Pristine Patagonia Self-Drive

Start your holiday in style with included airport lounge access before you board your overnight flight to Chile.

After landing In Chile's capital city, you'll be met and transferred to your hotel in the center of town. Set in the shadow of the vast snow-capped peaks of the Andes to the east and a lesser coastal mountain range to the west, Santiago enjoys an enviable location and those that explore its pleasant plazas and tree-lined boulevards will be rewarded with first-class food, fascinating museums and a flourishing bohemian art scene to rival any of its Latin American counterparts. You'll have the chance to take it all in on an optional half-day tour.

Transfer to Santiago airport and board a flight south to Balmaceda. Upon arrival collect your hire car and set off for Coyhaique on the Carretera Austral, one of the last great roads on the continent. Coyhaique itself is a picturesque city and the capital of the Aysen Region, located in a broad green valley alongside the banks of the Río Simpson. It's encircled by a crown of mountains, forests and rivers, creating a spectacular backdrop.

Stay: Patagonia House (Standard)

Today your adventure continues as you follow the Carretera Austral through spellbinding scenery to Lake General Carrera, which straddles the border between Chile and Argentina. Be sure to take a boat to see the Marble Caves – a series of water-filled caverns considered to be among the most beautiful in the world, helped in no small part by the reflection of the marble in the still, azure waters.

Stay: Mallin Colorado (Standard)

It's time to hit the road once again as you begin the drive into Argentina and your rustic accommodation, set near the shores of the beautiful Lago Posadas. Set against this giant, turquoise expanse, a choice of scenic drives and short hikes though dense forests and along cragged hilltops make for truly stunning views. There are also archaeological sites that evidence ancient inhabitants and plenty of sports fishing to be enjoyed. Spend the day exploring at your own pace.

Stay: Rio Tarde Casa Patagonica (Standard)

Settle in for the long but spectacular drive to El Chaltén along the shores of Viedma Lake, this spectacular drive offers great views of the Fitz Roy Mountain Range. El Chalten is a relaxed and friendly village ideally situated at the base of the Fitz Roy Massif, making it the ideal spot from which to explore the soaring granite peaks of this spectacular mountain range.

Stay: Hotel Lunajuim (Standard)

Drive to El Calafate, gateway to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares and its stunning centerpiece, the massive Perito Moreno Glacier – one of the few advancing glaciers in the world. Enjoy the stunning views of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field’s most famous glacier. If you're lucky, you might even witness some calving, with huge sections of the glacier collapsing into the Argentino Lake.

Stay: Blanca Patagonia Hosteria & Boutique (Superior) 

Drive back into Chile and continue south to one of the most spectacular national parks in the Americas – Torres del Paine. The remote and rugged park is a mecca for outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts. Orange guanacos – the wild cousins of the llama – stand sentry on lonely bluffs, keeping an eye out for pumas. South America's largest bird, the flightless rhea, is regularly seen roaming the grasslands, while gliding above them all, Andean condors stretch their record-breaking wingspans. Your stay will also include an afternoon's sailing on Lago Grey, navigating past vivid blue icebergs to the Lago Grey Glacier.

Stay: Estancia Cerro Guido (Superior) 

On today's spectacular drive to Punta Arenas, which can take anything from four to six hours, you can visit the Mylodon Cave where scientists discovered the remains of a gigantic sloth. On arrival in Punta Arenas, drop off your hire car and check into your accommodation for an overnight stay. Then, spend the rest of the day exploring this remote and historic town on the windswept shores of the Magellan Strait.

Stay: La Yegua Loca (Superior)

Fly back to Santiago to spend the night before your flight home the next day. Perhaps explore some of its leafy neighbourhoods further for ornate architecture and superb museums. Alternatively, take some time out in one of its many parks.

After a private transfer to the airport, you'll board your flight back home, arriving on day 16.