ANTARCTICA, PATAGONIA AND BUENOS AIRES

Day 1 Depart Australia to Santiago and onto Buenos Aires

The gateway to both South America and Antarctica is Santiago in Chile.  Flying from either Melbourne or Sydney with LATAM Airlines or Qantas you’ll arrives into Santiago and connect on to a flight to Argentina’s capital Buenos Aires.  Upon arrival you’ll be met by one of our local guides and transferred to your chosen hotel.

Days 2 – 3 Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital has a lot to offer; many fine restaurants (Crizia is one such restaurant and is ranked as 39th Best in South America), colonial history, some excellent street art, several very interesting street markets and of course a Tango show.

Faena Buenos Aires offers an intimate show with a good dinner.  You don’t have to stay at the hotel to enjoy this experience (and it needs to be booked in advance).

We can arrange for a local English speaking and guide to show you the sites that are of interest to you either on a walking tour or by vehicle.

Day 4 Ushuaia

Upon arrival you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel (often one night in Ushuaia is included by the ship operator as part of your chosen Antarctic cruise: we recommend all our clients arrive at least night prior to departure) Ushuaia is located on the archipelago of Tierra del Fuego in Southern Patagonia. Its claim to fame is being the southernmost city in the world. Due to this southerly location and its proximity to the Antarctic Peninsula, Ushuaia is also the main port for cruises sailing to Antarctica and has seen a significant increase in visitors over the past 10 years due to the ever increasing popularity of these voyages.  There several hikes in and around the city.

Day 5 Board chosen Antarctic Expedition Cruise ship

The excitement builds as your time to board your ship draws closer.  Most ships board around 4pm: we’ll provide you with all the necessary information well in advance of your departure from Australia.  Soon after boarding you’ll be cruising down the Beagle Channel, having obligatory safety briefing as you begin your Antarctic Adventure.

Days 6 – 16 Antarctic Cruise

The next 10-18 days will vary according to your chosen Antarctic cruise.  Shorter cruises spend all there time on the Antarctic Peninsula, longer voyages will include the Falkland Island and South Georgia.   All cruises departing from Ushuaia will spend 2-3 days in total crossing the Drake Passage.  These days offer opportunity for a a wide range of presentations about the places you’ll explore as well as how to safely get in and out of a zodiac and what to do when you go ashore.  You will be well prepared for your excursions in zodiacs, kayaks (if you have chosen) and for any walks or hikes ashore.  Every voyage will do everything possible to ensure you land on the Continent of Antarctica.  It’s a truly incredible experience – we’ll do our best to ensure you chose the best ship, cruise itinerary to suite your needs and interests.  It’s where having first-hand experience of many ships helps (it’s also a lot of fun for us; to do a job where you get to enjoy and share such wonderful places is very rewarding).

Here are three of our most popular ships:

SYLVIA EARLE            SEA SPIRIT           OCEAN EXPLORER

Days 17 -18 Disembark Ushuaia – Explore El Calafate

Upon disembarkation transfer to Ushuaia airport and fly to El Calafate.  Two nights in this small town and a visit to Perito Moreno glacier.  It’s a great place to relax and wander and take up some Argentine culture.  Also some great opportunities to hike.  If you are very active you may decide to head further north the El Chalten and do some trekking in the Glaciares National Park (Mt Fitzroy).  WE haven’t included this here and we can easily tailor your itinerary to include three nights at somewhere like Chalten Camp.

Day 19 Transfer by road the Torres Del Paine – Patagonia (Chile)

Today you leave Argentina by road, it’s a very scenic drive first to the Argentine border before crossing over into Chile and onto your chosen lodge in or near Torres del Paine National Park.  We’ll organise all the transportation to make this a seamless experience.

Days 20- 23 Torres Del Paine – Patagonia (Chile)

Once at your chosen lodge you can relax and start to plan the next few days of activities; walks, hikes, safaris and horse and bike rides are all options.  Your don’t have to be a ‘trekker’ to enjoy Patagonia (obviously there are some amazing treks ranging from a few hours to a full day).  Whichever choice you make you’ll be looked after and return to a very comfortable lodge with excellent dining options.

If you have time we recommend five or even six nights in Torres Del Paine at two different lodges as they will offer the greatest range of opportunities to explore this beautiful region.   A longer stay also means you can space out any longer trekking days an also be able to relax and enjoy your lodge; as they are all very different and in incredible locations.

There are many excellent lodges to chose from; most offer full-board (inclusive of wines/beers) and a wide range of included activities.  Here we link off to four of the best.

AWASI PATAGONIA         PATAGONIA CAMP        EXPLORA PATAGONIA           TIERRA PATAGONIA

Day 23 Fly from Puerto Natales to Santiago and onto Australia

Bid farewell to Torres del Paine and transfer to Puerto Natales airport and start your journey home to Autralia