This trip is designed to combine two of Chile's most spectacular regions.

Torres del Paine delivers the most epic and cinematic scenery you may ever see. The park is home to all of Patagonia's different ecosystems; immense glaciers spill into icy lakes, dry pampa grasslands stretch to the horizon, granite massif rises sharply out of the ground. This a place of Hollywood good looks and megastar mountains - the full stop on the end of the Andes.

Driving Chile's Carretera Austral is a journey for those of us who like our travels to ignite our explorer's spirit. The landscapes are spectacular, but what makes this part of Chilean Patagonia so appealing is the connection you have to local cultures, flavours and communities. You can meet gauchos, find your way blocked by an ox-cart and stop for lunch in small villages where life has changed very little. Our hosts and guides add an extra layer of hospitality and local colour, deepening your connection to the region.

So if you want to see the 'real' Patagonia, balancing scenery, wildlife and ways of life, this is the trip for you. We've been tailoring trips along this road for nearly 25 years and it's just as special now as it was way back when we started. It's a wonderful journey.

As a tailormade trip we can adjust things to suit you prior to your departure. There is also much of this trip where it is up to you to set the pace. There is plenty of opportunity to get out walking on this vacation but equally, if all you wanted to do is sit and stare at the landscapes, it would remain a great trip.

At various stages in the journey, you have private guides who adjust activities to suit you. Down in Torres del Paine, you choose the activities that you want to do. Whilst you generally want to get out walking to make the most of your time, you can also mix this with vehicle-based discovery or more cultural activities around the estancia. Note that some of the walking in the national park can be quite demanding due to the more mountainous nature of much of the terrain.

This vacation is comfortable throughout. For specific hotels we use on this trip, please ask us for full details.

The hotels and lodges in this part of Patagonia have reached a great moment whereby we have a wonderful selection of very high-quality small hotels for you to stay in. These are not luxury properties but rather very clean and comfortable owner-run places where the welcome is as warm as you’ll find anywhere in the world.

You should expect 3-4* standard, but given how remote all of these places are, that generally feels very comfortable indeed.

On the Carretera Austral, you have a rental vehicle (see below for more). In Torres del Paine, you travel on shared transfers run by the estancia lodge. You also have all internal flights and airport transfers included.

All in all, driving is a very safe, easy and enjoyable way to travel in Patagonia. It gives you wonderful freedom to explore and deepens the spirit of discovery that makes this trip so special.

You stay two or three nights in each of your destinations before moving on. Most distances are between 120-200km so you would generally expect to be driving for three to four hours every second or third day. You have plenty of time and daylight to complete your journey and our Vacation Guide makes suggestions for stops along the way, places you can head off for short walks or stop to appreciate particularly fine views. It is rare that a day would be dedicated to driving, the norm would be that you set off in the morning and have the afternoon free to walk and explore.

The road is paved only in certain sections. On unpaved sections the average speed is around 50km and traffic is often very light. We provide a substantial to give you good clearance.

It is effectively impossible to get lost on the Carretera Austral, it is essentially one road going north-south. The simplest way to navigate is to download Google Maps or Waze onto your phone and use that as a GPS - it's very accurate and easy in our experience.

We provide a complete driving guide to ensure you are fully prepared for your travels.

Any time between October and April is the time to catch Patagonia as it moves from late spring through summer and into f.

Santiago should be warm and sunny whereas in Patagonia, the weather will be whatever it will be.

On paper, the weather here will be better in January than in October or April. In practice, the best weather we've ever had was in early October and very late April so don't sweat the weather in Patagonia, bring the right clothing and embrace it.

For the bulk of your time, you are to the east of the Andes - the only place in Chile where this is possible, a country defined by being the land to the west of the Andes. Because the dominant weather comes in from the Pacific Ocean, being in what is effectively the shadow of the mountains means that this area, more than any other part of Patagonia, tends to have more stable weather.

Saying that, this trip encompasses a variety of different ecosystems. You will likely experience everything from rain to snow, wind to hot sunshine during this trip.

Not in Patagonia, no, you are at or around sea level.

Absolutely. We can tailor your vacation in any number of ways, and will often have to play with the running order to find space for you, or to avoid your overlapping too much with other clients.

There is more Carretera to explore to the north, or there is more of Patagonia to explore to the south - along the Argentine side of the frontier or into Torres del Paine which sits beyond the icefields to the south.