14-day secret wasteland trip between Chile and Argentina

Highlights of the trip:

① Across Chile and Argentina, overlooking the desert/ Big River/ Mountains/glaciers, immersed in the ultimate natural picture scroll.

② Select three top-level wild luxury houses to stop, and enjoy the comfort of hot springs, fine wine and delicious food during outdoor adventures. Every place is located in the natural hinterland, so you can watch the sunrise and sunset in your residence without running around.

③ Ride a mountain bike through the Saar Canyon; Trek in search of giant cacti at sunset; Track the flamingos roaming in the oasis by dirt bike.

④ Pilgrimage to the Three Pagodas of Bainei and Gray Glacier on foot; Ride through Lingjia Forest and look at the peaks in the hundreds of inner peaks.

⑤ Experience hiking on Moreno Glacier; Stay at a boutique hotel transformed from a ranch estate and surrounded by wilderness.

⑥ Deep into the Patagonian mountains Hinterland, explore the most stunning peak scenery of South America on foot.

 

Itinerary overview

Itinerary

 

Day 1 Arrival in San Diego

Fly to San Diego and pick up to the hotel by special car. Half-day tour in the afternoon, first visit the neoclassical central market, which is a vivid epitome of urban life. There are live crabs and lobsters all over the fish stalls, and huge deep-sea fish and barrels of sea urchins and oysters are dizzying. The shouts of vendors come one after another, and impromptu performances of street performers are met from time to time.

Then visit the Pre-Columbian Art Museum. The collection covers pottery figurines, painted utensils and textiles of ancient civilizations in Central and South America, and its richness and exhibition level rank among the highest in South America.

Dining: Please take care of yourself

Hotel: Single Hotel Santiago

Day 2 Flight to the Atacama Desert

Fly to the Atacama Desert in northern Chile and stay at a wild luxury hotel in the valley. The building is integrated with the mountain, and the plateau light in the morning and dusk is gently swaying; There are 6 outdoor pools in the common area and an excellent SPA experience.

In the evening, take a bus to the observation deck at the top of the mountain, enjoy the cascading gullies like alien landforms, and feel the silence and majesty of the desert in the dusk.

Dining: Breakfast, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Day 3 Atacama Desert Exploration

Exploring the Gobi and wetlands at an altitude of 4,000 to 4,500 meters by car, you are likely to encounter migrating and nesting flamingos, wild alpacas and desert foxes. The end point is a single boulder towering in the Gobi, which is desolate and strange.

Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Day 4 Atacama Canyon Cycling and Sunset Walking

In the morning, ride a mountain bike through the winding Saar Canyon-known by locals as “the devil’s throat”, and finally arrive at the small church in the traditional village. Return to the hotel for free rest in the afternoon.

In the evening, go to the confluence of Pritama River and Prieka River, hike through different rock formations and vegetation, and look for giant cacti with a height of 7 meters. This area used to be an aboriginal pastoral area, and there are still stone shepherd’s huts.

Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Day 5 Return to San Diego

Sleep until you wake up naturally in the morning, and feel the vast tranquility of the desert and the changing light and shadow. Drop off by car and take a flight back to San Diego in the afternoon.

 

Dining: Hotel breakfast and lunch

Hotels: Single Hotel Santiago

Day 6 Travel to Bainet National Park

Fly to Puerto Natales in southern Chile, transfer to the bus to Bainei National Park, and see wild alpacas galloping along the way. One hundred and twenty million years ago, hot magma poured out of the surface, passed through sedimentary rock layers, and cooled to form the granite mass covering Patagonia. One of the most prominent representatives is Bainai.

Dining: Breakfast and dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Days 7 and 8: In-depth exploration of Bainei National Park

You will have 2 full days to explore Bainet. Depending on the day’s weather and physical conditions, the guide will customize your daily activities. Optional experiences include:

○ Pilgrimage to the Three Pagodas of Bainei on foot, looking up at the granite walls and plateau lakes over 2,000 meters high (all day)

○ Visit Pehoe Lake and Grey Glacier by boat combined with hiking (full day)

○ Follow the Gaucho guide, ride through Lingjia Forest, and look at the wasteland and hundred peaks in the distance (half a day)

○ Walk along lakes and bush paths overlooking Kornos Peak (half day)

Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Day 9 to Calafate, Argentina

Sleep until you wake up naturally in the morning, listen to the birds, breathe the clear air, and enjoy the sunshine to cover the mountains with orange red. Then drive for about 4 hours across the border between Chile and Argentina, arrive in Calafate, Argentina, and stay in a wild luxury hotel transformed from an ancient ranch manor and surrounded by boundless wilderness.

Dining: Breakfast and dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Day 10 Wonders of Moreno Glacier

Go to the Magellanic Peninsula, hike along the plank road, enjoy the Moreno Glacier from different angles, or witness the shocking moment when the huge ice body roars and collapses and falls into the lake. Then take a boat to the opposite shore, change into crampons and experience a glacier hike for about 1.5 hours. Return to the hotel in the evening, accompanied by red wine, and watch the setting sun dye Yuan Ye golden.

Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Select Wild Luxury Hotels

Days 11 & 12 Fitzroy Peak Trekking Adventure

Go deep into the Patagonian mountains in the hinterland of Argentina, and the guide will lead you to hike snow-capped mountains and plateau lakes. According to your physical fitness, you can choose routes of different difficulty (the preferred route takes about 8 hours to explore Torre Peak and mountain lakes, with medium to high difficulty). After the daily hike, walk into the local tavern and treat yourself to Argentine barbecue and ice-cold beer.

* For travelers who prefer sightseeing, we will arrange a combination of car and boat cruise to explore the mountains.

Dining: Breakfast, lunch, dinner at the hotel

Hotels: Local selection

Day 13 to Buenos Aires

Return to Calafate by car for about 3 hours and transfer to Buenos Aires. In the evening, you can watch the tango performance (including catering) at your own expense, and we will arrange a special bus for you.

Today’s residence is located in a colonial-style mansion in the most fashionable neighborhood of the city. Although it doesn’t have the grandeur of a luxury hotel, its owner, Coppola, director of The Godfather, has injected a long old charm into it.

Dining: Hotel breakfast

Hotels: Select Design Hotels

End of Day 14

Transfer to Buenos Aires airport by special car and end of the trip. If holidays permit, you can extend the Iguazu Falls or the off-road vehicle crossing itinerary of no-man’s land in northern Argentina. Please inquire for details.

* Most flights back to China take off at night, and tours of Buenos Aires can be arranged during the day.

Dining: Hotel breakfast

Hotel: End of trip