12-night Chilean Fjords & Scenic Shores Cruise

Santiago, with over four million people, is the fifth-largest city in South America. Standing in a wide plain 1,800 feet above sea level, Santiago boasts a beautiful setting. Snow-capped peaks of the Andes chain provide a dramatic backdrop. Tastefully laid-out public gardens contribute to the beauty of the city. However, Santiago also suffers from horrendous traffic and a high percentage of pollution. The heart of Santiago is the Plaza de Armas, flanked by the cathedral, the archbishop’s palace, the National History Museum and fine arcaded buildings lined with shops. The two-mile-long Avenida O’Higgins is the major thoroughfare, commonly known as the Alameda. There is a splendid view over the city from San Cristobal Hill, crowned by the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Destination Guide

Excursions

Valparaiso: Encounter with the Art - 4 hours — Optional Private Excursions
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EXCURSION

• La Sebastiana –  Pablo Neruda Museum
• A local artist’s studio

1. Includes the services of an English-speaking guide.
2. Bottled mineral water included.
3. Entrance fee to the museums are included. 
4. Museums are closed on Mondays.

Valparaiso - Wines of the Casablanca Valley — Optional Private Excursions
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EXCURSION
 

• Tour and Tasting at two emblematic vineyards of the Casablanca valley

1. Includes the services of an English-speaking guide.
2. Bottled mineral water available in the vehicle

Santiago - Valparaíso Wine & Culinary Adventure: Full-Day Private Tour — Optional Private Excursions

Embark on a culinary journey from Santiago to the coast, discovering the flavors of Casablanca, Valparaíso, and Viña del Mar.

Your adventure begins with a pick-up from your Santiago hotel as we travel through the Coastal Mountain Ranges to Casablanca Valley, one of the world’s top cool-climate wine regions. Enjoy a visit to a local winery, where you’ll savor four wines paired with a light selection of local bites.

Next, we continue to Valparaíso, where a local guide will meet you in the historic Plaza Sotomayor. You’ll learn about the city’s rich history, its beloved hero, and how the land was reclaimed from the sea. Explore the charming streets, old buildings, and ride a classic funicular up to the colorful hills of Cerros Alegre and Concepción.

As you wander, soak in the stories of Valparaíso’s golden era and vibrant evolution into an artistic hub. Along the way, sample Chile’s favorite foods, from a beloved cookie and craft beers to Chilean dishes and ice cream with a unique twist.

End your tour with a traditional Pisco Sour and a snack of Chilean delicacies, all while enjoying panoramic views of the port city. After experiencing Valparaíso’s charm, we’ll head to Viña del Mar for a brief exploration before returning to Santiago.

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

With sculptured icebergs, soaring fjords and Andean peaks, Chilean Patagonia is spectacular. The bird species include black-necked swans and the nearly extinct giant condor. From the fishing village of Puerto Chacabuco, you can visit the area capital, Coihaique, and beautiful Reserva Nacional Rio Simpson.

Destination Guide

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

Punta Arenas is the southernmost city on Earth, overlooking the Straits of Magellan. Situated astride one of the world's historic trade routes, its prosperity has risen and fallen with that trade. Punta Arenas enjoyed its first great boom during the California Gold Rush, when it served as a haven for great clipper ships. Although the port's importance diminished after the opening of the Panama Canal, the city reached even greater prosperity early in this century as the center of Chile's international wool trade. Today, Punta Arenas reflects a great mix of cultures, from English sheep ranchers to Portuguese sailors, and it remains an utterly fascinating testament to the Chile's rich history. Punta Arenas is also the starting point for excursions to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

Destination Guide

Excursions

Punta Arenas: Exploring the End of the World - 3.5 hours — Optional Private Excursions

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EXCURSION

• A visit to the Braun-Menendez Regional Museum.
• Cocktail and canapés at the De La Cruz hill
• The municipal cemetery and the tomb dedicated to the Ona Indians.

 DESCRIPTION

This city tour begins with a visit to the southern sector  of Punta Arenas where we’ll visit the eerie wreckage of the Lord  Longsdale ship and the local market.

Afterwards we’ll head back to Old Town Punta Arenas. Here its European architecture, public buildings, main square and gardens with their varied styles denote wealth and luxury that existed in the city during the "golden era" between 1880 and 1914, when Punta Arenas was one of the most active ports of the Southern Cone.

The visit will continue to the Braun-Menendez Regional Museum, the former residence of Maurice Braun and Josefina Menendez, a marriage that united the two largest fortunes in the region of Magallanes. With the falling price of wool and the nationalization of the farms during the 1970's, the family lost most of their wealth and their descendants have since moved from Patagonia to the rest of world.

Moving from downtown towards the North, we’ll arrive at the Mount La Cruz panoramic point. It offers a beautiful view of the city, with its colorful roofs spreading up to the strait and showing the landscape of Tierra del Fuego, Mount Sarmiento and the southern area of the Brunswick Peninsula. Before continuing will take a few minutes to make a toast enjoying this unique view and brilliant photo stop.

To end this excursion we’ll take you to the beautifully landscaped Municipal Cemetery. Here, one can admire the splendid mausoleums of pioneer families as well as a tomb dedicated to the Unknown Ona, the now extinct Fireland Indians. They say you can't really understand a culture until you see where they bury their dead, and in the case of the cemetery of Punta Arenas, this edict certainly rings true. The Municipal Cemetery was opened by the Governor Señoret in 1894 and features a giant stone portico donated by Sara Braun in 1919. Inside this necropolis lies a veritable miniature city, with avenues that connect the magnificent tombs of the region's founding families, settlers, and civic workers and a rather solemn tomb where lie the remains of the last Selk'nam Indians of Tierra del Fuego. 

*Travelers will be transferred from the pier to the excursion sites by car

Operational notes :
 
Duration : 3.5 hours
Level of activity : Easy.
Meal plan : Snacks and refreshments at Mount La Cruz
Travellers will be transferred from the pier to the excursion sites by car

Punta Arenas: Flavors of Patagonia - 4 hours — Optional Private Excursions

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EXCURSION

• An orientation tour of Punta Arenas
• A private culinary experience with a renowned local chef

 DESCRIPTION

The Walking City Tour begins at Main Square Plaza Muñoz Gamero and Old Town with its European arquitecture, public buildings and gardens with their varied styles denote wealth and luxury that existed in the city during the "golden era" between 1880 and 1914, when Punta Arenas became one of the most active ports of the Southern Cone.

To continue towards the area near the port and regional market where will meet up with Luis Gonzalez, Chef and owner of the unique Remezon Restaurant which offers wild flavours that come from this part of the world. Thus his proposal has been awarded and praised by many visitors.

Luis Gonzalez enjoys sharing his Patagonian recipes and culinary secrets with those who come to the Remezon. Today we’ll be doing some grocery shopping together at the market and his favourite spots and afterwards enter his kitchen where cooking is not only fun but we’ll also learn more about Punta Arenas culture, its people and way of living at the ends of the world.

After participating in preparing some delicious dishes it will be time to sit back and enjoy lunch.

Before leaving Luis will surprise you with a very special memento of this Patagonian culinary experience. 

*Travelers will be transferred from the pier to the excursion sites by car

Operational notes :
 
Duration : 4 hours
Level of activity : Easy.
Meal plan : Lunch with wine at the Remezón restaurant 
Travelers will be transferred from the pier to the excursion sites by car

Punta Arenas - A day on a Patagonian Ranch - 5 hours — Optional Private Excursions
HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EXCURSION

• The local fauna
• Typical Patagonian lunch

The Chilean Fjords offer some of the most awe-inspiring sights of your journey. Simply look to the sky to see graceful Andean condors floating on the wind. Bring a camera to capture sights of incredible jagged walls of glacier ice rising up from the sea. And for pure enjoyment, watch the antics of the flightless, tuxedoed Magellanic penguins.

The Glacier lies in the Garibaldi Fjord, a narrow passage strewn with floating ice in shades of blue and green, and waterfalls that come down the steep mountainsides. At the head of this picturesque fjord, take in the quiet splendor of the retreating Garibaldi Glacier. The area also offers travelers extraordinary sights and an abundance of sea lions, the occasional sighting of dolphins and whales and the astonishing array of seabirds and marine life.

Rounding the extreme southern tip of South America, you'll be awestruck by the rugged beauty and imposing vision of Cape Horn, a craggy, massive rocky point that was the bane of early explorers.

The world's southernmost city, Ushuaia overlooks Beagle Channel, named after the ship that took Charles Darwin to the bottom of the world. Founded just over one hundred years ago, this rustic town is situated amidst incredible snowcapped mountains, dramatic waterfalls, massive glaciers, and a forest known for its red foliage. Tierra del Fuego, the "Land of Fire," twelve miles to the west of Ushuaia, is known for its glacial landscape and its national park, which is a bird-watcher's paradise.

Destination Guide

Excursions

Ushuaia – Tierra del Fuego National Park and End of the World Train - Half Day — Optional Private Excursions
Meet your local guide at local pier and start with your visit. 
Begin the tour by driving along National Route N3, crossing the valley of the Pipo River and the foothills of Mount Susana, to the train station located in the area where the inmates of the old prison collected firewood.
 
The little steam train will wind along the trail that the prison train used to follow over bridges, swampy areas, and green valleys, making a short stop at La Macarena waterfall. On completion of the train ride and already in the Tierra del Fuego National Park, drive through the most attractive landscapes of the park, such as Lake Roca and Bahía Lapataia (where the National Route N3, part of the Pan-American Highway ends).
 
In different locations take short walks to appreciate the different species of the native forest and the protected fauna in the southernmost National Park of Argentina.

After the tour you will be transferred back to the pier.

Tour highlights: 

• Beagle Channel
• Lapataia Bay
• End of the World train

• Transfers to/from the pier
• English speaking guide
• Private vehicle

• Gratuities for guide and driver
• Box-Lunch
• Entrance fee