Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Ultimate Road Trips: Patagonia

Sometimes it’s good to feel a little lost. Not that it’s easy to go astray road tripping with a 2013 Jeep Rubicon through the most far flung stretches of Southern Patagonia; especially when the GPS exists in the world. But here, with nothing more than your own 4X4 and the colossal landscape, it’s easy to get lost in the moment.

Recommended Videos

This is just the kind of unfettered adventure that Quasar Expeditions in partnership with Jeep Wrangler, has captured with their brand new Wild Patagonia program. The once in a lifetime trip allows adventurers to navigate themselves without a guide through the intoxicating alpine vistas, long stretches of amber hills, fjords, and dry forests found in the southern portions of Chile and Argentina.

Each of their 4X4 Jeep Wrangler Rubicons comes with an easy to use Garmin Navigational System set up with a smart GPS Ranger that keeps you posted on your chosen stops, hotels, and offers some history and scientific information about notable landmarks.

There are two basic itineraries they program into the GPS; one weighted towards naturalists and the other geared towards adventurers, though they’ll create custom itineraries based on your group’s vision. (You can book the entire car so no being stuck with weird strangers).

Some of the bucket-list activities to check off? How about the six mile hike up to the base of Torres del Paine in Chile, that passes through an ancient painted forest carpeted in old man’s beard (a moss that only grows in the purest air). Or  the short trek on top of Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, where at the end you are treated to glass of bourbon…on glacial ice. Also, hiking around iceberg  filled Lago Grey, horseback riding through Andean valleys and ambling around the cafe lined streets of El Calafate in Argentina?

Peppered in there are the sorts of unplanned novelties that can only happen when driving yourself though the great wide South American open, like gliding through a herd of rhea birds, admiring condors circling overhead and guanaco grazing in the distance, or simply stopping where ever you please just to bask in the sight of a snow capped mountain or cloud formation you found to be striking.

The Rubicon was a handsome fit, handling the narrow switchbacks and rocky back roads with ease and quenching a roadster’s desire to play. Quasar monitors the jeep via GPS and is connected to the jeep with a walkie talkie to tackle any problems, answer any questions and ensure you’ve made it to your destinations.

Despite the edgy feel of having a 4X4 to toy with, the hotels included are among the most luxurious wilderness lodges in Patagonia and give the trip a nice shot of romance. Local history is taken very seriously at The Singular Hotel and Spa, once a wool factory at the center of industry in Southern Chile, it is now a handsome hotel-slash-museum filled with early 20th century farming relics and designed modern and sleek with a classic gentleman’s touch. Its kitchen is one of the most savory in the area and is a great place to sample the local delicacy of guanaco (like alpaca). Patagonia Camp gets you back to nature in the most relaxing way possible in luxury yurts finished with glass ceilings, set before the gorgeous Lake Toro and Paine Massif. Tierra Patagonia and spa is an architectural feat, created to seamlessly flow with the environment, aerodynamically outside and inside with an interior crafted almost entirely out of beechwood. Views of Torres del Paine National Park from inside the rooms here make getting up the best kind of difficult.

There aren’t too many roads this far south, and most are paved, so getting actually lost isn’t so much of a threat. Though by venturing into the wild on your own accord, you do run the risk of never coming back.

More Information: Quasar Expedition’s Wild Patagonia trip costs from $5,950 per person for eight days. LAN operates regular flights to Punta Arenas. Guides are required for the hike in Torres del Paine and they cost about $300. Worth it in our book.

Matt Bell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Matt Bell is a travel and grooming writer. He's endured Thai face slapping massages, swam in a cage with crocodiles and…
Meet the man behind Serenbe, America’s most inspiring wellness community
Inside the creation of Serenbe: A biophilic community reshaping how we live, eat, and connect
Aerial shot of Serenbe

Few people have reinvented their lives—and the lives of others—as radically and impactfully as Steve Nygren. From pioneering Atlanta’s casual fine dining scene in the 1970s to founding Serenbe, a biophilic wellness community nestled in the hills of Georgia, Nygren’s journey is one of vision, values, and a deep commitment to living in harmony with nature.

What began as a spontaneous weekend drive to show his children farm animals eventually led to the purchase of 60 rural acres and a complete lifestyle shift. That grew into what is now Serenbe: a 1,400-acre community designed around the principles of sustainability, human connection, and holistic well-being. It is home to more than 1,500 residents, 700-plus homes, a boutique hotel, and one of Georgia’s first certified organic farms.

Read more
Delta asks SkyMiles members: Should we fly to Ibiza, Malta or Sardinia?
Malta coast

Between August 25 and 29, Delta Air Lines is holding the Route Race, where SkyMiles members and Delta people decide which European destination gets added to the schedule for Summer 2026. Voters can choose between Malta, Ibiza, and Sardinia. The innovative competition lets loyalty members and employees design the route map as no other airline has done in the past.

How the Route Race works

Read more
These are the most overcrowded beaches in the world
You'll have to fight for a spot at these beaches
La Pelosa

If you’re dreaming of a tranquil day by the sea, you may want to think twice before heading to some of the world’s most popular shores. According to a new study by Cloudwards, based on TripAdvisor reviews, several beaches that are famous for their beauty also rank among the most overcrowded. Researchers analyzed reviews for 200 of the world’s top beaches, focusing on complaint-related keywords like “dirty,” “overcrowded,” and “noise.” The results show that paradise can sometimes feel a little too packed.

Topping the list is La Pelosa in Sardinia, Italy, with 86.9% of reviewers citing issues with overcrowding. Known for its crystal-clear, Maldives-like waters and white sand, the beach draws thousands of visitors each summer, leaving little room to stretch out a towel. As one TripAdvisor user put it after visiting La Pelosa: “It was a weekday morning in mid-September, yet the crowds resembled central London or New York on New Year’s Eve.”

Read more