Kate × Andrew · Patagonia 2026
14–17 December · 3 nights

Punta Arenas
→ Torres del Paine

Fly into Punta Arenas, take Bus-Sur directly from PUQ airport to Puerto Natales, collect the rental car in town, and use Clodomiro Rosas as the route base for Grey Glacier and the Torres del Paine loop.

PUQ → PNT bus~3h15
Bus farefrom ~€10 pp
Grey III~€109.60 pp
Park loop~396 km / 7h14 drive
New transport plan

The actual trip chain

The old Puerto Natales flight plan is removed. You now fly to Punta Arenas (PUQ), board the Puerto Natales bus at the airport, rent the car in Puerto Natales, then drive to your base near Clodomiro Rosas.

1 · PUQ → Puerto Natales

3h15

Bus-Sur runs daily in high season and lists PUQ airport as an authorized boarding stop on Punta Arenas → Puerto Natales services.

High-season departures from Punta Arenas terminal:
07:00 · 08:30 · 10:00 · 11:00 · 12:30 · 14:00 · 15:00 · 17:00 · 18:00 · 19:00 · 21:00

Book Bus-Sur See PUQ → PNT route

2 · Rental car in Puerto Natales

SIXT

Puerto Natales Downtown · Manuel Bulnes 100. Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00; Sat 09:00–13:00.

SIXT downtown Bus terminal → SIXT

3 · Route base

Clodomiro Rosas

Use Clodomiro Rosas, Puerto Natales as the closest navigation address for the tiny house/camp.

SIXT → Clodomiro Rosas
Arrival-day constraint: you have not entered your PUQ flight arrival time yet. SIXT Downtown closes at 19:00 on Monday 14 Dec. Choose a Bus-Sur departure that gets you to Puerto Natales before then, or the car pickup has to move to the next morning / another provider.
Correct links + real loop

Routes

The map is self-contained so it cannot break because of Google API policy. Every leg below has a normal Google Maps URL. Day 3 follows the loop you built on Google: Clodomiro Rosas → Serrano → Pehoé → Salto Grande → Laguna Amarga → Cascada Río Paine → Cerro Castillo → Clodomiro Rosas.

solid = car · dotted blue = bus · brown = walk
Y-290Ruta 9park roads Ruta 9 · PUQ/PNT Puerto Natales Punta Arenas / PUQ Lago Grey Pehoé Sarmiento
Approximate day structure

Calendar

MON 14 DECPunta Arenas → Puerto Natales
Flight arrivalLand PUQ — time still to insert
After baggageBoard pre-booked Bus-Sur at PUQ airport
+3h15Puerto Natales bus terminal
Before 19:00Collect SIXT Downtown
ThenDrive to Clodomiro Rosas base
EveningGroceries + dinner + rest
TUE 15 DECGrey Glacier
07:00Wake
07:30Breakfast
08:30–08:45Leave Clodomiro Rosas
~11:15Arrive Hotel Lago Grey
12:00Official check-in
13:00–15:45Grey III navigation
~16:30Back at car / flexible scenic stop
~19:00–20:00Back at base
WED 16 DECTorres del Paine loop
06:30Wake
07:00Breakfast
07:15–07:30Leave with full tank
~09:00Serrano entrance
~09:45Lago Pehoé
10:15–12:30Salto Grande + Mirador Cuernos walk
12:30–13:00Picnic
13:00–17:00Amarga + Cascada + viewpoints
~19:00–20:00Return via Cerro Castillo / Ruta 9
THU 17 DECPuerto Natales → PUQ
Flight-dependentChoose bus to arrive PUQ ≥2h before flight
Before busCheck out + refuel + return SIXT
ThenSIXT → Puerto Natales bus terminal
BusPuerto Natales → PUQ airport · ~3h15
RuleLeave PNT at least ~5h15 before flight; 6h is safer
Full plan

Day by day

DAY 1 · MON 14 DEC

PUQ → Puerto Natales → tiny house

Land at Punta Arenas (PUQ)

Collect luggage and go to the Bus-Sur airport pickup point. You do not need to go into Punta Arenas city.

PUQ → Puerto Natales

Approx. 3h15. High-season fare starts at CLP 11,000 pp (~€10 pp at today's rate). Book the departure that fits your flight.

Bus-SurRoute

Puerto Natales Bus Terminal

Av. España 1455.

Collect rental car

SIXT Downtown, Manuel Bulnes 100. The Monday branch closes at 19:00.

Google route

Drive to Clodomiro Rosas base

Use “Clodomiro Rosas, Puerto Natales” as the closest navigation address.

Google route
Tonight
  • Buy groceries if you have not already
  • Check Grey III booking
  • Screenshot park pass + boat ticket
  • Charge phones
  • Alarm 07:00
DAY 2 · TUE 15 DEC

Grey Glacier boat

Wake + breakfast

Drive to Hotel Lago Grey

Route via Y-290 / Serrano. Use ~2h30–2h45 as a conservative planning window.

Google route

Arrive + park

Give yourself time before the official 12:00 check-in.

Grey III check-in

After check-in, the only access to the boat is a 30–45 minute walk across Grey Beach.

Grey III navigation

Official 2026/27 round trip: CLP 120,000 pp ≈ €109.60 pp. Glacier, icebergs and Paine Grande.

Official navigation / booking

Back at car

Optional short Lago Grey / Río Serrano stop if the weather is good.

Return to Clodomiro Rosas

Drive back through Serrano/Y-290.

Google route
For Day 3
  • Fill the fuel tank in Puerto Natales
  • Pack picnic lunch + lots of water
  • Download offline Google Maps
  • Windproof/waterproof layers
  • Alarm 06:30
DAY 3 · WED 16 DEC

The real Torres del Paine loop

Leave Clodomiro Rosas

Full tank. This is your big day: Google showed ~396 km / 7h14 of driving before adding stops and walking.

Open full loop in Google Maps

Serrano entrance

Enter from the west/south side via Y-290.

Leg 1

Lago Pehoé

Turquoise lake + Paine massif. Short scenic/photo stop.

Leg 2

Salto Grande + Mirador Cuernos

Park at the Salto Grande/Pudeto area. Walk to Salto Grande and continue to Mirador Cuernos; roughly 2 hours return.

Leg 3

Picnic

Eat what you brought.

Drive east → Laguna Amarga

Use the internal park road. Stop at Nordenskjöld/Sarmiento viewpoints when worth it.

Leg 4

Laguna Amarga → Cascada Río Paine

The waterfall is a short northern spur, so there is a little out-and-back.

Leg 5

Cascada Río Paine → Cerro Castillo

Leave the park on the eastern side instead of going back through Serrano.

Leg 6

Cerro Castillo → Puerto Natales

Return south on Ruta 9 to Clodomiro Rosas.

Leg 7
Reality check
  • Driving alone: ~7h14 on your Google route
  • Add ~2h for Cuernos walk
  • Add ~1–1.5h for Pehoé / lunch / Amarga / Cascada / photos
  • Expect roughly an 11-hour day
DAY 4 · THU 17 DEC

Return car → bus → PUQ

Work backwards from your PUQ flight

Bus-Sur takes about 3h15. Target arrival at PUQ at least 2 hours before your flight, so leave Puerto Natales at least ~5h15 before departure; ~6 hours is safer.

Check out + refuel + return SIXT

Clodomiro Rosas → SIXT Downtown.

Google route

SIXT → Puerto Natales Bus Terminal

Av. España 1455.

Google route

Puerto Natales → PUQ airport

High season: 07:00 · 08:30 · 10:00 · 11:00 · 12:30 · 14:00 · 15:00 · 17:00 · 18:00 · 19:00 · 21:00. Bus-Sur lists PUQ airport as an authorized drop-off.

Book Bus-SurSee route
Direct booking links

Book / confirm

Transport

Torres del Paine

EUR · land portion

Budget snapshot

The old Santiago ↔ Puerto Natales flight estimate is removed because you now fly via Punta Arenas. Add your actual PUQ airfare once you have it.

Airbnb / tiny-house booking€165.70
Rental car quote€228.17*
Bus-Sur return for 2~€40
Grey III for 2~€219.20
Park passescheck official checkout
Fuelallow ~€70–100
Groceriesallow ~€60–100

*Keep €228.17 only if that is still your SIXT Downtown quote for the revised pickup/return times.

Not yet included

• Flights to/from Punta Arenas
• exact park-pass checkout price
• restaurants / alcohol
• insurance / baggage upgrades
• optional extra activities

Once your PUQ flight times are known, Day 1 and Day 4 can be locked to exact bus departures rather than leaving them flexible.
Bus-Sur current high-season schedule and airport stop information should be rechecked shortly before travel. Grey III times/prices shown are the official 1 Oct 2026–30 Apr 2027 schedule. Park entry is separate and should be purchased on Pases Parques.