Chile & Argentina with Australis Cruise

Kicking off your adventure in cosmopolitan Santiago, ringed by the snow-capped Andes and Chilean coastal range, upon your arrival at the airport, you’ll take a private transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure, perhaps taking in what’s often referred to as one of the best views in Latin America from the viewpoint at Sky Costanera, nearly 1,000 feet above the ground. Wandering the cobbled streets of older barrios is a must for the art enthusiast. You’ll also find plenty of parks to stroll through, casual and fine dining restaurants for sampling the local cuisine, and lively nightlife spots.

A private transfer returns you to Santiago’s airport to catch your flight to Punta Arenas, followed by a transfer to Torres del Paine National Park with granite pillars towering over 6,500 feet above the Patagonian landscape. Scenic trails wind through dense forest, passing lakes in hues ranging from turquoise to deep emerald, raging rivers, and a glistening blue glacier. Wildlife is abundant, including guanacos, a relative of the camel, flamingo, the ostrich-like rhea, and the Andean condor.

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Dinner

You’ll have three full days to explore Torres del Paine with a variety of activities on offer at your hotel. You can choose to discover it on horseback, two wheels, on foot, or by boat. Perhaps hike to the Grey Glacier or if you’re up to the task, embark on the more challenging, bucket-list Patagonia trek to the base of the three towers for which the park is named. A downhill bike ride at La Porfiada in the northeast and a ride on a Patagonian horse with panoramic views of the Paine Massif are just two of the many other options.

Excursions Included:
A variety of excursions on offer at the hotel

Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Transfer back to Punta Arenas to embark on your enchanting 4-night cruise. Arriving in the afternoon, you’ll check in and then board the ship at 6 p.m., enjoying a welcome toast and introductions to the captain and crew. Your vessel departs afterward, sailing toward one of the world’s most remote corners. Overnight you’ll cross the Strait of Magellan before entering a maze of channels. Watch the lights of the city fade as you travel into the wilds of the extreme southern portion of Patagonia, entering the Whiteside Canal with Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego to the east and Dawson Island to the west.

Meals Included:
Breakfast & Dinner

As the sun comes up, you’ll be cruising Admiralty Sound, home to leopard and elephant seals and other animals, with the snow-dusted mountains of Karukinka Natural Park stretching along the north side. The wide bays and deep fjords in Alberto de Agostini National Park lie along the south shore. You may be able to witness the wildlife, including many birds and a colony of southern elephant seals when traveling by Zodiac, going ashore at Ainsworth Bay. You’ll have the option to take one of two hikes before sailing on to the Tucker Islets, boarding a Zodiac again to see Magellan penguins close up.

Excursions Included:
Group tour to see the Magellanic penguins or a hike near a glacier in Brookes Bay

Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

By morning, having rounded the remote Brecknock Peninsula and entered Beagle Channel once again, the ship will travel through Pia Fjord. You’ll hop on a Zodiac and then take a short hike that provides a panoramic view of Pia Glacier that descends from the mountain peaks to the sea. It’s believed to be named after Princess Maria Pia of Savoy, though no one is certain. After returning to your vessel, you’ll cruise east through an area known as Glacier Alley. Get your camera ready to capture the many tidewater glaciers that flow from the Darwin Ice Sheet and the mountains along the north shore.

Excursions Included:
Group tour in the Pia Fjord with a short hike providing panoramic views of Pia Glacier

Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Cross into a remote archipelago where Cape Horn National Park is located this morning. If sea conditions and weather permit, you’ll step onto the island that’s home to the nearly 1,400-foot-high rocky promontory known as Cape Horn. It famously overlooks the rough waters of the Drake Passage, once serving as the only navigation route between the Atlantic and Pacific. Navigating the narrow Murray Channel next, anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, sketched by Captain FitzRoy and described by Charles Darwin in the 1830s during their adventurous voyages. Visit a museum housed in the old radio station and then choose from one of three hikes.

Excursions Included:
Group tour of Cape Horn National Park
Group tour of Wulaia Bay

Meals Included:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Sailing into Argentine waters, the ship will dock at the world’s southernmost city: Ushuaia. This is where the cruise portion of your trip ends. You’ll have time to say farewell to the captain, crew, and new friends made before transferring to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival to the so-called “Paris of the south,” a private transfer brings you to your hotel with the rest of the day enjoyed on your own. You might take an atmospheric stroll through neighborhoods like Belgrano and Recoleta with their Old World charm before finding an enticing café terrace to enjoy some people-watching.

Meals Included:
Breakfast

After 10 nights exploring Patagonia and beyond, it’s time to take a transfer to the airport in Buenos Aires to catch your flight back home or head out on further travels. If you’d like to spend more time in Argentina’s capital or discover other destinations, reach out to our travel experts who will be happy to help. Otherwise, we wish you a safe journey and hope to see you on another Unforgettable trip again soon.

Meals Included:
Breakfast