Day 1: Buenos Aires

For your added comfort, you will have an English-speaking guide waiting for you outside of Customs with a sign with your name on it. Your representative will help you to co-ordinate meeting up with your private driver and accompany you to your accommodation.

Accommodation: Sofitel Buenos Aires (formerly The Brick)

Located in the sophisticated neighborhood of Recoleta, which is characterized by its neoclassical architecture, the hotel stands out in stark contrast thanks to its contemporary style and its imposing brick facade. This upscale hotel highlights the best of European heritage, inspired by its Argentine roots. It provides a space for different works by local artists, such as the imposing sculpture by Gerardo Wolgemuth, which takes center stage in the lobby. Allow yourself to be amazed by this five-star hotel's architecture, inspired by a utilitarian style, which will take you back in time to the 17th century, a testament to how such a universal material can be fashionable and retain its value over time.

Day 2: Buenos Aires

Meet your professional driver and private guide at your hotel for a of Buenos Aires that features rare and ancient passages. The recently discovered tunnels of Buenos Aires are one of the city’s best kept secrets. Your tour will start at the Plaza de Mayo, the city’s founding site and birthplace of Buenos Aires’ urban development. Next is trendy San Telmo, a former enclave for the local aristocracy. Here, you’ll visit one of the recently unearthed subterranean tunnels that is part of a huge labyrinthine network that hides under the streets of San Telmo. A long corridor with vaulted ceilings and display cabinets exhibiting many items recovered during the excavation, you will also learn some of the many myths have been created around the tunnels: stories of secret encounters, disappearances, political conspiracies, even murder.

Other areas that are included in your tour include La Boca, a neighborhood strongly influenced by working class Italian immigrants. Characterized by make-shift houses built from scrap materials found in local shipyards and Puerto Madero. Buenos Aires’ latest and most sophisticated neighborhood, La Recoleta, is where you will enjoy a brief break to explore the gorgeous Plaza San Martín, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar, and the celebrated Recoleta Cemetery. Some of the most important characters of Argentina’s political and cultural life are buried here, including Eva Peron. The last stop on the tour is at the area known as Palermo Woods, an area adorned with beautiful rose gardens, forest formations and lakes. After having gained a deeper insight in this culturally rich city, you will be returned to your hotel.

Tonight, you will enjoy a Tango Show and dinner at El Querandi. You will be picked up at your hotel in a private vehicle by a professional driver and a bilingual tour guide.

Since 1867, this big old house has been established in the historic center of the City. It was founded as a bar in 1920, restored in 1992 and is now considered a “Living Evidence of the Civic Memory”. Its capacity for two hundred people, seated at individual tables, combined with its wreathed columns, boisserie and deep shaped wood, creates a romantic and intimate atmosphere. There are thirteen artists involved, including four musicians (bandoneón, piano, violin and double bass), six tango dancers, and three singers. This electric show starts at 10 pm and lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. The A la carte menu offers more than twenty main dishes, “Finca Flichman” wines, beverages and mineral water, Dessert, coffee and a final toast with champagne. Return to your hotel will be with a private vehicle and driver.

Accommodation: Sofitel Buenos Aires (formerly The Brick)

Day 3: Buenos Aires

During your day at leisure consider taking a riverboat to Tigre which lies on the Paraná Delta, English-style rowing clubs, countless marinas, humble dwellings and elegant mansions from the “Belle Époque”, such as the Tigre Club,are to be seen, as well as small pensions and upscale lodges, restaurants, tea-houses and simple picnic sites. If the outdoors are your passion, head out to a nearby "Estancia" where you can  enjoy a BBQ lunch or perhaps a traditional folklore show. Or spend the day in Uruguay visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Colonia del Sacramento. You can even rent a bike and enjoy the sites and sounds of BA at your leisure, from the zoo to the rose garden, it's yours to discover. If you are interested in art, tango, cooking or exploring the cafe culture of Buenos Aires, consider a themed private tour. Just ask your Destination Expert for more details in figuring out the most suitable options for you.

Home to extravagant, delicious asado barbecues and fresh Atlantic seafood complemented by fine Argentinean wine, Buenos Aires is a culinary treasure. Tonight, discover Argentinean cuisine firsthand as you are provided with round-trip car service to the restaurant of your choice. Reservations will be made in advance. Our Destination Experts top recommendations for fine dining in Buenos Aires include: Tegui, Aramburu, Chila, Oviedo and Casa Cavia. Please note: Your meal is not included and will be paid for on location. Reservations are confirmed at the time of booking and are subject to availability.

Accommodation: Sofitel Buenos Aires (formerly The Brick)

Day 4: Buenos Aires - El Calafate

A private airport transfer with a professional driver and English-speaking guide is included between your Buenos Aires hotels and domestic airport (or vice versa)

Fly from Buenos Aires domestic airport to El Calafate. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 15 minutes. Please note that flights are subject to change based on availability and are a separate purchase.

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver and English-speaking guide.

Accommodation: Xelena Hotel & Suites

Quiet and majestic, Lago Argentino (Argentine Lake) grants Xelena Hotel & Spa that peculiar elegance and beauty conveyed by the Patagonian spirit, designed for guests to enjoy the best landscapes of Argentine Patagonia. Comfort and warmth define the hotel’s personality and make the perfect match with the personalized attention and services that it offers its guests. Magic and natural, the Xelena Hotel & Spa on the banks of the Argentine Lake (Lago Argentino), captures unforgettable images that will allow you to experience a personal experience with a unique natural environment.

Day 5: El Calafate

This is the old Estancias route that historically links Patagonian culture, its indigenous peoples, steppe and pioneers. It’s a great option for travelers seeking a more exclusive experience of the area or take advantage of a different vantage point on some of the key landmarks of the National Park Los Glaciares, which runs from the steppe to the Perito Moreno Glacier. Your pick-up from the hotel is around 9 am and the tour follows the route of Patagonian ranches past Lake Roca until you reach the access point to the National Park. Soon after, you arrive at one of the best places to get a taste of the gaucho lifestyle: the Estancia Nibepo Aike. It’s great for horseback riding, and during this visit you can enjoy a sheep shearing demonstration and observe some amazing gaucho skills. Taste a delicious traditional lunch with salads, Patagonian lamb, fine wines and crêpe de dulce de leche. After lunch you board the ‘Hautal’ a small rubber boat, with a maximum capacity of 14 people and equipped with a cabin and heating system.  It leaves from “Pioneers’ Quay” on a circuit that offer you some magnificent vistas on Adriana and Moreno Hill and the Magellan Peninsula until you disembark at De las Monedas Beach. Here you can go for a brief and delightful walk that allows you to appreciate the sheer magnitude of Perito Moreno Glacier as seen from Glaciar Sur. Continue on the boat along the southern front of Perito Moreno Glacier until you reach “Bajo las Sombras” Port, where a vehicle awaits to take you to the traditional viewing catwalks.  You have two hours to enjoy this exploration with the afternoon sunlight providing particularly unique glacier views. The tour finishes with a drive back to town and you will have completed a circuit that connects ranches, the Roca Lake, part of Argentino Lake and Perito Moreno Glacier with the nature, history and culture of the area. Only 14 people out of the 2,000 visitors that enter the National Park daily will be able to savor this magic experience, making this a very special tour.

Accommodation: Xelena Hotel & Suites

Day 6: El Calafate - Ushuaia

Enjoy a private airport transfer with a professional driver and English-speaking guide.

Domestic flight between El Calafate and Ushuaia. Flights are subject to availability. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes. An airport tax of $25- $40 pp is not included in the ticket and must be paid in the airport upon departure. Separate purchase.

A private airport transfer with a professional driver and English-speaking guide is included (between Ushuaia hotel and airport or vice versa).

Accommodation: Arakur Resort & Spa

Set in a privileged location, Arakur Ushuaia is located within Cerro Alarkén Natural Reserve, just minutes from downtown Ushuaia and its major attractions. With a design based on sustainable architecture, Arakur Resort & Spa extends along a spectacular natural balcony situated 250 meters above sea level, surrounded by stunning panoramic views, native forests, natural terraces and green areas harmonically integrated into the environment. The magnificent Lobby welcomes the guests with its large windows, the warmth of their fireplaces, and a sophisticated decor made with materials such as wood, stone and natural fabrics. Arakur is much more than a luxury hotel –it is an experience that will be etched in the memory of its visitors.

 

 

Day 7: Ushuaia

Partake in a half day private tour with your own vehicle, driver and guide to explore the Tierra del Fuego National Park, situated seven miles (11 kilometers) from Ushuaia. The park was established in 1960 with the intention of protecting the southernmost portion of the sub Antarctic forest and is made up of 63,000 hectares. Unlike many other parks, it combines the ocean, forests and mountains. The biological richness of the Tierra del Fuego Island with its beautiful scenery is simply stunning. You can find animals such as red foxes, cauquenes, ducks, Patagonian wood peckers and more than 90 species of birds that are part of the Fuegian fauna, as well as beavers and rabbits, which were introduced to the island by colonizers. The forest is formed by lengas, guindos, ñires and valleys of peat and lichens. Ensenada Bay, Lake Roca and Lapataia Bay (the end of the Pan-American Highway that connects Alaska and Tierra del Fuego) give color to this unique place where we can still find reminders of the ancestral inhabitants: the yámanas. At the end of the tour you will be brought back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Arakur Resort & Spa

Day 8: Ushuaia - Patagonia Cruise - Beagle Channel

This morning you will be picked up from your hotel by a professional driver and private guide, then make the trip to Ushuaia. Here, you will visit the Australis cruise terminal to register for your upcoming cruise and drop-off your luggage. Afterward, you will visit the Maritime Museum with your guide and, following this tour, you will be delivered to Casimiro Restaurant. Located just steps from the Australis cruise terminal, here you will be left to enjoy your pre-fixe lunch, after which you will make the short walk to board your Patagonia cruise.

Today you’ll check in for your cruise at 409 San Martín Avenue in downtown Ushuaia between 10:00 and 17:00, with boarding beginning at 6 PM. After a welcoming toast and an introduction to captain and crew, the M/N Ventus will set sail for one of the most remote corners of planet Earth.

Port charges are included in your itinerary pricing.

During the night, the captain will traverse the Beagle Channel and cross from Argentina into Chilean territorial waters. The lights of Ushuaia disappear as the ship turns into the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands.

Accommodation: M/N Ventus Australis

Ventus Australis – Latin for "Southern Wind" – reflects Tierra del Fuego's distinctive weather, a factor that has long determined the region's socio-cultural development and that so impressed the early mariners who endeavored to explore Patagonia's southernmost waterways. Tailor-made for exploring the remote southern tip of South America, all aspects of this 210-passenger ship - including size, length, draft and engine power - are designed to provide Ventus Australis with the utmost maneuverability necessary to navigate through narrow fjords and channels where no other cruise ships can venture. Experience the remoteness of Patagonia aboard the Ventus Australis, the newest luxury liner to grace the waterways of South America.

Day 9: Cape Horn - Patagonia Cruise

Around the break of dawn, the M/N Ventus will cross Nassau Bay and enter the remote archipelago that comprises Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, head ashore on the windswept island that harbors legendary Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos). Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition -- and named after the town of Hoorn in West Friesland -- Cape Horn is a sheer 1,394 foot high (425 meter) rocky promontory overlooking the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic, and was often referred to as the "End of the Earth." The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Chilean navy maintains a permanent lighthouse on the island, staffed by a light-keeper and his family, as well as the tiny Stella Maris Chapel and modern Cape Horn Monument.

Sailing back across Nassau Bay, the anchor is set at fabled Wulaia Bay, one of the few places in the archipelago where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment. Originally the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements, the bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages on HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for its mesmerizing beauty and dramatic geography. After a visit to the Australis-sponsored museum in the old radio station -- which focuses on the Yámana people and European missionaries in the area -- passengers have a choice of three hikes (of increasing degrees of difficulty) that ascend the heavily wooded mountain behind the bay. On each of these, you will stroll through an enchanted Magellanic forest of lengas, coigües, canelos and ferns to reach panoramic viewpoints overlooking the bay.

Accommodation: M/N Ventus Australis

Day 10: Pia Glacier - Patagonia Cruise

Overnight, the ship will cruise around the western end of Tierra del Fuego via the very narrow Gabrial Channel, Magdalena Channel and Cockburn Channel. After rounding the remote Brecknock Peninsula, the M/N Ventus tacks eastward and enters the Beagle Channel again. By morning, this ship will be entering the Pia Fjord, at which time you’ll board a Zodiacs for a shore excursion to Pia Glacier. After disembarking, take a short hike to find a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea, or participate on a longer and more difficult walk up a lateral moraine of the old Pia Glacier. No one knows for certain how the hulking mass of snow and ice got its feminine moniker, but one theory says it was named for Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911), daughter of the Italian king.

Navigating further west along the Beagle Channel, the ship will enter a long fjord and drop anchor near Garibaldi Glacier for another shore excursion. Garibaldi is one of only three glaciers in Patagonia gaining mass rather than staying the same or shrinking. This time you’ll hike through virgin Magellanic forest to a glacial waterfall, a towering wall of ferns and moss, and spectacular viewpoints looking down on the glacier and fjord. The walk is demanding -- very steep, negligible trail, rough footing -- and not for everyone. For those who choose to stay onboard, the captain will point the bow towards the beautiful sky blue Garibaldi Glacier so everyone can enjoy the panoramic view from the upper decks.

Accommodation: M/N Ventus Australis

Day 11: Agostini Sound - Patagonia Cruise

Early in the morning, the ship will sail through the Cockburn Channel and enter Agostini Sound.  From there it is possible to see the glaciers that descend from the middle of the Darwin Mountain Range -- some of them reaching the water. Here you’ll disembark and set out on an easy walk around a lagoon, which was formed by the melting of the Águila Glacier. Soon after reaching shore, you’ll reach a spot right in front of the glacier that affords spectacular views. 

In the afternoon, approach the Condor Glacier via Zodiac and – with luck – see some of the abundant Andean Condors in the area.

Accommodation: M/N Ventus Australis

Day 12: Punta Arenas - Santiago

After an overnight cruise through Magdalena Channel and back into the Strait of Magellan, the anchor will be set off Magdalena Island, which lies about halfway between Tierra del Fuego and the Chilean mainland. Crowned by a distinctive lighthouse, the island used to be an essential source of supplies for navigators and explorers and is inhabited by an immense colony of Magellanic penguins. At the break of dawn, weather permitting, go ashore and hike a path that leads through thousands of penguins to a small museum lodged inside the vintage 1902 lighthouse. Many other bird species are also found on the island. In September and April - when the penguins dwell elsewhere - this excursion is replaced by a ride aboard Zodiacs to Marta Island to observe South American sea lions. Please note: Camera extension poles are prohibited on Magdalena Island

After a short cruise south along the strait, disembarkation at Punta Arenas is scheduled for around 11:30 AM.

Welcome to Chile!

Enjoy a private pier transfer with professional English speaking guide and driver.

Enjoy a direct flight from Punta Arenas to Santiago (not included). Flights are subject to availability and are purchased separately. Total travel time is approximately three and a half hours. Direct flights are subject to availability at time of booking. This flight may operate with a stop in Puerto Montt.

To ensure your comfort, an English-speaking guide will be waiting for you outside of Customs holding a sign with your name on it. This representative will direct you to your awaiting vehicle and driver, and accompany you to your hotel to assist with check-in.

Accommodation: The Singular Santiago

The Singular Santiago is a five-star luxury hotel located in the Lastarria Neighborhood in the heart of downtown Santiago. The hotel was designed specifically to fit seamlessly into this iconic neighborhood, which epitomizes the pride and creativity of the people of Santiago. The rooms and suites at The Singular Santiago offer an alluring blend of the classic and the contemporary and balance modern comforts with the charm of a bygone era. Though the hotel is brand new, your room will have an air of classic comfort. Tasteful touches, rich wood, supple leather, different color schemes and soft lighting create a warm, welcoming environment within which to unwind after a day of exploring the city.

Day 13: Santiago

Today you will experience a gastronomic tour like few others as you taste your way through Santiago on this informative, scenic and above all, delicious city tour. As this outing includes quite a few tastings, a light breakfast is recommended in the morning.

After being picked up by your guide and driver, you will make your way to La Vega Central Food Market to take in the sights and sounds of this bustling marketplace which offers some of the best and freshest produce that the fertile lands of Chile have to offer. Your next stop is the Mercado Central, a historic and sprawling square in the heart of downtown Santiago that offers a dizzying array products from the Pacific, first opened in 1872. After touring Mercado you will make a quick stop to enjoy a traditional Chilean empanada at a local favorite.

Following your time in the square, carry on to downtown Santiago and Cerro Santa Lucia, an iconic landmark dating back to the 1540’s and also stroll through the Plaza de Armas, a common meeting place for locals and tourists alike. Here you will also find the Santiago Central Post Office, the National History Museum, and Santiago City Hall. Carrying onward, you will visit the presidential palace of La Moneda, originally a colonial mint opened in 1805, which now serves as the offices for select Chilean officials.

By this time, you will have earned a fresh appetite and to satisfy this you will travel to the Providencia neighborhood. Here, you will stop for lunch at a traditional Chilean restaurant which will feature a Pisco Sour, Vaina cocktail or soft drink, a flavorful menu of options to suit every taste and preference, and a glass of fine Chilean wine.  

After lunch, visit the up-and-coming district of Barrio Italia. Newly refashioned, this trendy neighborhood is home to a number of boutique shops, antique stores, art galleries and, a few blocks down, mouth-watering desserts! Your final tasting on this tour of Santiago is at a traditional Dulcería that offers a range of Chilean pastries. After enjoying a sweet treat to cap off your tour of this beautiful city, you will be returned to your hotel.

Accommodation: The Singular Santiago

Day 14: Santiago

To accommodate your schedule, a late check-out has been arranged at your hotel.

Departure from Santiago towards Maipo Valley. Arrival to Santa Rita Winery, to learn about its history. The cellar of this winery, has been declared a National Monument. The Patronal House stands out in a park of 40 hectares, where hundred-year-old trees captivate the attention of its visitors. The winery’s restaurant was also declared a National Monument and is called “Doña Paula” in honour to Paula Jaraquemada, a woman that in the Independence period gave refuge to O’Higgins and 120 of his soldiers. From this historic episode comes the name of one of the most renowned wines of Santa Rita. The tour ends with the tasting of two wines Medalla Real.

Finally, you can visit the winery´s museum called “Museo Andino” where you can find a collection of 1.800 pieces of precolumbian art collected by a succesful chilean business man for a time of 40 years. Return to your hotel at 14:00.

You will be privately transferred between your hotel and Santiago Airport by a professional driver and an English-speaking guide.

Accommodation: Depart (Int`l Airport) (standard)

Depart from International Airport. End of itinerary.