Punta Arenas Extension:
Torres del Paine National Park
Extension Summary
Step into Patagonia. This custom five-day pre-expedition tour immerses you in Torres del Paine National Park. Dramatic granite peaks, glacial lakes, and wide-open skies define one of the planet’s most cinematic landscapes. Guided hikes with our trusted local partners showcase the park’s raw beauty, while time in the frontier town of Puerto Natales offers a glimpse into Patagonian life along the fjord lined Última Esperanza Sound. Begin your final morning with a private sunrise photography tour before beginning your Antarctic adventure.
Local hosts: Operating since 2007, our trusted local partner Full Patagonia Tours brings deep regional expertise and over a decade of collaboration with Quark Expeditions. Experts in Patagonia and complex fly-in logistics, their team ensures every journey runs seamlessly—so Quark Expeditions’ guests are in capable hands from start to finish.
Extension Details
Availability: Pre-expedition only on Punta Arenas gateway voyages.
Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights
Gateway: Punta Arenas
Cost: $4,795 USD per person (double occupancy) | $6,713 USD per person (solo supplement)
Capacity: 12-14 Guests
Tour Inclusions: Four breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners, four nights’ hotel accommodation, and National Park entrance fee (Torres del Paine)
Getting Around: Guests will travel in a premium, high-roof, climate controlled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van with spacious, comfortable seating.
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1 | Arrive in Puerto Natales: Gateway to Patagonia
Make your way independently to Puerto Natales, Chile, a frontier town shaped by wind, water, and generations of Patagonian resilience. Set along the shores of Última Esperanza Sound, this relaxed and walkable town—with welcoming cafes and stunning waterfront views—offers an immediate sense of Patagonia’s unhurried pace.
This evening, gather for dinner with your local host, who will share personal insights into life in southern Patagonia, its people, traditions, and connection to the surrounding landscapes.
Today’s Highlights
- Airport transfer from Puerto Natales Airport to your Puerto Natales hotel
- Free Time to explore Puerto Natales, an authentic gateway town
- Dinner featuring Patagonian cuisine
Day 2 | Torres del Paine National Park
After breakfast, depart Puerto Natales on a panoramic drive with your expert local guide, transitioning from frontier town to protected wilderness domain. Torres del Paine is considered one of world’s most photogenic and geologically dramatic parks, known for its jagged granite peaks, turquoise lakes, granite massifs, ice fields, steppe, golden pampas (grassland), lakes, and glaciers all within a single protected area. After checking into your hotel, enjoy some leisure time—ideally with your camera—and enjoy an unhurried introduction to the park’s iconic scenery.
Today’s Highlights
- Scenic transfer through remote Patagonian landscapes
- Insight and on-the-ground interpretation by experienced local partners
- Hotel check-in with free time for light walking and viewpoints
Days 3 & 4 | Exploring Torres del Paine on Foo
Today and tomorrow’s selection of moderate half-day hikes reveal the essential character of Torres del Paine. Our local guides select routes based on conditions and group comfort, highlighting the park’s defining features, from glacial rivers and lenga and nire (beech) forests to open valleys framed by granite peaks. Guides provide insight into the park’s geology, ecosystems, and conservation. Keep your eyes peeled—and cameras ready—for wandering guanacos, as well as Chilean flamingoes, Andean condors, and other bird species.
Today’s Highlights
- Moderate half-day guided hikes on classic routes
- Opportunities for wildlife observation and photography
- Expert interpretation of ecology, geology, and wildlife
Day 5 | Sunrise Photography & Transfer to Punta Arenas
Begin your final morning with a private sunrise photography excursion, starting with a fresh morning coffee before heading out to capture the first light across peaks, lakes, and sky. Guided by local experts with intimate knowledge of the terrain and photographic conditions, this early outing is a memorable farewell to Patagonia. After a hearty breakfast, transfer to Punta Arenas and check into your expedition hotel in preparation for your fly/cruise expedition to Antarctica.
Today’s Highlights
- Private sunrise photography tour
- Location selection by local guides
- Transfer to Punta Arenas and expedition hotel check-in
