13 Mar Combining South America with an Antarctic Cruise
Combining South America with an Antarctic Cruise
Alex Burridge – March 2026
SANTIAGO – BUENOS AIRES – USHUAIA – PATAGONIA – GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – CLOUD FOREST
Most Antarctic Cruises depart from somewhere in South America; Buenos Aires or Ushuaia in Argentina, or Punta Arenas in Chile. With over 30 Years of Experience of operating tailor-made journeys in South America we are very well placed to look after all of your additional arrangements, both before and after your Antarctica cruise – the options are diverse as they are amazing. Here we look at a few of the options as well as detail some sample itineraries to see how linking an Antarctica cruise with a cruise to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador’s Cloud Forest, or Patagonia would work.
Antarctica Peninsula: home to gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins
Galapagos Islands Cruise: home to Giant tortoises, flamingos and Magnificent Frigate birds
Galapagos Penguin
ANTARCTICA & GALAPAGOS
Two incredible cruises in one amazing trip. Quite a number of our guests combine both destination into one amazing journey. Flying via Santiago and then onto Quito (Ecuador) and then onto the Galapagos Islands and back to Santiago and south to Ushuaia to board your chosen ship to Antarctica. We arrange everything to ensure your holiday is amazing as it should be.
Zodiac Cruise in Antarctica and a panga ride in the Galapagos
ANTARCTICA, PATAGONIA AND BUENOS AIRES
Combining an Antarctic cruise with Buenos Aire and Patagonia creates a truly incredible journey. There are many ways to combine all three destinations. This one journeys by road from El Calafate in Argentina across into Chilean Patagonia. This not only includes El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier it also saves flying back to Buenos Aires, then Santiago and then flying south again to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas.
Often we start by locking in your Antarctic cruise and then build your ideal itinerary around it. If including Patagonia you need to decide add soon after as many of the lodges here book out long before the cruises are full. Once those to parts of your journey are set we add all the flights, transfers and additional accommodation in Santiago, Buenos Aires, or Ushuaia to create one seamless experience for you. We won’t cut corners or take risks by having you arrive too late into the departure point of your cruise.
There are many fine lodges and so many different excursions to enjoy in Patagonia
Buenos Aires is a beautiful city to explore, with many fine restaurants to enjoy.
THE OPTIONS ARE VAST
Below we’ve created three varied sample itineraries that give some idea of what’s possible. If you want to just go directly to the starting point of your cruise we can do that, if you want to add Machu Picchu in Peru, we can do that, you can include Chiloe Island, or Glaciares National Park (El Chalten in Argentina), or Iguazu Falls – it’s all possible. We simply ask you accept our advice as to how best to make it all fit together; ChatGPT may suggest how things ‘might’ work and we actually know what works (often having first-hand-experience), we understand the potential challenges and also what makes for a truly memorable holiday.
We often explain to our clients, Chile is longer than Australia is wide, Brazil alone is 10% larger than Australia and adequate time needs to be allowed to ensure your itinerary more than just works, but that you come back thinking that was the best trip ever – as that’s our goal.
Andean cock-of-the-rock Cloud Forest Ecuador
Puma Patagonia – Torres del Paine
Ushuaia street art
Glaciares National Park – Patagonia – Argentina
Awasi Lodge – Torres Del Paine – Patagonia – Chile
Horizon Galapagos Island Cruise Boat
As I started, with over 30 years of experience, and some of South America’s finest partners looking after all of our guests, we are very well placed and also enjoy creating itineraries that combine many of the worlds most magical places. Call 1300 784 794 to discuss your plans with one of our experienced and specialist consultants.
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