Arrive into Punta Arenas in southern Chilean Patagonia. Take taxi to hotel. Night at Hotel Rey Don Felipe, Armando Sanhueza 965, Punta Arenas, Chile. Telephone: +56 61 617500. Website: www.hotelreydonfelipe.com.

Meet leader in hotel lobby at 7.30 p.m. to be escorted to restaurant for dinner. Trip briefing and welcome dinner. No meals included today.

 Morning collection from the Hotel Don Rey Felipe to start the day's drive towards the penguin colony to observe and photograph the Magellanic penguins. After plenty of time photographing the antics of these cute animals as they waddle between their burrows and the ocean we will continue in our comfortable transfer vehicle across the Patagonia Steppe where you will have your first opportunity to see some of the unusual plant and animal life that exists in this area. After a short lunch stop in Puerto Natales, the capital of the Ultima Esperanza region of Chile we will continue on to the estancia lands that surround the Torres del Paine National Park. Our destination is Estancia 3R, a private estancia located north east of the Park. It is a mystical and unexplored place where you can literally feel the energy of the ancestors who once inhabited this land. The estancia is very close to the border with Argentina and is surrounded by jagged, wild peaks better known as Sierra Baguales. It is here that we will see wild Baguales horses and witness a 'Doma India' show.

The Doma India is a method of breaking a horse by way of a slow building of trust and loyalty, avoiding generating any pain or fear. The aim is to tame the horse according to its nature where the horse learns by gentle persuasion and communication without the need for physical supremacy or harshness. Our friend and newest team member, Abdias has been practicing Doma India for a few years both in this region of Patagonia absorbing much knowledge from the area and from further afield in Argentina. Abdias captivates everybody who gets to witness him demonstrate this amazing craft.

Our night will be spent in this beautiful valley also considered a significant archaeological site where it is possible to hunt for fossils under the huge Patagonian skies. Night Camping with showers, bathrooms and a cosy family room where we will be eating dinner.

Drive approx. 6.5 hours including penguins. Breakfast and dinner included (with wine at dinner).

 After unzipping our tents on this incredible landscape we will let the smell of camp coffee and breakfast lure us from our warm sleeping bags as we get up and prepare for the days of adventure. Our ride today takes us to the 'teta las Chinas' into back country where we hope to spot the wild Bagual horses in their natural environment. The immensity of the landscape here is striking - it makes you feel both blessed and insignificant in its presence. There is a myriad of valleys and mountain peaks that we will ride through with the occasional ascent giving us incredible panoramic views in every direction.
We hope to see the Andean condor with its mighty wing span in full view as it soars on the warm air thermals above us. And a variety of other birdlife that exist in the native forests that line our trails.

After about 5 to 6 hours riding we will return to our beautiful campsite for a second night camping under these huge, star filled skies. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

We will once again enjoy a wholesome camp breakfast in our remote surroundings before packing our saddle bags and joining our horses and the baqueanos who have now become our friends for the ride south towards Estancia Tercera. We will be riding with the La Cumbre and Baguales mountain ranges to our left as we head through valleys and across pristine streams towards the peaks of the Paine Massif. Now comfortable on our horses we will witness the changing scenery from the arid landscapes of the borderlands to the greener and more colourful pampas that give way to the pristine azure lakes and the granite peaks of the Towers of Paine in the distance.

Today is a fairly long riding day. We will be riding for about 7 hours before arriving onto the land belonging to Estancia Tercera and our beautiful campsite in a hidden, protected valley with fantastic views of the Towers. We will ride our horses into the nearby corral for them to rest while we enjoy some snacks and a pre-dinner drink. Time to relax and enjoy the tranquility while dinner is prepared.

Facilities: Cosy indoor dining and campfire for recounting the days of adventures. We are also pleased to announce the completion of our new eco dry bathrooms here providing more comfort for our guests. Showers available. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

After packing up camp and loading up the pack horses we will set off on our exciting ride towards the magnificent Towers after which the park is named and the startlingly blue waters of Laguna Azul located in the north eastern section of Torres del Paine. After skirting the lake, we will be heading north towards Laguna Stokes where a large natural vega or pasture exists and which attracts wild criollos from the surrounding hills to graze in the summer. With luck we may get to see these horses but please note the viewing is not guaranteed. There will be many excellent photo opportunities on this route as we pass through forests, pastures and the lake where Lady Florence Dixie first camped having sighted the Towers. Eventually we arrive at our remote campsite with beautiful mountain views. We will be camping riverside at Lago Paine.

Facilities: none. Hours in the saddle: 4-5 - 5. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

After breakfast, we will be saddling up for the beautiful ride out to Lake and Glacier Dickson. Dickson is one of the more remote and rarely visited glaciers in the Park due to its inaccessibility - in our opinion it is also one of the prettiest. Our rides takes us past the northerly peaks of the Paine chain where one of the peaks is topped by a black, craggy rock in the shape of a Tuhuelche Indian Face where the 'headband' is decorated with snowdrifts even in summer. The trail then heads north passing ancient southern beech forests and scattered lakes before reaching our solitary perch and viewpoint above this beautiful lake and glacier. This will be our picnic spot for lunch - a truly memorable place. In the afternoon we ride back to Lago Paine.

Facilities as above. Hours in the saddle: 6-7. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

Today we will be riding back via a different route through the beautiful enchanted valley, an area which is usually home to large breeding groups of guanaco and nandu. With the towering peaks of the Paine range to our right, we will be following the contour lines as we ride south close to the Paine River. We will have a chance to dismount and see the lovely Salto Paine (waterfall) with its rushing waters crashing over the rocks to continue their journey downriver. We will then continue riding to the Laguna Amarga area of the park where we will dismount and bid our horses goodbye. We will be joining our comfortable transfer vehicle for a drive across the park with plenty of opportunities to stop and take photos before arriving at our destination campsite beside the salmon stocked waters of the Serrano River.

Night Camping in this beautiful setting with full frontal views of the Paine Massif and the lovely Serrano River and camp facilities including shelters, hot showers and bathrooms. And for early risers - some of the best sunrises in all of Patagonia.

Hours in the saddle: approx 3-4. Hours driving: roughly 1-2. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

We will be making a relatively early start today for the beautiful ride out of Torres del Paine and into the remote and pristine Bernardo O?Higgins National Park. This is a new ride in a virgin area and one where you will see few, if any, other clients. Our ride takes us due south through acres of native forest passing scattered lakes and streams as we approach the abundant waters of Lago Brush. Here at the lake in these pristine surroundings, there is a small lakeside puesto where in the soft, adjacent meadows we will let our horses graze and set up camp. This lake offers exceptional fishing - a chance to try your hand at fishing, local style or put your feet up with a good book while dinner is prepared.

Night Wild camping in this remote site. Facilities: None. Hours in the saddle: 5-6. All meals included (with wine at dinner)

After camp breakfast, we will be setting off on a longer ride where we follow a trail through ancient southern beech forests crossing grassy meadows as we ride close to the Serrano River with the dramatic mountains of the Chacabuco range looming up to our left. Our destination is the beautiful hanging Balmaceda Glacier which clings onto the granite walls as it tumbles down the mountainside spilling into the waters of Last Hope Sound. Once at our destination we will dismount and spend time at the glacier itself with short walks in the area and a chance to explore and take photos of Serrano Glacier as well. Lunch will be in one of the many view points. *Note we are able to arrange a zodiac ride up close to the glacier which is available at an extra cost. To do this, we would need to be at the glacier by midday. Prices on request. After plenty of time spent at the glacier, we will be riding back to our lovely campsite at Lago Brush.

Night wild camping as above. Hours in the saddle: 6-7 hours. All meals included (with wine at dinner).

After our final breakfast in this beautiful setting we will be packing up camp, loading up the pack horses and riding back to the Serrano River where we will be bidding our horses and baqueanos goodbye. Private transfer back to Puerto Natales for a quick lunch stop before the return transfer to Punta Arenas.

On arrival into Punta Arenas you will be dropped off at the Hotel Rey Don Felipe. Breakfast and lunch included.

Hours in the saddle: 4 hours. Dinner at leisure (not included). 

Taxi to airport for onward travel. Breakfast only included.