Patagonia is an awe-inspiring landscape that stretches across the Andes from the Atlantic to the Pacific and down to Cape Horn. Explore it expedition-style aboard the National Geographic Explorer - an authentic expedition ship. On this 10-day voyage, you are sure to enjoy up-close encounters in wild, virtually inaccessible lands.
Highlights
Venture into incredible wildlife reserves for up-close exploration
Transit the legendary Beagle Channel and take in the view of Cape Horn
Kayak and Zodiac cruise the breathtaking Chilean fjords
Explore the urban gems of Buenos Aires and Santiago.
See massive glaciers, dramatic fjords, soaring snow-covered peaks
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Arrive Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital, and check in to the excellent Sofitel Buenos Aires Hotel before having a guided overview of the city, seeing its Beaux-Arts palaces and the famous balcony forever associated with Eva Perón.
Today we 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. Of course, we’ll use our modern equipment and decades of experience to explore safely. Weather permitting, we’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.
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.” We continue to Yendegaia, a stunning wilderness that covers 95,000 acres on Tierra del Fuego. This newly established national park was formerly a private reserve. See and learn about its subantarctic beech forests, along with stunning mountains and wild rivers. There are walking trails for us to explore, amid some of the most sublime landscapes to be found anywhere.
Wild and beautiful Parry Fjord was “discovered” as a happy accident on our 2013 Patagonia voyage. It has towering Chilean peaks, beaches, a valley, streams with trout, and southern beech forest. You’ll have the chance to walk here if you wish—to ford a stream and stroll a moss-covered plateau or explore the rich forest, which has flowering shrubs that add a touch of color under the shaded canopy. Or examine the shoreline from our Zodiacs, looking for seabirds roosting on nearby cliffs and ledges and soaring over the fjord. You may find black-browed albatross and perhaps even leopard seals.
Tierra del Fuego is one of Patagonia’s crown jewels. We 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. We 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. We may walk a trail to a lovely waterfall, and look for elephant seals resting not only on the beach but also high in the grass meadows and even in the small river draining the valley inland. Look for the Andean condors, albatrosses, grebes, petrels, fulmars, shearwaters and many other birds that inhabit this otherworldly realm.
Day 7-8: Exploring the Chilean Fjords & White Narrows
During these days you’ll be treated to the spectacular features of an active glaciated landscape with hanging valleys and tributary glaciers. This region was navigated by Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, and it took most of November 1520 for his ships to find a way through the maze of channels that lie between the continental mainland and Tierra del Fuego to the south. Among our many possibilities are exploring Estero las Montañas, with a chance to go for an adventurous walk to a lake through beautiful muskeg and forest, with cypress trees coated with many species of lichens; and Bahía Ainsworth in Seno Almirantazgo, where we may go out by Zodiac and kayak and look for elephant seals. Be on deck to look for condors and other wildlife as our ship transits the breathtaking 200-foot-wide White Narrows, a dogleg between unforgiving rock bluffs, on our way into Puerto Natales.
Day 9: Puerto Natales/Disembark/Santiago
1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch
Disembark in Puerto Natales, drive to Punta Arenas and fly to Santiago, connecting to your overnight flight home.
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Cat 1
Main Deck with one or two portholes. #301-308
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Cat 2
Main Deck with window. #317-320, 335-336.
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Cat 3
Main Deck with Window #313-316, 321-328, 337-340,342, 344, 346, 348, 350.
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Cat 4
Upper and Veranda Decks with Window. # 103-104, 107-108, 201-202, 204-207, 210, 212, 217, 226, 228.
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 177 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 177 reviews on
10 hours ago
First class all the way. Enjoyed our Guide, Karla, Driver Mark so much. Personalized tour of Antigua during Easter was like a National Geographic in person. Trip of the Lifetime. Such a spiritual and magical tour. Many Thanks.
Ben Shaver
Ben Shaver, Jr.
2 days ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
4 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
6 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
1 week ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.