Pumas & Patagonia Wildlife Photography Expedition 5 days 4 nights

Torres del Paine National Park Chilean Patagonia

Tour Type: Small Group Wildlife Photography | Duration: 5 Days/4 Nights | Group Size: Max 6 Guests
Base: Puerto Natales, Chile | Location: Torres del Paine National Park | Best Season: March–October

Experience the ultimate puma photography tour in Torres del Paine National Park, the world's best destination for wild puma photography. This 5-day Patagonia wildlife photography expedition offers guaranteed puma sightings with 95% success rate, delivering unmatched opportunities to photograph Patagonian pumas hunting, resting, and interacting with their cubs against the iconic backdrop of the Paine Massif.

Led by expert puma trackers with decades of experience, you'll spend four full days in the field during prime golden hours—sunrise and sunset—when pumas are most active. From private estancia access to strategic viewpoints at Laguna Amarga, Lago Pehoé, and Río Serrano, this is a puma photography workshop designed by photographers, for photographers.

Beyond pumas, capture guanacos, Andean condors, gray foxes, and the dramatic landscapes that make Patagonia photography legendary. With small group sizes (max 6), expert photography guidance, and flexible field schedules, this is the best puma safari in Patagonia for your portfolio and your soul.

Key Photography Targets: Patagonian Puma, Guanaco, Andean Condor, Gray Fox, Lesser Rhea, Chilean Flamingo

Day 1: Arrival Puerto Natales | Welcome & Photography Workshop

Photography Focus: Orientation, gear preparation, sunset landscapes

15:00 hrs – Check-in Hotel Glaciares de Puerto Natales Settle into your boutique hotel in Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. This charming town on the Última Esperanza Sound offers stunning Patagonian sunset photography opportunities along the waterfront promenade.

19:00 hrs – Welcome Dinner & Photography Workshop Join your expert puma photography guide for a welcome dinner featuring Patagonian lamb and local wines. Following dinner, participate in an exclusive Photography & Nature Workshop:

• Puma behavior and ecology: Understanding your subject

• Camera settings for wildlife photography: Fast action vs. low light

• Composition techniques: Environmental portraits vs. tight shots

• Ethical wildlife photography: Respecting puma space and park regulations

• Tomorrow's plan: Route strategy, weather briefing, sunrise timing

Accommodation: Hotel Glaciares de Puerto Natales (double/twin/single options available)
Meals: Dinner
Photography Notes: Charge all batteries; format memory cards; test telephoto lenses (400mm minimum, 600mm ideal); prepare layered clothing for tomorrow's early start

Day 2: Torres del Paine | Sunrise Landscapes & Full-Day Puma Tracking

Photography Focus: Puma photography, guanaco herds, golden hour landscapes, astrophotography

05:30 hrs – Pre-Dawn Departure Depart Puerto Natales in private 4x4 vehicles for Torres del Paine National Park, arriving before sunrise.

06:00 hrs – Sunrise Photography at Torres del Paine Capture the iconic Paine Massif as first light illuminates the granite towers. From privileged viewpoints, photograph:

• Las Torres (The Towers) – dramatic alpenglow on granite spires

• Los Cuernos (The Horns) – banded sedimentary peaks

• Cerro Paine Grande – highest summit in the park

• Lago Pehoé – mirror reflections with wind-sculpted waves

08:00 hrs – Full-Day Puma Tracking & Photography Begin intensive puma tracking with expert local guides who know every cat's territory, habits, and recent movements. Using 4x4 vehicles and spotting scopes, scan the Patagonian steppe for:

• Pumas hunting guanaco – the signature Patagonian wildlife behavior

• Puma family groups – females with cubs (March–May peak season)

• Pumas resting on rocky outcrops with mountain backdrops

• Puma behavior sequences: grooming, scent-marking, stalking

Prime Locations:

• Laguna Amarga sector – open steppe, excellent visibility

• Road to Lago Sarmiento – high puma density area

• Estancia Cerro Guido – private land access (with permits)

• Lago Pehoé shoreline – pumas hunting near water

14:00 hrs – Lunch & Landscape Photography Break for field lunch with Trekking to Mirador Cóndor for Andean condor photography—these massive vultures (3m wingspan) soar on thermals above the steppe.

Evening: Continue puma photography until last light.

20:00 hrs – Group Dinner at Hotel Glaciares Image review session and preparation for night photography.

22:00 hrs – Astrophotography Session (optional, weather permitting) Capture the Milky Way over the Paine Massif—minimal light pollution creates stunning night sky opportunities.

Accommodation: Hotel Glaciares de Puerto Natales
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Photography Notes: 10+ hours in field; bring portable hides for ground-level shots; burst mode essential for action sequences