Track Wild Pumas and Photograph Them on Foot in Patagonia, March 2027

For wildlife photographers who want more than photographing predators from a vehicle, Jennifer Hadley Photography’s Patagonia trip offers a very different proposition.

From 10–17 March 2027, Jennifer Hadley Photography will take a group of only five guests into the landscapes surrounding Torres del Paine for a seven-night wildlife photography trip focused on tracking wild pumas and photographing them on foot.

The experience includes six days in the field, with five full days dedicated to puma tracking and photography. The team searches for pumas by vehicle with experienced local guides and a dedicated tracker scouting ahead. Once pumas are located, photographers get out with their equipment and continue the experience on foot.

That distinction is central to the trip. Rather than remaining inside a safari vehicle, guests have the opportunity to photograph wild pumas at ground level as they move through Patagonia’s open steppe, hills and valleys.

The programme combines time in and around Torres del Paine National Park with special access to private estancia land. These permits give the group access to additional puma habitat beyond the areas normally available to general visitors.

A dedicated puma tracker travels separately and scouts ahead for animal movements, while the local guiding team uses its knowledge of individual cats, behaviour and terrain to help the group make the most of each encounter.

With only five guests, the experience is deliberately small. The group size gives photographers more room to work in the field, greater access to Jennifer’s guidance and a quieter environment around wildlife.

Jennifer Hadley personally hosts the trip and provides photography support throughout the journey, helping guests with camera settings, composition, wildlife behaviour, field technique and image-making decisions as sightings develop. Editing support is also available during the trip.

For photographers researching a puma photography tour in Patagonia, the experience is designed around spending meaningful time in the field rather than rushing between sightings.
Early starts, long periods following wildlife and changing Patagonian light all form part of the photographic process.

The trip is not limited to pumas either. Wildlife photographers may also encounter guanacos, condors, foxes, owls, caracaras and Magellanic woodpeckers, while the surrounding mountains, glacial lakes and open landscapes create opportunities for broader Patagonia wildlife and landscape photography.

The physical nature of the experience is worth considering before booking. Guests need to be in good physical condition, carry their own photography equipment and be comfortable moving across uneven and sometimes brushy terrain. When a puma is travelling, photographers may follow its movement on foot.

For previous guest Ronnie G, that combination of local expertise, tracking and photography became one of the defining experiences of the trip.

“The local guides Jennifer engaged were exceptional, together they always had us in the right place at the right time for the landscape photography (sunrise/sunset), when walking with pumas and to enable all of us to get that video/photography of pumas walking right towards us. I can't put into words how captivating that moment was for me — just the highlight of my year!”

The seven-night package includes accommodation, all meals including the welcome dinner, professional local guides, a dedicated puma tracker, park passes, private estancia access, all transfers including airport transfer, and wine, beer and soft drinks with dinner.

International flights, the flight to Port Natales, laundry and gratuities for guides and staff are not included.

The March 2027 departure is priced from USD $10,800 per person for shared accommodation. A single-room option is available from USD $12,000, and a USD $1,500 non-refundable deposit secures a place.

There are currently only three spaces remaining.

For photographers considering a Torres del Paine puma photography tour, the appeal lies in the combination: a five-person group, specialist local guides, a dedicated tracker, private-land access, hands-on photography support and the opportunity to step out of the vehicle and photograph Patagonia’s wild pumas on foot.

Booking and availability enquiries can be made directly through Jennifer Hadley Photography.