Patagonia Trip Feb 17th 2026
Hello... My wife Christine and I are so looking forward to this trip. We're newbies to Tauck and South America. Looking forward to meeting our tour group, having some fun and making new friends and memories.
Cheers,
Steve
Hooksett, NH
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You will enjoy this tour, Steve. My husband and I took it last year and loved it. A beautiful part of the world.
HI Steve! I just returned from the trip that ran from Jan 20-Feb 1 and it was amazing! The unpredictable weather has a lot to do with how much you can do and see but fortunately for this time of year, bad weather doesn't last forever. Happy to answer any questions you may have before you go, as I know I had a lot!
Lori
Oakland, CA
Steve - would love to hear about your trip when you return - esp the weather. We are on the 3/12 tour and really looking forward to it. (And we live in Mass, not far from Hooksett).
I see Steve is unlikely to post, he has not been active since Feb 2nd.
He may not be posting because he’s in Patagonia.
Yes, I realize he’s on the trip right now. Hoping he might see the message upon his return and share a bit about it. And if not, it’s been good to read all the other informative trip recaps.
I just came back from the Patagonia tour that started Feb 8th. We got there on the seventh and did a walking city tour- it was hot and not really worth it from our prospective. The next day we took a guided tour of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. That was amazing- highly suggest doing that. Four of us went for a 7 hour tour ( ride provided by tour guide). The weather was 15 degrees cooler than Santiago, and the scenery was wonderful. Valparaiso is known for its murals and street art and it did not disappoint, neither did the food. We were back in time for the welcome dinner. The next morning we flew to Puerto Natales ( very crowded plane with very little legroom) -a 3 hour flight. We were taken to the Singular Hotel which is just so unique. The people there are very welcoming. The rooms all look onto the Fiord. They give you a refillable water container (souvenir) and they have water stations around the hotel. The food there was hit or miss. Our wine tasting dinner was spectacular and the next night the food was so so and the service was just okay. Our last night at the Singular we had a dinner together and my salmon was so salty it was inedible, yet my husband had lamb that he said was great. We had great weather while we were there- no rain- either in Chile or Argentina. The coldest part is on the boat if you want to go outside. You need hat, gloves, sunglasses and LAYERS!!!. The trip to Torres del Pianes was great but cold. We had pretty clear weather and got great pictures of the towers. We even saw a guanaco chase and fight. The road in Torres del Paines is like a washboard- so be prepared for a bumpy ride.
The bus ride from Chile to Argentina is the worst part of the trip- 5 hours and basically nothing to look at. One stop at a glorified gas station for empanadas. When you finally get to the Xelena Hotel, we basically dumped off our clothes and went to the Glacerium which includes a trip to an icebar. I would rather have taken a walk around Lake Argentina. The Xelena has wonderful views of the lake and there is a walking path around it. After a five hour bus ride I did not want to get back in the bus. El Calafate is a cute town- dogs are not leashed and they chase after cars so beware of that. There are many stores but mostly cater to outdoor recreation. Not a real shopping place. The trips into the parks to see the glaciers were fantastic and again we had great weather- either sunshine or partly cloudy, but no rain. But again it was cold and windy- LAYERS!- I brought wrap around sunglasses and I'm glad I did. I wore all my cold weather clothes I brought. Base layer ( medium weight from LL Bean), hiking pants, fleeces, beanie, mittens, scarf and a mid length lightweight but cold weather winter jacket. The trip up the mountain at Lake Argentine in a 4 x 4 was a bit scary but worth it, although the wind at the top was about 30 mph it was so worth it- the view is indescribable- similar experience when you first see the Grand Canyon- it almost seems unreal. We had a great arranged meal in El Calafate at the Mako restaurant- don't miss that one. It's an experience. The Xelena is an average hotel with tiny bathrooms- but you're not there that much. Their restaurant for dinner was quite good.
Another 3 hour flight to Buenos Aires to a Sofitel that has seen better days, but it is in a good part of the city. The trips to the Estancia (unfortunately an almost 2 hour ride)was worth it and the food and people there were great. I loved the tango performance- unfortunately it was actually after our good bye cocktail and it lasted until 11PM. We stayed in Buenos Aires an extra 4 days and did several great tours. To me a must see is the Opera House (biggest in the world) and the Recoleta cemetery that is all huge mausoleums including that of Eva Peron.
Because we stayed extra days in both Santiago and Buenos Aires, I packed half my suitcase for hot/warm weather and the other half for cold weather (layers and fleeces). I really didn't see a place to do laundry anywhere we were staying so if you need it, I would say use the hotel services. I would not bring good clothes. One set of nice pants and a couple of tops will suffice.
We did not bring anything but American money with us and one credit card. Most people liked the dollars as they are more stable than their own currency, Our TD, who we really didn't get to know and was nice but kind of distant, only wanted American dollars and refused to be paid in the local currency. Our local guides were great, but again the TD was just- there. As other people have said- the hours of this trip are long, some days up at 6 and you get back to the hotel at 7:30 or 8. But it was worth it. We even got to see the glaciers calving- extra special!!
When we were in Patagonia with Tauck, we experienced winds of 70 miles an hour. On our second visit last year we had a day where is was so windy it was nearly blowing me away, I had to give up on part of our hike over the peninsula into a lake. I love Patagonia and love the scenery, we did not find bus rides boring because for us the scenery is spectacular. If people go again, I suggest taking a tour that takes you to many more places like Tiera Del Fuego and the private island nearby where you will be able walk amongst two types of penguins. We also walked up to a volcano and stayed in a holiday town with a gorgeous lake and beach and great temperatures.
COHNY. Thanks so much for your trip review. Really helpful. Disappointed to hear about the tour director as most of TD’s from Tauck have been amazing on our past trips. Regardless, happy to hear your tips as I do find the trip details and excursions do change. We are on the 3/12 departure and really looking forward to it. Trying to pack this week.
COHNY - so sorry to hear that your TD was distant. I hope that your experience won't deter others thinking about this tour. We had a great time and a great TD - funny, knowledgeable and engaging. I guess it's the luck of the draw. Still sounds like you had a wonderful trip.
So who was your TD? Maybe a substitute for a regular one.