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Luxury South American tour operator Quasar Expeditions (quasarexpeditions.com), most famously known for operating small yacht expeditions in the Galapagos Islands, is launching the brand’s next exploratory adventure featuring Jeep® brand vehicles– a luxurious eight day / seven night 4x4 overland adventure throughout both Chilean and Argentinean Patagonia. Beginning on December 8th, aspiring pioneers will retrace the steps of those centuries before them to discover the natural wonders of the region including among them, famed Torres del Paine National Park, Los Glaciares National Park and the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier.
Modern day Vespucci’s will start their journey in Puerto Natales, Chile (after flying from either Santiago, Chile or driving from El Calafate, Argentina) where they will be met by the Quasar team and handed the keys to a road ready 2013 Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon complete with both a built-in Garmin GPS and an external, innovative GPS Ranger®, which acts as a tour-guide of sorts calling out points of interest along the route and ensuring the pre-programmed hotels and destinations are reached each day. Guests have the option of driving themselves relying on their instincts and the provided technology; driving themselves but accompanied by a dedicated tour guide; or having a dedicated tour guide drive while they just sit back and enjoy.
Regardless of who is in the driver’s seat, Quasar has assembled an exciting and adventurous, yet comfortable and luxurious, eight-day / seven-night driving itinerary where guests spend the days exploring the awe-inspiring surroundings with activities such as light hikes, sightseeing catamaran cruises, horseback riding and bird watching, while at night they relax in the utmost comfort of the chosen hotels and indulge in the various food, wine and spa offerings each boasts. No stretch of driving is more than 3-4 hours on average with most only taking an hour or two. Also, Quasar maintains their dedication to social responsibility by ensuring these are 100% carbon-free adventures through collaboration with the Carbon Fund, as well as having 100 tree forests in Patagonia through a partnership with Reforest Patagonia.
Guests start their journey with welcome drinks and a full program briefing at the award-winning Singular Patagonia, a 100-year old former Cold Storage Plant now restored and renovated into a 57-room luxury retreat along the shores of the Fjord of Last Hope. After settling in and relaxing at the spa, guests will relish in local cuisine like guanaco, conger eel and a variety of pisco sours, before retiring for the night. The next morning guests set out in their Jeep® Wrangler SUVs across the Argentinean border to the town of El Calafate and then northward across the Patagonian Pampa to the day’s final destination, Hosteria Helsingfors. The next two days will be spent at this rustic retreat located at the edge of beautiful Lake Viedma and across from the mighty Mt. Fitz Roy. Activities include horseback riding or hiking to a secluded blue lagoon at the edge of a glacier. A full day of marveling at the Perito Glacier and ‘Iceberg Channel’ is in store after departing Helsingfors, followed by a visit to the Glaciarum museum before settling in for a delicious local meal and fourth’s night sleep at Eolo Lodge, cut in the cloth of the true Argentine Estancia tradition. On the fifth day guests can enjoy Eolo’s spa in the morning or venture into town for some souvenir shopping in El Calafate. Later in the afternoon, guests head back west to Chile to the heart of Torres del Paine National Park. The destination for the night is Patagonia Camp, Chile’s first luxury tented camp located at the edge of stunning Lake Toro.
The next day is spent on a light hike up the French Valley, among lenga tree forests, rivers and bridges to reach the hanging glaciers of the Paine Grande Massif. Guests are welcomed that night at dinner with roasted Patagonia lamb, prepared the true gaucho way. The following day guests do a full day driving tour around the park, stopping at several points to view vibrant Chilean flamingos and black-faced Ibis, overlooks of the three towers after which the National Park was named and finally lunch along the shore of the breathtaking blue lagoon. Guests settle in to their final night at Tierra Patagonia for a relaxing spa afternoon and an exquisite dinner. The voyage comes to an end the following day as guests transfer to the airport for their flights home or where their next adventure may be.
Aspiring explorers have various options when booking Quasar’s 4x4 adventure. Pricing starts at $5200 per person per trip, based on four people in one vehicle driving themselves and increases from there depending on whether a driver or guide is required and how many people are in the vehicle. For a couple, it is $5600 per person based on two people self driving in one vehicle. Children 12 and under receive a 15% discount. Included in the trip cost is hotel accommodations, meals as noted in, all ground transportation within Chile and Argentina as noted in itinerary, airport transfers to / from Puerto Natales and entrance to the Glaciarum Museum. The services of a Quasar Expeditions tour leader are also included for those choosing that option. Items not included in the above pricing include: international and domestic airfare, park and glacier entrance fees, beverages (with the exception of those included at specific hotels) and fuel for the Jeep® brand vehicles.
For reservations, more information and to watch a video of the adventure visit jeeppatagoniaexpeditions.com/.
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