Torres del Paine National Park Excursion

Has anyone taken the Seabourn excursion from Punta Arenas, in which they fly you to Puerto Natales and you visit Torres del Paine National Park? If so, I'd appreciate your considered opinion as to the value of the tour and whether you recommend it. Many thanks!

About the Excursion

This excursion starts with a 20-minute bus ride to the airport, where you'll board a plane for a 60-minute flight from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales.

Upon landing at Puerto Natales, you will travel two hours by motor coach over the pampas -- an enormous expanse of flat grassland that is home to vast numbers of sheep. Only low vegetation grows in this area due to the harsh Patagonian winds. It is a very scenic drive to the famous Torres del Paine National Park, where you will catch your first glimpse of the distinct peaks (torres) from which the area takes its name. Torres del Paine National Park was established in 1959, and is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park centers around an alpine massif of three imposing granite towers reaching more than 10,000 feet, together with several lesser horns, or cuernos, formed of black shale, and a variety of glaciers, lakes, and wild rivers.

Your drive within the park will offer incredible vistas, including Lago Sarmiento and the intensely blue Laguna Amarga. Across Nordenskjold Lake, you will have a view of the famous jagged spires whose image is synonymous with Chile -- a fabulous photo opportunity.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Head back to Puerto Natales for your flight back to Punta Arenas. A transfer will return you to the ship in the late evening.

Torres Del Paine had been on my bucket list for years. Yet when I found out the details of the Seabourn excursion before our cruise last Dec/Jan I decided it would be ridiculous to do all of that traveling for just brief glimpse of the park. So instead we arrived in Santiago many days in advance of the cruise and flew down to Punta Arenas. From there we traveled by private car to the park where we stayed for five nights the the amazing EcoCamp. We had our own dome with a view out our window looking directly at the towers. During our stay we enjoyed a wide variety of hikes and were driven all around this immense park and still only saw a small portion of it. I would have been very frustrated had we spent a long day traveling there only to turn around and return back. And BTW, irrespective of the Seabourn tour description, the drive from Puerto Natalie's is not very interesting until your pretty much arrive at the park.

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Yes - we did the Seabourn tour. It was awesome and I highly recommend it. Of course it would have been nice to have had more time as Chairsin mentions but I can make that argument for every port / destination.

One important consideration - we lucked out and had clear blue skies and amazing views everywhere. The tour also operates (and you won't get your money back) if it's cloudy/rainy with very limited views.

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This area is notorious for bad weather and poor visibility. I would not risk it. It's like Iguassu Falls, Macchu Picchu and a few other places offered as arduous day-trips - I'd always stay at a hotel on site and give the weather a chance to give you a decent day.

Torres Del Paine had been on my bucket list for years. Yet when I found out the details of the Seabourn excursion before our cruise last Dec/Jan I decided it would be ridiculous to do all of that traveling for just brief glimpse of the park...I would have been very frustrated had we spent a long day traveling there only to turn around and return back. And BTW, irrespective of the Seabourn tour description, the drive from Puerto Natalie's is not very interesting until your pretty much arrive at the park.

Many thanks for your insights. Looks like you had a wonderful journey. Wish we had the time to do what you did, but unfortunately, Ms. Notjaded still toils in the salt mines when she is not vacationing.

Yes - we did the Seabourn tour. It was awesome and I highly recommend it.

Thank you for your recommendation.

Can you describe what kind of plane is used for this adventure, and how many people you had on your excursion? Also, once you got to the TdPNP, what was the itinerary?

Thanks again!

Thank you for your recommendation.

 

 

 

Can you describe what kind of plane is used for this adventure, and how many people you had on your excursion? Also, once you got to the TdPNP, what was the itinerary?

 

 

 

Thanks again!

It's a very small propellor plane. From memory we were 10 or 12 with a guide. I sat right behind the pilot (open cockpit) and took some awesome photos of the scenery through the cockpit windows, as well as of our approach and landing in the National Park. On the way back the pilot deliberately flew over Punta Arenas and the ship.

In the National Park, it's just a tiny landing strip (no facilities) and there were no other airplanes. The itinerary in the park is basically a long scenic drive in a comfortable bus with about 8 stops at scenic viewing / photo points. They also stop at the official entrance to the park for souvenir shopping and at a hotel for a (very good!) lunch. The views of the peaks and the lake from the hotel's grounds were amazing.

If you book this tour, you're gambling on good weather. If it's cloudy and rainy, you won't see the 'Torres'. We lucked out end 2016, and friends that went end 2015 were equally lucky - it's the best time of the year.

Floris

I would typically prefer to go to a place like this by land and spend a few days. However we did do this day trip on Seabourn as part of our Antarctica cruise and had a lovely day. We were lucky with good weather. It was beautiful. I thought worthwhile - especially considering it was Christmas Day and most of Punta Arenas was closed up. And having been to Punta Arenas before, not much to do. We had been to Chile several times by land and never made it to Torres Del Oaine so we thought very worthwhile. Btw, we signed up about 3 months in advance and were waitlisted. They only take a small group. Luckily we cleared the list before we even left. If you don't think you will go again and can't take the extra time to soend a few days I'd say go for it - but that is my opinion and there is the risk of bad weather!

Thanks, Floris and kej1. I appreciate the detailed comments. Do either of you the type of plane used, the number of pilots on board, or the name of the aviation company? Did you feel that the operation was safe?

Thanks again!

Thanks, Floris and kej1. I appreciate the detailed comments. Do either of you the type of plane used, the number of pilots on board, or the name of the aviation company? Did you feel that the operation was safe?

 

Thanks !

I don't know the type of plane, but there were 2 pilots and I never felt unsafe. I'm a very relaxed flier though! There were about 15 to 18 seats. Be prepared for some turbulence - which is normal when flying in a small plane along a mountain range.

I don't know the type of plane, but there were 2 pilots and I never felt unsafe. I'm a very relaxed flier though! There were about 15 to 18 seats. Be prepared for some turbulence - which is normal when flying in a small plane along a mountain range.

Thanks. Good to hear about the two pilots,and your sense of safety. I called SB, and they said that depending on demand, they either use a Twin Otter 19 seater, or a Cessna 9 seater.

For those who have an interest in things like this, the TwinOtter has long been a workhorse in flying in rugged conditions. https://www.vikingair.com/viking-aircraft/dhc-6-twin-otter

The Cessna to which they referred is probably the 208 Caravan or some earlier variant.

We never felt unsaf either. Did nit note the kind of aircraft, but was a prop plane. Only limited number of guests - maybe 15?

We are not going on that excursion. Looking for others who want to go to Volunteer Point in Port Stanley on a private tour for much less money. Have heard it is exactly the same.

Bubbytravels

I think you are in the wrong forum. There is another one devoted to volunteer point.

We never felt unsaf either. Did nit note the kind of aircraft, but was a prop plane. Only limited number of guests - maybe 15?

Many thanks!

We are not going on that excursion. Looking for others who want to go to Volunteer Point in Port Stanley on a private tour for much less money. Have heard it is exactly the same.

 

Bubbytravels

Torres Del Paine and Port Stanley couldn't be more different. You're comparing two totally different destinations.