low Season: April 18 – May 4

September 2024 – May 2025 Departures
Low Season: Sept. 7 – 30 & April 18 – May 4
Shoulder Season: Oct. 1 – 31 & April 1 – 30
High Season: Nov. 1 – Dec. 14 & Jan. 15 – March 31
Peak Season: Dec. 15 – Jan. 14

Price
Low Seasonfrom $1,195
Shoulder Seasonfrom $1,430
High Seasonfrom $2,490
Peak Seasonfrom $2,750

January – May 2024 Departures

Peak Season: Jan. 1 – Jan. 20
High Season: Jan. 21 – March 31
Shoulder Season: April 1 – April 17
Low Season: April 18 – May 4

September 2024 – May 2025 Departures
Low Season: Sept. 7 – 30 & April 18 – May 4
Shoulder Season: Oct. 1 – 31 & April 1 – 30
High Season: Nov. 1 – Dec. 14 & Jan. 15 – March 31
Peak Season: Dec. 15 – Jan. 14

Price
Low Seasonfrom $1,395
Shoulder Seasonfrom $1,670
High Seasonfrom $2,900
Peak Seasonfrom $3,210

January – May 2024 Departures

Peak Season: Jan. 1 – Jan. 20
High Season: Jan. 21 – March 31
Shoulder Season: April 1 – April 17
Low Season: April 18 – May 4

September 2024 – May 2025 Departures
Low Season: Sept. 7 – 30 & April 18 – May 4
Shoulder Season: Oct. 1 – 31 & April 1 – 30
High Season: Nov. 1 – Dec. 14 & Jan. 15 – March 31
Peak Season: Dec. 15 – Jan. 14

Price
Low Seasonfrom $1,580
Shoulder Seasonfrom $1,890
High Seasonfrom $3,280
Peak Seasonfrom $3,625

Per person based on double occupancy in a Standard Dome. Please call for pricing and availability for Superior and Suite Domes and single, triple, and quadruple occupancy.

Deposit

$500, $800, or $1200 per person, based on trip price

Additional Costs

• Mandatory emergency medical & evacuation coverage

Ways to Save

To book with one of our special offers, call 1-800-346-6277 or contact us today.

The Need-to-Know Info

Trip Details

Included in Your Trip Cost

  • Skilled, professional guide service provided by our affiliate operator
  • 3-6 nights accommodation at basecamp (based on double occupancy)
  • Roundtrip ground transport between Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, or El Calafate (Argentina) to Torres del Paine National Park
  • All meals from lunch on day 1 through breakfast on the final day (and limited beverages offered with meals at basecamp)
  • Activities as outlined in the itinerary
  • Daily yoga while staying at the basecamp
  • Entry fee for Torres del Paine National Park

Not Included in Your Trip Cost

  • Round-trip international and domestic (in Argentina & Chile) flights
  • Pre- and post-trip accommodation and meals
  • Single supplement fee (for single occupancy of a dome at the basecamp)
  • Ground transport service outside of scheduled times (final day’s early transfer from the basecamp is available), private transfers, or transportation between the El Calafate bus station and the airport (additional fee)
  • Any beverages not included with each meal at basecamp or from the bar at basecamp. Non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase from the bar at the basecamp.
  • Trekking poles (wooden walking sticks are available at camp upon request)
  • Insurance of any kind, including a travel protection plan or mandatory emergency medical & evacuation coverage
  • Gratuities

Our basecamp is the perfect mix of adventure, environmental sustainability, and comfort in the wilderness offering delicious food and wine in a friendly hospitable atmosphere. It is a Geodesic Dome hotel and uses only green energy and a sophisticated waste recycling system.

The domes come in four options:

  • Standard Dome – 108 sq.ft.; no heat source; queen or two twin beds; shared bathroom (no power source, available in community dome)
  • Superior Dome – 250 sq.ft.; propane heat; queen or two twin beds; private bathroom
  • Suite Dome – 300 sq.ft.; wood & propane heat; king and/or twin beds; private bathroom
  • Suite Loft Dome – 389 sq.ft.; wood & propane heat; king and twin beds; private bathroom

After a day’s trek, guests head back to camp to dine and relax in Community Domes and later sleep in their cozy Standard, Superior, or Suite Dome. All domes are immersed in nature, resistant to the Patagonian elements, and have ceiling windows to look up at the starry night sky.

The basecamp provides tasty, innovative high-quality meals using locally-sourced ingredients, fusing Chilean, Altiplanic, Patagonian, and international food. Groups eat together in Community domes and meals are a very social affair. Sack lunches will be provided for full-day excursions.

We need to know as soon as possible about any dietary restrictions we must consider in planning your trip. If you have food allergies or necessary restrictions, we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

The vast unbroken stretch of ocean to the west and south of the South American continent leaves the Patagonian Andes very exposed to the saturated winds that circle the Antarctic landmass. Also, the influence of the strong marine currents and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field make the weather hard to predict.

In Torres del Paine in spring or early summer, fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning, bringing rain and possibly snow. Even in summer (December to March), you should come prepared for cold, strong winds (up to 130 km/hr) and rainfall. The summer’s average temperature is 52ºF (11ºC) (max: 75ºF/24ºC, min: 35ºF/2ºC).

Rest assured, however, that just as quickly as the weather turns nasty, it can become pleasantly warm! Night-time temperatures will most likely range from 20ºF to 30ºF to (–5°C to -1°C), depending on the weather.

Average Temperatures

High °FLow °F
October – December64°36°
January – March68°41°
April – June50°32°
July – September43°28°

Before booking your trip with OARS, there are a few important considerations we’d like you to know about.

  • Purchase Travel Protection: In order to take part in this trip, each participant must have a minimum of Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage in place for the dates of the trip. Learn more about the plan we recommend.

  • Essential Travel Documents: A passport is required for travel to Chile.
  • Physical Requirements: Your outdoor adventure will be an active participatory trip. Please inform us of any physical limitations you may have as soon as possible. If you exceed 260 pounds, please give us a call. Make sure you are exercising frequently in the months leading up to your trip and can meet our Essential Eligibility Criteria.
  • Trip Forms: Each participant will need to complete the required trip forms within two weeks of making a booking. If you are reserving within 90 days of departure, your forms must be completed immediately to ensure we can properly plan for your trip.

Reservations and Deposits

A non-refundable deposit is required at the time of reservation based on the following:

Trip PriceDeposit Amount
Less than $2000/person$500/person
$2000 – $3999/person$800/person
$4000 or more/person$1200/person

Deposits may be made by check, money order, or Visa/Mastercard (American Express and Discover incur a 3% processing fee). Prices are in US Dollars, and all payments must be made in US Dollars. Payment of the deposit establishes your acceptance of our complete Terms and Conditions. Individual departures and trip capacity are strictly limited by the managing agency.

Canceling your trip after your deposit is processed will incur cancellation fees because OARS has absorbed costs on your behalf and will turn others away who would like to book the spaces we’re holding for you. Final payment is due 90 days before departure. Accounts on which final payment has not been received 80 days before the departure date will be canceled without exception.

Cancellations and Refunds

Your deposit is fully refundable, less a 3% processing fee, for 7 days after you book when you submit a deposit 7 days or more before the final payment due date.
If you must cancel your reservation after the rescission period described above, your cancellation fee will be determined according to the schedule below. We regret we cannot make exceptions to the cancellation policy for any reason, including foul weather, poor air quality, wildfire activity, acts of terrorism, civil unrest, or personal emergencies. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a trip early. For these reasons, we strongly urge you to consider purchasing a travel protection plan.

Date of CancellationCancellation Fee
90 or more days before your tripDeposit/person
89 to 45 days before your trip50% of the trip price/person
44 to 0 days before your trip100% of the trip price/person

A one-time request to change your departure date is possible if 60 days or more prior to the departure and is subject to any rate change if moving to another season or accommodation type.

Canceled Trips

OARS International and the outfitter Cascada Expediciones reserve the right to cancel any trip due to insufficient registration or other factors that make the trip impractical to operate. Do not make nonrefundable travel arrangements unless you have spoken to your Adventure Consultant regarding the status of your trip.

If a trip must be canceled or postponed due to force majeure (factors outside the control of OARS), OARS will provide full credit for payments made toward future travel, or a refund less a 5% service fee plus any nonrefundable payments made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers. OARS will make good faith efforts to recover deposits made on your behalf to 3rd-party suppliers, however, we can’t guarantee recovery of any or all of the advance payments made. OARS is not responsible for expenses incurred by participants in preparation for a canceled trip.

Medical

Under most circumstances, if you are of an adventurous spirit and in reasonably good health, you should have no problem enjoying this trip. People with medical conditions, including pregnancy, should have a physician’s approval before taking an adventure travel trip.

Our Patagonia Wildlife Safari is run by an affiliate company and arranged through O.A.R.S. International, Inc.

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