The Salar de Uyuni is the most popular tourist destination in Bolivia. Beside the world’s largest salt flat you are able to discover rock formations, lagoons, volcanos and flamingos in this diverse region in the south west of Bolivia. With this selection of my 23 best photos from Salar de Uyuni you get an idea why this destination should be on your bucket list!

If you want to discover the area around Uyuni you have several options. If you are short on time you can do the Salt Flat only in just one day, but the most popular & from my point of view also the best option is the 3 or 4 day tour.

The Salt Flat itself is impressive and will fill easily a whole day discovering it: you start with visiting the train graveyard – those wrecked old steam lokomotives where used to transport minerals and are a nice playground nowadays. Next you’ll visit some shops – use the time to stock up with items you can use later to make funny pictures (hats, toys, dinosaurs…). After that you finally head to the beginning of the Salt Flat – get your sunscreen, sunglasses and camera ready!

The Pictures

The start of the Salt flat isn’t that white…

After a few more minutes of driving it get’s magical

With the white surrounding, flags look even more colorful

White, Blue and some tourists enjoying the scenery

Isla del Pescado – an island full of cactuses

It’s kind of weird to see so much cactuses in the middle of nowhere

One of the most popular activities is making funny pictures

…because of the endless white you are able to play with the persepective

…or you just jump around

Jeeps are the only possibility to travel up here

After leaving the salt flat you come to see colorful mountains

…and rock formations

You eat lollipops with your travelmates

…and say HI to flamingos

You discover more weird formations

…and creatures that look like out of a movie

The stone tree is one of the most photographed attractions on this tour

…as well as the Laguna Colorada

The red laguna colorada is one of many lagoons you come to see in Uyuni

Jumping around again – at the Solar de Manaña geyser basin (4850m)

One of the gaysers at Solar de Manaña geyser basin (4850m)

Termas de Polques hot springs (4400m) – the last stop was meant to be used for relaxation

Our group was simply amazing – Portugal, Austria, Germany and our friendly driver/tourguide/cook from Bolivia

About the Tour

On the multi day version of the tour you’ll have 2/3 overnight stays in basic, but surprisingly good hostels where you come together to enjoy dinner and breakfast – sometimes there is also a small shop attached to buy some chocolate and beer. It is recommended to bring a sleeping bag as the temperatures drop in the night due to the high altitude (up to 4.800m!).
You can do the whole tour either from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile or from Uyuni in Bolivia – there are overnight buses to/from La Paz. The difference: the tour from San Pedro is likely to be around 50-60% more expensive. You can use both tours to cross the border and get to Chile/Bolivia to keep on traveling afterwards which I recommend because you would use otherwise half of the last day just to travel back to your origin.

Speaking about costs and tour operators: I decided to go with a company called “Expediciones Alkaya” and can highly recommend going with them – with food, lodging & rent for a sleeping bag I paid only 105€ for 3 days! Moreover our driver Max seemed to be one of the most experienced ones as all the other drivers always asked him for advice when we met other groups.
You can book the tour in their office in Uyuni and also decide to go back to Uyuni afterwards or do just a one day tour. Be aware of the fact that you might have to pay extra fees for private national parks on the way and for hot showers at the hostels.

If you want to travel on afterwards check out my posts from Bolivia, Chile and Peru – with some great videos, travel guides and photo galleries awaiting you!

The post 23 stunning photos from Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

The Bolivian part of the Lake Titicaca is the Budget option for Backpackers: a visit of Copacabana, Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna is unbelievably cheap and offers stunning views and a unique landscape. In this videoblog episode I tell you a bit about the origin of the name ‘Copacabana’ and take you to the mentioned islands.

the video: Copacabana, Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna

The small village of Copacabana was my first stop in Bolivia and I was surprised how cheap it is compared to Peru. It made me stay for a few days and I really enjoyed it to take a break, get some sun and hang out for a bit. Beside the walk up to the viewpoint where I filmed the intro and outro of the video I went on one of the combined Isla de la Luna & Isla del Sol boat trips.

If you want to do the same keep in mind that you don’t have that much time if you want to do both in one day – my recommendation: do it in 2 or even 3 days! The Isla de la Luna is really small, instead you should spend most of your time on the bigger Isla del Sol where you can go for a hike and also stay overnight. Moreover you have the possibility to visit numerous inca ruins all over the island.

p.s.: If you are keen to see the floating Islands and Puno click through the Puno Travel Guide and watch the video from the Island tour. Even from the next stop in Bolivia I already published the Travel Guide La Paz.

Have you ever been to the lake Titicaca? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this post with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Disclosure:
My accommodation in Copacabana was supported by Hostelbookers.com - together with Traveldudes they help me to show you South America on my #HolaGringo trip.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

The post Copacabana, Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna (Travel Videoblog 040) appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

The style of Backpacking changed during the last years – while the focus has been always on the budget it is nowadays more the value of an activity or hostel which counts. Nevertheless guidebooks like Lonely Planet are still very important to give an overview of activities possible at your destination. But don’t they also change the way of traveling and do they not also limit yourself while experiencing a new culture? Here are 11 good reasons to travel without a guidebook!

1) more flexibility

Without doubt: it’s quite comfortable to follow a given itinerary. If you do so you can book your accommodation and tours in advance and you know exactly what to expect. But what if you realize that there is much more to do and to discover after your arrival? What if a fellow traveler just told you that the hostel you are about to stay in is horrible?

2) discover new spots & restaurants off the beaten path

More often it is the best idea to travel without a given itinerary if you are flexible with your time to be ready for surprises. A guidebook often focuses only on the main attractions of destinations and blanks out other interesting spots for lack of space. Especially if you are up for certain activities like horseback riding, ziplining or snowshoeing chances are high that you won’t find those tours in one of the common guidebooks.

One guidebook per country by: Phil Whitehouse

3) save weight

You want to travel for 6 months? 3-5 different countries? So you need at least 3 books or one of the all-in-one guidebooks which features all of your countries. Just to give you an example: the Lonely Planet for India weighs 1.2kg – that’s a pair of shoes or a few shirts you could fit in your luggage easily!

4) save money

Let’s stick to the example of making a roundtrip – mostly one guidebook wouldn’t be sufficient because those all-in-one guidebooks just offer a bit information for each destination. You’ll possibly buy more books and with costs of around 20-30€ per guidebook it quickly adds up to 100€. This could also buy you a nice tour or activity at your travel destination!

5) quality could have changed meanwhile

The fact that a hostel or restaurant is mentioned in one of the big guidebooks could lead to a high number of customers. It’s likely that the motivation of some of the recommended places isn’t that high anymore as they have somehow a guaranteed amount of customers every week.

Pato was one of my lifts while hitchhiking the Carretera Austral – he invited me the next day on his boat to discover the marble caves of Puerto Rio Tranquilo in Chile

6) other backpackers have loads of good recommendations

This is why I love staying in Hostels: you meet fellow travelers, more often with the same interests and budget like yourself! It’s very common to share travel experiences and tips over a few beers. While traveling through Patagonia from south to north I met other backpackers in hostels which traveled the other way round and gave me lots of good tips in the matter of accommodation, tours or hostels.

7) great travel blogs with more detailed information

Like already stated: guidebooks are limited in matters of the amount of information. In the internet you will find a bunch of awesome travel blogs who offer detailed, personal travel tips and recommendations  (like this one here :))
I guess most of you are using smartphones or tablet pc’s – together with WiFi which is available in almost every hostel you are able to get the latest information about your destination even if you are already there.

8) live like a local

You want the real deal? Slow down and dive into the local culture! And yes: there is no guidebook to help you on this – just free your mind and connect with people. Everything else will happen automatically if you get in touch with the locals.

Natalie from the Hostel Casa del Pueblo gave me great tips of what to discover during my time in Esquel, Argentina

9) locals know where to go

Often it’s easier to connect with the locals as you might think: the nice guy at the hostel reception is most of the time the first local you can ask for some insider tips. Moreover Couchsurfing offers some nice possibilities: ask for tips in the forum, get in touch and meet other CSer or just show up at one of the many meetings. Trust me: locals know the best places!

10) “Sorry, we are closed”

The downside of guidebooks is that it’s quite hard to keep them up to date. Compared to online magazines and blogs which are updated quite regularly it is not common to make a product recall for guidebooks to update the information. So just imagine you walked all the 3km to this nice recommended italian restaurant only to find yourself in front of a abandoned building – that sucks! ;)

11) hostel libraries

Ok, sometimes there is no way around and you like to read a guidebook! No problem: a lot of hostels have a small selection of books and you are likely to find one of the big travel guidebooks of the current country waiting for you :)

Guidebook with map by: Jaymis Loveday

Do you know more than 11 good reasons to travel without a guidebook?

Now it’s your turn – which other reasons come to your mind to leave the travel guidebook at home? Or do you find it hard to travel without?
If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this post with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left and below the article.

The post 11 good reasons to travel without a guidebook appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

After almost 3 years, more than 180 posts, 40 videos and loads of pictures it was time for a redesign. With the new version of Back-Packer.org I hope to provide a better user experience and moreover a new content structure featuring new travel related content & categories.

When starting Back-Packer.org back in September 2010 it was meant to be a tiny travel diary for my travels through Chile – since that day it grew every month by adding more tips, stories and videos. With that the variety of content and the different formats became wider and it became harder to simply browse the page.

5 Content Categories

The focus is, like always, on videos. At the moment I’m working on a lot more episodes for the South American Video Series featuring destinations like Buenos Aires, Montevideo, La Paz, the Carretera Austral and Patagonia. The next months are going to be very exciting!

During my time down here I realized that more and more travelers are in need of some more personal Guides – of course a lot of you use the popular Lonely Planet to get a first idea of a destination. Nevertheless I got the best tips in Hostels, from other travelers, locals and also friends. Therefore I decided to write my own, very personal destination travel guides describing my experiences while traveling there. Moreover I figured out to get some great deals with touroperators and hostels – you are able to get them by using the mentioned keywords when booking.

Colors are symbolizing the different content categories

Picture galleries are a great way to get an idea of a place before going. They also help to choose the next destination of your travels. I’m glad to feature some photos of great photographers in the section Photo Essays in the near future together with some of my pictures.
The same goes for the ressort Inspiration - meet some inspirational characters and get to know their travel stories. More than that I will provide some useful travel tips and lists you can use for your next or current trip.

Last but not least the popular 7 free things to do written by locals and other travel bloggers – it’s a cool way to discover a new city without paying much for it.
All categories have their own color – with this color code I make it easier to differ the content sections. Furthermore you’ll find the related color also in the article and the section itself to provide a better orientation where you are on the page (beside the breadcrumb navigation on the top of each article).

Category Slider for 7 free things

Mobile Focus

How many of you are using Smartphones? As I see it in the visitor statistics of my page and during my travels in hostels, buses, planes and cafes a lot of travelers love to use mobile devices to read travel blogs or for doing research on the next destination.
Since I also provided a mobile friendly version of my Blog before I decided to take the next step and mobilize all parts of the website for the best mobile user experience possible.

Mobile Version (Smartphone)

As for now you should be able to browse Back-Packer.org with almost all Smartphones and Tablets without any problems. Only the menu is still a bit challenging but I keep working on it.

New content

Oh yes – beside new Travel Video Episodes and Guides I’m currently working on new Mini documentaries and a new category where I review all Hostels I stayed at. At the end I’ll provide a catalogue of Hostels in Europe and South America with ratings and pictures. Of course I will be honest and tell you the good stuff as well as the bad, like always.

Soon to come: Reviews

So? The work goes on and if you find something which is not working don’t hesitate to tell me via commenting or a simple message.

That’s it for now – I hope you like it!

The post Relaunch: Back-Packer.org is now easier to browse, optimized for mobile devices and offers new content appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

Located on an altitude of 3800m the lake Titicaca is one of the highest lakes in the world. To discover the lake from the peruvian side I visited the floating Uros Island, Amantani Island & Taquile Island. Join me and hop on the boat in this videoblog episode!

the video: floating Uros Islands, Amantani Island & Taquile Island

Puno was my last stop in Peru and my chance to discover the lake Titicaca after visiting all the Inka sites including Machu Picchu the days before. As Puno itself has not that much to offer I went on the Island tour after spending one night in town.

The lake is huge and you spend hours on the boat to get to the different islands. The floating Uros islands have been our first stop – we were introduced to the history of the Uros and the way they used to construct the islands back in time. Today there are only a few families left who still live on the islands made out of reed.

Amantani island, the next stop, is not an artificial island – here we had a homestay with a local family who cooked for us delicious meals. We used our time there to climb up the highest point and enjoy the sunset by having a beer before we were invited to a small fiesta with local music in the village.
The tour finished on Taquile Island with a little hike around the Island – with a great view for lunch.

If you’re about to travel to the lake Titicaca you should have a look at Puno Travel Guide: what to do, where to eat & sleep on a budget

Have you ever been to the lake Titicaca? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this post with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Disclosure:
My accommodation in Puno was supported by Hostelbookers.com – together with Traveldudes they help me to show you South America on my #HolaGringo trip. Because I was shooting footage for a marketing video the tour was provided by Machete Tours.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

The post Lake Titicaca: floating Uros Islands, Amantani Island & Taquile Island (Videoblog 038) appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

For Budget travelers Bolivia is like heaven – actually its the cheapest country in South America and offers a wide range of activities as well as stunning landscapes to discover. Bolivias capital La Paz is the starting point for most travelers – use this guide to make the most out of your stay!

Things to do in & around La Paz

Compared to other countries the tourism industry isn’t that big in Bolivia. Beside the popular Death Road and Uyuni there isn’t that much information available beforehand – I discovered a bit more and would say that La Paz has quite a few options to fill a whole week.

City Tour (2-3 hrs, 20€ / or: 13€ for Budget Tour)
It’s hard to find a city tour in La Paz. Luckily I got the contact of a guy who started to organize private and really authentic guided walks through the city.
Ben took me on a journey through the real La Paz which means: eating local, seeing places off the touristic path, heading over to El Alto, taking the public transportation and visiting a real shamane who will read your fortune of of coca leaves. Head over to Banjotours website to book the La Paz city tour.

Biking down the Death Road (full day, 85€ / HolaGringo Deal: free gift!)
This is possibly one of the MUST-Do’s once you are here. Beside the adrenaline experience of riding down a thrilling route on a cool mountainbike I recommend doing it especially because of the nature and panoramic views you come to see.
I went with Gravity and highly recommend them, though they are more expensive than others they offer the best equipment, fun tour guides and a nice package – this means you get snacks and water along the way and at the end you enjoy a nice buffet in a monkey ressort where you also receive your free t-shirt to make your friends at home jealous ;)
Have a look at the related Biking down the Death Road Video to see what it’s like (including the Ziplining) and check out the HolaGringo Deals below.

Ziplining / Flying Fox (28 € / HolaGringo Deal: 24 €!)
If you want it all you can go Ziplining right after your death road experience and enjoy the next adrenaline activity!
See the special gravity deals below.

Rappel: Urban Rush (15 € / HolaGringo Deal: 5% off!)
So you love to see cities from above? What about getting kicked out of a window of a skyscraper at a high of 70m and walking down the facade of the building with a free fall at the end?
Ok, the guys from Urban Rush will not “kick you” out of the window but they’ll practice with you and hand out a nice spiderman costume before you go over the edge. You can decide by yourself if you like to go face first or not – I highly recommend it because the experience is great.

Skywalk, Miraflores, Witches Market (free)
Don’t miss out to go for a walk in the city center and the area of Miraflores. By walking you experience the real life in the streets of La Paz – you’ll go up and down and should definitely have a look at the weird shops around the witches market where you also have the chance to shop clothes for the cheapest prices you can find in South America (don’t forget to bargain!).
The “skywalk” you can find in Miraflores is a good opportunity to have a great lookout to the innercity and up to “El Alto”.

I’d highly recommend to ask in your hostel for a map and advices where to go and which areas to avoid!

Urban Rush

Restaurants & Cafés

Bolivia is one of the countries in South America you should always eat out as it is almost more expensive to buy groceries and cook for yourself!

Alexander Coffee (Breakfast)
This is possibly the best spot for breakfast and a decent coffe in town. As this place is also the meeting point for gravity’s death road trips you should use this opportunity for a great breakfast.

Address: Av. Montenegro #1369 Bloque B

Set lunch menus (Lunch)
Around the city center you can find the set lunch menus called “almuerzo” (= lunch) in a lot of restaurants. For around 1€ you’ll get a salad, a soup and a main dish!

The Steakhouse (Dinner)
Possibly the cheapest tasty steak you’ve ever had! Though it’s pricey for Bolivia it’s still an awesome deal for travelers from abroad. I ordered a huge Jack Daniel’s steak, had a wine and enjoyed the salad buffet for just 12€ !!!

Address: Calle Tarija 243B

Jack Daniels Steak at the Steakhouse

Nightlife

Let’s face it: La Paz is one of the most popular party places for young travelers down here because of the low prices for alcohol (..and also drugs…). Hit the dancefloor, celebrate the fact that you survived the death road in one of the highest cities on earth.
But please make sure to don’t walk home alone and drunk!

Malegria
The night club Malegria is the only one I went to and we had good fun there as it has not been only a disco – there was also a live salsa-percussion performance on stage in between the disco beats.
Address: Pasaje Medinacelli, Sopocachi

Find more clubs on this Blog!

Party Hostel Pubs
La Paz means also: Party Hostels! The most popular are Wild Rover and Loki – both are located in the same area just a few steps away from each other. Meet fellow travelers and get ready for insane party nights.
But keep in mind that these hostels are far more expensive than the average bar in LaPaz – on the other hand they are also more safe.

Wild Rover Hostel

Where to sleep

As already mentioned La Paz is the place to stay in a party hostel. The best thing about that: you can even have a private room for a really good price – so treat yourself and enjoy having privacy to recover after a long night out.
I chose the Wild Rover for my stay and enjoyed the fact that they also had a really good restaurant inside the hostel. Moreover there is a Tour Operator Office, a TV Room and of course a bar with good parties every night (and free shots!).
Nevertheless the breakfast is pretty basic and the WiFi is really slow like everywhere in Bolivia. The fact that there was no kitchen to cook your own stuff didn’t bother me, cause I used to eat out every day.

Address: Calle Comercio 1476

Have you ever been to La Paz? Anything to add to the Travel Guide La Paz, Bolivia? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this article with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Death Road

Disclosure:
My accommodation in La Paz was supported by Hostelbookers.com – together with Traveldudes they help me to show you South America on my #HolaGringo trip.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

The post Travel Guide La Paz, Bolivia: what to do, where to eat & sleep on a budget appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

London is one of THE cities in Europe you have to visit – due to the big international airport it’s mostly actually the first city travelers come to see when entering the continent. The capital of England has a lot to offer but rumors has it that the largest city in the European Union is a pricey spot for budget travelers.

The video: “Budget Check London”

It was my first time ever that I visited the UK – I booked a cheap flight from Hamburg and asked local friends for recommendations. I didn’t expect so much from the city but in the end I liked London with it’s pub culture, loads of things to do and the good transportation network. Only the fact that there are no tubes running during the night is a bit disappointing if you like to have a big night out.

Sure, the Budget Check London reveals that this metropolis is one of the more expensive ones – but there are some options to keep your expenses low. After speaking to some locals I got some of the tips you can see in the video – the parliament hill for example: it is a little journey but it will be rewarded with a great view (especially in summer it’s a nice trip).

If you want to see more of London: have a look at the Photo Essay “London by Instagram”. Furthermore you can find more Budget Checks in the Video section of the Navigation Bar e.g. the “Budget Check Porto”.
In case you didn’t do it yet: on YouTube you can subscribe to my channel and interact as well.

Have you ever been to London? Anything to add to the Budget Check London? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this article with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Disclosure:
My accommodation in London was supported by Safestay.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

The post Budget Check London, England appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

The city of the Incas is the main attraction of Peru and moreover the most visited site on the continent. I take you on a walk around Machu Picchu in Peru and tell you a bit about the history.

the video: A walk around Machu Picchu in Peru

No, I don’t walked the Inca trail or the alternative Salcantay trail to get there. Instead of this I hiked the Choquequirao trail before going by train to Aguas Calientes. After a short night I got up early and hiked all the way up to be one of the first at the entry.

Everything worked out fine and I had a lot of time to walk around and enjoy the site as much as possible. The buildings and constructions are really impressive and the location the Incas chose to build this city is breathtaking. Today a lot of tourists make their way up there all year round – for a good reason!

Have you ever been to Machu Picchu? Anything to add to “A walk around Machu Picchu in Peru”? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this post with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Disclosure:
My accommodation in Cusco was supported by Hostelbookers.com – together with Traveldudes they help me to show you South America on my #HolaGringo trip. Because I was shooting footage for a marketing video the tour was provided by Machete Tours.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

The post A walk around Machu Picchu in Peru (Videoblog 037) appeared first on Back-Packer.org.

The Ruta 7 connects the most remote villages of Chile and is one of the most picturesque routes of South America. I decided to skip my plans and go hitchhiking through South America: from 12 of march I’ll go from Villa O’Higgins to Puerto Montt by thumb.

Actually I decided to go back into the center of the city. To the office of the bus company that offers regularly connections to El Calafate. I’m standing here since 2 hours. 2 hours smiling, holding up a sign with my destination, the thumb pointing into the direction of Calafate.

Somehow I’m fed up with covering all the distances down here with long-distance buses – together with other Europeans, US citizens and sometimes local travelers. For sure: it’s pretty nice to spend your time traveling with all these fellow travelers. You get a bunch of really good recommendations, you get to know a lot of diverse cultures and characters, have loads of laughs and sometimes you’re suffering together (e.g. the dollar exchange rate). After 4 months of traveling in South America I somehow felt like I’am loosing the connection to the countries itself and the people who are living there – in Puerto Natales the idea came to my mind to try hitchhiking.

“Ok, another 20 minutes but then I’ll leave” I’m thinking. Smiling drivers who tell you “I’m sorry but I don’t have space” or “I’m sorry I’m heading in another dircetion” with gestures keep my mood up. Also the girl who gave my a little armwrist by saying “buena suerte!” and the locals walking by, saying “good luck, amigo” kept me motivated.
Than Jaime stopped right next to me with his family: “Hola Amigo! Quieres ir con nosotros?” – “Claro!” That was in the end very easy, with this I got a direct lift to El Calafate in Argentina. A distance of more than 300 km.

“A dedo” to El Chalten – I needed just 2 lifts for this 280km stretch

,a dedo‘ – very common in Patagonia

Hitchhiking is very popular in the south of South America and is one of the common modes of transportation. People like to have somebody to talk to while covering long distances. Moreover you experience what you usually miss out: you get in contact with the locals, their stories und the small and big issues that keep them busy.
Finally I have to use my spanish even though it is less than intermediate. It doesn’t matter. After approximately 3 sentences you get told that your spanish is pretty much perfect and you know that it is lie. And soon after that you find yourself talking about the most important topic: football. Colo Colo or Universidad? River or Boca? And of course: Germany has really good players!

This is how I made my way up to El Chaltén the last weeks – around 500 km in Pickups and Jeeps, listening to different life stories. What’s next?
In Buenos Aires I already spoke with Richard from Australia about the Carretera Austral as an alternative to the Ruta 40 – the highway which goes north in Argentina. Richard traveled down this light traffic, most graveled road from north to south and told me heaps of nice stories and places to go.

nice people that like to give you a lift – this chilean family took me from Puerto Natales to El Calafate

El Chaltén – Villa O‘Higgings in 2 days

The mentioned past hitchhikes have been more or less a joke if you compare them to the upcoming 1300 km. First of all I need to get to the starting / ending point of the Ruta 7: the chilean Villa O’Higgins.
For the record: there is no direct connection to/from El Chaltén – not with the common way of transportation. It will take me 2 days by boat & foot. And it’ll be interesting to do a 7h hike with all my luggage, crossing the border from Argentina to Chile.

The end / starting point of the Carretera is like you would expect it to be. There are just a few houses and a gravel road. Here everything will start. I’ll try to get my first hitch in the afternoon.
I’m curious and got some good tips for stops in between: Cerro Castillo, Rio Tranquillo, Futaleufu to mention only a few possibilities.

Now I have to buy pasta, pack my backpack, dry my tent – as soon as I found a proper Internet connection I’ll send out the first updates: pictures and later on a detailed article about my experience. So make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to stay tuned (and checkout the latest pictures from my time in Patagonia meanwhile)!

per Anhalter durch Südamerika heißt meist: große Autos!

Have you ever traveled the Carretera Austral? Or do you have experience in hitchhiking through South America? Tell us more!

If you have any tips or hints feel free to join the conversation – post a comment below and share your experience!
Moreover you can share this article with your friends on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus by using the related buttons on the left.

Disclosure:
My accommodation in El Calafate and El Chaltén was supported by Hostelbookers.com – together with Traveldudes they help me to show you South America on my #HolaGringo trip.
All the content I provide from my travels is completely my own – this goes for opinions and views as well as for recommendations.

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If you are in Patagonia you should spent as much time as possible out there in the nature. Therefore the Circuit Trail in Torres del Paine is the perfect Trekking option for experiencing the full awesomeness of the park including the southern ice field as the absolute highlight. Let me show you how to hike the circuit in Torres del Paine on your own including all information & costs needed!

Like in the other Guides for the shorter W trail I’ll first explain the standard route and then give examples of longer & shorter itineraries afterwards. Please plan your trips always with regard to your physical ability and your experience. If you have no or just a bit of hiking experience keep it low and plan more time for each trek. To prepare for trekking in Torres del Paine checkout my other post named ‘How to prepare for hiking in Torres del Paine’.

This map shows the trail you are supposed to hike (green path).

The circuit (a.k.a. ‘O’) in 8 days, 7 nights

(140 km, around 58.000 CLP = 93 € / 120 USD)
With the standard itinerary you will have the big experience of hiking Torres del Paine without being in a rush. Especially the first days are pretty relaxed and perfect to get used to the whole hiking thing.
Nevertheless I recommend to plan always 1 day more, because sometimes the John Gardner Pass is not doable due to very bad weather conditions – in that case you might have to go back and stay one night more at Campamento Los Perros (make sure to take some extra food with you).
Moreover I describe everything with stays in campsites / campsites next to Refugios (it’s not possible to do the described trek with refugio stays only).

Day 1: Puerto Natales – Campamento Serón (12 km, 12.000 CLP + 18.000 CLP + 4.000 CLP)
Leave Puerto Natales with the early bus (12.000 CLP return ticket) and get off at the park entrance (fee: 18.000 CLP) where you start walking. For this head to the river and cross it, walk along the street until you see a path to your right which goes to Serón.

After a nice walk through the woods and open grasslands you arrive at Campamento Serón in the early afternoon. We keep it low for today and start setting up the tent for the night (4.000 CLP).

Day 2: Campamento Serón – Refugio Dickson (19 km, 5.000 CLP)
Today you’ll have to walk only a bit more than yesterday to get to the most beautiful campsite in the park. Because you’ll walk approximately 5 hours you can get up late, pack your stuff and leave the camp after having a relaxed breakfast.
The path goes along a river and little lakes and heads uphill over a little pass where you are able to experience heavy winds.

Depending on the time you left Serón you’ll arrive in the afternoon at the lake Dickson where you find a campsite located directly on the river with a Glacier in the background.

Day 3: Refugio Dickson – Campamento Los Perros (9 km, 4.000 CLP)
Isn’t it beautiful here? As you see you have another short, nice walk ahead – enough time to enjoy the scenery at Dickson for a bit longer, having a nice breakfast at the mirador before you get ready to hike.

Start your hike to Los Perros at around 11 a.m. You’ll hike a bit uphill and through the forrest before you reach a mirador with a nice view back to the Lago Dickson area and to the valley you are supposed to walk up. A bit later you have the chance of seeing a waterfall (you’ll here when you are next to it).
Keep going after a short break. The path leads through a forrest and after that you’ll cross the River twice. Now it goes up, across stones and rocks – believe me: it’s worth it!
Up there you reach the Mirador Britanico with a great view to the Galcier Los Perros and the Glacier lake. Take your time as the campsite is only a 10-15min walk from here.
With all the breaks you’ll reach Los Perros between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.. Go to bed early today as the pass and with this the steepest part awaits you tomorrow. Set your alarm to 5 a.m. as it is best to cross the pass in the morning.

Day 4: Campamento Los Perros – Paso (12 km, free)
Oh, 5 a.m. – it’s still dark and cold which makes you want to stay in your warm sleeping bag. Try to resist and head out to treat yourself with a nice breakfast and a hot coffee to be ready for the tough pass. After packing again -now you should be an expert in doing that- you leave the camp (6 a.m.) and head uphill for the next 2-3 hours.

After walking through the woods you’ll reach an open area where you basically walk on stones and rocks. Before continuing make sure the weather conditions are good enough to see the orange/red poles that mark the trail. If not: turn around and head back as it might be to dangerous to continue (it get’s much rougher the higher you get).
If everything is fine you will have an amazing walk, though it might be exhausting walking uphill and experiencing the strong winds. When you reach the highest point chances are high that you have to crouch due to strong winds – you can find a windcover on the left hand side to celebrate the climb. When continuing the wind will calm down but your breath will be taken away due to the stunning view you’ll have for the next hour. Enjoy it and 5-6 hours after you left Los Perros you should arrive at Campamento Paso (11 a.m. – 12 a.m.) where you can enjoy some views nearby and have enough time to charge your batteries.

Day 5: Campamento Paso – Refugio Grey – Paine Grande (19 km, 4.800 CLP)
Wow – day number 5 and you already experienced a lot of cool stuff, eh? Stay excited and leave the Camp around 8 a.m.

It took me 5 hours to walk to Refugio Grey and it was my personal highlight as you walk along the cliffs right next to the Glacier Grey. Moreover you have to climb some ladders and cross some bridges. 3-4 hours after you left Paso you arrive at an old campsite here you should use the chance to visit the Mirador nearby and continue afterwards to the Refugio Grey where you can have lunch (arrival around 1 p.m.).
Pack your stuff and head back down (at around 2 p.m.) to Paine Grande where you spent the night (4.800 CLP), it will take around 3-4 hours – make sure to find a nice place next to the little hill to avoid a bit of the massive winds down there.

Day 6: Valle del Frances – Los Cuernos (28 km, 8.000 CLP)
Today is a long & tough day, so get up early again and walk (start at 8:00 a.m.) to Campamento Italiano (around 2 hours = 10 a.m.), leave your big backpack at the camp and head to the Mirador Frances with your daypack (take lunch, water, suncream). After 2,5 hours you’ll reach the Mirador and have lunch (12:30 pm.m.). Go back down to Italiano, grab your backpack and keep going to Los Cuernos (03:00 / 3:30 p.m.). After another 2 hours you should reach the campsite (at 5:00/5:30 p.m. – 8.000 CLP).

Day 7: Los Cuernos – Campamento Torres (20 km, free)
On your last full day you have a nice hike ahead – starting flat and going up at the end to the base of the Torres. Start your walk around 9 a.m. to Campamento Chileno. The trail goes along the Lago Nordernskjöld, after around 3,5 hours you’ll reach the shortcut to Chileno (it’s hard to miss as there is a big sign saying “shortcut to Chileno”). Another 2 hours later you’ll arrive at the Refugio Chileno (around 2:30 p.m. / 3 p.m.) you can make a short break and afterwards head uphill to the free campsite Campamento Torres, this will take around 1 hour. After setting up your tent use the chance to visit the Torres for the first time – it’s a 45 min walk uphill.

Go to bed early today as you have to get up very early tomorrow to see the sunrise at the towers. Depending on the time of the sunrise (ask the rangers) set your alarm 1 – 1,5hours before and prepare a daypack with mat, sleeping bag and breakfast as well as rain jacket)

Day 8: Torres – Puerto Natales (16 – 23,5 km, 2.500 CLP optional)
In summer the sunrise is around 6 a.m., therefore leave the camp with your daypack at 5 a.m. to arrive at the Mirador of the Towers on time. Set up your little picnic and enjoy – if you are lucky you’ll see amazing colors with a clear view, having the best breakfast ever. If you are not lucky like me you’ll have rain and clouds – in that case you’ll love the fact that you’ve been up here the day before. Don’t make the fault to skip the way up when it is raining in the camp – the weather changes really quick and you might regret it later. Go for it anyway as it is your last day and it doesn’t matter if your sleeping bag gets wet up there ;)

After your return take down your tent, pack your stuff and leave the camp at around 9 a.m. Head down to the Hotel Las Torres – it’ll take around 3 hours to arrive there. Depending on the time you arrive (should be 12 p.m.) you can decide if you want to walk from the Hotel to the entrance (1 hour, 7,5km along the road) or pay 2.500 CLP extra to take the minibus which leaves around 2 p.m.
The Bus back to Puerto Natales leaves at 2:30 p.m. from the entrance as already described in the preparation Guide.

Congratulations! You’ve done the circuit / ‘O’ and with that around 140-150 km by foot.

Trail to Seron

The circuit in 7 days, 6 nights

(150 km, around 57.000 CLP)

Ok, you feel good, you made some hikes before or just have a limited time? Then you can also do the circuit in a day less. Please consider anyway to take food for an additional day as the pass might not be doable due to bad weather conditions.

Day 1: Puerto Natales – Campamento Serón (12 km, 12.000 CLP + 18.000 CLP + 4.000 CLP)
see standard itinerary

Day 2: Campamento Serón – Refugio Dickson – Los Perros (28 km, 4.000 CLP)
Today and tomorrow are quite challenging – so get a good breakfast and start early (7 a.m.) to get to the most beautiful campsite in the park around lunchtime.
The path goes along a river and little lakes and heads uphill over a little pass where you are able to experience heavy winds. You’ll arrive at lunchtime at the lake Dickson where you find a campsite located directly on the river with a Glacier in the background (12 a.m.).

Isn’t it beautiful here? As you see you have another 9 km walk ahead – enjoy the scenery at Dickson for a bit, having a nice lunch at the mirador before you get ready to hike (1 p.m.).
You’ll hike a bit uphill and through the forrest before you reach a mirador with a nice view back to the Lago Dickson area and to the valley you are supposed to walk up. A bit later you have the chance of seeing a waterfall (you’ll here when you are next to it).
The path leads through a forrest and after that you’ll cross the River twice. Now it goes up, across stones and rocks – believe me: it’s worth it!
Up there you reach the Mirador Britanico with a great view to the Galcier Los Perros and the Glacier lake. Take your time as the campsite is only a 10-15min walk from here.

With all the breaks you’ll reach Los Perros between 6 – 7 p.m.. Go to bed early today as the pass and with this the steepest part awaits you tomorrow. Set your alarm to 5 a.m. as it is best to cross the pass in the morning.

Day 3: Campamento Los Perros – Paso – Refugio Grey (22 km, 4.000 CLP)
Oh, 5 a.m. – it’s still dark and cold which makes you want to stay in your warm sleeping bag. Try to resist and head out to treat yourself with a nice breakfast and a hot coffee to be ready for the tough pass. After packing again -now you should be an expert in doing that- you leave the camp (6 a.m.) and head uphill for the next 2-3 hours.

After walking through the woods you’ll reach an open area where you basically walk on stones and rocks. Before continuing make sure the weather conditions are good enough to see the orange/red poles that mark the trail. If not: turn around and head back as it might be to dangerous to continue (it get’s much rougher the higher you get).
If everything is fine you will have an amazing walk, though it might be exhausting walking uphill and experiencing the strong winds. When you reach the highest point chances are high that you have to crouch due to strong winds – you can find a windcover on the left hand side to celebrate the climb. When continuing the wind will calm down but your breath will be taken away due to the stunning view you’ll have for the next hour. Enjoy it and 5-6 hours after you left Los Perros you should arrive at Campamento Paso (11 a.m. – 12 a.m.) to charge your batteries before you continue to Grey.

It took me 5 hours to walk to Refugio Grey and it was my personal highlight as you walk along the cliffs right next to the Glacier Grey. Moreover you have to climb some ladders and cross some bridges. 3-4 hours after you left Paso you arrive at an old campsite: here you should use the chance to visit the Mirador nearby and continue afterwards to the Refugio Grey where you’ll spend the night (arrival around 5 p.m., 4.000 CLP).

Day 4: Refugio Grey – Paine Grande (11 km, 4.800 CLP)
Yes, the last 2 days have been exhausting – we will use this day to relax a bit more to have enough power for the upcoming highlights. Therefore you can sleep longer and have a long breakfast.

Pack your stuff and head down (at around 11 a.m.) to Paine Grande where you spend the night (4.800 CLP), it will take around 3-4 hours – make sure to find a nice place next to the little hill to avoid a bit of the massive winds down there.

Continue with Day 6 of the standard itinerary

Dickson is the best located Campsite

The circuit in 9 days, 8 nights

(140 km, around 56.000 CLP)

Ok, you can’t get enough and want to have a really relaxed trekking adventure – use this itinerary to enjoy it the best way.
For stretching your stay it’s the best to split day number 6 and change the stops afterwards a bit. Therefore start with the standard itinerary and continue on Day 6 with this:

Day 6: Valle del Frances – Campamento Italiano (22,5 km, free)
You don’t need to get up so early today (start at 10:00 a.m.) to Campamento Italiano (around 2 hours = 12 p.m.), leave your big backpack at the camp and head to the Mirador Frances with your daypack (take lunch, water, suncream). After 2,5 hours you’ll reach the Mirador and have late lunch (14:30 pm.m.). Go back down to Italiano and get your tent ready for the night – as it is a free campsite you don’t have to pay tonight.

Day 7: Campamento Italiano – Refugio Chileno (19 km, 6.000 CLP)
Again you can take it easy. Start your walk around 10 a.m. to Campamento Chileno. The trail goes along the Lago Nordernskjöld, after around 5,5 hours you’ll reach the shortcut to Chileno (it’s hard to miss as there is a big sign saying “shortcut to Chileno”). Another 2 hours later you’ll arrive at the Refugio Chileno (around 5:30 p.m.).

Day 8: Refugio Chileno – Campamento Torres (8 km, free)
As you see you have the most relaxed day ahead because you just move from one campsite to another. Have a slow start and head uphill, set up your tent and use the huge amount of time to spend some hours at the Torres in the afternoon.
Go to bed early today as you have to get up very early tomorrow to see the sunrise at the towers. Depending on the time of the sunrise (ask the rangers) set your alarm 1 – 1,5hours before and prepare a daypack with mat, sleeping bag and breakfast as well as a rain jacket.

For Day 9 continue with Day 8 of the standard itinerary.

Consider: The free campsite Torres is very popular, therefore you can stay mostly only for one night there.

the southern ice field can only be seen on the circuit trail

Have you ever been to Torres del Paine? Anything to add to the itineraries ‘How to hike the circuit in Torres del Paine’? Tell us more!

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