Driving Chile's Carretera Austral is a journey for those of us who like our travels to ignite our explorer's spirit. You travel through scenery of epic scale and diversity, from mega volcanoes and snow-capped mountains to vast shimmering lakes, temperate rainforest to oceanic glaciers. The landscapes are spectacular, but what makes this part of Chilean Patagonia more appealing than the famous Torres del Paine National Park down south 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.

The activity which you most likely have the most questions about is the rafting in Futaleufú, for which we have put together its own Q&A:

Can anyone do the rafting?
Technically there is an age limit of 65 for the excursions. What that means in practice is that if you are above this age, you need to be in good health generally and be active enough to enjoy the experience. If you have any specific concerns, please relay these to us and we can discuss with our partners beforehand.

Is the rafting suitable for me if I have no experience?
As long as you have a good level of fitness, then absolutely yes. To be honest, once you've been through one rapid, you very quickly get the idea - when the guide shouts "forward!", you paddle as fast as you can and the guide is there to steer you through it. All you need to do is listen and react accordingly.

How demanding is the rafting?
The day is intense and gets tiring at times, but there are stretches of calm water where you can rest and enjoy the glorious views. It is physical, but then so are some of the bigger walks you might wish to do here - so it's all part of the adventure. One thing to keep in mind is that you're in a boat with four other rafters, plus the guide. It's the guide's responsibility to balance out the participants according to age, size, experience etc. So as long as you do your best and keep your ears open, you'll be fine.

What safety equipment do I get?
Each rafter has a helmet, full wet suit, life jacket and rubber boots. There is a safety kayaker and a safety catamaran to each raft, meaning if you do fall/jump in, there's plenty of people on hand to haul you back in.

Will I fall in the water?
It's unlikely, but if you do fall, you simply swim calmly back to your boat or the nearest kayak/catamaran, or they will come to you. It's not really as big a deal as you might think. The water is also very clean, so drinking it is perfectly safe, even encouraged. In fact, you will very likely be asked to jump into the calmest water at the start to practice getting back in. In truth that's a positive thing as you quickly then lose any fear of falling in then - once you're wet, you're wet.

Which section will I raft?
The stretch most people raft is the 'Puente-a-Puente', the classic 'Bridge-to-Bridge'. This is a 7-mile run of class III-IV+ rapids, a mix of gentle rapids and some bigger runs to get your pulse racing.

Are there gentler/livelier options?
If you want more action, subject to availability we could offer the 'full' run, which adds the biggest class V rapids over an additional 2-mile stretch. Again, there is no need to have prior experience, you just need to be game for an adventure.

For something more gentle, the Espolón River offers a mix of class II-III rapids. In truth, it is more of a nature float than rapids, but is a fun way to experience the waterways of Futaleufú and the beautiful forest along its shores.

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.

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 vehicle 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 fall.

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. The steppe around Coyhaique, the highest part of your trip, is under 1,000m above sea level.

The colours! You will have days which are cloudy and rainy but that can make the waters of Lago Carrera, or the Baker River, seem even more of a crazy shade of turquoise. The ice at Jorge Montt glows. In autumn, the southern beech trees turn yellow, red and orange in great stripes across the flanks of the mountains. In spring, the flowers are everywhere.

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 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.