Divided between Chile and Argentina, one step away from the end of the land, and two from the peninsula of Antarctica, Patagonia is a primeval land, which evokes a literary image of courageous expeditions, majestic landscapes and unspoiled nature.
Exploring Patagonia means immersing yourself in a rugged, untamed, yet majestic landscape where solitude becomes an experience! Endless expanses, turquoise lagoons, spectacular mountain peaks, and gigantic glacier panoramas describe the wild beauty of this region.
Our journey begins in Chile – at the border of Tierra del Fuego – and takes us through the Patagonian desert along Ruta-40 to El Chaltén in Argentina.
Join us in conquering the legendary Argentinean National Park Los Glaciares, photograph the surreal ice formations of the mighty Perito Moreno Glacier, the famous Fitz Roy Massif, or let yourself be amazed by the majestic peaks in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.
Our internationally renowned landscape photographer & coach – Marco Bottigelli – will guid
Your individual journey to Patagonia typically includes two layovers: in Madrid and Santiago de Chile. If you wish, there’s an opportunity to meet up with the group at both airports and continue the journey together.
Upon arrival in Chile, specifically in Punta Arenas – the southernmost city in the world and the furthest point south of our trip – we head to our nearby hotel. Here, you’ll have ample time to settle in and recover from the long journey. In the evening, we’ll get to know each other better over a communal dinner in this vibrant southern Chilean city, setting the tone for the days ahead.
Our journey heads north the following morning, with our eagerly anticipated destination being the Torres del Paine National Park. This park is not only one of the most famous among Chile’s 36 national parks, but it also boasts one of South America’s most spectacular mountain groups: the Cordillera del Paine. Its three needle-like granite peaks, reaching up to 3,000 meters high, form the unmistakable and simultaneously overwhelming landmark of the region. The breathtaking mountain landscape is not the only charm of the park. Gigantic glaciers, tranquil fjords, crystal-clear lakes, enchanted swamps, fairy-tale-like cypress forests – the southernmost in the world – and fresh grasslands with colorful orchids will leave you in awe. And that’s not all: the vast national park is home to shy pumas, lively nandus, majestic Andean condors, and the pretty guanacos. You’ll notice: the diversity of this landscape is almost limitless, particularly due to its unique location between the Magellanic subpolar forest and the Patagonian steppe.
As our anticipation grows immeasurably, we take a short break in Puerto Natales – the last town before entering the national park – after about a three-hour drive. We enjoy a leisurely lunch there, calmly refuel for the upcoming tour, and make the final preparations for the next few days. Then we immerse ourselves in the impressive world of the Torres del Paine National Park. We reach our cozy hotel, which offers an unforgettable view of the surrounding mountain landscape, in the afternoon. From a viewpoint near the hotel, we get our first fantastic view of the sharp granite towers of the Paine Massif and look forward to photographing this mountain landscape from various locations and at different times of the day in the coming days. We enjoy a delicious Chilean dinner at the hotel and recover from today’s journey.
Over the next three days, we will explore the spectacular landscape of the Torres del Paine National Park together. Mighty granite rocks, bubbling waterfalls, and turquoise lakes create a mesmerizing scenario that fulfills every photographer’s dream. Our days start with a delicious breakfast. Early in the morning, we leave the hotel together to capture the nearby landscape in the most beautiful light at sunrise. We will spend the subsequent mornings in the Torres del Paine National Park exploring and enjoying Lake Pehoe and its surroundings. The lake is known for its radiant, turquoise glacier water. Many travelers report never having seen such an intense water color before. Imagine green peninsulas in the lake and the gigantic mountain rocks of the Paine Massif with its vertical granite needles, icy peaks, and steeply layered rock blocks as a background motif: an almost endless abundance of photo motifs! The spots carefully selected by our photographer promise changing perspectives and exciting views of this fascinating panorama. Afterwards, we return to the hotel for a break and lunch.
In the afternoon, we continue to explore the national park, refreshed and strengthened, until sunset. We also head to more distant destinations. For example, the gigantic Lake Grey with its rugged ice sculptures in the water awaits us. The lake is located at the foot of the massive glacier of the same name, the Grey Glacier, whose white-blue end of the glacier tongue can be easily recognized and photographed from a distance. Smaller ice blocks repeatedly split off from the gigantic ice mass: wonderful photo motifs that gradually glide onto the water surface and present themselves to us. We admire the roaring Salto Grande waterfall, which powerfully thrusts its blue shimmering masses of water into the Rio Paine, making it – along with playful rapids in the river – an attractive photo motif for us. On our tours, we also come across enchanted, beautifully blue-green sparkling lagoons, which we will dedicate ourselves to photographically in peace. Especially in calm weather, we can capture impressive reflections of the mountains in the water. Of course, during our tours through the park, we always keep an eye out for animal companions such as guanaco herds, which we are very likely to see. And perhaps our photographic luck is even so great that we can spot a puma in its natural habitat and capture it with our cameras. In the evening, we strengthen ourselves with a communal meal at the hotel and then discuss both your photo results from the Torres del Paine National Park and upcoming questions about photography in Patagonia.
Today we drive to the northernmost point of our joint photo tour: to El Chaltén, an idyllic Argentinian mountain village with a tranquil hippie character in Los Glacieres National Park. The small town gained worldwide fame in 2012, when the Austrian mountaineer David Lama managed to free climb the almost vertical granite face of Cerro Torre for the first time. We don’t want to go that high, but El Chaltén’s exposed location – in the middle of one of the most impressive mountain massifs in Patagonia – also makes it an ideal starting point for us to explore the region with our cameras. To get there, We cross the border into Argentina and travel about 400 kilometers through the Patagonian desert via the well-known Ruta-40 – the South American Route 66. During the panoramic drive, you can look forward to endless expanses of steppe, alternating plateaus and small river valleys and gorges. There is enough time to stop and unpack the camera, for example to photograph passing guanacos for eternity. Once the unmistakable peaks of Mount Fitz Roy, some 12,000 feet high, and the three spiers of Cerro Torres, 10,000 feet high, appear on the horizon, we know our destination is not far off. The two high The steep, smooth granite mountains of the Argentinian-Chilean Andes are only about four kilometers apart as the crow flies, giving a unique overall picture. After arriving at our hotel in El Chaltén, we recover from the long drive and enjoy a delicious dinner together.
Over the next three days, we’ll seek the best photographic angles for the distinctive granite towers of Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre, which stretch high into the Patagonian sky. We’ll capture iconic scenes, such as the straight road leading to El Chaltén with the breathtaking mountain panorama in the background. To reach the most spectacular viewpoints at the foot of the mountain panorama, we’ll undertake varied hikes to both Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. We’ll set off in the dark to capture the beautiful morning light, covering approximately 20 kilometers each time. With only about 300 meters of elevation to overcome, these hikes are manageable with moderate fitness.
Our hike at the foot of the Fitz Roy Massif takes us along the untamed Las Vueltas mountain river, pausing frequently to capture the imposing panorama. We’ll admire the 20-meter-high Chorillo del Salto waterfall, capturing its unique beauty with flowing long exposures. We’ll also visit a hidden waterfall, a real insider tip from our photographer!
We’ll pass the sparkling Laguna Capri, offering crystal clear water and a beautiful natural panorama with a view of the mountains. We’ll focus particularly on the 3,000-meter-high Aguja Poincenot mountain, part of the massif, named in memory of the famous French mountaineer Jacques Poincenot.
The hike to the foot of Cerro Torre offers many unique natural spectacles. We’ll traverse enchanting valleys and mystical forests, leading to the highlight of this tour: the glittering glacier lake Laguna Torre. Nestled in untouched nature, with the glacier tongue of Torres and the gigantic high mountain Cerro Solo, the turquoise lagoon appears like a precious jewel, gently cradling small and large ice sculptures.
In the evenings, we’ll share the many impressions we’ve gathered during the day over dinner in the cozy and relaxed atmosphere of the hotel.
After bidding farewell to El Chaltén and casting a final glance at the peaks of the mountain massif, we head south on Ruta-40 to the town of El Calafate. Located close to the Patagonian ice field, it’s the perfect base for exploring the icy Perito Moreno Glacier. This fascinating ice giant impresses with its unusual appearance: its five-kilometer-long front rises up to 60 meters out of the water. With a total area of about 250 square kilometers, it surpasses the size of Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, making it the largest inland glacier beyond the poles and a truly extraordinary spectacle. Witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of house-sized glacier chunks crashing into the water, creating massive waves. This spectacle occurs frequently, as the glacier front of the Perito Moreno Glacier sheds smaller and larger ice blocks several times an hour. Interestingly, despite global warming, this glacier is one of the few worldwide that continues to grow, thanks in part to the climatic conditions prevailing in the national park.
After a comfortable night in our hotel and a delicious dinner, we look forward to an impressive day ahead. The next morning, after breakfast, we start our tour to Patagonia’s most prominent glacier. From a distance, you’ll hardly believe your eyes at the sight of the towering, blue shimmering ice mass. Feel the raw power of nature as you stand on one of the many viewing platforms in front of the imposing ice wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier. Enhance this experience by joining us on a breathtaking guided glacier hike and subsequently approaching the massive glacier tongue even closer by boat. This tour guarantees the best perspectives on this almost surreal natural spectacle. With countless impressions and full memory cards, we return to the hotel in the evening, share our experiences, and enjoy a delicious communal dinner.
After many eventful days in one of the most original and wildest landscapes on earth, we are now returning to Punta Arenas. During the approximately seven-hour drive, we cross the Chilean border again and drive along the coast on the Strait of Magellan. There will be time for some last shots of the desolated landscapes which exhaustively accompany the feeling of being at the end of the World.
After an unforgettable photo trip through Patagonia, it is unfortunately time to say goodbye to this beautiful region of South America. Together we make our way to the airport to start our journey home.
Note: We reserve the right to adjust the exact daily program on site at short notice, if necessary, in order to be able to respond to the respective weather and lighting conditions. With sunrise around 8:30 am, sunset around 8:15 pm and many kilometers of driving, it will be a busy schedule. In order to make the journey less stressful, we will ensure that you can take sufficient breaks.
To book this tour send an email to mail@marcobottigelli.com or fill the form below
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Photo tours are an ideal way to enhance your photography skills and capture stunning photographs in breathtaking locations. As an experienced tour leader with profound knowledge of the destinations we visit, we can provide you with the expertise you need to take your photography to the next level.
Our photo tours are designed to offer unique opportunities for photographers of all skill levels to take breathtaking shots in picturesque locations. By joining our tours, you’ll have access to top-quality photography gear, as well as expert guidance and invaluable tips and techniques from experienced photographers.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, our photo tours are an excellent way to explore new locations, meet like-minded individuals, and create lasting memories.
Our photo tours take you to some of the most spectacular locations in the world, carefully selected by our experienced photographers who are location specialists. Our tours include destinations such as Patagonia, Namibia, Japan, Iceland, Madeira, Ireland, Italy, Norway, and many others.
Each of these destinations has been chosen for its stunning and unique landscape, perfect for capturing breathtaking photos. Our experienced photographers have profound knowledge of these locations, and will guide you through the best photography spots, provide tips and techniques, and help you capture unforgettable memories.
Yes, beginners are welcome on our photo tours! Our tours are designed to cater to photographers of all skill levels, and we provide expert guidance and tips to help beginners improve their skills and capture stunning photographs.
Our experienced photographers will be with you every step of the way, providing guidance on camera settings, composition, and other techniques to help you capture amazing shots. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, our photo tours offer a unique opportunity to learn from the best and capture stunning photographs.
Join us on one of our tours and let us help you take your photography skills to the next level, regardless of your skill leve
We recommend using a DSLR or mirrorless camera for our photo tours, as they offer greater flexibility and control for capturing stunning photographs. While the specific equipment required can vary depending on the destination, we generally recommend bringing a range of lenses from wide-angle to telephoto to capture a variety of perspectives.
In addition to your camera and lenses, we also recommend bringing filters to enhance your shots, such as polarizers or neutral density filters, as well as a sturdy tripod to ensure stability and sharpness in your shots. Our experienced photographers can provide guidance on equipment and settings, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have.
Ultimately, the equipment you bring will depend on your personal preferences and the specific destination. We recommend checking our website or contacting us for more information on the equipment needed for each tour.
Our photo tours are designed to provide a personalized and exclusive experience, so we limit the group size to a maximum of seven participants. This ensures that our experienced photographers can provide individual attention and guidance to each participant, helping them to capture the best possible shots and improve their photography skills.
With a smaller group size, we can also explore more off-the-beaten-path locations and provide a more intimate and immersive experience. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, our small group sizes ensure that you get the most out of your photography tour.
Join us on one of our photo tours and discover the benefits of exclusive, small group travel. With our experienced photographers as your guide, you’ll capture stunning photographs and create unforgettable memories.
When preparing for a photo tour, it’s important to bring the right gear and accessories to help you capture the best possible shots. Beyond your camera and lenses, we recommend bringing comfortable clothing and sturdy footwear suitable for outdoor activities and adventure travel.
We also suggest bringing a sense of adventure and a willingness to chase the best possible conditions for photography. Our tours are designed to take you to the most picturesque locations, often in remote or hard-to-reach areas, so a spirit of adventure and flexibility is key.
In addition, we recommend bringing any accessories that may be useful for your specific destination, such as a rain cover for your camera or hiking poles for challenging terrain. Our experienced photographers can provide additional guidance on what to bring for each tour, so don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have.
Our photo tours are designed to provide a comprehensive and immersive experience of each destination, while also allowing ample time for photography and exploration. The duration of each tour varies depending on the destination, but our tours typically range from 8 to 13 days, providing ample time to explore and capture stunning photographs.
Our experienced photographers will guide you through each location, providing expert advice on composition, lighting, and technique to help you capture the best possible shots. We also provide opportunities for image reviews and feedback sessions to help you improve your skills and techniques.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, our tours provide a unique and rewarding experience that combines photography, adventure, and cultural immersion.
Yes, we offer private photo tours for individuals or small groups who are looking for a more personalized and exclusive experience. Our private tours provide a flexible itinerary that can be customized to your specific interests and needs, allowing you to explore your preferred destinations at your own pace.
Our experienced photographers will work closely with you to create a tailored itinerary that matches your photography goals and preferences, providing expert guidance and support throughout the tour. You’ll have exclusive access to our photographers’ knowledge and expertise, ensuring that you capture stunning photographs and create lasting memories.
Our private tours are available for individuals or groups of up to 7 people, and can be scheduled at your convenience. Join us on a private photo tour and discover the beauty of the world’s most spectacular destinations in a personalized and exclusive way.
Our photo tours are unique in that we not only provide an immersive experience in some of the world’s most stunning destinations, but we also prioritize teaching our participants how to improve their photography skills.
What sets our tours apart is our focus on small group sizes, with a maximum of 7 participants per tour. This allows us to provide a more personalized and exclusive experience, ensuring that each participant receives ample guidance and attention from our experienced photographers.
Our photo tours are designed to help participants improve their photography skills in a supportive and immersive environment, allowing them to grow as photographers and capture unforgettable images. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced photographer, we welcome you to join us on one of our photo tours and discover the beauty of the world’s most spectacular destinations while enhancing your photography skills.
Booking a photo tour with us is easy! Simply fill out the contact form on our website to get in touch with Marco. Alternatively, you can follow the link provided on the tour page to reach out to the agency handling the ground services for the tour you’re interested in.
Our team will be happy to provide you with additional information on tour availability, itinerary details, pricing, and any other questions you may have. Once you’ve decided on a tour and are ready to book, we’ll guide you through the booking process and ensure that you have all the information you need to prepare for your adventure.
Join us on a photo tour and capture breathtaking images of some of the world’s most spectacular destinations while learning new photography skills and making unforgettable memories. Contact us today to book your next adventure!
We partner with trusted tour agencies that specialize in each of our destinations to handle the logistics of our photo tours. These agencies are carefully selected for their expertise and experience in providing high-quality travel services, including transportation, accommodations, and activities.
Our team of experienced photographers lead the tours and provide photography guidance and instruction throughout the tour. We work closely with our tour agency partners to create a flexible itinerary that allows for plenty of time for photography while also experiencing the culture and natural beauty of each destination.
Our tour agency partners also provide important services such as travel insurance and emergency assistance, so you can rest assured that you are well taken care of during your trip. If you have any additional questions about how our tours are organized, please don’t hesitate to contact us.