Overview & Highlights
Drive your own hire car along scenic roads with well located pre-booked hotels in separate adventures in the volcano-studded lake district and among the glaciers of Torres del Paine in southern Patagonia.
- Guided tour of Santiago
- 6 days self-drive in Chile's Lake District
- 5 days self drive in Torres del Paine National Park
This holiday grants you the opportunity to self-drive through the exquisite lake district in the heart of the Chilean Andes then fly south to explore (again in your own car) the glacier scoured mountains of Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Patagonia.
Begin your holiday in cosmopolitan Santiago situated at the foot of the snow-draped Andes. It's a lively and dynamic city full of history and innovation.
Your self-drive adventure begins when you fly to the Lake District and collect your car. Here, meadows and pasture are dotted with pine forest-fringed, sapphire lakes overlooked by imperious, snowy volcanic cones. The roads here lead you to isolated settlements and soothing hot springs. Drive from north to south, leaving the pleasant resort of Pucón and visiting the river port Valdivia before reaching Puerto Varas in the shadow of Chile's most dominant volcano, Osorno.
Fly south from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas in deepest Patagonia to pick up another car to explore the primeval landscapes of glaciers, scoured valleys and needle-sharp mountain peaks, jacketed in ancient ice. This is real wilderness country but the roads are generally good quality and you can relax to enjoy the magnificent scenery.
Outline itinerary
Day 1
Arrive in Santiago. Transfer to hotel in the capital. Afternoon tour of the historic centre.
Day 2
Fly to Temuco in the Lake District; collect car; drive to Pucón.
Day 3
Explore the Pucón area by car.
Day 4
Drive south to Valdivia.
Day 5
At leisure to explore the Valdivia region.
Day 6
Drive to Petrohué with views of the gigantic volcano Osorno.
Day 7
Drive to Puerto Varas, the southern lake district's principal town.
Day 8
Drive to Puerto Montt, drop off car; fly to Punta Arenas in southern Patagonia.
Day 9
Drive from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park.
Days 10
Explore the area around Las Torres.
Days 11-12
Drive to Lago Grey. Explore the area around the lake, glacier and River Grey.
Day 13
Drop off car at airport and fly to Santiago.
Day 14
Return to the airport for international flight home.
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

Chile / Chilean Lake District (south)
Hotel Cabana del Lago

Chile / Torres del Paine National Park
Hotel Las Torres

Chile / Torres del Paine National Park
Hotel Lago Grey

Chile / Santiago and the vineyards
Altiplanico Bellas Artes

Chile / Chilean Lake District (north)
Landhaus San Sebastian

Chile / Chilean Lake District (north)
Hotel Naguilan

Chile / Chilean Lake District (south)
Petrohue Lodge

Chile / Santiago and the vineyards
Holiday Inn Santiago Airport
What our clients say
97% of our clients rated their experience with us as Excellent or Good.
“One of my favourite moments on the trip was in Trinidad, listening to the music and dancing with the locals – with the tour leader’s guidance or walking around Havana, just taking everything in.”
KSM, Luxembourg
Tailor made holiday
Our specialists have been expertly crafting award-winning tailor-made holidays to Latin America for 40 years. We would be delighted to create a truly personalised trip which perfectly matches your wishes and requirements.

Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert
After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.
Inspired by this trip
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Your edit for Latin American inspiration
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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