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We get lots of questions along the lines of "I've got 2 weeks to see Patagonia - what should I do?" As a rule of thumb we tend to recommend that you allow 1 week to explore each area and get in and out. This is because each of these areas has so much to offer and Patagonia is a vast place in which the Andes mountain range, an international border and the Magellan Straits make travelling from A to B challenging.

2 Weeks Longer Trips 1 Week

2 weeks in Patagonia

For hard-core trekkers and adventure lovers

1. Paine Circuit + Kayaking

Tackling the Full Circuit of Torres del Paine normally takes around 8 days and takes you into the more remote northern part of this incredible National Park. Top off this wonderful experience with a 2-3 day kayaking trip out of the park to join the Last Hope Sound (while everyone else takes the bus back!).

or 2. Trekking on the Patagonian IceCap

If you're fit and have some experience of multi day trekking in the mountains (and ideally snow and ice) then the IceCap represents the ultimate Patagonian Experience. Expeditions last from 10 days, with at least 3 days spent on the ice. This is the 3rd largest mass of ice on the planet and a true wilderness experience. You'll have time to celebrate with some great Argentinian steak and wine in El Chalten afterwards.

For photographers and glacier hunters

Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno Glacier and Mount FitzRoy

In 2 weeks you'll have time to visit 3 of Patagonia's most dramatic landscapes: on the W Circuit you'll witness the 1,000m granite towers of Torres del Paine, and some of its unique wildlife, then across the Argentine border Perito Moreno is one of the world's most dramatic glaciers (and one of the few that is still advancing), and Cerro FitzRoy and Cerro Torre are iconic peaks on the edge of the Patagonian IceCap.

For World Travellers

Perito Moreno Glacier, Torres del Paine National Park, Tierra del Fuego

For some the mystical lure of Tierra del Fuego is too much to miss. In 2 weeks you could fly into Argentina to visit the Perito Moreno glacier, cross the border to Chile's Torres del Paine National Park and then cruise down the Magellan Straits and glacier filled fjords to Cape Horn, finishing your trip in the Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city.

For Off the Beaten Track Explorers

The Aisen Region or Chubut Valley, and Torres del Paine

It would a real shame to miss the incredible spectacle that is the Torres del Paine National Park, but if you want to combine this with something a bit different and, in your 2nd week, visit parts of Patagonia that few others have visited then you should consider the Aisen region of Chile or the Chubut valley of Argentina.

Longer trips to Patagonia

3 weeks in Patagonia

In 3 weeks you'll be able to spend decent time in 3 different areas, and probably combine some extended trekking or kayaking/horseriding with something more relaxing.

For example you might spend some time in the Lake District of the North (on either the Chilean or Argentinian side), perhaps basing yourself out of an authentic Estancia or Wilderness Lodge. Here you could enjoy some hiking, kayaking, horseriding or even white-water rafting. Then you could head down to visit Torres del Paine for either the W Circuit (4-5 days) or the Full Circuit (8-9 days), and then head further south to Tierra del Fuego.

Or maybe you're looking for the big adventure: 3 weeks allows enough time for mountaineers to acclimatise for an ascent of Aconcauga, one of the '7 summits'; or to set out on a major expedition onto the Patagonian IceCap, perhaps scaling one of its peaks.

For example see this map of a 3 week Patagonia Holiday itinerary prepared for one of our clients.

4 weeks in Patagonia

So you've managed to find 4 weeks to get away - you're very lucky. In this time you'll be able to explore the huge variety of landscapes and environments that Patagonia has to offer: glaciers and fjords of the south, its verdant lakes and volcanoes of the north, its welsh heritage, its varied wildlife, and the arid steppe and canyon country of the west. In addition to the spectacular hiking we'd also recommend a few days in an authentic estancia and some time aboard a boat amongst Pataonia's fjords and waterways. A road trip down the Carretera Austral or Ruta 40 might be a good way to move between regions.

But I've only got a week!

OK, if you've only got a week, and you're into your hiking, then I think Torres del Paine is the one for you. The W Circuit takes 4 whole days and you'll need a day either side to travel across the wilds of Pataognia to get there. 7 days in/out from the nearest airport at Punta Arenas is definitely do-able.

Not into your hiking, but still want to see iconic Patagonia? Then how about a cruise down the Magellan Straits to Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego, or drive down the infamous Carretera Austral or Ruta 40.