Classic Travel - by Malgosia and Jurek Majcherczyk

Day 1 (Fri 2/8)  Flight: NYC - Santiago

Departure from JFK via LAN Airlines at 8:00pm. Overnight flight to Santiago with dinner and breakfast served on board. 

Day 2 (Sat 2/9)   Arrival in Santiago / Flight to Punta Arenas

After arriving and going through customs we will walk to the domestic flights part of the airport for our flight to Punta Arenas, which lays by the mouth of the Strait of Magellan. Arrival at 2:30pm with greeting by local guide. Transfer to our hotel in the center of town. After settling in we will take a walk to the historic parts of town. Welcome dinner in the evening with a detailed overview of our upcoming itinerary. (D)

Day 3 (Sun 2/10)   Transfer: Punta Arenas - Torres del Paine

Early morning transfer up north to Puerto Natales. We will visit Otway Bay, where massive colonies of Magellan penguins can be found. Afterwards we travel to our base Las Torres, found in the Torres del Paine National Park. Accommodations and dinner at our base. (B,D)

Days 4-7 (Mon 2/11 - Thu 2/14)   Trekking/Torres del Paine

The next four days will include trekking in Torres del Paine. Our first day of trekking will take us to the Ascencio River Valley (7 hours) to the base of the Paine Towers. Day two will take us along the Nordenskjold Lake to the Los Cuernos base (5 hours). The next day we will trek to the French Valley to the British base and finally along Skottsberg and Pehoe Lakes to the Pehoe Base (8 hours). Our final day of trekking will begin with an ascent of Grey Glacier (3 hours). After lunch we will travel by boat through the Grey Lake to get up close to the glacier and next to the Lago Grey marina (2 hours). Here we will board our bus and transfer to our hotel in the city of Puerto Natales. (B,L,D) x 4

Day 8 (Fri 2/15)   Transfer to El Chalten/Fitz Roy - Argentina 

Full day transfer (500km) to the town of El Chalten, located at the base of Fitz Roy. In Cancha Carrera we will cross the border into Argentina. The transfer will take us through the territory of the Great Lakes - Lago Argentino & Lago Viedma. Dinner at our hotel after arrival. (B,D)

Day 9 (Sat 2/16)   Trekking Fitz Roy 

Todays trek will take us to the base of the jolting out peaks of Mount Fitz Roy (3,375m) and Cerro Torre. Our destination will be Lake Torre after an 8 hour trek. We will finish our trekking for the day at the El Chalten base camp. (B,L,D)

Day 10 (Sun 2/17)   Trekking // Transfer to Calafate

We start off with an early morning 4 hour trek to the Piedras Blancas Glacier along Rio Fitz Roy. As soon as we finish this trek we have a 4 hour transfer to Calafate, which is located on Lago Argentina. Dinner at our hotel. (B,L,D) 

Day 11 (Mon 2/18)   Perito Moreno Glacier 

Full day trip to the famous 'moving' Perito Moreno Glacier, found in Los Glaciares Park. Possibility of taking a mini cruise to the base of the glacier. Dinner at our hotel in Calafate. (B,D)

Day 12 (Tue 2/19)  Flight to Buenos Aires

After breakfast transfer to the airport for flight to Buenos Aires via LAN Airlines. Right after landing we will begin touring the capital of Argentina. We will see the center of town, including the presidential palace, parliament, cathedral and the famous part of town known as La Boca, where the tango dance was born. Evening outing to a local theater to have dinner and see a 'Tango show'. (B,D)

Day 13 (Wed 2/20)  Flight: Buenos Aires - New York City

Early morning transfer to the airport with departure from Buenos Aires to NYC via Lima by way of LAN Airlines. Breakfast and dinner on board the plane. Evening arrival in NYC.

*** End of trip ***

Abbreviations: B - Breakfast; L - Lunch; D - Dinner

Patagonia

Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. It is located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the south west towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean. To the west, it includes the territory of Valdivia through Tierra del Fuego archipelago.

The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan in 1520 to describe the native people that his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 180 cm (~5′11″) compared to the 155 cm (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time.

Mount Fitz Roy

Mount Fitz Roy (also known as Cerro Chaltén or Cerro Fitz Roy) is a mountain located near El Chaltén village, in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in Patagonia, on the border between Argentina and Chile. First climbed in 1952 by French alpinists Lionel Terray and Guido Magnone, it remains among the most technically challenging mountains on Earth for mountaineers. Monte Fitz Roy is the basis for the Patagonia clothing logo following Yvon Chouinard's ascent and subsequent film in 1968.

Francisco Moreno first saw the mountain on 2 March 1877. He named it Fitz Roy, in honour of Robert FitzRoy, who, as captain of the HMS Beagle had travelled up the Santa Cruz River in 1834 and charted large parts of the Patagonian coast.

Cerro is a Spanish word meaning hill, while Chaltén comes from a Tehuelche (Aonikenk) word meaning "smoking mountain", due to a cloud that usually forms around the mountain's peak. Fitz Roy, however, was only one of a number of peaks the Tehuelche called Chaltén.

Perito Moreno Glacier

The Perito Moreno Glacier is a glacier located in the Los Glaciares National Park in the south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is one of the most important tourist attractions in the Argentine Patagonia. The 250 km2 (97 sq mi) ice formation, and 30 km (19 mi) in length, is one of 48 glaciers fed by the Southern Patagonian Ice Field located in the Andes system shared with Chile. This icefield is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of only three Patagonian glaciers that is growing. The reason remains debated by glaciologists. The terminus of the Perito Moreno Glacier is 5 kilometres (3 mi) wide, with an average height of 74 m (240 ft) above the surface of the water of Lake Argentino, in Argentina. It has a total ice depth of 170 metres (558 ft).

Due to its size and accessibility, Perito Moreno is one of the major tourist drawcards in southern Patagonia. It is less than two hours by bus from El Calafate, and many tour companies run daily visits. A large visitor centre at the site features a walking circuit which allows both faces, and the surface of the glacier to be seen. There is also a restaurant at the site.

In recent years, trekking tours on the ice have gained popularity. The two standard tours are a "mini-trekking" option, consisting of a short walk of about an hour and a half, and a "big ice" version, which is usually about five hours. Tour companies generally provide crampons to customers.

Price with flights from JFK, NYC: TBD

• per person in a 2 or 3 person room (min. 15 persons)

Price includes:

• Flights: NYC - Santiago - Buenos Aires - NYC
• Flights between Argentina/Chile: Santiago - Punta Arenas / Calafate - Buenos Aires
• All transfers with guides and private mini-bus
• Most meals, 100% of meals during trekking   
• Accommodations in 3* hotels in cities
• Accommodations in base camps during trekking 
• Professional and friendly service 
• Care of English/Spanish speaking guide during entire trip 

Price does not include:

• Any departure taxes in Argentina/Chile airports
• Tips for guides, drivers and pilot
• Insurance 
• Admissions to parks listed in itinerary 
• Services not mentioned in the itinerary

Admission costs to National Parks: 

• Los Glaciares - $30
• Torres del Paine - $38

Passports & Visas:

All trip participants need to have a passport that is valid at least 6 months after trip return date. Those with a U.S. Passport need to purchase an entry visa to Argentina and Chile, each one being about $130 per person. Persons using a Polish passport do not need to purchase entry visas. For those with passports from other countries, please check your respective nation's Depart of State website or contact us to determine requirements.

Mandatory Insurance!

We suggest and can arrange the purchase of travel insurance. Our office suggests Travel Safe, which provides best coverage when purchased within 10 days of sending the trip deposit. For those interested please contact us for more information or visit the 'Trip Insurance' tab on this page.

Notes:

• If you plan on taking part in this trip with a group of 10 or more friends/relatives and would need a connecting flight to reach the starting destination of the trip (NYC) there is the possibility of receiving group discounts on the connecting flight. Please contact as soon as possible if this is the case.
• In the event that there is an odd number of group participants, the person to last join the group will be required to buy a single supplement for the trip or, when possible, share a 3 person room.
• In the event that there are less than 15 participants for this trip 21 days before the trip date there will be an additional charge of maximum $200 per person.
• About 15 days prior to the departure date all trip participants will receive a package of documents which will include: air tickets, detailed trip itinerary, personal identification badge plus luggage tag, suggested packing list plus information about our accommodations and information about Chile and Argentina.  

Trip Reservation

In order to secure a reservation for this trip each participant must pay a deposit of $500 and complete and sign a trip participation form. For guided group trips the number of space is limited – reservations are accepted in the order that they are received in. Full payment is required 60 days before departure. If the departure date is already within 60 days, then full payment is required immediately. If payment is not made in this time frame, the trip price as well as a spot reserved on the trip are not guaranteed.

For the quickest turnaround, please request your reservation through our website (use the “Request Reservation” option on the trip page). Our agents will email you with the invoice, payment options, all applicable forms, and instructions on how to complete the reservation. You may also request a reservation by emailing us at classic@classic-travel.com, or by calling our office toll free 1-800-774-6996.

Trip Cancellation

Any cancellation by a client must be made in writing and be acknowledged by the company in writing (mail/email/fax). The date on which the request to cancel is received by the company or its agents will determine the cancellation fees applicable. The cancellation fees are expressed hereafter as a percentage of the total tour price, excluding insurance.

• Cancellation 90 or more days before the trip: return of deposit, less $20 for office fees.
• Cancellation 89-60 days before departure: Loss of entire deposit.
• Cancellation 59-31 days before departure: 50% of cost of services booked.
• Cancellation less than 30 days before departure: 100% of cost of services booked.

Cancellation of trip by Classic Travel

Classic Travel reserves the right to cancel a trip under any circumstances. Cancellation cannot be made under 60 days to trip departure date, except under circumstances of "Force Majeure," which our agency has no influence or control over.

When it comes to trip cancellation, the client has the following options:

• Use the trip deposit payment towards another trip as a deposit or partial payment (if the amount is larger than $500).
• Receive a full refund of the paid deposit for the canceled trip

Classic Travel is not responsible for any costs incurred to the clients in preparing for the trip.

Required Documentation

Trip participants must be in possession of a valid passport, any applicable visas, and their insurance policy. Passport must be valid 6 months past the return date. It is highly recommended that participants have at least three photocopies of these documents. The trip participant accepts full responsibility for obtaining all such documents and is responsible for any adverse consequences resulting from missing or defective documentation. At the time of booking Classic Travel will advise on what documents are required for your trip.

Travel Documents Issued by Classic Travel

No later than two weeks prior to departure, all trip participants will receive via mail and/or email a packet that contains flight tickets (if purchased through Classic Travel), a detailed trip itinerary, additional information & brochures, baggage tags, and a list of suggested items to bring.

For the complete terms and conditions, click here.

Travel Insurance

Insurance is not included in the cost of this trip. Medical insurance is mandatory for all trips and it is up to the trip participant to choose an insurance package that fits their needs. Prior to the commencement of the trip, Classic Travel will request all trip participants to provide a copy of their travel insurance certificate. Medical insurance should cover accident and sickness expenses and emergency evacuation.

We also highly recommend that cancellation insurance is purchased. This will allow you to recover your costs in case you must cancel the trip due to an unforeseen circumstance (sickness or death of yourself or a close family member, extreme weather conditions, terrorism, loss of employment, etc).

Travel insurance can be purchased through Classic Travel - our plans are available to all our clients regardless of nationality and residency. We offer travel medical insurance as well as more comprehensive insurance packages that cover trip cancellation, trip interruption, travel delay, baggage loss, and more. During the reservation process we will provide you with our insurance options and rates.

You may choose to purchase travel insurance with us or with any other venue, so long as you are insured!

Click here to learn more about travel insurance.