At 7 in the morning, you will take a transfer to the pier in Puerto Natales, where a boat will be waiting to take you on a four-hour scenic trip across the fjords and into Bernardo O’Higgins National Park. Shared by the regions of Magallanes and Aysen, this is the largest national park in Chile and one of five of the most expansive in the world (over three million hectares). With access only via the water, the mountains or the southern ice field itself, it remains a remote and pristine corner of our planet. It also contains the third largest mass of ice on earth after Antarctica and Greenland, so the climate is understandably extreme.

Disembarking from the boat, you’ll be met by breathtaking views which combine old growth forests of evergreen and deciduous southern beech, fire bushes and cypresses – a stunning contrast to the snow capped peaks and glaciers in this region. Next you’ll take a one-hour walk to Serrano Glacier and back, a fantastic chance to learn about the forces of nature that have shaped this region. Once you’re back at the water, it’s just a five minute zodiac boat ride to the location where your Criollo horses patiently await your arrival!

After lunch and a quick briefing, it’s time to saddle up for two hours’ riding through thick forests, alongside pristine rivers and streams, and beneath the shadow of the Chacabuco and Balmaceda mountain ranges. Afterwards, you will be transported to Hostería Balmaceda for a welcoming Chilean meal. All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to Hostería Balmaceda and begin a fairly slow but long ride that gives you the opportunity to find your stride and get to know your horse while enjoying the dazzling scenery. You’re making your way to Torres del Paine National Park, and towards the end of the trail, you will cross the Nutria River and come out onto the pampas. This marks the end of today’s ride as you approach your accommodation for the night, Hotel del Paine. This hotel offers comfortable rooms, great views of the Paine Massif, a large living/dining area with a log fire, a comfortable bar and a good restaurant. For early risers, it also offers some of the best sunrises in all of Patagonia! All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

After breakfast you will meet your horses and prepare for the pampas ride to Lago Grey. The view will be dominated by the jagged peaks of the Paine Massif as you ride out along the Rio Grey to the largest glacier in the park, Glacier Grey. On reaching the trailhead, you’ll tether your horses and walk out across the swinging footbridge through the forest to Grey Beach. The view that awaits is memorable – the pebbly shores of the beach form an almost surreal contrast to the blue of the floating icebergs that have calved off the nearby glacier. Glacier Grey protrudes off the southern ice field and is quite simply a wonder of nature. Measuring 28 kilometres in length and covering a total area of 270 square kilometres with its frozen walls of blue ice towering almost 35 metres high, it never fails to impress.

After some time walking along the beach and enjoying a picnic lunch, you will walk back to your waiting horses for the ride back to Rio Serrano.

*Note The Glacier itself is 17 kilometres from the the Grey Beach, so for those who would like to get up closer to the face of this marvel of ice, we can arrange a trip out onto the lake in the Grey III boat. This is an optional excursion available at the cost of approximately US$140 per person. Those guests who take the excursion will return to the hotel by transfer, not by horse.

Another night at Hotel del Paine. All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

Today, after breakfast in the hotel, you will pack up and start your ride eastwards towards the heart of the park. Riding directly towards the Paine Massif mountain range, the views are dramatic and beautiful. The trail skirts the southern edge of the mountains on a rarely trodden path as you pass azure and turquoise lakes with the huge granite mountain peaks standing behind.

After a picnic lunch taken in one of the pretty valleys, you’ll continue east onto the beautiful soft pampas of the Patagonian steppe. There will be an opportunity for some cantering as the light fades and the shadows lengthen, before you arrive at Laguna Amarga. If you’re lucky enough to arrive on a still afternoon, you’ll see the mountains reflected perfectly in the lake. Here you will find your lodgings for the night: charming but modern tiny houses! Your hosts will cook up a hearty dinner for you to enjoy as you sit back after the long day’s ride. All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

This morning you’ll ride from Laguna Amarga to the north-east, close to the border of Argentina. You’ll ride alongside the lake at first, and hopefully you’ll see flocks of flamingos feeding in the water. The area is full of guanacos and the hills will ring with their alarm calls as you ride by. There will be chances for canters as you follow Las Chinas Valley downhill to reach the dramatic Las Chinas Waterfall, where a picnic lunch will be enjoyed. Afterwards, you will cross Las Chinas River and journey on to Estancia Tercera Baranca, where you’ll spend the night. This 6,454 hectare working sheep ranch offers fantastic views of the granite mountains and of the Paine Massif. There is a comfortable living area warmed by the welcoming log fire where you can read and relax before dinner, which is served in the nearby wooden quincho. A hot tub also awaits to soak away any aches! All rooms have private bathrooms. All meals included (excluding  wine/drinks).

Once you’ve filled up with a hearty breakfast, you’ll take a 20 minute transfer to Estancia Cerro Guido, a large working estancia with approximately 110,000 hectares, 37,000 sheep, 2,500 cattle and 400 horses. After checking in to your rooms, you will meet your new horses. From the estancia stables, you’ll ride up the mountainside behind the estancia and into the surrounding hills. The Sierra Baguales mountains are a stark contrast to the rolling landscape of the pampas below.

After lunch you’ll ride on to an Indian burial site. Although no artefacts remain at the site, later, in the estancia, you will be able to see photos and learn about the burial site. Returning to the estancia, you’ll enjoy a much-anticipated dinner. All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

Today after breakfast, it’s once again time to saddle up for a full day’s ride. This time, you will be heading south to Estancia Entro Lagos. This is a beautiful open ride across grassy meadows and welcoming pampas. Riding south with the dramatic Paine mountains to your right enables you to fully appreciate the distances that the original pioneers encountered, and which the estancieros still encounter to this day. There will also be opportunities for lots of canters on your responsive and comfortable horses. With the wind in your hair and a smile on your face, you will experience the sheer joy that is riding in Patagonia!

In the afternoon, after a leisurely picnic lunch and an afternoon’s riding, you will see the blue waters of Lake Sarmiento and have some time to photograph the Torres del Paine mountains from the lake’s edge.

Afterwards, you’ll ride back via Flemingo Lake to Estancia Cerro Guido. The huge roaring fire and big soft sofas will invite you to relax and reflect on your holiday experiences so far. All meals included (excluding wine/drinks).

After breakfast you’ll greet your horses, check your saddles and begin your last full day of riding. You’re headed to the Sierra Baguales mountain range, where the view of the vast valleys carved by the glaciers thousands of years ago is utterly awe-inspiring. You will be mesmerised by the huge skies and long stretches of pampas.

The journey starts with traversing the mountain behind Cerro Guido, along the track called ‘Paso Guitarra’. Then you will pass the lovely but deserted Estancia Las Flores, where you will see the only original adobe building left in the area. At lunch time the horses will rest while you savour a beautiful picnic in the middle of the valley. You may even be able to see condors soaring above.

After these lovely views, you’ll continue on to Vega Nash, where there will be opportunities to canter and enjoy the large flat ‘vega’, a typical pampa in this area. This route will bring you back to Estancia Cerro Guido, where a delicious Patagonian asado dinner will be cooking and you can enjoy your last night with your fellow globetrotters and guides. All meals included (including wine tonight).

This morning, you’ll take a transfer to Puerto Natales. The transfer to Punta Arenas airport leaves at 10:00 and will arrive at approximately 12:30. Here the tour ends and you can continue your onward journey. Breakfast included.