Patagonia: Unsurpassed Beauty at the End of the Earth!
October 1-17, 2008 Request full trip information - Download brochure (PDF .7 MB)

General Description - Itinerary - Rates - Map - Ship - Study Leader - Photos

Wednesday-Thursday, October 1-2
U.S. to Santiago, Chile
Depart the U.S. on an overnight flight; arrive Santiago late morning. City tour of Santiago. Visit the Pre-Columbian Museum. This evening, enjoy a festive welcome dinner and folklore show.
Hotel Santiago Park Plaza  (B/L/D)

Friday, October 3
Viña del Mar and Valparaiso
Viña del Mar is one of Chile's most fashionable beach resorts, founded in 1874 as a weekend retreat and garden residence for the wealthy elite from Valparaiso and Santiago. A visit to Valparaiso, recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a sheer surprise: its winding narrow streets and the houses clinging on the surrounding hills in an urban landscape intermingled with all kind of vessels in the bay.
Hotel Santiago Park Plaza  (B/L/D)

Saturday, October 4
Santiago-Punta Arenas-Puerto Natales
Fly to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia. Tour the Plaza de Armas with a monument to Magellan; Observation Point on La Cruz Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the Strait of Magellan; and the Regional Museum. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before driving on to Puerto Natales.
Hotel Costaustralis (B/L/D)

Sunday, October 5
Puerto Natales-Torres del Paine National Park
Depart Puerto Natales pier by motor launch across the Seno Ultima Esperanza. Transfer by bus to Torres del Paine National Park, with dinner at our hotel, located in the heart of the park.
Hosteria Pehoe (B/L/D)

Monday, October 6
Torres del Paine National Park
During our full-day excursion, we'll see waterfalls, the Paine River, and abundant fauna such as ostriches, foxes, black-necked swans, flamingos, condors and eagles. Admire the Nordenskjold and Pehoe Lakes together with the heights of the Paine Mountains Range formed by Paine Towers.
Hosteria Pehoe (B/L/D)

Tuesday, October 7
Torres del Paine National Park
Laguna Azul, so-called because of its blue waters, is located at the heart of the Torres del Paine National Park, and offers a different angle to admire the Torres del Paine Massif. The area is full of a variety of birds, like the condor, and other animals. On the way to the lagoon we will admire the Paine River Waterfall with its greenish waters created by the many glaciers melting in its tributaries.
Hosteria Pehoe (B/L/D)

Wednesday, October 8
Torres del Paine-Board the Mare Australis
Depart Torres del Paine National Park and drive back to Punta Arenas, with lunch en route, and board the Mare Australis, our luxury floating hotel for our cruise through the mythical Strait of Magellan and Southern Patagonia, including Tierra de Fuego. The captain and crew will host a welcome cocktail reception on board, and immediately afterward, Ship sets sail for the uttermost part of the earth.
Mare Australis (B/L/D)

Thursday, October 9
Ainsworth Bay and Brookes Glacier
During the dawn's early light, our ship will continue navigating through Almirantazgo Inlet, until arriving near Marinelli Glacier in Ainsworth Bay, where we will enjoy a walk to discover a beaver dam in the midst of a marvelous Magellanic forest. On the beach lies a colony of elephant seals. Continuing the voyage, we will reach Brookes Glacier Bay, where we will be surrounded by several glaciers, providing an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Mare Australis (B/L/D)

Friday, October 10
Pia Glacier and Glacier Alley
We navigate the main part of the Beagle Channel to enter Pia Bay and disembark near the glacier of the same name. We will take an excursion to a lookout point that is ideal for viewing the mountain range where the glacier originates, and its flow all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we will sail again along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic Glacier Alley: Spain, Romanche, Germany, Italy, France and Holland glaciers.
Mare Australis (B/L/D)

Saturday, October 11
Cape Horn and Puerto Williams
Sail through the Beagle and Murray Channels to disembark in Cape Horn National Park. Cape Horn, a sheer, almost 425-meter high promontory where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge, was discovered in 1616 by the Dutch commercial expedition organized by Isaac Le Maire. The Cape owes its name to the Port of Hoorn, the expedition's departure point. In the afternoon, we will disembark in Port Williams, the southernmost town in the world.
Mare Australis (B/L/D)

Sunday, October 12
Ushuaia to El Calafate, Argentina
Arrive in Ushuaia, the most important Argentine city in Tierra del Fuego. Ushuaia and its scenery inspired the research and fantasies of Jules Verne, Fitz Roy, Charles Darwin and Emilio Salgari. We disembark early and depart for Tierra del Fuego National Park. Return to the Usuaia airport to board a flight to El Calafate, a lovely village on the edge of Argentino Lake.
Hotel Kosten Aike (B/L/D)

Monday, October 13
Perito Moreno Glacier
Full-day tour to Los Glaciares National Park, with the Perito Moreno Glacier. The national park includes part of the Patagonian Continental Ice Field from which 13 glaciers descend on the Atlantic side to flow into the Viedma and Argentino lakes.
Hotel Kosten Aike (B/L/D)

Tuesday, October 14
El Calafate-Buenos Aires
Enjoy a morning at leisure and then fly to Buenos Aires, center of the political, economic and intellectual life of Argentina. This cosmopolitan city, with great European cultural influence, displays a refined taste in its cuisine, in its boutiques, and in the elegance of its inhabitants. Whilst modern in many ways, it has managed to preserve old traditions and charming corners. On arrival, settle into our luxury hotel and enjoy a night on your own.
Hotel Caesar Palace (B/L)

Wednesday, October 15
Buenos Aires
Get in direct touch with the town where the Tango was born! Visit the historical city center and neighborhoods, with time to stroll around. Continue to Palermo with its beautiful parks, the City Zoo, Botanical Garden, Argentine Horse Track and National Polo Fields. At the end of the tour we will visit Recoleta area, one of the city's glamorous spots. In the cemetery of Recoleta is the grave of Eva Duarte, who became famous as Eva Peron (Evita). In the early evening, depart from the hotel for a farewell dinner and spectacular show. 
Hotel Caesar Palace (B/L/D)

Thursday-Friday, October 16-17
Buenos Aires-U.S.
Drive through the northern district and outskirts of the city to get to Tigre, a charming resort where a great number of summer residences, yachting and rowing clubs concentrate the weekend activities of many "porteños." Evening departure on flights back to the U.S.
Hotel Caesar Palace (B/L)

Tour leader Beth Geismar was top notch and saved several tough situations!
TS, Bar Harbor, ME