Have questions? We're here.
Island of seals & sea lions, Beagle Channel

Epic Patagonia: Fjords, Peaks and Forests

Example 18 Day Cruise aboard National Geographic Explorer
Talk with an expert
Build your ideal Patagonia trip. Call 1.406.541.2677
Start Planning My Trip
Remote and largely inaccessible, a Patagonia cruise is the essence of wildness—a maze of channels and islands. Venture deep into Chile’s glorious fjords past incandescent icebergs and massive glaciers such as the massive Pio XI Glacier, which is still advancing. From Chiloé Island, with its unique cultures and glorious landscapes, to Pumalín Park, with its imposing forests and waterfalls, to a visit to a valley in the heart of the Andes, you'll experience the grand sweep of Patagonia. The wilderness of Patagonia is near mythic. You'll see the full sweep of Patagonia, and see its landscapes change from massive and more temperate forests in the north to fjords and icescapes further south.
Chiloe Island AdventureApproaching Mirador las Torres with the towers coming in to viewSea lions in Beagle ChannelColorful houses of UshuaiaIsland of seals & sea lions, Beagle Channel
Highlights
  • Explore the cultures and World Heritage sites of Chiloé Island
  • Hike through forests of alerce trees at Pumalín Park
  • Venture through wildlife reserve Karukinka Natural Park in Tierra del Fuego.
  • Tour the legendary Beagle Channel and take in the view of Cape Horn.
Places Visited
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
0

Full Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1: Santiago, Chile

Check in to the Mandarin Oriental (or similar) centrally located in Santiago, and have the morning to relax. Santiago is nearly surrounded by the Andes, which form an inspiring backdrop to our afternoon guided overview of this vibrant city. Explore the Plaza de Armas, the main square, and nearby Presidential Palace, enjoying wonderful views from the many hills that dot the city. In the early evening, gather for an informal reception and a drink at the hotel. 

Day 2: Puerto Montt | Embark

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today fly from Santiago to Puerto Montt, Chile’s northern gateway to Patagonia. Visit the town of Puerto Varas, beautifully set on the shores of Lake Llanquihue, and if weather permits have views of dramatic, snow-covered Osorno, a volcano that Charles Darwin saw erupt in 1835. You'll have lunch, transfer to Puerto Montt, and embark National Geographic Explorer

Day 3: Chiloé Island

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend the day exploring Chiloé’s culture and natural history, with a choice of excursions. One group will explore Chiloé's cultural history, seeing its attractive palafitos, colorful fishermen’s houses precariously built on stilts along the water’s edge. Somepalafitos are now restaurants serving fine Chilean food, and you’ll have lunch at one of them. The town of Castro has little shops and a large open-air market where the Chileans show their indigenous wares, such as alpaca sweaters and lapis jewelry. Visit some of the welcoming small communities that dot the countryside and learn about a unique way of life. One of the unique features of the island's history and culture is its wooden churches, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The churches and many of the houses are covered in protective shells of wooden shingles in artistic designs. Alternatively, choose to visit Puñihuil Natural Monument and go out in a local boat to see the wildlife that inhabits the islets just offshore. Enterprising fishermen in the area started offering boat excursions to these exceptional places some years ago. Both Humboldt and Magellanic penguins live here, along with the handsome red-legged cormorant, American and blackish oystercatchers, Peruvian pelicans, Peruvian boobies, and a number of other species. We may also be fortunate enough to see marine otters. You'll have a traditional Chiloé-style lunch called curanto: mussels, clams, potatoes, chicken, sausage and a number of other ingredients, all cooked in a pit and covered with leaves. We then explore the historic and atmospheric town of Ancud, seeing the San Antonio Fortress, whose capture in 1826 marked the end of Spanish rule in the region; the central plaza, adorned with figures representing local mythology; the interesting market; and the foundation that helps preserve and restore the many churches of Chiloé, a number of which collectively are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to your ship in the late afternoon. 

Day 4: Pumalín National Park

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Pumalín’s 750,000 acres in Chilean Patagonia are protected as one of the last areas where the unusual alerce forest remains. These huge trees are similar in dimension to California redwoods, with some specimens 2,000 years old. The Pumalín Project was established in 1995 by the late American conservationist Doug Tompkins, who wanted to preserve some of the remaining virgin forest in Chile. Have a choice of walks in the park with naturalists in the forest, visit a hidden waterfall, or, for the energetic, climb along a rushing stream and look for forest birds along the trail. In the afternoon, head for the Golfo de Corcovado in search of marine wildlife, looking for Magellanic penguins, sooty shearwaters, dolphins, and with luck, whales. 

Day 5: Aysén | Coyhaique | Andes Mountains

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today offers a choice of two interesting excursions. You may decide to take a morning excursion to a nearby, exceptionally beautiful privately owned park, Aiken del Sur. The park has well-maintained trails, set in evergreen forest with lovely waterfalls and lakes, including a 75-foot-high cascade. Bird possibilities include ringed kingfisher, woodpeckers, and a variety of forest birds. A Patagonian lamb barbecue (with vegetarian options) and entertainment by local musicians awaits at the end of the walk. Alternatively, take a full-day excursion to the Coyhaique National Reserve, driving up into a beautiful valley nestled in the Andes, with views of the snow-covered peaks. Entering the reserve, drive through evergreen forest full of giant rhubarb and ferns to the transition zone of deciduous Nothofagus forest. The starting point for our hike is Laguna Verde, “Green Lake.” Coyhaique National Reserve is home to three Chilean woodpecker species, passerines, diurnal and nocturnal predatory birds, and other animals such as pumas and foxes. In places, the forest is native and pristine, and in others we have the chance to appreciate the colonization process that is following fires of recent years. After your hike, have a picnic lunch and visit the city of Coyhaique, seeing its central plaza and the artisans’ stalls, with excellent handicrafts. You'll then return to Chacabuco and National Geographic Explorer

Day 6-9: The Inland Passage & The Chilean Fjords

  • Ship
  • 4 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners
This huge region of incredible scenery provides days of adventure for you. A vast area of snowcapped mountains, gigantic glaciers, thousands of islands covered with forests and other vegetation, lakes, soaring granite walls, and waterfalls, the archipelago is untouched by humans except for a few fishing villages which perch at “the end of the world.” With a National Geographic photographer and a photo instructor by your side, you’ll have boundless photo options. One possibility is exploring Tortel, where a system of boardwalks connects the houses and publics spaces of this charming town of about 500 inhabitants. One of the many highlights is the Pio XI Glacier, the longest glacier in the southern hemisphere outside of Antarctica, running some 60 miles from the Patagonia icefield to the fjord where it noisily calves off gigantic ice masses, at a rate of one every several minutes. It is 2 miles wide and rises nearly 200 feet above sea level. Explore by Zodiac. These days offer you multiple opportunities to hike, and to use our Zodiacs, kayaks and undersea technology to explore the beautiful protected waters. En route to Puerto Natales, you will transit the breathtaking 200-foot-wide White Narrows, a dogleg between unforgiving rock bluffs. 

Day 10: Puerto Natales | Torres del Paine National Park

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
From Puerto Natales, drive to monumental Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere. This is one of the signature parks of Chile and for that matter the world, with the jagged horns and the granite towers of the central massif constantly drawing the eye to their varying aspects as the light and clouds change. The mountains are surrounded by Andean steppe, forest, lakes, rivers, and waterfalls. You'll discover one of the most spectacular and wildlife-rich areas in the Americas, and will see herds of guanacos (cousins of llamas). You’ll also look for rheas, gray foxes, Andean condors soaring overhead, and if you're very lucky, a puma. Chileans themselves dream of visiting this magnificent park. You'll have a choice of excursions: either take a challenging hike along a beautiful trail between two of the lakes, or else to drive to some of the most scenic places in this great setting. 

Day 11-12: Tierra del Fuego: Karukinka Natural Park

  • Ship
  • 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 Dinners
Tierra del Fuego is one of Patagonia’s crown jewels. Visit its newest and largest protected area: Karukinka Natural Park. Established in 2004 through a gift from Goldman Sachs, Karukinka is one of the largest donations ever made for conservation. We’re thrilled to have special permission from the Wildlife Conservation Society to visit this private reserve, which spans 1,160 square miles and harbors endangered culpeo fox, Andean condors, and many other kinds of wildlife. You may explore Jackson Bay, backed by a skyline of rugged mountains, and look for wildlife including black-browed albatross that nest on one of the nearby small islands. You may walk a trail to a lovely waterfall, and look for elephant seals resting on not only the beach but also high in the grass meadows and even in the small river draining the valley inland. Look for the Andean condors, massive Magellanic woodpeckers, black-necked swans, Austral parakeets, albatrosses, grebes, petrels, fulmars, shearwaters and many other birds that inhabit this otherworldly realm. 

Day 13: The Chilean Fjords, Beagle Channel & Exploring

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Sail the Beagle Channel, named after HMS Beagle. The ship, commanded by Captain FitzRoy, surveyed the region between 1826 and 1830 and returned in 1833 with Charles Darwin on board. On seeing the area, Darwin wrote: “It is scarcely possible to imagine anything more beautiful than the beryl-like blue of these glaciers, and especially as contrasted with the dead white of the upper expanse of snow.” Explore more stunning wilderness as you see the fjords and glaciers of the region by Zodiac, kayak and on foot. A vast area of soaring, snow-capped mountains, gigantic glaciers, thousands of verdant islands, serene lakes, and waterfalls—the archipelago is scarcely touched by man. Take Zodiacs out to explore these protected waters and rugged shores, the blue and white of ice contrasting with greens of the forest highlighted by splashes of flowering plants. 

Day 14: Cape Horn

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today visit Cape Horn, near the southernmost tip of the South American continent, named in 1616 for the Dutch town of Hoorn. These waters are famously difficult to navigate, and over the centuries have been the graveyard of many ships—which before the opening of the Panama Canal had to round the cape to sail between the Pacific and Atlantic. During the Age of Sail, sailing ships often had to struggle with the winds and currents for days or even weeks. Of course, we’ll use our modern equipment and decades of experience to explore safely. Weather permitting, you’ll take our Zodiacs ashore and walk to the top of a hill for panoramic views and to see the memorial placed there in 1992, showing an albatross in silhouette. There’s also a lighthouse and small museum, and moving plaques commemorate those who explored Cape Horn and those sailors who lost their lives in these waters. 

Day 15-17: Isla de Los Estados (Staten Island), Argentina

  • Ship
  • 3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners
You have been given special permission to visit extraordinary Staten Island. National Geographic Explorer is one of the only expedition ships ever allowed here, and you will be among the few people ever to set foot here. It’s a place of superlatives, barely touched in recent decades and visited primarily by a few scientists and those who man the tiny naval observatory. The island was named by Dutch explorers in 1615. Its mountainous, forested landscapes and rugged fjords are beautiful, and you’ll find a great deal of interest here. Your exact schedule will remain flexible to take best advantage of conditions. Look for southern rockhopper and Magellanic penguins, many other water birds, and fur seals and sea lions. With luck you may find marine otters on your landings ashore; and see the replica of the 1884 San Juan de Salvamento “lighthouse at the end of the world,” which inspired Jules Verne’s novel by the same name. Although Verne never came anywhere near Staten Island, the vivid depictions in his adventure story have inspired generations of readers. There will be chances to walk in the southern beech forests. And weather permitting, take a Zodiac cruise at remarkable Observatory Island, one of the largest and most diverse bird nesting areas in the entire region, with large numbers of southern sea lions and South American fur seals. These days are bound to stand out as a unique chance to explore a very remote place.

Day 18: Ushuaia | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Disembark in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Take a charter flight to Buenos Aires and connect to your overnight flight home. 

Ship/Hotel

National Geographic Explorer

National Geographic Explorer's dining room.
Relax in the luxurious sauna aboard the National Geographic Explorer.
Relax in the National Geographic Explorer's lounge.

Santiago - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
National Geographic Explorer's Category 1 Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 1
Main Deck with one or two portholes. #301-308
National Geographic Explorer's Category 2 Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 2
Main Deck with window. #317-320, 335-336.
National Geographic Explorer's Category 3 Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 3
Main Deck with Window #313-316, 321-328, 337-340,342, 344, 346, 348, 350.
National Geographic Explorer's Category 4 Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 4
Upper and Veranda Decks with Window. # 103-104, 107-108, 201-202, 204-207, 210, 212, 217, 226, 228.
National Geographic Explorer's Category 5 Upper Deck Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 5
Upper Deck with Balcony. #209, 211, 214, 216, 218, 220-222, 224.
National Geographic Explorer's Category 6 Cabin.
Select a Date
Cat 6
Veranda Deck Suite #101-102; Upper Deck Suite with Balcony #213.
Luxurious Catagory 8 Suite
Select a Date
Cat 7
Upper Deck Suite with Balcony. #215, 219, 230.
National Geographic Explorer's Category SA and SB.
Select a Date
Cat SA
C Deck Solo - Cabins 309-312, 329-334. Single cabins with window.
National Geographic Explorer's Category SA and SB.
Select a Date
Cat SB
Upper and Veranda Decks with Window. #105-106, 203, 208.

Notes

Travelers under the age of 18 save $500 per person.
Included
  • 17 Breakfasts, 18 Lunches, 16 Dinners
  • 17 Nights Accommodations
  • Accommodations as listed
  • Ground transportation as listed
  • Activities as listed
  • Meals as listed
  • Access to a 24-7 Emergency line while traveling
  • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
  • All airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary.
  • Use of snorkeling equipment, wet suits, and kayaks (where available)
  • Services of the expert expedition team and guest speakers
  • Shore excursions, sightseeing, entrance fees, and special access permits
  • Taxes, service charges, and tips (except for ship’s crew, at guests’ discretion)
Excluded
  • Gratuities
  • Travel Insurance
  • Personal Expenses
  • Flight costs (please request a quote)
  • Additional excursions during free time
  • Fuel and transportation surcharges (when applicable)
  • Additional Hotel Nights 
  • Private Transfers
  • Expedition Extensions 
  • Laundry 
  • Air transportation (except when indicated in the itinerary, as included)
  • Passport, visa, and immigration fees
  • Special and unique excursions such as scuba diving, flightseeing, etc. (where offered)
  • Alcoholic beverages (alcohol is included on select ships)
  • Items of personal nature
  • Phone and Internet Service
  • Gratuity for ship’s crew, at guests’ discretion (crew tips are included on select ships
  • We strongly recommend our guests to take Travel Protection Plan. A Plan with comprehensive coverage to protect you from cancellation fees, costs incurred due to trip delays/interruption, damaged or lost baggage, medical assistance, and evacuation during your travels

Map

Inquire

* By providing your phone number, you consent to receive direct phone calls or SMS messages from our Trip Planners to get the process started. We do not share your information with third-parties.
Travel Agents

We Love to Talk Travel

Call 1.800.344.6118
or
Chat Now
I could not be happier with my Adventure Life experience, from beginning to end. I travel a lot, and I think your company and personnel do an outstanding job. I truly appreciate your professionalism, attentiveness, and flexibility. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend your company and would be happy to serve as a reference.
Constance Block

Patagonia Travel Guide

Favorite Patagonia All Trips

More Reasons

Why Travel With Adventure Life

All News

Recognized By