Highlights
- Hike through two scenic national parks in the Chilean Lake District
- Take a boat ride to meet the adorable penguins of Isla Magdalena
- See South America's tallest trees in Alerce Andino National Park
- Discover the dramatic mountain scenery of Torres del Paine National Park
- Get up close and personal with the icebergs of Los Glaciares National Park
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Santiago (Chile), Family-Friendly City Tour | Santiago |
| Day 2 | Fly to Puerto Montt, Transfer to Puerto Varas & Chile's Lake District | Puerto Varas |
| Day 3 | Visit Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park | Puerto Varas |
| Day 4 | Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park | Puerto Varas |
| Day 5 | Fly to Punta Arenas, Guided City Tour | Punta Arenas |
| Day 6 | Visit Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony, Bus to Puerto Natales | Puerto Natales |
| Day 7 | Explore Torres del Paine National Park | Puerto Natales |
| Day 8 | Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers | Puerto Natales |
| Day 9 | Lago Sarmiento & Laguna Amarga Hike | Puerto Natales |
| Day 10 | Transfer to El Calafate (Argentina), Explore | El Calafate |
| Day 11 | Boat Tour of Los Glaciares National Park | El Calafate |
| Day 12 | Bus to El Chaltén, Explore | El Chaltén |
| Day 13 | El Chaltén Self-Guided Hike | El Chaltén |
| Day 14 | Fly to Santiago, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Santiago (Chile), Family-Friendly City Tour
Welcome to Santiago! Chile's vibrant and relaxed capital teems with culture, history, and family-friendly activities. Your driver will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your downtown hotel. Settle in after your flight, then head out to meet your guide and discover this lively Latin American metropolis. Start at Mercado Central, the city's beating heart, where you'll have fun meeting the stallholders and sampling delicious local produce along the way.
Afterward, visit the Plaza de Armas, Santiago's historic town square. This is the place to grab a cool drink and people-watch as your guide relays tales of the city's past. Don't miss the Catedral Metropolitana, an impressive neoclassical church that dominates the western side of the plaza. You'll finish your tour with a walk up to the hills of Santa Lucia or San Cristóbal to admire the panoramic views of the city. See if the kids can spot the Gran Torre Santiago, the tallest building in South America, before finding a spot to dine in and toast the start of your trip.
Day 2: Fly to Puerto Montt, Transfer to Puerto Varas & Chile's Lake District
It's off to Chile's Lake District this morning with a two-hour flight to Puerto Montt, a southern port city known as the gateway to the Andes and the Patagonian fjords. Upon arrival, meet your guide and make the short 14-mile (23 km) transfer to your lakeside hotel in Puerto Varas, a picturesque town on the shores of Lago Llanquihue and backed by snowcapped volcanoes.
Settle in at your accommodation, and head out with the kids to explore when you're ready. It's an elegant, family-friendly town to stroll through, with a charming blend of German colonial architecture and Indigenous Mapuche culture. Grab a bite to eat at one of the town's waterfront cafés, wander the flower-lined streets of the Old Town, or browse the feria artisanal (craft fairs) for souvenirs and gifts. In the evening, you'll be spoiled for choice with dining options. Enjoy a relaxed evening with the kids and a glass of the local wine before turning in for the night.
Day 3: Visit Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park
Today, you and the kids will explore the natural wonders of the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park. Start with a fun trip on the ski lift and ascend 4,068 feet (1,240 m) above sea level to the Osorno Mountain Ski Center. Keep your camera close at hand when you reach the top and enjoy incredible views of the Calbuco volcano and sparkling lake against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean. You'll also have time to ride the lift to Estación Primavera or Estación Glaciar for more awe-inspiring photo opportunities.
Next up is a gentle 30-minute hike through an evergreen forest to the Saltos del Río Petrohué. One of the country's most beautiful spots, this river's turquoise waters tumble across a centuries-old large mass of crystalized lava. It's a great place to capture your wonder-struck kids, framed by the snowcapped Osorno volcano in the background. Continue to Lagos Todos Los Santos, where you can sail across the water surrounded by forests, mountains, and volcanoes, before driving back to Puerto Varas with your guide.
Day 4: Trekking in Alerce Andino National Park
After breakfast, it's time to lace up your hiking boots and enjoy a trekking adventure in the Alerce Andino National Park. Meet your guide and drive past views of the Pacific Ocean, along the Paeso Pelluco, and through Lenca. At the park, you'll meet the park ranger and set off on a mostly flat 2.5-mile (4 km) trail to the Río Chaica waterfalls. If you've nature and wildlife enthusiasts in the family, there's plenty to spot as you follow the river through one of the world's oldest rainforests, teeming with exotic birdlife.
Eventually, you'll reach a set of stairs leading to the Salto del Río Chaica, where you can rest while watching the waterfall crash onto the rocks below—it's an excellent place for some memorable family pics. The highlight of today's trek is a 328-foot (100 m) climb to encounter the park's eponymous alerce trees. The kids will be impressed to learn these trees (the tallest in South America) can live up to 2,500 years! Once you've finished exploring with your family, loop back to the beginning of the path, where your driver will be waiting to take you back to Puerto Varas.
Day 5: Fly to Punta Arenas, Guided City Tour
It's time for the next leg of your adventure this morning with a four-hour flight to Punta Arenas, the launching point for adventures into southern Chilean Patagonia. The town's location on the Strait of Magellan, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific, makes it the perfect base for explorers heading into the surrounding wilderness to access some of the region's most impressive natural attractions, including Torres del Paine National Park and Isla Magdalena.
Settle in at your hotel, then find your feet with a guided city tour. Start with a stroll around the Plaza de Armas, a leafy central square lined with elegant French street lamps and a statue of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. The surrounding neoclassical mansions, once owned by the moneyed sheep-ranching families of the 19th century, give an insight into the wealthy families that formed the very best of early Patagonian society.
After you've parted ways with your guide and seen the main sights, consider taking the kids to the Nao Victoria Museum—where they can explore a life-size replica of Magellan's ship and other replicas of historic vessels. If tummies are rumbling, enjoy dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants. Seafood is a staple here, so don't miss local specialties such as chupe de centolla (souffle of king crab) and an array of delicious shellfish. If the kids still have energy, head to Mirador Cerro de la Cruz, a great place to watch the sun go down over Patagonia.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 6: Visit Isla Magdalena Penguin Colony, Bus to Puerto Natales
It's an early start this morning, which begins with a fun 1.5-hour boat trip across the Strait of Magellan to Isla Magdalena, home to Los Pingüinos Natural Monument, Chile's largest penguin colony with up to 170,000 of the adorable creatures. Ignite the kids' curiosity for adventure as you explore the area's natural beauty, hiking alongside penguins beside historic waters mapped by Magellan and made famous by Charles Darwin.
If the weather allows, you'll stop off mid-strait at Isla Marta, where your mini wildlife enthusiasts can see the large colony of playful Patagonian sea lions. This rocky outpost is also home to several species of seabirds, where you can spot cormorants, skuas, and arctic pigeons. Arrive back in Punta Arenas in plenty of time for lunch before transferring to the bus terminal for your three-hour ride to Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park and your base for the next three nights.Day 7: Explore Torres del Paine National Park
Begin today's adventure with a journey to the Torres del Paine National Park, an extraordinary area known for its soaring granite peaks, turquoise lakes, glaciers, and golden grasslands. On the way, you'll stop off at the fascinating Cueva del Milodón, the largest cave network and home to a life-size replica of a mylodon, a giant prehistoric sloth whose remains were discovered here in 1895. The kids will definitely need a selfie with this one! Pass by the Silla del Diablo (Devil's Chair) and hear spooky local legends about the seat-shaped rock formation from your guide.
Continue along the road, keeping your eyes peeled for the Cuernos del Paine, the Park's distinctive horn-shaped peaks. Arrive at Lago Grey, stretch your legs with a walk around the shores, and enjoy a lakeside picnic. Then, you'll continue to the Salto Grande waterfall and hike to the dazzling Lago Nordenskjöld viewpoint. The breathtaking views continue as you follow a winding route to Laguna Amarga (Bitter Lagoon). Afterward, you'll return to Puerto Natales via the Lago Sarmiento viewpoint for one last glimpse of this beautiful region.
Day 8: Boat Tour to Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers
This morning, you and the kids will don hats and mittens and hop on a boat bound for the Bernado O'Higgins National Park, home to the impressive hanging Balmaceda Glacier. The park is only accessible by foot or boat, and you'll follow the Seno Última Esperanza (Last Hope Sound) from Puerto Natales to the glaciers. Keep your cameras close and get the kids to spot the sea lions you'll likely spot along the route and panoramic views of native forests lined with coihue, canelo, and lenga beech trees.
Once you reach the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers, you'll have plenty of time to disembark and view these enormous ice structures from the land. A short walk through the icy landscape takes you to a nearby estancia (ranch), where you and the kids will enjoy a traditional Patagonian asado (barbecue) of the region's famous beef and lamb dishes. Explore the ranch, considered one of Patagonia's most beautiful estancias, and then return to Puerto Natales in time for dinner and a relaxed evening in one of the town's cozy restaurants.Day 9: Lago Sarmiento & Laguna Amarga Hike
Head back to Torres del Paine this morning to explore some of the park's lesser-known trails. You'll enter at the Lago Sarmiento entrance, where you and your young explorers will take an easy hourlong hike to see astonishing 6,000-year-old cave paintings made by Patagonia's first settlers. Imaginations fired, get the kids to keep their eyes peeled for the guanacos—a type of camelid closely related to the alpaca and llama— that wander the area. You'll also see plenty of native birds, including upland geese and black-necked swans, as you pass by Laguna Blanquillos.
Continue walking to the Laguna Amarga gate, the park's main access, where you'll drive to Paine Waterfall. It's a lovely spot to rest your legs, enjoy a well-deserved picnic, and take in the incredible views of the park's three granite torres (towers). Refreshed and ready to go, you and the kids will get back on the hiking trail toward the Cañadón Macho, another area known for its wildlife. As well as guanacos, you'll likely see gray foxes, black-chested eagles, and swooping Andean condors, impossible to miss with their vast 10-foot (3 m) wingspan!
Day 10: Transfer to El Calafate (Argentina), Explore
Embark on the final leg of your South American adventure this morning with a transfer to the bus station for a four-hour drive across the border to El Calafate in Argentine Patagonia—the gateway to the snowcapped mountains and towering glaciers of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Day 11: Boat Tour of Los Glaciares National Park
Wow the kids with today's adventure—a boat trip through the mighty icebergs in the region's famous Los Glaciares National Park. Starting early, a driver will transfer you and your family 28 miles (45 km) to a port on Lago Argentino. You'll board a catamaran, which means you and the kids can sail nimbly through the frozen waters and get within touching distance of the impressive ice walls along the Upsala Glacier.
Though Perito Moreno is justifiably the park's most well-known glacier, you'll also see the striking 442-foot-high (135 m) wall of the Spegazzini Glacier. It's a wondrous sight for the kids as you sail along and witness the towering ice walls of this ancient glacier over 10 miles (16 km) long and over a mile (1.6 km) wide. After a day touring the icy park, you'll return to El Calafate. Hunker down in one of the town's cozy restaurants and recount your favorite moments from the day.
Day 12: Bus to El Chaltén, Explore
Enjoy one last breakfast in El Calafate, and then rally the kids for the next stage of your trip. You'll take a three-hour bus journey north to El Chaltén, a tiny mountain town nestled in the heart of Los Glaciares National Park. Founded in 1985 by the Argentine government in a successful attempt to head off Chilean territorial claims, the town is home to the famous Mount Fitz Roy. The peak also gives the town its name—"The Smoking Mountain," an Indigenous Tehuelche phrase that Patagonia's first settlers gave to the mountain's cloud-shrouded peak, visible from the town.
Upon arrival, settle in at your hotel and take the rest of the day to unwind or explore the town as you prefer. If the kids need a runaround and you're keen to admire the local scenery, a good bet is an easy hike to Laguna Capri. Lying just northwest of the village, it's a popular route and well-signposted. Relax on the lakeshore and enjoy the mountain views before returning to El Chaltén. As well as dozens of family-friendly restaurants, you'll find the village a great place to enjoy a few craft beers.
Day 13: El Chaltén Self-Guided Hike
Today is yours to hike the northern section of Los Glaciares National Park and the trails around El Chaltén at your own pace. Depending on the kids' ages and hiking experience, you'll find trails suitable for novices through to challenging mountain hikes. Families with small children could try an easy 2-3 mile (3-5 km) roundtrip trek to Mirador de los Cóndores or a one-hour walk to the Chorrillo del Salto waterfall. Depending on the season, look out for the gorgeous Magellanic orchids that grow there.
If the kids are up for something a little more strenuous, the hike to the Huemul Glacier (named after a local deer species) takes you through some of the area's most memorable scenery, including pristine rivers, streams, and forests. Make your way to the top, and you'll be rewarded with superb views of Cerro Torre and Mount Fitz Roy. Later, spend the last night of your vacation dining on local specialties and toast your epic family adventure.
Day 14: Fly to Santiago, Depart
Sadly, it's time to say goodbye to South America. Enjoy one final breakfast in El Chaltén before transferring back into Chilean Patagonia and flying from Puerto Natales to Santiago in time for your connecting flight. Safe travels!
More Great Patagonia Itineraries
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