This was our 13th and most challenging tour. The pace is fierce. We started almost every day by 0800 and were not back in our rooms until after 7:30 pm. Having said that, Patagonia is breath taking.
Our tour director, Wendy, couldn’t be more friendly, fun and competent.
Immigration in Santiago took a while. They closed one lane and told everyone to just find another lane. Put us back a ways but not more than an extra ten minutes or so.
Schedules - they are suggestions. Rarely were we on time. You need to go with the flow.
Hotels - all hotels were good to great. The Singular Patagonia is very unusual and was our favorite. We noticed breakfast buffets were not as elaborate as most hotels, but it suited us fine. The staff at all hotels were fantastic.
Laundry service was available at all hotels but the Singular hotels were the most reasonable. To clean a shirt was 3.5 Chilean pesos. The Xelena did not post prices and friends wound up paying almost $10 Argentinian peso per item.
There are several restaurants within easy walking distance of the Singular Santiago. We dined at Bocanariz one night after a pisco sour at Républica Independiente del Pisco. They have both Chilean and Argentinian pisco sours. And lunched at Liguria just around the corner from the hotel. Husband and I shared a traditional sandwich called the chacara. Beef sliced with tomato and green beans.
Food - this is empanada land and we enjoyed many. The food was in abundance and in many cases fancy. Typical Tauck cuisine.
Internal flights - we were lucky and were able to fly directly to Puerto Natales which avoided a three hour drive from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales.
Both LATAM and Aerolíneas Argentinas were on time. Just a note, you walk down stairs with your carryons for both flights.
Two boat rides. Remember motion sickness medicine as it can be very choppy.
Wildlife - more to be seen on the Chile side. We saw grey fox, rios, guanacos, sea lions and many types of birds.
Weather - can change in a minute. We had a very windy, rainy first day but wonderful weather afterwards. Bring a backpack with layers.
Local guides - all were very knowledgeable and fun. We actually had the same bus driver in Buenos Aires as we had on our Essence of South America tour ten years ago.
Recap:
Very long days, no downtime, sometimes getting finished with dinner at 10:30 pm or later.
Take walking sticks. They can provide a few but you need them in a few places
Walking - a lot of walking on uneven paths. A lot of stairs at Perito Moreno glacier. People with knee problems struggled
Bring motion sickness medicine for boat rides and long bus rides
Lots of lamb - let your tour director know if you prefer something else
