Santiago, Torres del Paine, and Patagonia Cruise

Depart to Santiago via overnight flight.

After passing through immigration and customs, proceed to the reception area, where our inbound services representative will be holding a sign with your name on it. You will be greeted and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Santiago. Note: Check-in time is 2:00 PM. We can request early check-in but cannot guarantee it.

In the morning, you will have a panoramic city tour of Santiago, which will include Parque O’Higgins, Plaza de Armas (the city’s historic center), Palacio de la Moneda, ex-National Congress, Mapocho Station Cultural Center, Santa Lucia Hill, the place of Santiago’s founding in 1541,and the Bohemian district of Bellavista. In the afternoon, you will visit your choice of one of the following vineyards around Santiago (included in price): Concha y Torro, Cousino Macul, and Undurraga. Overnight in Santiago. (B)

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, you will be taken from the airport by van (+/- five hours of travel time) to Torres del Paine. For Hotel Las Torres (3/4 Star accommodations), en route (after traveling for two hours), you will visit the Cerro Negro cattle ranch and see first-hand the lifestyle of the settlers at the end of the world and roam around the beautiful colonial house. Depending on the time of arrival, the visit will include a traditional Magallanes-style barbeque. Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L,D)

Choose from one full-day or two half day optional excursions (included in the cost of the tour). Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L,D)

Choose from one full-day or two half day optional excursions (included in the cost of the tour). Overnight in Torres del Paine. (B,L,D)

Check in at the Cruceros Australis office in Punta Arenas from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cruise-ship boarding at 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterward, the ship departs for “the uttermost part of the earth”. Our excursion will take us through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure! Overnight aboard the Ship. (D)

At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound until finally arriving near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where we enjoy a walk to discover a beaver dam in the midst of a marvelous Magellanic forest. On the beach we observe a colony of Elephant Seals. Later we visit Tucker Islet, where we view colonies of Magellanic Penguins and Cormorants from the Zodiac boats. The islet’s penguins migrate in April; as a replacement we visit Brookes Bay, for a short walk to see a glacier. Overnight aboard the Ship. (B,L,D)

We navigate through the main part of Beagle Channel to reach Pia Bay, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a lookout point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we sail again along the northwest arm of Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland glaciers. Overnight aboard the Ship. (B,L,D)

We sail through Beagle and Murray channels to reach and disembark in Cape Horn National Park (weather permitting). Cape Horn, on Hornos Island, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory. This mythical place is known as the “End of the Earth”; a visit is a singular privilege. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005. In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest aboriginal settlements. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coigües, Canelos, ferns and other native vegetation to reach a lookout point. Overnight aboard the Ship. (B,L,D)

Arrival at Ushuaia, Argentina’s most important city on Tierra del Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. (Disembarkation is at 8:00 a.m. or 9:30 a.m., depending upon the departure). (B)