2025 PATAGONIA PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR

Please note that a final decision on whether to run this tour, or not, is still forthcoming, pending personal, world & other factors. FYI we had to cancel our two Patagonia photography tours in April 2020 due to the pandemic and simply haven’t decided if we will offer this tour again.

That said, no doubt you’ve had a dream of visiting Patagonia, this awe-inspiring land near South America’s southern tip. This could be your chance to explore a portion of two of the prime areas known for its natural & majestic splendour: Torres del Paine National Park in Chile & Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina. The tour, if it happens, would be lead by David with assistance from Sandra (his wife) who is fluent in Spanish.

Note that this time of year is the end of the busy tourist season so expect to see many other like-minded photographers in the park. The tour would be geared towards capturing photos, meaning some early morning departures to capture first light and/or hiking ‘home’ after sunset (in the dark). And while most days we would be outdoors for a lengthy period of time, the hiking would generally be moderate with only one or 2 days involving hiking longer than 15 km. That said, there would be an option to skip the longer hikes and do a more moderate hike to photo locations with Sandra. The key thing about this tour is that it be fun, create incredible memories, new friendships and, of course, that it result in a few wonderful photos.

Please note that the tour schedule/itinerary each day is subject to change as we adapt to Patagonia’s ever-changing weather, park rules as well as the interests & fitness of the participants. You can see other examples of photos captured by David here: patagonia photos

For additional information or to enquire about potentially joining this (potential) tour please email David at: davidlmccolm@gmail.com

Dates: April 2025

Potential Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in El Calafate, Argentina. We will pick you up at the airport, drive back to the hotel and if time permits, head out for an evening of photo-taking. Otherwise, the plan would be to meet for dinner and discuss the adventure that awaits us in Patagonia.

Days 2 - 5: On Day 2 we drive to El Chalten (expect 4+ hrs of driving time), Argentina where we’ll spend the next few days (4 nights) exploring the natural wonders of Los Glaciares National Park.  Depending on weather & the park regulations in place at the time, we’ll be looking to visit Laguna Torre at the ‘foot’ of Cerro Torre, explore various Mt. Fitz Roy shooting locations, capture sunrises and/or sunsets just outside of El Chalten along Highway 41, shoot the Chorillo del Salto waterfall, etc. In addition to other wildlife , we will be on the lookout for huemels, an endangered species of deer.

Day 6-8:  On day 6, after a morning shoot along Highway 41 outside of El Chalten, we head to the awe-inspiring mountain peaks of Torres del Paine, Chile. During this time (3 nights), we will visit diverse locations in the park and be on the lookout for wildlife including condors, guanacos and the elusive puma. We will be staying at the Rio Serrano Hotel & Spa on the edge of the park (or other accommodation also with private bathroom) (expect 7+ hrs of driving time from El Chalten to Torres del Paine + a border crossing).

Day 9: After spending the morning shooting in Torres del Paine National Park and/or exploring the area near the hotel & the Serrano River, we check out of the hotel and depart for El Calafate, Argentina (expect 5+ hrs of driving time + a border crossing). We spend tonight and the next night in our hotel in El Calafate.

Day 10: This morning there’s the option to head out for a sunrise shoot. After returning to the hotel, we drive to Perito Merino Glacier where we have much of the day to shoot & explore this incredible wall of ice (and hope to catch ice calving from the face of the glacier), afterwards heading back to El Calafate for the night.

Day 11: Today marks the end of the tour. For those with later flights, there is the option of doing a morning shoot before packing up and heading to the El Calafate airport.

Potential tour cost (subject to change once/if a final tour itinerary is determined):
$7000 US/person + 5% GST for Canadian citizens (note that there is a 5% discount for couples booking at the same time)
Deposit (to secure your spot on the tour): $2000 US
Payment in full is due 3 months prior to tour starting date (so January 2025)
Maximum no. of guests: limited to 6 (min. of 5)

Cancellation policy
If the trip were to be cancelled at our end due to an insufficient number of guests booking (min of 5 required) or other reasons (i.e. health), then, of course, there would be a full refund of fees paid.
If you cancel and the tour subsequently becomes filled to its max. of 6 guests you would be refunded the full amount minus a $250 US service charge.
If you cancel and the tour does not fill to its maximum of 6 guests, then you would be refunded based on the following:
> 4 mths or more from tour start date: 75% refund
> 2 mths or more: 50% refund
> Less than 2 mths: no refund
Refunds would be paid via the same method the original payment was made.

Additional terms & conditions would be covered in a document all tour participants/guests would sign prior to being accepted into the tour.