Compass Expeditions

Chile & Argentina: Drive through a breathtaking landscape as you visit Mythical Patagonia

Day 1:
Your Santiago airport transfer will take you directly to our joining hotel, ready for the early start tomorrow. Today you will meet your crew for your tour briefing and welcome dinner.

Day 2:
We take a short, early morning, flight south to Puerto Montt, the gateway to Patagonia and the mighty Andes. We shall take possession of our vehicles and depart Puerto Montt, it won’t be long before we are into the wilderness and catching our first ferry across the Relocncaví Estuary, offering superb views of the wooded coastline of this beautiful fjord. Tonight, we stay in Hornopirén spectacularly located on the edge of the Hornopirén National Park.

Day 3:
It’s a short drive today as we spend some time on ferries that form part of the Carretera Austral Road network, sailing between majestic fjords lined with forests. We exit the ferry at Caleta Gonzalo, beautifully located on the Reñihué fjord and the gateway to the Pumalín National Park, home to some of the most pristine wilderness areas left on earth, before arriving at Chaitén.

Day 4:
Today's drive is yet more breathtaking than the last. We continue through Pumalín National Park, a landscape of lush forests, waterfalls, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, and jaw dropping beauty. We continue south along the Carretera Austral until we take short boat ride to the serene Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa where we lodge for the evening.

Day 5:
We spend the day enjoying all Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa has to offer. Natural thermal hot springs spectacularly located on an island in a fjord and can only be accessed by a boat, it’s a real wilderness treat far from any settlement.

Day 6:
Leaving the lodge behind we enter the rainforests of the Queulat National Park before a 3-hour return trek in to see the amazing Ventisquero Hanging Glacier, a glacier that towers above a rocky cliff and calves into the valley below. We spend the night at Coyhaique located in the shadow of Cerro McKay.

Day 7:
Continuing along the Carretera Austral on a mix of paved and dirt roads we eventually reach the beautiful small village of Puerto Guadal, beautifully located in an inlet on the shores of the majestic Lago General Carrera, South America’s second-largest lake. We spend the next two nights here allowing us to explore this breathtaking region.

Day 8:
We will take a journey out onto Lago General Carrera to visit the remarkable rock formations and caves known as Capillas de Mármol or Marble Chapels. We can also drive the incredibly scenic Camino Exploradores out to the UNESCO listed Laguna San Rafael National Park or perhaps simply relax in the village for the day.

Day 9:
Our first border crossing today as we cross the Andes into Argentina. The drive is yet another scenic overload that will see us endlessly stopping for photos to take it all in. We are on the eastern, and much drier, side of the Andes now and hit the legendary Ruta 40 as we turn south before reaching the wonderful Santa Thelma Estancia, a still working sheep station in Argentinean Patagonia.

Day 10:
The scenery now is utterly different from the “other” side of the Andes; we are now in a vast desertscape of yawning valleys dotted with remote estancias. We drive south on the Ruta 40 before reaching the wonderful, and authentic, Estancia La Angostura, where we will experience a superb Asado, or BBQ, done the traditional Argentine way.

Day 11:
With the Andes to our right we travel south through an otherworldly sparse landscape of Patagonia’s eastern side of the Andes. We reach the village of El Chaltén, spectacularly located under the towering Mt Fitzroy that forms part of the equally spectacular Los Glaciares National Park.

Day 12:
We spend the morning on a cruise visiting the jaw dropping Viedma Glacier. Departing El Chalten we return to Ruta 40 catching views of Lago Viedma and then drive south until we reach Lago Argentino. We spend the next two nights i the provincial town of El Calafate allowing us time to explore this beautiful region.

Day 13:
Today we will visit one of Patagonia’s must see highlights the mighty Moreno Glacier. Standing on a boardwalk overlooking the face of the glacier and witnessing large chunks of ice calving into Lago Argentino is a jaw dropping experience. Described as the world’s most impressive glacier, we will take a boat out onto Lago Argentino to witness up close, as is possibly safe, this UNESCO listed glacial phenomenon.

Day 14:
And it only gets better, today we leave Argentina and cross back into Chile before getting our first glimpses of possibly the most iconic image of Patagonia, the Torres del Paine National Park, the cinematic scenery will leave you in awe, it is virtually indescribable. We spend two nights here allowing a full day to explore the park.

Day 15:
Today will be spent amongst soaring mountains, golden pampas, iceberg littered lakes and the occasional guanaco as we drive the tracks that form part of this epic landscape. Weather permitting, the sunsets over the Torres del Paine are the stuff of dreams and possibly the most scenic day of the entire journey.

Day 16:
Dragging ourselves away from Torres we skirt the shores of Last Hope Sound, via Puerto Natales, and with the Andes in our mirrors we drive east once again. Entering the vast pampas lands we reach the Magellan Straits where we take a ferry, possibly accompanied by Magellan dolphins, to our overnight stay at Cerro Sombrero, a tiny village in the far south of Chile with a population of 680 people.

Day 17:
We cross back into Argentina and drive on to the southernmost city on earth of Ushuaia, the end of the longest road on earth, The Pan American Highway that has its start in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Ushuaia is scenically located between the snow-capped Martial Ranges and the Beagle Channel. We spend two nights here allowing us time to further explore the region. This region has a wild remote feel about it and is the stepping off point for Antarctica cruises.

Day 18:
We spend time today driving out and exploring the beautiful Tierra del Fuego National Park and the very end of the Pan American Highway. This is a renowned landscape of jagged mountains, glacially formed valleys and Patagonian Forest. We can also enjoy a Beagle Channel Cruise, named after Darwin’s HMS Beagle, who sailed these waters in 1831.

Day 19:
A bit of backtracking today as we need to take the cars back into Chile. We again cross into Chile and stay at Porvenir where we shall visit the local King Penguin colony.

Day 20:
Our final driving day will see us cross the Magellan Straits again and turn due south to Punta Arenas, a cosmopolitan city in the Chilean far south. After three weeks of remote wilderness adventure Punta Arenas will feel positively huge but located on the Magellan Straits it still retains that “last frontier” feel to it.

Day 21:
It’s a flight back to Santiago today where we can celebrate our time being immersed in some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.

Learn more and book: https://compassexpeditions.com/tours/complete-patagonia/

Did you know: Patagonia Explorer is the only motorcycle tour to ever make the list?

National Geographic's highly acclaimed annual "Tours of a Lifetime" feature in National Geographic Traveler magazine highlights 50 of the world's most authentic, immersive, and sustainable guided trips. The editorial franchise focuses on off-the-beaten-path expeditions, cultural exchange, and deep local immersion rather than standard tourist trails – and Compass Expeditions “Patagonia Explorer” Tour is the only motorcycle tour to ever be awarded a place on the list.

In the words of National Geographic themselves:

"Few things are as thrilling as riding cross-country on a motorcycle with nothing between you and your surroundings. With the dramatic geography of Patagonia as your backdrop, this road trip—from the heart of the Lake District, across the Andes, and into Tierra del Fuego—ups the ante. It’s Motorcycle Diaries, only more comfy. You’ll stop for a boat cruise along the Moreno Glacier, camp in Torres del Paine National Park, dig into traditional asados (Argentine barbecue meatfests), and overnight at local farmhouses."

Learn more: https://compassexpeditions.com/tours/patagonia-explorer/

Our guides are the face of Compass Expeditions and they are tasked with ultimately providing our clients the very best experience.

All our guides are highly trained, spending a week in a classroom followed by months on the road before being put into a lead ride role position. Our guides consistently receive incredibly high praise from satisfied clients and, in our view, are the very best in the industry.

How many can you name?!

Peru Explorer is almost sold out for this year - just 2 spots remain.

A journey into a land of ancient empires, of wondrous antiquities and epic Andean and Amazonian scenery.

We enter renowned Incan sites, as well as delving into the mighty Amazon, all the while exploring the roads less traveled as they wind their way in amongst the towering snow-capped peaks of the Andes.

Nothing can prepare you for your first glimpses of the incomparable Machu Picchu or the thrill of driving through the Incan heartland of the Sacred Valley and onto the legendary Cusco.

This 4WD experience offers the perfect blend of renown antiquities, stunning scenery and remote Andean passes and jungle roads.

Booking info: https://compassexpeditions.com/tours/peru-explorer/

Two weeks from today you'll find us at carousing with friends old and new! Last year was a blast - will we see you there this time?

Love getting off the beaten track - "we were honoured by a visit from Compass Expeditions. Thank you for the time you spend in our small town we appreciate it" - thank you (repost).

Check out our Africa trips here: https://compassexpeditions.com/motorcycle-tours/africa/

Our itineraries are a big reason why so many of our guess return time and time again.

We do not research our tours online like most tour companies – every route is pre ridden / driven, every hotel visited, every restaurant eaten in and every excursion experienced before anything is ever released for sale… It’s a tough job but someone has to do it!

PICK YOUR WEAPON: CFMOTO 800MT EXPLORE VS 800MT-X

CFMOTO’s 800MT Explore and 800MT-X might share DNA, but out on the road and dirt they reveal two very different personalities. If you’ve been trying to decide between the CFMOTO 800MT Explore and the 800MT-X without riding them back-to-back, it’s easy to assume the differences are fairly minor. Same engine platform, same family name, similar pricing.
How different can they really be? Quite different, as Compass Expeditions' Pete Vorst found out...

While both bikes sit under the same 800MT umbrella, they approach adventure riding from opposite ends of the spectrum. One leans heavily toward adventure touring comfort and road tech, while the other feels purpose-built for riders who want to spend a lot more time standing on the pegs with dirt launched off the rear tyre.

At their core, both bikes are powered by CFMOTO’s KTM-derived 799cc LC8c parallel twin, and the two MT models share a significant amount of hardware. Bosch electronics feature heavily on both bikes, along with a six-speed gearbox, power-assisted slipper clutch and a very good bi-directional quickshifter that works cleanly whether you’re riding hard on bitumen or bouncing through rough terrain.

But despite the shared platform, the engines don’t feel identical.

The CFMOTO 800MT-X produces 95hp (70kW) at 8500rpm and 87Nm at 6750rpm, while the 800MT Explore makes 91hp (67kW) at 9250rpm and 75Nm at 8000rpm. On paper the horsepower difference looks negligible, but the extra torque and lower delivery point on the MT-X change the character of the bike noticeably. It feels punchier, stronger off the bottom and more eager driving out of corners or climbing loose terrain. The Explore counters with a smoother, more relaxed highway feel that suits long-distance touring better.

CFMOTO has also gone out of its way to separate the two bikes electronically.

The 800MT Explore is clearly the technology-heavy touring flagship of the pair, loaded with rider aids and road-focused convenience systems. It features six ride modes including Sport, Rain, Off-Road, Off-Road+, All-Terrain and All-Terrain+, allowing extensive adjustment of throttle response, traction control and ABS intervention depending on the terrain.

The more aggressive dirt-oriented settings even allow traction control reduction or deactivation, while All-Terrain+ can disable both front and rear ABS entirely.

The MT-X keeps things deliberately simpler. It runs just three ride modes — Standard, Rain and Off-Road — and the overall feel is less about menu-diving and more about riding. Rear ABS and traction control can be disengaged, although front ABS remains active, which is a slightly odd limitation considering the Explore allows full ABS deactivation front and rear.

Both bikes use Bosch cornering ABS and traction control supported by a six-axis IMU, but again the focus differs. The Explore prioritises touring safety and refinement, while the MT-X feels tuned to stay out of the way once conditions get rough.

So how do they compare on tech, suspension, off-road handling and price?
Read the full CFMOTO review + more pics here:

https://compassexpeditions.com/blog/cfmoto-800mt-explore-800mtx-review-price/
CFMOTO Motorcycles Australia ARIA TeamMoto Motorcycles Cassons Australia Motorcycle Pete Vorst

"I did the 21 day Portugal, Spain and Morocco trip, It was incredible. The accom and meals were first class and the roads we travelled were some of the best in the world. The ride leader and backup crew who looked after us went out of their way to make this trip one to remember. I rode with a great bunch of people and saw lots of incredible cities and sights along the way, my bike was a late model BMW and ran like a dream. The ride leader Felix was fantastic and actually made this ride something that I will never forget. Thanks Compass ..." - John R

21 Days across Spain, Portugal and Morocco: Explore Southern Europe and Northern Africa, a ride from the hills of Lisbon to the sands of the Sahara.

Departs again April 2027 - info here: https://compassexpeditions.com/tours/spain-portugal-and-morocco/

Two places have just come up on this year's long-sold-out Rising Sun trip!

Well-known as one of the safest countries to travel in the world, when you ride Japan with Compass you know that we will go to every length to ensure it's one of the best (and safest) experiences of your lives. Compass Founder Mick McDonald tells us all about his "last ever" research trip there:

"I knew we were in for a treat when we landed at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo watching as a smartly dressed baggage handler caught each bag, as it came off the baggage carousel chute, then either spun them around or flipped them over to make removing your bag from the carousel easy, it’s the first time I had ever seen this and was the start of a long list of firsts while in Japan.

On what will most likely be my last research trip [spoiler alert: it wasn't the last and likely still isn't], extraordinary Japan seemed to be a fitting end to researching new itineraries and this all new 15-day motorbike tour of Japan threatens to be the best one yet.

Departing Yokohama, within 20 minutes we were in the mountains on backroads that progressively became narrower and narrower until all that was left was a solitary 6ft wide single lane road that ascended and descended cedar clad mountains and valleys. The roads were empty as the low cloud lent an eerie light amongst the forests. With the sun breaking through a landscape of boutique rice fields interspersed with tiny Japanese villages, shone a brilliant green while we negotiated narrow lanes with wood carvers and stone mason workshops that stood a mere 2ft off the roadside – it was beautiful and seemed like a window into an ancient Japan.

Our first night was at the magnificent Takaragawa Onsen a traditional Ryokan where one is presented with bathers and a Yakuta (dressing gown) and Obi (belt) for use in the onsen (hot springs). Takaragawa is famous for having outside hot springs where Veronica & I ventured down at 10pm to have the dimly illuminated pools to ourselves in the otherwise complete darkness, for someone who hates the very idea of getting into a sauna / spa bath etc this was a special authentic Japanese experience.

"We spent the next day – all day! – winding and twisting our way through the endless valleys and mountain passes as we crossed the mountains of the Gumna Prefecture. The scenery was nothing short of astounding and any attempt here to aptly describe it would do it an injustice! Our destination was the legendary Japanese ski resort town of Hakuba.

Turning south we visited the magnificent Matsumoto Castle where Samurai warriors once fiercely fought to protect the castle, as did a sect of the Ninjas. This 400-year-old structure is one of Japan’s finest castles and offers a beautiful sight of a five-story black castle with a large moat crossed by a wonderful red footbridge. Our overnight stop was at the magnificent Hiyakan Onsen spectacularly located within the Chubu – Sangaku National Park, the route was again utterly breathtaking; Japan thus far was proving to be a revelation.

We crossed the Japan Alps via a series of incredible, utterly empty, backroads that wound their way, over, along and around the stunning lofty peaks. The Alps offered us some of the finest mountain scenery imaginable with narrow backroads littered with waterfalls, towering views of mountains all around and farmers tending their tiny rice plots in traditional villages hemmed in by the almost vertical walls of the forest covered peaks, it was magical stuff.

"Descending onto the shores of the Sea of Japan we wound our way along the wonderful coastal road that was sandwiched between mountain and sea. The narrow road visited tiny fishing villages and amazing rock formations climaxing at the stupendous Mitaka Gogo Lookout.

It has been over 30 years since I have been dazzled by an unexpected scenic wonder borne out of not knowing what I was going to see – the last time was Petra, Jordan, having never seen any photos of Petra I didn’t know what to expect and what I discovered left me awestruck. As we alighted from the chairlift at Mitaka Gogo we viewed a mighty vista of forest clad mountains, lakes and tiny hamlets surrounded by rice fields, I was once again left awestruck simply as I hadn’t known what to expect and it was immense, a rare thrill of somewhere that has not been Instagram-ed to death by obnoxious “influencers”, for some reason this stunning scene is known mostly only to locals.

We saw the week out as we again crossed Japan from coast to coast via an endless series of narrow winding roads as, we reached our destination of Onomichi, an old port city on the Seto Sea. Week one had seen us with an appreciation of a destination that continued to surprise us in the best ways possible.

Check out the full itinerary for Rising Sun Japan here: https://compassexpeditions.com/tours/rising-sun-japan/