Day 1
Take overnight flight to Santiago.
Day 2
Reception at Santiago airport and transfer to your selected hotel in the heart of the city.
Afternoon city tour of Santiago. We will pick you up from your hotel to explore the historic and modern sights of Santiago de Chile. We will start our tour at the Alameda Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago’s main avenue, visiting La Moneda, the Government Palace, where we will explain to you the historical and actual meaning of this place. We will enjoy a walk through the pedestrian streets of Huerfanos and Ahumada, where the main commercial activity of the city is concentrated. We will then visit the famous Plaza de Armas, the main square of the city, which is surrounded by the Metropolitan Cathedral and other historical buildings such as the City Hall and the Post Office, both dating from colonial times. Next we head to Santa Lucia Hill, the hill upon which the Spanish founded Santiago in 1541. It is a lone steep rock, with many plants and an antique building rising steeply from the city below. From here you can see the Parque Forestal (park) on one side and the Mapocho River on the other. We will cross the river to visit Bellavista, the cultural and artistic neighborhood of Santiago. Return to your hotel.
Day 3
Full day of touring around Santiago. On this day you may choose from one of the following excursions: Vina del Mar and Valparaiso; Valle Nevado; Isla Negra - Pablo Neruda Museum; Cousińo Macul and Concha y Toro wineries.
Day 4
Santiago - Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales
Transfer to the airport to take the flight to Punta Arenas. Reception at the airport and transfer to the bus station to take the bus to Puerto Natales. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel. Evening at leisure to rest before your excursion to the Torres del Paine Park.
Day 5
Torres del Paine National Park
Full day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park. Enroute we will visit the Milodón Cave, where the remains of a prehistoric animal were found in the last century. The Torres del Paine National Park was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978. The park covers an area of 160,000 hectares. The most important attraction is the central mountain range where the Horns of Paine are found, and also the needles which were formed by the action of the many glaciers surrounding the rock. There are also many impressive lakes, glaciers, waterfalls and a quite varied flora and fauna—which makes this one of the most famous places in Chile to visit. Lunch (included) is in a restaurant in the park itself. Transfer to a hosteria in the park in the late afternoon.
Day 6
Torres del Paine
Day of leisure in Torres del Paine. Optional excursions available at the Hosteria (see below for sample excursions offered at Hosteria. Exact options will depend on lodging available for confirmation). Overnight in Torres del Paine.
Day 7
Torres del Paine - Punta Arenas
Morning of leisure. Afternoon, transfer to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Day 8
Transfer to the port to embark on the expedition cruise ship Stella or the Via (Saturday or Tuesday only) . The ship will begin boarding at 6 pm and the captain and crew will give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship will set sail for the uttermost part of the earth. Through the Strait of Magellan, we will travel to Southern Patagonia, including Tierra de Fuego. This is the beginning of a great adventure!
Day 9
Ainsworth Bay - Brookes Glacier
During the dawn’s early light, our ship will continue navigating through Almirantazgo Inlet, until arriving near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where we will enjoy a walk to discover a beaver dam in the midst of a marvelous Magellanic forest. On the beach, we will observe a colony of elephant seals. Continuing the voyage, we will reach Brookes Glacier Bay, which is surrounded by several glaciers, providing an awe-inspiring spectacle. Here, we will walk near Brookes Glacier.
Day 10
Pia Glacier - Glacier Alley
We will navigate the main part of the Beagle Channel to enter Pia Bay and disembark near the glacier of the same name. We will take an excursion to a lookout point that is ideal for viewing the mountain range where the glacier originates and its flow all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we will sail again along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland glaciers.
Day 11
Cape Horn and Wulia Bay
We sail through the Murray Channel and Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). The mythical Cape Horn was discovered in 1616, and it is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, and it is known as the “End of the Earth”. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.
In the afternoon, we go ashore at historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlement. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point.
Day 12
Ushuaia
Arrival in Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city in Tierra de Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We will disembark at 8 a.m. Departure to Tierra del Fuego National Park, located only 12 kilometers (7 miles) away from the city. It preserves typical species of the Andean-Patagonic Forest, such as firebushes, beech trees, ńires, box leafed barberries and flowers, spread in an area of 63,000 hectares. Before entering the park, board the Train to the End of the World and enjoy an unforgettable trip along the original embankment where the old prisoners’ train ran until 1947 for their expeditions in search of wood for heating. The highlight of the park is Lapataia Bay, the southernmost tip of the continent, with a wonderful view of the Beagle Channel. Here, the old inhabitants of the area have left their testimony in the “concheros,” incredible archeological deposits. Afternoon, transfer to the airport to take the flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Day 13
Tour of Buenos Aires, an impressive city that combines the atmosphere of an old European town with that of a Latin American capital. On this tour, you will come to appreciate its characteristics, its history, its architecture, its culture and its best stories. We will visit the center of the city, San Telmo, La Boca, Puerto Madero and Palermo, with stops in Plaza de Mayo, Caminito and La Recoleta. Tour is done on group basis and may involve wait times picking up other
passengers at different hotels. We recommend that this tour be done
privately in order to avoid this, at an additional cost of $ 42 per person,
based on two people ($ 84 based on one person).
Evening tango show
At night, you will be treated to an unforgettable tango show performed by the best dancers and singers, while enjoying a delicious meal. This is the perfect way to leave Buenos Aires, the city of tango. Return to the hotel.
Day 14
Fiesta gaucha
Full-day excursion to an estancia for a typical barbeque lunch and a folklore/gaucho show. Here we will learn about the customs of the Argentinean gaucho and his abilities on the horse that will leave you breathless. The meat will be cooked “a lo gaucho,” outdoors on the barbeque. Lunch and drinks included. Afternoon, return to Buenos Aires. Duration: 6 hours. Operates every day except Monday.
Day 15
Morning of leisure in Buenos Aires
Evening, transfer to the airport to take the flight back home.
South America Combined Country
The Stella
Glacier in Torres
Santiago
