Your Itinerary
Day 1
Board your overnight flight to South America.
Day 2Arrival in Santiago, Chile
Welcome to Santiago, Chile’s capital. This country is more than 10-times longer than wide, with 2,650 miles of beautiful Pacific coastline. Rooms are ready so that you can freshen up and rest before taking a first look at Santiago.
Day 3Santiago
Step back into the 16th century as your Local Guide traces the city’s history and heritage. Start at La Moneda, the official Government Palace, and nearby San Cristobal Hill with its landmark statue of the Virgin Mary. Your tour ends at the Plaza de Armas, the main square, with a visit to the 18th-century Cathedral. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure. (B)
Day 4Santiago–Punta Arenas–Puerto Natales
Fly to Punta Arenas, situated on the Straight of Magellan. Travel through the endless Patagonian steppes, crossing trout-filled rivers, beech tree forests, and sheep ranches to Puerto Natales, gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. (B)
Day 5Puerto Natales–Torres del Paine National Park
A scenic drive takes you into mountainous Torres del Paine National Park. Keep an eye out for guanacos (a member of the llama family), foxes, swans, and a variety of birds. En route, visit the Milodon Cave, an impressive natural cave where a gigantic prehistoric Milodon fossil was discovered, a replica of which can be seen at the entrance of the cave. Continue admiring the massive granite peaks that originated more than 12 million years ago, including the iconic Torres and Cuernos del Paine. Stop at Laguna Azul, named after its blue shimmering waters, and Laguna Amarga, named for its bitter-tasting water due to high salt content. Also, see Cascada Rio Paine before arriving at your hotel. (B,D)
Day 6Torres del Paine National Park
Spend a full day exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site, where wildlife abounds. On today’s sightseeing you may be lucky enough to see hares, foxes, flamingos, guanacos, condors, rheas, or black-necked swans while traversing past glaciers, lakes, and pristine forests. (B,L,D)
Day 7Torres del Paine National Park–Punta Arenas–Via Australis
Depart this morning for Punta Arenas, where you will embark on a 4-night cruise aboard the expedition ship M/V Via Australis to the “uttermost part of the earth.” The voyage will take you through channels, bays, fjords, and past massive glaciers, snowcapped mountains, and unexplored areas of incomparable beauty. (B,D)
Day 8Cruising: Ainsworth Bay & Tucker Islet
Navigating through Almirantazgo Inlet, arrive near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where you enjoy a Naturalist-guided walk through a unique Magellanic forest. On the nearby beach, observe a colony of elephant seals. Later, board Zodiac boats to get an up-close view of colonies of penguins and cormorants in Tucker Islet. (B,L,D)
Day 9Cruising: Pia Glacier & Glacier Alley
Enter Pia Bay to visit the glacier of the same name, which originated over 40,000 years ago. Return to the boat to navigate part of the Beagle Channel that Captain Fitz Roy discovered in 1830 during his first expedition to the region (Charles Darwin was also a crew member on this voyage). Continue through majestic “Glacier Alley” with Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France, and Holland Glaciers. (B,L,D)
Day 10Cruising: Cape Horn & Wulaia Bay
Disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting) to see Cape Horn, a sheer, almost 1,394-foot-high rocky promontory where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge. In the afternoon, go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest aboriginal settlements. Here, walk through a Magellanic forest. (B,L,D)
Day 11Disembark–Ushuaia, Argentina
Arrive at the “End of the World,” Ushuaia, situated on the island of Tierra del Fuego. Once a secluded outpost and penal colony, Ushuaia is now a growing community thriving on timber, fishing, and tourism. This afternoon, visit Tierra del Fuego National Park to learn about its bountiful flora and fauna. With the Chilean Andes as the backdrop, the scenery is nothing short of spectacular. (B)
Day 12Ushuaia–Buenos Aires, Argentina
This morning, relax during a flight over the Andes before arriving in Buenos Aires, proud capital of the vast country that occupies most of the southern part of the continent. (B)
Day 13Buenos Aires
Your included sightseeing starts in the colorful La Boca district. Take a walking tour of this neighborhood and then on to San Telmo, famous for its late colonial buildings and a popular gathering spot for artists. At the Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada and the Cathedral that houses San Martin’s Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Colon Opera House before reaching the Cemetery of the Recoleta, burial site of Eva Peron. After an afternoon at leisure, perhaps join an optional dinner at a typical restaurant featuring Argentine steaks and other specialties, followed by a flawless performance of Latin America’s most sensuous dance—the Tango! (B,D)
Day 14Buenos Aires–Homebound Flight
A full day at leisure. Late-afternoon flight for the U.S. (B)
Day 15
An early morning arrival is ideal for making homebound connections.