Elevine- we are also on the Nov. 7th tour. Getting excited! Think I'm going to skip the hiking poles- but definitely NOT the puffy coat! See you there!
Just got back from the Patagonia trip (October 15 - 28,2025). Saw some inquiries and thought I'd write a short informative. ok..might be a little long winded
First off....I'm 62 years old and in moderately decent shape. Nope I don't run...I walk a bit, some weight resistance, some yoga. Nothing to the extreme. (for reference).
Weather was beautiful...had one morning of showers/snow at the Perito Mereno Glacier (how appropriate).
Otherwise sunny most of the time. Wind was VERY strong in some areas but doable as long as you have windPROOF/rainPROOF jacket and possible pants. The only time I had to wear the rainproof pants was at the Perito Moreno Glacier and on the boats when outside, which I had tucked in my small backpack always. I could go inside to warm up if needed.
**Also I found staying at the BACK of the boat at times helped with wind/cold and less crowded. Took alot of wonderful pics from there, no people in the shot lol.
Temps were between 30's and 50's. The wind makes it feel colder.
MY TYPICAL DAYWEAR FOR MOST OF THE TRIP"
Base layer for legs
Prana hiking pants
Hiking shoes
Turtleneck (quick drying and thin...)
Fleece jacket
Rainproof/windproof jacket
IN THE DAYPACK:
rainproof/windproof pants
Beanie hat
gloves (light)
Buff (this came in handy ALOT...was not a thick buff but would double over for a little extra thickness....really didn't need to do that too much actually. Was nice to have it on the moments when it was really windy to cover most of the face (i.e. Boat and one short hike in Torres Del Paine)
Ski sweater for extra layer when needed. Used it half the time.
I chose not to bring a puffer jacket as I don't get cold often. More times than not....I'm warm.
Other people did bring puffer jackets. Just know that if it rains....be sure you can wear it UNDER the rainPROOF/windPROOF jacket.
Couple people didn't and they regretted it as the puffer was not rainproof enough.
I did wish I had waterproof gloves on....But I lived through it. Wrang the gloves out a couple times during the visit to Perito Merino Glacier when it was constantly drizzling and or snowing.
LUGGAGE:
2 carryon and 2 personal items, 1 checked carryon size that was half empty (heh souvenirs)
During the internal flights within Chile and Argentina:
We checked 2 of the bags and carried on one, along with our 2 personal items
*Personal items were a small rolling luggage that could be stowed under the seat.
We had no problems with any of this.
TREKKING POLES:
They provide them if you really need them.
I didn't bring them because I have not really used them in the past.
BUT...that said....I ended up using them during one specific short hike. A kind gentleman on our trip explained the science behind hiking poles and shifting the workload from lower to upper body. And proper way to use when going up and down terrain. I will never leave home without them now when we go hiking!
In Puerto Natales there is a day of choosing your activity.
My husband and I chose a cave walk....easy terrain and longer than other hikes. Some did the Condor hike. Few horseback (feedback from that was positive). Few even rented bikes. I didn't get back in time for my massage from that cave walk so missed the 20 minute massage. But that was ok for me as 20 minutes doesn't do alot for me lol. And the walk was very interesting.
EVENING WEAR:
Most people wore what they had on that day with maybe the exception of a different sweater etc.
I brought a couple pashminas and wore that for dinner....with jeans/turtleneck.
Even for the Dinner/Tango night in Buenos Aires the dress was various. Some wore casual, some dressed a little. No real formal wear.
Basically wear whatever you like.
SHOPPING along the way?
El Calafate was my fav from the whole trip. Cute town. We had some time to walk around there before our dinner. We chose to take the shuttle in, shop a little and meet everyone at the restaurant.
It started snowing there too while we were walking about Not alot...but put ya in the mood for the holidays. Loved it.
Did not go into Puerto Natales.
Did a little shopping in Buenos Aires.
ALSO...be prepared to eat!
For me it was alot of sitting that I wasn't use to. Be prepared for that too. But to be fair....You can't get "there from here" without doing alot of planes and bus rides.
Our Tour Director made the trip easy, no complications. And if there was something that came up he took care of it.
We THOROUGHLY enjoyed this tour.
btw we have only done 2 tours including this one. One from another company and Tauck.
I've always done the research and planned our trips (both international or within the US) whether it be family or just my husband and I. I'm hooked!
sorry so long winded.
More comments on shopping:
1. The Singular Hotel has a great gift shop with excellent prices. A couple of us bought belts there with carved wooden buckles that people always complement. 2. Puerto Natales has some really nice craft shops.3. You will visit a large shop at the Argentina/Chile border where they have everything you can think of in terms of crafts, hats, etc. Good prices and excellent choices. 3. While in Buenos Aires the trip to the silver smith has some really wonderful hand made items. Pricey but unique.
Really appreciate your review Candace.
When we went to the silversmith’s home, I do not recall it was pricey. Can’t have been, I bought two pairs of earrings and a delicate necklace! Mr B must have approved because he did not prevent me from buying them😀
I don’t think I bought anything when we went to Patagonia again this past January apart from some jam and chutney at a ranch we went to.
Totally agree with MotherOfPoodles....Singular Hotel has a nice little gift shop. Very unusual items. Forgot to mention that.
Hehe and that shop on the border of Argentina and Chile. It had Everything, including the dogs the size of horses.
Unfortunately we did not go to the silversmith. It was cancelled. But we did do the Ranch for a fantastic lunch and horse show.
In El Calafate I bought an unusual hand knit wrap/shawl at a small shop. Sorta reminded me of something you would find at Peruvian Connection? That style. There are also small craft shops there too, along with the tourist gift shops and small shops in between.
Candace- did you arrive in Santiago the day before? Hesitant to book a tour for that day but looking to do something interesting. I imagine the concierge will have some ideas - trip advisor has some recommendations.
If you book a tour that takes you out of the city please be aware the traffic is very heavy and the subway extremely crowded. On our latest tour there one of our group had his cell phone taken from a zipped lower thigh pocket on the subway.
SGF - We arrived a day early in the am. Was able to get into our room before noon. I didn't get a good sleep on the plane so we took it easy that day. I was hoping to sit in the hot tub but it was under renovation. We did have a light dinner in the bar area and there was a live jazz trio there playing.
The day after we took an Uber to an art museum and walked to the Sky Costanara ....and walked about the city. I did my own research on the history, architecture, etc of the city. Found a couple good restaurants. Yes the traffic is pretty bad. But nothing unlike any big city really. We didn't do any "tours", as we suspected we would be on the move for the next 10 days.
** Concierge at the hotel in Santiago told us always Uber, never taxi. "It is safer"
We found a restaurant for lunch within walking distance of the hotel that was really good. Packed with locals. Had outdoor seating. No one spoke much English but we managed to communicate just fine;) They even gave us some wine and empanadas on the house. Nice atmosphere.
Comments
Elevine- we are also on the Nov. 7th tour. Getting excited! Think I'm going to skip the hiking poles- but definitely NOT the puffy coat! See you there!
We are going to Patagonia in mid February. Does anyone know the weather at that time of the year? Is it always cool/cold and windy?
Ask Google or any of the many weather apps
Just got back from the Patagonia trip (October 15 - 28,2025). Saw some inquiries and thought I'd write a short informative. ok..might be a little long winded
First off....I'm 62 years old and in moderately decent shape. Nope I don't run...I walk a bit, some weight resistance, some yoga. Nothing to the extreme. (for reference).
Weather was beautiful...had one morning of showers/snow at the Perito Mereno Glacier (how appropriate).
Otherwise sunny most of the time. Wind was VERY strong in some areas but doable as long as you have windPROOF/rainPROOF jacket and possible pants. The only time I had to wear the rainproof pants was at the Perito Moreno Glacier and on the boats when outside, which I had tucked in my small backpack always. I could go inside to warm up if needed.
**Also I found staying at the BACK of the boat at times helped with wind/cold and less crowded. Took alot of wonderful pics from there, no people in the shot lol.
Temps were between 30's and 50's. The wind makes it feel colder.
MY TYPICAL DAYWEAR FOR MOST OF THE TRIP"
Base layer for legs
Prana hiking pants
Hiking shoes
Turtleneck (quick drying and thin...)
Fleece jacket
Rainproof/windproof jacket
IN THE DAYPACK:
rainproof/windproof pants
Beanie hat
gloves (light)
Buff (this came in handy ALOT...was not a thick buff but would double over for a little extra thickness....really didn't need to do that too much actually. Was nice to have it on the moments when it was really windy to cover most of the face (i.e. Boat and one short hike in Torres Del Paine)
Ski sweater for extra layer when needed. Used it half the time.
I chose not to bring a puffer jacket as I don't get cold often. More times than not....I'm warm.
Other people did bring puffer jackets. Just know that if it rains....be sure you can wear it UNDER the rainPROOF/windPROOF jacket.
Couple people didn't and they regretted it as the puffer was not rainproof enough.
I did wish I had waterproof gloves on....But I lived through it. Wrang the gloves out a couple times during the visit to Perito Merino Glacier when it was constantly drizzling and or snowing.
LUGGAGE:
2 carryon and 2 personal items, 1 checked carryon size that was half empty (heh souvenirs)
During the internal flights within Chile and Argentina:
We checked 2 of the bags and carried on one, along with our 2 personal items
*Personal items were a small rolling luggage that could be stowed under the seat.
We had no problems with any of this.
TREKKING POLES:
They provide them if you really need them.
I didn't bring them because I have not really used them in the past.
BUT...that said....I ended up using them during one specific short hike. A kind gentleman on our trip explained the science behind hiking poles and shifting the workload from lower to upper body. And proper way to use when going up and down terrain. I will never leave home without them now when we go hiking!
In Puerto Natales there is a day of choosing your activity.
My husband and I chose a cave walk....easy terrain and longer than other hikes. Some did the Condor hike. Few horseback (feedback from that was positive). Few even rented bikes. I didn't get back in time for my massage from that cave walk so missed the 20 minute massage. But that was ok for me as 20 minutes doesn't do alot for me lol. And the walk was very interesting.
EVENING WEAR:
Most people wore what they had on that day with maybe the exception of a different sweater etc.
I brought a couple pashminas and wore that for dinner....with jeans/turtleneck.
Even for the Dinner/Tango night in Buenos Aires the dress was various. Some wore casual, some dressed a little. No real formal wear.
Basically wear whatever you like.
SHOPPING along the way?
El Calafate was my fav from the whole trip. Cute town. We had some time to walk around there before our dinner. We chose to take the shuttle in, shop a little and meet everyone at the restaurant.
It started snowing there too while we were walking about Not alot...but put ya in the mood for the holidays. Loved it.
Did not go into Puerto Natales.
Did a little shopping in Buenos Aires.
ALSO...be prepared to eat!
For me it was alot of sitting that I wasn't use to. Be prepared for that too. But to be fair....You can't get "there from here" without doing alot of planes and bus rides.
Our Tour Director made the trip easy, no complications. And if there was something that came up he took care of it.
We THOROUGHLY enjoyed this tour.
btw we have only done 2 tours including this one. One from another company and Tauck.
I've always done the research and planned our trips (both international or within the US) whether it be family or just my husband and I. I'm hooked!
sorry so long winded.
More comments on shopping:
1. The Singular Hotel has a great gift shop with excellent prices. A couple of us bought belts there with carved wooden buckles that people always complement. 2. Puerto Natales has some really nice craft shops.3. You will visit a large shop at the Argentina/Chile border where they have everything you can think of in terms of crafts, hats, etc. Good prices and excellent choices. 3. While in Buenos Aires the trip to the silver smith has some really wonderful hand made items. Pricey but unique.
Really appreciate your review Candace.
When we went to the silversmith’s home, I do not recall it was pricey. Can’t have been, I bought two pairs of earrings and a delicate necklace! Mr B must have approved because he did not prevent me from buying them😀
I don’t think I bought anything when we went to Patagonia again this past January apart from some jam and chutney at a ranch we went to.
Totally agree with MotherOfPoodles....Singular Hotel has a nice little gift shop. Very unusual items. Forgot to mention that.
Hehe and that shop on the border of Argentina and Chile. It had Everything, including the dogs the size of horses.
Unfortunately we did not go to the silversmith. It was cancelled. But we did do the Ranch for a fantastic lunch and horse show.
In El Calafate I bought an unusual hand knit wrap/shawl at a small shop. Sorta reminded me of something you would find at Peruvian Connection? That style. There are also small craft shops there too, along with the tourist gift shops and small shops in between.
Thank you so much for your very detailed review! It is very helpful for those of us who are booked.
In my opinion, you were lucky.
For a non-shopper, it's a long drive and a complete waste of time.
Candace- did you arrive in Santiago the day before? Hesitant to book a tour for that day but looking to do something interesting. I imagine the concierge will have some ideas - trip advisor has some recommendations.
If you book a tour that takes you out of the city please be aware the traffic is very heavy and the subway extremely crowded. On our latest tour there one of our group had his cell phone taken from a zipped lower thigh pocket on the subway.
BKMD. Yes, for a single man, I totally agree.
Great review and very helpful. We are booked for December 2026.
SGF - We arrived a day early in the am. Was able to get into our room before noon. I didn't get a good sleep on the plane so we took it easy that day. I was hoping to sit in the hot tub but it was under renovation. We did have a light dinner in the bar area and there was a live jazz trio there playing.
The day after we took an Uber to an art museum and walked to the Sky Costanara ....and walked about the city. I did my own research on the history, architecture, etc of the city. Found a couple good restaurants. Yes the traffic is pretty bad. But nothing unlike any big city really. We didn't do any "tours", as we suspected we would be on the move for the next 10 days.
** Concierge at the hotel in Santiago told us always Uber, never taxi. "It is safer"
We found a restaurant for lunch within walking distance of the hotel that was really good. Packed with locals. Had outdoor seating. No one spoke much English but we managed to communicate just fine;) They even gave us some wine and empanadas on the house. Nice atmosphere.
Candace great review.