See itinerary below but trips either offer camping, estancias(lodges), or are based. Chilean food is generally mild oriented around barbecue dishes, local produce, and mild seasonings, often accompanied by good Chilean wine.

Morning collection from Terra Sur to start the day's drive towards the penguin colony to see and photograph the cute burrowing Magellanic penguins. Continue in comfortable transfer vehicle across the Patagonian Steppe where you will have your first opportunity to see some of the unusual plant and animal life that exists in this area. After a short lunch stop in Puerto Natales we will continue on to our campsite situated close to a working estancia on the edges of the beautiful Laguna Verde. Chance to stroll down to the lakeside and enjoy the variety of bird life and spectacular views of the horns whilst dinner is prepared. No showers. Drive approx. 6.5 hours including penguins.

After a wholesome breakfast and packing up we will be starting our ride eastwards towards the heart of the Park. The morning ride is fairly relaxing as we wind our way through this pretty valley passing a number of lakes and mountain views. Plenty of time to take photographs before we ascend to a lookout with fabulous views of the pampas and lakes below. After stopping to let the horses rest we will start our steep descent of the Sierra del Toro to the pampas below. Lunch will be taken in the valley and we will have a chance to visit the Park Headquarters to look at their relief map of the park. We will then continue with some fast riding to the Serrano River where we will camp beside the emerald green waters of this beautiful river. Inside dining in case of inclemant weather. Showers available. Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

After breakfast we will pack up camp and make an early start across the pampas towards the huge and immense Grey Glacier and Lake. This is open pampas riding at its most exciting and there will be lots of opportunities for nice long canters as we ride towards the huge granite peaks of the Paine Massif. We will then reach the highlight of today's ride as we dismount and cross the wooden footbridge onto a small trail through the forest. This trail take us onto Grey Beach for a walk along the grey sands admiring the huge icebergs that have calved off the nearby glacier. For those who are interested there's an optional boat ride across this iceberg-choked lake towards the face of this spectacular Glacier (this boat is very weather reliant and costs $70 US per person for the three hour boat ride). If the boat isn't running or for those clients who prefer to stay ashore, there's plenty of opportunities for hiking, taking pictures or walking the short distance to Hosteria Lago Grey to enjoy some fireside pisco sours. After this exciting day we'll rejoin our horses for a lovely long canter across the pampas to our campsite at Rio Serrano.Inside dining in case of inclemant weather. Showers available. Hours in saddle: 5-6.

After enjoying breakfast in our stunning campsite we will set off on an exciting and unique adventure into the hills and forests of the Sierra Contreras. Our destination is the pretty waterfall known as Cascada Zamora. After lunch we will ride out to a remote puesto 'mercado' riding up high over the pampas with views off to the Las Chinas Valley and the Sierra Baguales in the distance. Return to our camp at puesto Tercera for night. No showers. Hours in the saddle: 5-6.

After packing up camp and loading up the pack horses we will set off on our exciting ride towards the Torres and Lago Paine. Just before Laguna Azul we head north towards Laguna Stokes where a large natural vega or pasture exists and which attracts wild criollos from the surrounding hills to graze in the summer. There will be many excellent photo opportunities on this route as we pass through forests, pastures and the lake where Lady Florence Dixie first camped having sighted the Towers. We will be camping riverside at Lago Paine. Showers available and inside dining in case of bad weather. Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

After breakfast, we will be riding out to Lake and Glacier Dickson. Dickson is one of the more remote and rarely visited glaciers in the Park due to its inaccessibility - in our opinion it is also one of the prettiest. Our rides takes us past the northerly peaks of the Paine chain where one of the peaks is topped by a black, craggy rock in the shape of a Tuhuelche Indian Face where the 'headband' is decorated with snowdrifts even in summer. The trail then heads north passing ancient southern beech forests and scattered lakes before reaching our solitary perch and viewpoint above this beautiful lake and glacier. This will be our picnic spot for lunch - a truly memorable destination. In the afternoon we ride back to Lago Paine. No showers. Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

Today we will be continuing on to Laguna Azul via a different route. This is a beautiful ride through forests and flower filled meadows and southern beech forests. Lots of opportunities for long canters before we reach the edge of the aptly named Laguna Azul. On arrival at the campsite we will put the wine in the lake to chill and serve canapes before our dinner is served. During the evening we can enjoy our final view of the Towers across the lake whilst swapping tales of the adventure of the previous days. Hot showers and a quincho for inside dining. Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

Pack up camp for our transfer back to Punta Arenas to arrive late afternoon. We will once again make a lunch stop in Puerto Natales and this will give clients an opportunity to purchase any souvenirs/books/postcards etc. Clients will be dropped off at the Hotel Terra Sur in Punta Arenas at around 6p.m. Transfer time: 5 hours.

Taxi to airport for onward travel.

Clients should aim to arrive into Punta Arenas at 1530 hours. BlueGreen Adventures will collect clients from the airport and drive them to the lovely Hosteria Rio Verde (about 40 minutes from the airport) via the Magellanic Penguin Colony. There will be plenty of time to wander amongst these cute burrowing animals before continuing onto this lovely authentic estancia, a fitting start to our Patagonia Estancia Ride. The Hosteria and estancia is owned and run by a charming family who have converted some of their historic estancia buildings into confortable guest accommodations. Much of the renovation uses imaginatively recycled or locally produced materials and the rooms are all beautifully decorated and distinctive. Food and service are excellent and clients can wander around the small villa to see the buildings making up this working farm. Dinner included (excluding drinks). Trip briefing over dinner.

Today we are going to be starting our drive across the wide open pampas and land belonging to some of the huge estancias in this area towards the Torres del Paine National Park. After a short lunch stop in Puerto Natales, where clients can choose from a variety of restaurants and cafes, we will continue on along the easterly edges of the Park and into some quite different scenery bordered by the huge Baguales and La Cumbre mountain ranges. This area is very close to the border with Argentina and offers a wild and remote beauty not soon forgotten. Our base for the night is the lovely converted Casa Patronal (estancia house) of Estancia Las Chinas. Lunch not included. Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks). Driving time: 5 - 5.5 hours.

After a wholesome breakfast of home made bread and cake, we will be setting off on our ride across wide open pampas and river crossings heading towards the mountains of the Paine Massif. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy some ripe Calafate berries on our journey as this area is home to large bushes containing this sweet purple fruit similar to the blueberry. There will be lots of opportunities for long canters and the scenery gets ever more dramatic as we ride towards the famous Torres and the south western sector of the Park. Today's ride is a long one and to give us and the horses a breather, we will meet our vehicle at a small puesto situated on the shores of the beautiful Sarmiento Lake. From here we will continue in a vehicle along this stunning drive skirting the rocky shores of this turquoise lake with the fabulous peaks standing watch behind. As we drive the final section through an ancient southern beech forest, we will see the traditional red roofs of estancia Lazo come into view. Our base for 2 nights, this very comfortable converted Estancia situated beside Laguna Verde offers splendid views, great food and comfortable accommodation. The lake shore is a great place to stroll spotting the wild geese and ducks bobbing in the water. Dinner will be in the restaurant offering an excellent variety of local foods and wine. Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks). Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

After breakfast, we will saddle up for the fast pampas ride to Grey Lake. Our view will be dominated by the huge granite peaks of the massif as we ride out along the Grey River to the largest Glacier in the park, Glacier Grey. After crossing the swinging footbridge, we will take a walk down to Grey Beach for a memorable view of the Glacier and huge icebergs floating in the grey waters of this lake. For those who are interested there's an optional boat ride across this iceberg-choked lake towards the face of this spectacular Glacier (this boat is very weather reliant and costs $60 per person for the three hour boat ride). If the boat isn't running or for those clients who prefer to stay ashore, there's plenty of opportunities for hiking, taking pictures or walking the short distance to Hosteria Lago Grey to enjoy some fireside pisco sours. After this exciting day we'll rejoin our horses for a lovely long canter across the pampas to our hotel at the Serrano River. Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

Today we will be setting off on one of the longest rides of the trip initially started as an experiment but now one of our most popular rides which none of our itineraries would be complete without. The Paine Massif will unfold in front of us as we cross widely diverse scenery on our journey across the heart of the park. Mountain peaks dominate the horizon and we pass numerous lakes of startling colours with rivers tumbling through tranquil green valleys. Herds of guanacos will be seen and flocks of birds accompany us on our rides through the forests. Wild flowers and orchids are nestled amongst the trees and line the trails. Truly a fantastic and memorable ride. Finally, our trail will take us eastwards to cross the Rio de las Chinas on our route out to the land belonging to Estancia Tercera Barranca situated on the eastern perimeters of the park. On arrival we will be greeted by the local baqueanos and settle into our comfortable 'homestay' accommodation. Time to enjoy pre-dinner drinks and snacks whilst our evening meal is prepared. Dinner included (wine/beer not included). Hours in the saddle: 7 - 8.

After enjoying some fine home baked bread and cakes for breakfast we will set off on an exciting and unique adventure through the forests and hills of the Sierra Contreras to the Cascada Zamora (waterfall). We will also visit a working estancia and may even sight an elusive puma (frequently seen in these parts). The scenery in this area is amazingly wild and we will ride along winding trails crossing rivers and beech forests as, in the distance we see the sun rise over the Towers giving them their classic morning glow. A lovely day's ride. Evening asado (traditional gaucho lamb barbeque) under the stars. Dinner included (wine/beer not included). Hours in the saddle: 4-5.

To continue our exploration of local estancias and the established 'estancia culture' in this area, today we will be riding out to Estancia Las Chinas. Leaving Tercera Barranca, we will be riding through some dramatic and untamed scenery as we pass the La Cumbre and Baguales mountain ranges and some spectacular glacial valleys. This area contains a number of estancias and puestos and its not unusual for our riders to be invited in for a traditional mate session (pronounced matay) or home baked bread and sopapillas (similar to donuts). After a picnic lunch we will continue on to Valley Las Chinas where our accommodation will be in a renovated Estancia House. Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks). Hours in the saddle: 5-6.

After saddling up we will set off on our exciting ride west towards the Torres and Lago Paine. Just before Laguna Azul we head north towards Laguna Stokes where a large natural vega or pasture exists. This area attracts wild criollos from the surrounding hills to graze in the summer. There will be many excellent photo opportunities on this route as we pass through forests, pastures and the lake where Lady Florence Dixie first camped having sighted the Towers. Afternoon return to Estancia Tercera. Dinner included (excluding wine/drinks). Hours in the saddle: 5-6.

Today we will riding south to the small outpost town of Cerro Castillo situated 40km from the entrance to the park and 60km from Puerto Natales. A fantastic ride across farmland and pampas with some unique and interesting stops on the way. Rivers will be crossed and there will be plenty of opportunity for long exhilerating canters on this prairie land just made for riding! Our lunch stop will be at one of the many estancias whose land we cross on the way to our destination. Hospitality is legendary in these parts and it is rare for passing riders not to be offered some form of hospitality by the estancieros. During late afternoon we will see a small hotel surrounded by the customary layer of trees offering protection from the wind. This villa was built by settlers to Tierra del Fuego at the beginning of the century and will be our home for the night. Once home to one of the most important and influential estancieros in the region it offers comfortable accommodation and an excellent restaurant offering a variety of typical local foods and international cuisine. The fireside bar is an excellent place to enjoy a pisco sour whilst recounting the previous days adventures. Comfortable ensuite accommodation (some rooms with fireplaces). Dinner in the comfortable restaurant (meal included, except wine/drinks). Hours in the saddle: 6-7.

After a leisurely breakfast of coffee and home made cakes/bread we will transfer to Punta Arenas via Puerto Natales. We will have time in Natales to shop for souvenirs or postcards and there is a wide choice of restaurants and cafes in which to enjoy lunch. We will arrive in Punta Arenas about 5 p.m. Night Hotel Terra Sur. Dinner not included. Transfer time: 4 hours.

Taxi to airport or onward travel.