Best of Chilean Patagonia

Overview

Discover the fjords, glaciers, and panoramic vistas that make Chilean Patagonia one of the most lauded nature destinations on Earth. Exposing you to the ‘best of’ highlights, like the stunning Beagle Channel, massive glaciers and snowcapped peaks, this perfectly-paced voyage also brings you into the seldom-seen natural splendors of Karukinka Natural Park. Cap off your expedition by exploring Argentina’s rugged, seldom-seen Isla De Los Estados (Staten Island), a land of mythic wildness that has been largely off limits to travelers since 1923.

Arrive in Santiago, Chile. Check into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, or similar, before exploring the Plaza de Armas, the main square and nearby Presidential Palace, enjoying this vibrant city, backed by the Andes

Fly to Punta Arenas, then drive to Puerto Natales, one of Patagonia’s southern gateways, and check in to The Singular Hotel Patagonia. Have an afternoon tour of town and dinner at the hotel.

Drive to this UNESCO Biosphere reserve and spend three days at Tierra Patagonia  (2020 departures), discovering one of the most wildlife-rich areas in the Americas, covering 450,000 acres of glaciers, forests, grasslands, rivers, and colorful lagoons. Choose among a variety of possibilities, including walks and hikes, horseback riding, sailing among icebergs to the foot of the immense Grey Glacier, visiting the Salto Grande waterfall, and seeing the towers of the central massif from the Blue Lagoon. Look out for guanacos, gray foxes, rheas and Andean condors

We have a final morning to explore Torres del Paine. We then drive to Puerto Natales, where we embark National Geographic Orion.

Our Captain and local pilots guide us through Kirke Narrows, accessible only to a small ship such as Orion. We’ll look to make stops in the extensive maze of channels and islands of the Chilean fjords, where we may go out to explore by Zodiac and kayak, or take a forest walk

Tierra del Fuego is one of Patagonia’s crown jewels. We have special permission from the Wildlife Conservation Society to visit Karukinka Natural Park, home to nesting black-browed albatross, condors, and elephant seals

Myriad fjords or senos indent the coast. Cruise deep into the senos, punctuated at the end by tidewater glaciers, to explore by Zodiac, kayak, and on foot. Transit the Beagle Channel, where we’ll look to use our Zodiacs to land and explore one of the many intriguing sites

Visit Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of the continent, and, weather permitting, land there for panoramic views.

Discover extraordinary Staten Island. Its mountainous, forested landscapes and rugged fjords are beautiful. Search for southern rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, fur seals and sea lions. See the San Juan de Salvamento “lighthouse at the end of the world,” which inspired Jules Verne’s novel by the same name.

Disembark in Ushuaia. Take a charter flight to Santiago and connect to your flight home.