Discovery Tour & Expedition Cruise In Argentina, Chile & Patagonia

Our journey begins today in the Argentinean capital, located on the southern shores of the Rio de la Plata. Since its founding by Pedro de Mendoza in 1536 the city has thrived on trade and its vibrant streets are filled with an eclectic mix of European architectural styles, with Spanish, French and Italian classicism rubbing shoulders with remnants of Victorian grandeur. Gaining independence from its Spanish overlords in 1816 the city grew to rival the great cities of Europe, its wide avenues and elegant squares earning it the title of the Paris of the South. This afternoon we will take a tour of the city, exploring the major landmarks around the Plaza de Mayo, site of the famous mass demonstrations by supporters of Juan Domingo Peron in 1945, organised by his wife Eva. We’ll also visit the elaborate mausoleums of the famous Recoleta Cemetery, the final resting place of some of Argentina’s most revered figures, including Eva Peron herself. Our tour will also takes us via Palermo Park and the colourful vibrancy of La Caminito in the La Boca district of the city. Settled originally by Italian migrants, the area is famed for its colourful houses and lively street performers. You can even come across the tango being performed of some street corners, highlighting the city’s connection with this most Latin of dances. This evening we have an opportunity to enjoy something of Buenos Aires’ dazzling nightlife and soak up the pulsating rhythms of one of South America’s most captivating cities.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel in Mansion Vitraux

This morning we transfer to the airport for the flight to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, spectacularly located on the Island of Tierra del Fuego at the very tip of the South American continent. Beyond this remote port lies the Beagle Channel and then the open waters of The Drake Passage, where the deep rich waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge amidst some of the most challenging seas on earth. This afternoon is free to explore this remarkable city at the ends of the earth. You might like to visit the Maritime Museum, housed in what was once the prison, to learn a little something about the harsh realities of life on these unforgiving oceans. A trip to the nearby Glacier Martial affords some superb views out across the Beagle Channel to the Chilean islands beyond, affording a glimpse of what lies ahead of us over the coming days (optional).

Overnight Comfortable Hotel in Hotel Fueguino Included meals: Breakfast

Tierra del Fuego translates as the ‘Land of Fires’ and today we have a full day exploring the wild and rugged coastline of the national park. Separated from Patagonia by the waters of the Magellan Strait, Tierra del Fuego is a landscape of lakes, forest and tundra, set beneath an imposing backdrop of ragged mountain peaks. We’ll follow a coastal trail on foot for some 3 hours, taking us through some of the most breathtaking scenery in the park. The park is home to Patagonian grey and rare Fuegian foxes, as well as condors, Magellanic woodpeckers and guanacos and there may even be a possibility of spotting rare sea otters during our day. Our walk finishes at Ensenada Bay, where we board a zodiac for a cruise out into the Beagle Channel to the nearby Redonda Island, where we can watch rocky cormorants nesting in the crevasses of the islands rocky shoreline. We’ll have a chance to disembark and explore the island, enjoying lunch in this remote spot, before continuing by boat to Lapataia Bay to view some more of the myriad of seabirds that nest and hunt amidst these inspiring landscapes. Returning to the shore we then drive back to Ushuaia to board the ship for the next 3 nights.

The MV Via Australis takes us  through the famous waters of the Beagle Channel, past Cape Horn and then into the Chilean Fjords to Punta Arenas. Your tour leader will introduce you to your ship’s crew and expert guides and then leave you in their capable hands for the duration of the voyage, rejoining you on your arrival in Punta Arenas in 3 days time. During the voyage we will be treated to series of audiovisual presentations on the region’s flora, fauna, geography, glaciology, ethnography and history. Our specialist guides accompany all our shore excursions by zodiac boats, that weather and sea conditions permitting, we plan to make regularly during the voyage. Unfortunately, the opportunities for walks on the shore are limited due to restrictions imposed by the Chilean authorities. In the evenings, after dinner, there is a chance to relax with more entertaining activities such as knot-tying lessons, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, bingo, visits to the engine rooms or you may just choose to relax by the ‘open bar’. This evening you will enjoy a safety briefing from the crew and a welcome cocktail reception with the captain, before setting sail and heading out into the Beagle Channel.

Overnight Comfortable Cabin in Mv Mare Australis & Mv Stella Australis Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

As we continue our journey through the Beagle and Murray Channels we have an opportunity to take in the rich majesty of these remarkable seas, keeping an eye open for some of the resident bird and mammal life that inhabit this area. These rich waters attract an abundance of seabirds, including albatross, petrels and South American terns, whilst the seas are the hunting grounds for sea lions, dolphins, minke and orcas, and occasionally southern right whales, so there should be plenty to keep us occupied. Weather and seas permitting we also hope to make landfall at the infamous Cape Horn, to look out across the deep and unpredictable waters of The Drake Passage. These almost mystical seas have seen the passing of many great sailing vessels and intrepid seamen for over 400 years and below the monument dedicated to those hardy souls we can find Magellan Penguins nesting amongst the rocks. Declared a UNESCO World Biosphere reserve in 2005 this was once the site of one of the largest native settlement in the region, and disembarking in Wulaia Bay we have an opportunity to wander through a landscape of rich vegetation to the lookout point. Later this evening we continue our journey.

Overnight Comfortable Cabin in Mv Mare Australis & Mv Stella Australis Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Weather and sea conditions permitting, this morning we will disembark near the Gunther Pluschow Glacier, approaching the aweinspiring landscapes of the Piloto and Nena Glaciers by zodiacs, which affords us a spectacular sight of these wondrous creations of Mother Nature. Re-boarding the ship again we then continue our journey, making our way up through the Chilean Fjords and sailing through a network of fjords and canals that weave through the many thousands of islands gouged by huge glaciers. Largely protected from the pounding seas of the Pacific by the towering peaks, the generally still waters provide haven to a myriad of birds, with flocks of ducks, gulls and skuas in abundance, as well the occasional porpoises and seals. These labyrinthine islands are perfect for exploring, affording us ideal opportunities to cruise amongst the channels and icebergs, perhaps even spotting Commerson’s dolphins playing amongst the deep cold waters.

Overnight Comfortable Cabin in Mv Mare Australis & Mv Stella Australis Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our final day on the water sees us calling in at Magdalena Island, where we find one of the largest colonies of penguins in southern Chile residing amongst the grassy vistas and below the steep sea cliffs. This tiny island is home to an astonishing 120,000 Magellanic penguins. We’ll take a walk up to the lighthouse, affording us an ideal opportunity to view these remarkable and amusing animals up close, before returning to the ship to sail the short distance onto Punta Arenas and the end of our incredible voyage. Founded in the mid 19th century Punta Arenas began life as a penal colony, growing rich on the facilities that it offered to shipping on the routes through the southern oceans, as well as its importance as a centre for sheep ranching. It is also home to a replica of the Nao Victoria - Magellan's Boat and, time permitting, there is the option to have a guided visit.After lunch we will head for Torres del Paine National Park, one of the world’s most beautiful, and a place described by Alberto de Agostini as “one of the most spectacular sights that the human imagination can conceive”. Blessed with an abundance of natural wonders the area was turned into national park in 1959 and covers 934 square miles of land. The park takes its name from the Tehuelche Indian word payne meaning pale blue, apt acknowledgment of the striking turquoise lakes that abound in this astonishing place. Our drive this afternoon takes us across the Patagonian Desert via Puerto Natales and the village of Cerro Castillo, arriving on the outskirts of the park this evening.

Overnight Standard Hotel in Hotel Rio Serrano Included meals: Breakfast

On our first morning here, we have our first opportunity to explore something of this inspiring landscape with a local guideby either taking a gentle 4hr walk alongside Laguna Verde or a bus ride around some of the park’s stunning scenery. Home to a wide variety flora and fauna it is not unusual to see large numbers of guanacos here, as well as black-necked swans, upland geese, pink flamingos and the odd grey fox snooping around the human food areas looking for an easy meal. We may even be fortunate enough to spot condors, or even the elusive puma, larger here than in any other place in the Andes. We’ll all meet for a lunch stop then we have the opportunity to either take a boat out onto the waters of Lago Grey (optional), or take a short walk onto one of its beaches to relax and soak up the scenery – Lago Grey is one of the largest lakes in the park, where icebergs calved from a huge glacier float down towards the beach, to be transformed into bizarre formations of incredible blue-hued majesty by the wind and water. Later this afternoon we will head back to our hotel via Salto Grande (time permitting) - a powerful waterfall – for a welldeserved rest at our hotel. Our second day will see us take a bus to Porteria Sarmiento from where we can take a relaxing 2 hr walk to Laguna Amarga. We’ll be picked up by the bus and head out to Laguna Azul via Cascada Rio Paine, where we can have lunch and those who wish can enjoy a short walk. There is also the chance for anyone who wishes to tackle the tough hike out to Mirador Los Torres (approx. 6-8 hours walking). Reaching over 2,600 metres the towers are just part of an impressive range of some 15 peaks rising above 200 metres, the highest of which is the Cerro Paine Grande, presenting us with one of the most breathtaking mountain vistas on the planet. Later in the afternoon we all drive back to our hotel together to reflect on the day’s activities.

Overnight Standard Hotel in Hotel Rio Serrano Included meals: Breakfast

After breakfast we depart for the Argentinean border at Cerro Castillo, from where we change buses for the continuing journey to the village of El Calafate on the southern shores of Lago Argentino. This unassuming little community has been declared the national capital of the glacier region and provides us with an excellent base from which to explore the spectacular ice giants of Los Glaciares National Park and in particular the immense grandeur of the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel in El Quijote Included meals: Breakfast

In the company of a local guide, today we will travel to one of the highlights of our journey, a setting that ranks as one of South America’s most magnificent sights, the Perito Moreno Glacier. Fed by the vast expanse of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the glacier covers some 250 sq km and presents us with an impressive list of statistics. It stretches for over 30km and at it deepest point is over 700m thick. It is advancing at a rate of 700 metres per year, but is estimated to calve off great chunks at probably the same rate, meaning that it has remained pretty much stationary for nearly a century. Where it meets the icy waters of the lake it presents a vast wall some 5km wide that towers on average some 60 metres above the surface of the water. From the Peninsula de Magallanes you can watch the dramatic calving process, as huge chunks of blue ice shear off the face of the glacier and plunge into the milky waters below. The process is an ongoing spectacle, a cacophony of rumbling, cracking and splashing occurring every few minutes; nature’s very own symphony and an awe inspiring sight to behold. If time and conditions allow there may be the option of organizing a two hour trek on the glacier, before returning to Calafate later this afternoon.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel in El Quijote Included meals: Breakfast

Flying back to Buenos Aires today we have a final afternoon free to enjoy Argentina’s bustling capital. This evening there may be an opportunity to enjoy a tango show (optional). Argentine tango is often considered to be the truly authentic form of this dance style, originating from the fusion of European, American and African dance styles that mixed together to create a vibrant new dance in the latter years of the 19th century. Such is the popularity of the dance in the city these days that December 11th has officially been declared ‘Tango day’ in Buenos Aires.

Overnight Comfortable Hotel in Mansion Vitraux Included meals: Breakfast

 The tour ends in Buenos Aires this morning after breakfast.

Included meals: Breakfast