Day 1: Arrival in Santiago

You travel individually to Santiago. Then check-in at the airport hotel and cosy arrival in Patagonia.

Day 2: Journey to the pumas

After breakfast, you will check out and fly from Santiago to Punta Arenas. From Punta Arenas airport, you will drive to our next destination at Torre del Paine National Park, where you will go puma tracking. You arrive in the afternoon and check into your hotel.

You will then get to know your puma tracker. There will be an introduction to puma tracking behaviour and helpful tips for wildlife photography. Afterwards, it is time for the first photo session with the pumas.

Day 3 – 6: Puma Tracking in Torres del Paine

We spend the next four days looking for, observing and photographing pumas. The remote Torres del Paine National Park is home to many endemic animal species. In addition to the pumas, you also have a good chance of seeing guanacos and, with a bit of luck, foxes. The region is considered one of the best places to observe pumas in the wild. The density of pumas is particularly high here, not least due to the high and healthy population of guanacos.

Our trackers take us to the right spots in the morning and late afternoon. Smaller hikes of up to approx. 2 – 5 kilometers may be necessary. We return to the accommodation at midday for lunch and a siesta. After numerous great photo experiences with the pumas, you will return to the hotel in the evening.

Day 7: Return to Punta Arenas

After breakfast, check out of the hotel. You will then be transferred to Punta Arenas where you arrive in the afternoon.

After check-in at the hotel, you will have free time to discover Punta Arenas and take photos, view and save your photos. Individual photo reviews or tutorials are available on request.

Day 8: Flight to the Falkland Islands and to Sea Lion Island

After breakfast, you will drive to the airport and start your expedition to the Falkland Islands. A flight takes you from Punta Arenas to the archipelago in the South Atlantic.

After arriving on the Falkland Islands, your journey continues with a domestic flight to Sea Lion Island. After checking into your hotel, you will take a tour of the island and discover its highlights.

Day 9: Photography on Sea Lion Island

This island is one of the most remote and beautiful islands in the Falkland Islands. The breathtaking landscape and abundant wildlife make Sea Lion Island an impressive paradise for nature and wildlife photographers. Here you have the opportunity to take unique pictures of penguins, seals, birds and other animals in their natural environment.

Day 10: Onward journey to Saunders Island

After breakfast and check-out, you will fly to Saunders Island. After arriving on Saunders Island, you will drive to your special accommodation. The simple self-catering cabin is an hour away from the nearest settlement and is completely isolated in the middle of the magnificent natural landscape.

Day 11-12: Photography on Saunders Island

Saunders Island is a unique opportunity to experience the unspoilt nature of the Falkland Islands and to observe a variety of fascinating animal species in their natural environment. Saunders Island Nature Reserve is particularly famous for its colonies of penguins, albatrosses and seabirds. The secluded cabin offers a perfect location to photograph the fascinating wildlife undisturbed. With a bit of luck, you can photograph Black-browed Albatross, Gentoo, Rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, King and Rock cormorants and black-necked swans.

Day 13: Onward journey to Stanley

After breakfast, you will check out of the cabin. A transfer will take you back to the runway for the flight back to Stanley. On arrival, you will drive to your accommodation in Stanley.

Day 14: Volunteer Point

Very early in the morning you drive to Volunteer Point. You will have breakfast and lunch as a packed meal.

At Volunteer Point, you will photograph the largest colony of King penguins in the Falkland Islands. Volunteer Point is a unique opportunity to experience one of the most impressive wildlife sightings in the world and capture it with your camera.

Afterwards, transfer back to the hotel. You round off this eventful day with a final dinner together.

Day 15: End of the photo tour

After breakfast and check-out, you will travel to the airport for the flight back from the Falkland Islands to Punta Arenas. The photo tour ends at Punta Arenas airport and you start your journey home or continue your journey individually.

Information for the second trip from 23. January until 06 February 2026:
This trip takes place in reverse order, starting and ending in Punta Arenas.

Expedition

This photo tour is an expedition, especially on the Falkland Islands. It is only suitable for adventurous nature lovers and ambitious nature photographers. The aim of this photo tour is wildlife photography. This can involve long waiting times and a lot of patience.

Daily program

The days on this photo tour are long at this time of year. Sunrise is at approx. 05:45 (Patagonia) or approx. 05:00 (Falkland Islands), sunset at approx. 22:00 (Patagonia) or approx. 21:15 (Falkland Islands). You will be out and about in the early morning and from the late afternoon onwards. In between, you will have free time to rest, look through your photos or be individually active. We will determine the exact daily program flexibly on site in order to respond to the current weather conditions.

Simple accommodation

You are aware that the accommodation on this photo tour is often located far away from civilization. Some of the accommodation on the Falkland Islands is very basic. In one place there are only shared rooms available and otherwise only a few single rooms due to limited availability. The bathrooms also have to be shared with other guests in some accommodation. A certain degree of flexibility regarding accommodation is therefore a prerequisite for this photo tour.

Change of program

The weather in Patagonia and the Falkland Islands can be very changeable. In order to get the best out of the photo tour, the exact program is constantly amended during the trip. In the event of bad weather conditions, it is possible that individual items on the program will be changed. Flexibility is a prerequisite for this trip.

In rare cases, due to weather conditions, flights within the Falkland Islands and between the Falkland Islands and Punta Arenas may not take place as planned. We therefore recommend booking the arrival and departure for the photo tour with a rebookable ticket or a day in reserve.

Climate

Patagonia is located in the southern hemisphere of the earth and therefore has seasons that are the opposite of those in Central Europe. January is the warmest month of the year and the average temperature is 11 degrees. It can get very cold, especially during the off-peak hours and at night. Strong winds can also be expected on a regular basis. The weather in Patagonia is known for its unpredictability and often changes very quickly.

The Falkland Islands have changeable and often cold and rainy weather all year round. Even in the southern midsummer between December and March, the average temperature is 9 degrees. December and January are the best months for wildlife photography, but they are also the wettest months.

Clothing

This photo trip is outdoor orientated and we will spend a lot of time outdoors in nature. We will also be out and about, especially at sunrise and sunset. You should be prepared for cold in the off-peak hours and occasionally rain and/or wind. It is therefore important that you dress warmly enough and feel comfortable outdoors even in windy weather.

Fitness level

You enjoy being out in nature and walking over uneven terrain with your photographic equipment. You will photograph intensively and will be out and about at times with the best light conditions.

You have a good basic level of fitness to be able to take part in hikes and carry your photographic equipment. We follow the animals over uneven and hilly terrain.

Health

No vaccinations are mandatory for Chile and the Falkland Islands. Please note that a yellow fever vaccination may be mandatory when travelling from other Latin American countries. Further information can be found at: www.healthytravel.ch.

You must take important medication with you from Switzerland, as there is no guarantee that the desired medication will be available in Chile and the Falkland Islands. All important medication should be carried in your hand luggage.

Half double room

Single travellers can book half of a double room. If there is no other guest who wants to share the room, the single room surcharge will apply.

Insurance

We strongly advise you to purchase insurance for cancellation and return journey costs, which will be needed in the event of a secluded region being evacuated, a local hospital stay or return travel costs to your home country. Visits to doctors and stays in hospital can be very expensive.

Travel information FDFA

The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) regularly publishes information on countries where there are potential security or other risks. The FDFA’s travel advice is based on its own sources of information that are considered to be trustworthy. This travel advice can be found on the FDFA website: www.eda.admin.ch

The Terms and Conditions

TCs of Amazing Views Adventure Tours apply, as well as all other conditions which are listed in the descriptions for the respective trips.

Prices

Prices are subject to change (in particular due to exchange rate fluctuations).