January 27th to February 10th, 2011
14 nights  |  Limited to 10 participants

$5,712 USD per person, land only | Single supplement is $860
See discounts for repeat clients, early enrollment, room sharing, and back-to-back trips etcetera

2 places are on hold, and 7 places are available  Ask a question via email: Click here  Updated Wednesday the 8th of September, 2010  Gateway airport: Buenos Aires, Argentina [EZE]  Arrival window: 7 am to 9 am  Search Orbitz or your favorite airline for a fare  The tour fee details are here.

Also see  Galapagos Islands  |  Machu Picchu

The Torres del Paine massif reflected in Lake Pehoe, Chile.

OVERVIEW: Travel Images' Patagonian photography tour/workshop comprises of the best of Buenos Aires including the colorful La Boca district, then into the depths of Argentina and Chile for Los Arrayanes National Park; the spectacular mountain pinnacles of Torres del Paine and Fitz Roy at both sunrise and sunset; Perito Moreno Glacier; El Calafate; Península Valdés; Punta Tombo Magellanic Penguin rookery; waterfalls; and the Welsh settlements of Trelew and Gaimán. Finally, the people of Patagonia . . . you'll photograph the many faces that have shaped this region of South America.

TRAVEL TO THE GATEWAY AIRPORT
o It is recommended that clients arrive a day early to be fresh for the trip, and to also counteract possible flight delays.
o Early arrival also enables you to explore the gateway city should you wish to do so.
o When booking flights, add a day for overnight travel or two days if also crossing the Pacific Ocean/International Dateline.
o The last day of the trip is the date you should arrange your flight home unless you plan to stay on. Thank you!

DAY 1  |  To BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
Arriving a day early is recommended, but if arriving today your flight will be met, and after a short break at our hotel we'll take a Buenos Aires city tour. We'll cover the most photogenic spots of the city, from the iconic images to the  traditional. Included will be the Cathedral facing the Plaza de Mayo; the traditional quarter of San Telmo with classic antiquitie houses and tanguearías; colorful La Boca where we will shoot the imposing 'Bombonera' and Caminito; the exclusive quarter of Puerto Madero; and the exclusive quarter of Recoleta and the unusual cemetery which is a 'city within a city', and the final resting place of Eva Peron.
BUENOS AIRES, 1 night

DAYS 2 + 3  |  To SAN CARLOS de BARILOCHE, Argentina
Some early light photography near the hotel then following breakfast we'll take a trip to the airport for a flight to San Carlos de Bariloche. Hotel check in, free time, then photography alongside the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi and much more including sunset at the water's edge. On day 3 some dawn light images, and after breakfast we'll make our way west to Puerto Pañuelo to embark on a full day sailing trip on Lake Nahuel Huapi. Included will be Los Arrayanes National Park and much more. Free time at the hotel, and evening light photography on the Lake Nahuel Huapi shoreline.
SAN CARLOS de BARILOCHE, 2 nights

DAYS 4, 5 + 6  |  MOUNT FITZ ROY, Argentina
We'll take a morning flight to El Calafate, then we’ll head for El Chalten via stops on the shores Lago Viedma, plus sheep ranches and our first views of the magnificent Mount Fitz Roy as the light fades. We'll be in position to photograph the Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre granite peaks in Los Glaciares National Park at dawn each morning. Several vantage points of this impressive mountain range will be explored, some requiring short hikes, with Centinela Viewpoint among them. Also scheduled are Chorrillo del Salto [waterfall], Lago del Desierto, Las Vueltas River Canyon and more. This is a region in which one should look skywards for the sight of a soaring Condor.
EL CHALTEN, 3 nights

Dawn light on Mount Fitz Roy, Argentina.

DAYS 7 + 8  |  To EL CALAFATE, Argentina
Dawn light on the Mt. Fitz Roy massif once again - no two mornings are the same - then following breakfast we'll head toward to El Calafate via a fossilized forest and much more. After sunrise shooting and breakfast on Day 8 we'll go directly to the western end of Lago Argentino, where 80km from El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier lies with its imposing walls of ice up to 60 meters high. There is a variety of viewpoints from which to photograph the glacier, during which you'll hear and see the constant breaking and collapsing of ice floes, along with loud echoes. Back to El Calafate for some free time and evening light images at a new vantage point on the shores of Lago Argentino.
EL CALAFATE, 2 nights

DAYS 9, 10 + 11  |  TORRES del PAINE, Chile
After another sunrise shoot and breakfast we'll be on the road to Chile's 450,000 acre Torres del Paine National Park. We'll make our way over Cerro Castillo Pass into Chile, and while in the region for three nights we'll photograph the stunning Torres del Paine peaks from various viewpoints, and in varying light. Sunrise excursions both mornings of days 10 and 11 for the best possible light on the Torres del Paine massifs. Other highlights will include Salto Grande Rio Paine [waterfall], Lago Nordenskjold, Lago Pehoe, Lago Grey and a short hike to the foot of the Grey Glacier, plus possible wildlife sightings such as Guanacos, Foxes, Armadillos, Rheas, Black-Necked Swans, Geese, Flamingos, Peregrine Falcons and Condors riding the air currents sweeping down from the Andean mountain slopes.
Near TORRES del PAINE, 3 nights

DAY 12, 13 + 14  |  PENÍNSULA VALDÉS, TRELEW, GAIMÁN and PUERTO TOMBO, Argentina
A last look at the Torres del Paine mountain range at dawn on Day 12 prior to breakfast and a casual day trip back into Argentina, and onto El Calafate for an evening flight to Trelew.
On Day 13 we'll make an start for Puerto Pirámides, then our exploration of the Península Valdés which is an important nature reserve and listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. There are sheep ranches scattered about, plus the peninsula is home to Rheas, Guanacos, Maras, Elephant and Fur Seals, Sea Lions, and Magellanic Penguins etcetera. We'll continue shooting as we make our way to Puerto Madryn.
On day 14 we'll go south to the communities of Trelew and Gaimán which were settled by the Welsh when arriving on the ship Mimosa in the 1860's. Welsh is spoken there, and John is fluent. Lady Diana frequented one of the many Welsh style tea rooms where we will take lunch. Further south is the Punta Tombo Penguin rookery, the largest colony of Magellanic Penguins in South America with more than 200,000 breeding pairs between September and February, raising their offspring in this quiet reserve. You'll be completely surrounded by the Penguins and be able to compose a variety of close-ups.
Near GAIMÁN, 3 nights

DAY 15  |  Flights home
Flights home from Trelew with connections in Buenos Aires today, but please make sure that your Buenos Aires departure is not before 1 p.m.

Trip Leaders: John Baker and local Spanish speaking guides