New Year's in Patagonia — December 27 to January 6
Summer in Patagonia — January 10 to January 20

Both expeditions follow the full eleven-day journey. Eight travelers each.

INVESTMENT & RESERVING YOUR PLACE

$4,499 USD per person.

Includes guided expedition, all lodging, park entries, boat tours, ground transport, and daily breakfast.

To reserve, a deposit secures your place. The lodges along the route require their own deposits ahead of arrival, so early booking holds your room in these remote and limited places.

Tell us your preferred departure and we'll walk you through the next steps.

Trip Type: All-inclusive contemplative nature and glacier immersion

• Trip Length: 11 Days / 10 Nights

• Group Size: Up to 8 Travelers

• Guide/Client Ratio: Two guides for eight guests

• Season: Patagonian Summer (December & January)

• Meeting Place: Balmaceda Airport (BBA), near Coyhaique

• Accommodations: Local lodges and family-run sanctuaries along the Carretera Austral

• Suitable Ages: 25+ (ask about our tailored group departures)

• Activities: Glacier trekking, private boat tours, mindful hiking, the Marble Cathedrals, a Patagonian asado, and cultural walks

• The Cathedral of Ice at San Rafael – Cruise to the face of the San Rafael Glacier, where the Northern Patagonian Ice Field meets the sea and ancient ice calves into a lagoon of impossible blue. Drift among the floating sculptures in one of the most remote and breathtaking corners of Chile.

• The Marble Cathedrals of General Carrera – Glide by boat into the Capillas de Mármol, where thousands of years of patient water have carved the rock into glowing chambers. Watch the turquoise light dance across swirling marble walls in a sanctuary sculpted entirely by the lake.

• The Calluqueo Glacier on Foot – Trek to the foot of the mighty Calluqueo, flowing down from the slopes of Monte San Lorenzo. Stand before its blue expanse where the silence is its own kind of music, a quiet that stays with you long after you leave.

• The Crown of Cerro Castillo – Walk beneath the jagged basalt towers of Cerro Castillo, one of Patagonia's most striking massifs, toward the glacial lagoon cradled at its base. A gentler path is always ready for those who wish to savor the mountain at their own pace.

• The Wild Heart of Patagonia National Park – Explore the restored grasslands and hidden valleys of one of the great rewilding projects of our time, where guanaco and condor return to a landscape brought patiently back to life.

• A Patagonian Asado at Los Ñadis – Share a traditional asado among the homesteads of Los Ñadis, where the warmth of southern hospitality and the flavor of slow-cooked fire celebrate a way of life rooted deep in this land.

• The Lunar Valleys of Jeinimeni – Wander the otherworldly rock formations of the Valle de la Luna in the Jeinimeni sector, a sunlit landscape of carved stone and wide silence unlike anywhere else on the route.

[+] Ages and Experience

• Who Comes: Curious individuals, couples, and friends ready to trade the noise of the everyday for the clarity of the wild. Most travelers are 25 and older, drawn by a love of wild places and a willingness to walk into them.

• Two Departures: Choose New Year's in Patagonia (December 27) or Summer in Patagonia (January 10). Both follow the full eleven-day journey with the same small group of eight.

• Expert Guidance: Your host Rossana, a native Mapuche guide and botanist, is your bridge to the soul of this region. No prior experience is needed, only an appreciation for beauty and a readiness for the trail.

[+] Ability Levels

• Active by Nature: This is a walking expedition built around glaciers, valleys, and mountain trails. Most days include a trek, from gentle valley paths to the longer routes at Cerro Castillo and the Calluqueo Glacier.

• Personalized Rhythms: Several days offer a lighter alternative alongside the full route, so travelers of different paces share the same landscape comfortably, each in their own way.

• What to Expect of Yourself: If you enjoy a full day outdoors and can walk a few hours over natural terrain, you are ready. We share a simple preparation guide once you reserve, so you arrive confident and well-equipped.

[+] Trip Difficulty

• Depth Over Density: The journey moves at the rhythm of Patagonia, with full days in the mountains balanced by quiet evenings at remote lodges.

• Balanced Days: Expect four to six hours of walking and exploration on active days, paired with travel and rest as the route carries you south along the Carretera Austral.

• Real Terrain: Trails range from smooth lakeshore paths to rocky glacier approaches and the lunar ground of Jeinimeni. Sturdy footwear and a few good layers carry you through it all.

[+] Safety and Support

• Native Expertise: Travel with a host who knows this land intimately, an expert in its botany and its peoples, so every step is both enlightening and secure.

• Seamless Logistics: Every transfer along the route is handled for you, from the airport welcome at Balmaceda to the final ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera.

• Intimate Care: With two guides for a group of eight, you receive close attention, an unhurried pace, and the freedom to simply observe the magic around you.

[+] What's Included

• Local Accommodations: 10 nights in welcoming lodges and family-run sanctuaries along the Carretera Austral, including Cerro Castillo Lodge, the Exploradores Valley, Hostal La Otra Orilla in Cochrane, and Casona Belga in Chile Chico.

• Culinary Soul: All meals throughout the journey, from lodge breakfasts to a traditional Patagonian asado, featuring fresh, local treasures of the south.

• Internal Flights: Round-trip air travel between Santiago and Balmaceda, so you arrive ready and leave with ease.

• Native Guidance: Full-time hosting by Rossana, your local cultural concierge and botanist, alongside a second expedition guide.

• Private Transportation: Personal welcome at Balmaceda Airport and all ground transport for the entire route, including the ferry crossing of Lago General Carrera.

• Exclusive Excursions: Private boat tours to the Marble Cathedrals and the San Rafael Lagoon, all national park entries, and guided glacier treks.

[+] Not Included

• International Airfare: Flights from your home country to Santiago (SCL).

• Travel Insurance: We warmly recommend a comprehensive policy for your peace of mind on every journey.

• Personal Gear: Hiking boots, layers, and personal equipment for the trail, which we detail in your preparation guide.

• Souvenirs: Personal purchases and keepsakes gathered along the way.

• Gratuities: Tips for your guides, offered entirely at your discretion.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT BALMACEDA — THE ROAD SOUTH BEGINS
Your journey begins with a warm welcome at Balmaceda Airport and a scenic transfer to the village of Cerro Castillo, your home for the first two nights. As the jagged crown of the mountain rises ahead, the pace of ordinary life falls away behind you. We gather for a welcome dinner beneath the long light of the Patagonian evening, and the rhythm of the road takes hold.

DAY 2: BENEATH THE CROWN OF CERRO CASTILLO
Lace up your boots for a full day in the mountains, walking toward the glacial lagoon cradled at the foot of Cerro Castillo's basalt towers. Your guide reveals the plants and stories of this high country along the way. For those who prefer a gentler tempo, a lighter route savors the same landscape at an unhurried pace. We return to the lodge as the peaks glow at dusk.

DAY 3: THE MARBLE CATHEDRALS OF GENERAL CARRERA
We travel north to Río Tranquilo and board a boat into the Capillas de Mármol, gliding among glowing chambers that thousands of years of patient water have carved from solid rock. Turquoise light dances across the swirling marble walls. In the afternoon we continue into the remote Exploradores Valley, settling into our valley sanctuary surrounded by temperate rainforest and the distant white of the ice field.

DAY 4: THE CATHEDRAL OF ICE AT SAN RAFAEL
Today is a masterpiece of ice and water. We voyage to the face of the San Rafael Glacier, where the Northern Patagonian Ice Field meets the lagoon and ancient ice calves into water of impossible blue. We drift among the floating sculptures in one of the most remote and breathtaking corners of Chile, then return to the quiet of the valley as the light softens.

DAY 5: INTO THE WILD HEART — COCHRANE & TAMANGO
We follow the Carretera Austral south to the frontier town of Cochrane, our base for the next four nights. In the afternoon we explore the Tamango sector of Patagonia National Park by boat and on foot, where guanaco graze and condors ride the wind above one of the region's wildest corners.

DAY 6: A PATAGONIAN ASADO AT LOS ÑADIS
A day among the homesteads of Los Ñadis, where the warmth of southern hospitality meets the flavor of slow-cooked fire. We share a traditional asado in the open air, celebrating a way of life rooted deep in this land, before returning to Cochrane as the valley settles into evening.

DAY 7: THE CALLUQUEO GLACIER ON FOOT
The heart of the journey. We trek to the foot of the mighty Calluqueo, flowing down from the slopes of Monte San Lorenzo, the highest peak in Patagonia. Standing before its blue expanse, the silence becomes its own kind of music, a stillness that stays with you long after you leave.

DAY 8: THE REWILDED VALLEYS OF PATAGONIA PARK
We explore the Chacabuco sector of Patagonia National Park, walking the restored grasslands of one of the great rewilding projects of our time. Choose a full trek through the valley or a lighter program through the park and its museum, where the story of a landscape brought patiently back to life unfolds.

DAY 9: THE GOLDEN SHORE TO CHILE CHICO
A scenic drive along the brilliant blue of Lago General Carrera carries us to the sunlit town of Chile Chico, pausing at the Cascada El Maqui along the way. Known for its microclimate and orchards, this corner of Patagonia feels gentle and golden after the high mountains. The evening brings the region's home cooking.

DAY 10: THE LUNAR VALLEYS OF JEINIMENI
Into the Jeinimeni sector of Patagonia National Park, where we wander the otherworldly rock formations of the Valle de la Luna, a sunlit world of carved stone and wide silence unlike anywhere else on the route. We return to Chile Chico for our final night together in the south.

DAY 11: THE FERRY CROSSING — A LASTING CONNECTION
After a final southern breakfast, we cross Lago General Carrera by ferry to Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez and make our way to Balmaceda Airport. While the glaciers fade from view, the peace you discovered here remains. You return home deeply connected to your own spirit and the enduring beauty of the Chilean wild.

Your expedition begins in Santiago, where you board your included flight south to Balmaceda Airport, the gateway to Chilean Patagonia. January is high summer across the Southern Hemisphere, when South America is at its most connected, so reaching Santiago is wonderfully direct from much of the world. We coordinate the details so your arrival flows seamlessly into the journey ahead.

When you land in Balmaceda, we are there to meet you. Your guides welcome you in person and we travel together by 4x4 into the heart of Patagonia, the expedition beginning the moment you step off the plane.

Direct Flight Connections to Santiago (SCL)

[+] From the United States
Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), and New York (JFK) offer year-round non-stop service to Santiago with LATAM. Travelers from Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and beyond connect easily through these gateways.

[+] From Europe
Madrid (MAD) with LATAM and Iberia, Barcelona (BCN) with Iberia, Paris (CDG) with Air France, and London Heathrow (LHR) with British Airways, each flying year-round and direct to Santiago.

[+] From Australia
Sydney (SYD) with LATAM and Qantas, and Melbourne (MEL) with LATAM, offer the only non-stop services between Australia and South America, landing you directly in Santiago.

[+] From New Zealand
Auckland (AKL) with LATAM, flying non-stop to Santiago in under eleven hours, a wonderful summer gateway from the South Pacific.

[+] Your Journey, Coordinated
From the moment you reserve, we help you align your arrival into Santiago with your onward flight to Balmaceda, where we welcome you in person. We handle the details on the ground, so the only thing left for you to do is arrive, breathe, and begin.

WHO IS RAYEN TRAVELS AND WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY?

• We are specialists in curated, mindful journeys that reveal the quiet luxury of nature.

• Our philosophy centers on "disconnecting to connect," allowing travelers to find clarity and rhythm through deep immersion in the landscape and culture.

• Rayen Travels is locally owned and operated in Chilean Patagonia, led by a native host who cherishes the land and shares it with care.

WHAT ARE THE ACCOMMODATIONS LIKE ON THIS TRIP?

• Cerro Castillo: Cerro Castillo Lodge. A warm mountain base at the foot of the basalt towers, simple and welcoming, the perfect place to arrive and settle into the rhythm of the road.

• Exploradores Valley: A remote valley sanctuary surrounded by temperate rainforest, your base for the boat journeys to the Marble Cathedrals and the San Rafael Lagoon.

• Cochrane: Hostal La Otra Orilla. A family-run home at the heart of the expedition, where you return each evening from glaciers and national parks to shared meals and easy conversation.

• Chile Chico: Casona Belga. A calm, sunlit haven on the golden shore of Lago General Carrera, a luminous close to the journey south.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO IN TERMS OF WEATHER?
Our expeditions are scheduled for the heart of the Patagonian summer, with departures on December 27 and January 10.

• Weather: Long days, brilliant southern light, and the green of the season at its fullest.

• Conditions: Patagonia shares all of its moods in a single day, from bright sun to passing mountain showers. We guide you on layering and gear once you book, so you stay warm, dry, and free to enjoy every view.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?

• Your guided eleven-day expedition, all lodging along the route, every meal from lodge breakfasts to a traditional Patagonian asado, all national park entries, the private boat tours to the Marble Cathedrals and San Rafael Lagoon, and all ground transport including the ferry crossing.

• Your round-trip flight between Santiago and Balmaceda is also included, so your journey south flows seamlessly.

• Beyond the price, you plan only your international flights to Santiago, travel insurance, personal gear for the trail, and any keepsakes you gather along the way.

WHAT IS THE TYPICAL GROUP SIZE?

• To preserve intimacy and the quiet of the wild, we welcome up to 8 travelers per expedition.

• With two guides accompanying every group, you enjoy close attention, an unhurried pace, and the freedom to simply observe the magic around you.

WHAT KIND OF PHYSICAL CONDITION DO I NEED TO BE IN?

• This is an active expedition built around walking in beautiful places, designed at a mindful pace, full of discovery but never rushed.

• Most days include a trek, from gentle valley paths to the longer routes at Cerro Castillo and the Calluqueo Glacier. Several days offer a lighter alternative, so travelers of different paces share the same landscape comfortably.

• If you enjoy a full day outdoors and can walk a few hours over natural terrain, you are ready. We share a simple preparation guide once you reserve, so you arrive confident and well-equipped.

HOW DO I RESERVE MY PLACE?

• Tell us your preferred departure through the form below or on WhatsApp, and we guide you through each step from there.

• A deposit secures your place. Because the lodges along this remote route hold rooms ahead of arrival, an early reservation protects your spot in these limited spaces.