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Australis Glacier Cruise & Patagonia Hiking Plus, this Patagonia Tour and Cruise covers it all

Explore some of Patagonia's glacial waterways by inflatable canoe

Duration: 16 days
2+ Travelers: $5,960 per person
The mythical destinations of history books come alive on this once-in-a-lifetime Patagonia hiking adventure. Surrounded by glaciers and virgin forests on the southern shores of South America, you'll cruise through the famed Tierra del Fuego waters, traveling the Strait of Magellan. You'll stop in the fjords, channels and bays to get even closer views of nature. Your Chile Patagonia glacier cruise ship offers comfortable accommodations with private baths, panoramic cabin windows, lounges and decks, designed for optimum views. Those who make it to this far corner of the globe go home raving about the cruise in this land of extremes where the Andes meet the sea. Back on land, you'll visit two of the most famous national parks of Argentina Patagonia, gaze at the gigantic, intensely blue face of the Perito Moreno Glacier, hike in the wilderness, staying in picturesque accommodations along the way. This Patagonia tour is sixteen days of bliss in one of the world's most exotic realms.
This Patagonia cruise and tour can also be arranged on a private departure basis. Please contact us so we may explain details and costs.

Australis Glacier Cruise & Patagonia Hiking Plus

• Day 1 (Tue): ARRIVE PUNTA ARENAS - AUSTRALIS View Australis picture gallery Arrival to Punta Arenas via Santiago. Your Patagonia trip begins in Punta Arenas at the Australis check-in facilities. After you board the Mare Australis Expedition cruise ship, you will join your shipmates for cocktails and be welcomed by the captain and crew. The route heads east towards the city of Ushuaia, through the mythical Strait of Magellan, sailing through the Patagonian channels on this glacier cruise. (B,D)
  View Optional Pre-Itinerary Tour Extensions
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  The route heads east towards the city of Ushuaia, through the mythical Strait of Magellan

  Day 2 (Wed): AINSWORTH BAY-MARINELLI GLACIER-TUCKER ISLET View Australis picture gallery Reaching the Almirantazgo Fjord by early morning, you'll disembark in Ainsworth Bay near Marinelli Glacier. Here you'll walk a ways to watch an elephant seal colony and get a closer view of Magellan Forests. In the afternoon, a zodiac boat will take you into Tucker Islet to observe a small colony of Magellan penguins along with other species including skuas and cormorants and perhaps some dolphins and sea lions. (B,L,D)
• Day 3 (Thu): PIA GLACIER – GLACIER ALLEY
  
  

  “Glacier Alley”
  The northwest arm of the Beagle Channel

  View Australis picture gallery We navigate along the main part of the Beagle Channel to reach Pia Fjord, where we disembark near Pia Glacier. We take a short hike to a look-out point with a spectacular view of the entire glacier tongue, stretching from high in the mountains all the way to the sea. After this unforgettable experience, we continue sailing along the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel through majestic “Glacier Alley”. (B,L,D)
• Day 4 (Fri): CAPE HORN – WULAIA BAY View Australis picture gallery We sail through the Beagle and Murray channels to reach Cape Horn National Park, where we will disembark (weather permitting). Cape Horn, is a sheer, 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory, and in the past it was the only entrance to the Pacific Ocean. This place is known as the “End of the Earth”, and it’s the last territory before Antarctica. The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in June 2005.
  In the afternoon, we go ashore in historic Wulaia Bay, once the site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here on January 23rd, 1833, during the voyage of the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for the mesmerizing beauty of its vegetation and geography. We will walk through a Magellanic forest of Lengas, Coihues, Canelos, ferns, and other native vegetation to reach a look-out point. (B,L,D)
• Day 5 (Sat): USHUAIA - TIERRA DEL FUEGO NATIONAL PARK View Ushuaia accommodations picture gallery This morning you arrive at Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. You'll be transferred to your hotel and after getting settled, set out on some Patagonia trekking in nearby Tierra del Fuego National Park. After exploring the park's highlights, you'll return to your hotel and have a free evening to enjoy the fine seafood of Ushuaia. (B)
• Day 6 (Sun): CERRO CORTEZ HIKE View Ushuaia accommodations picture gallery After breakfast, you will be picked up at your hotel and transported on a 4x4 up a quarry to the trailhead of today's Patagonia hiking adventure. On this moderate to difficult all-day guided Patagonia trek to the top of Cerro Cortez, you'll start by ascending a steep trail through a sub-Antarctic beech forest, crossing peat bogs. Above the tree line, you'll be rewarded with your first sweeping views of the area. At the crest, you'll find even more breathtaking panoramic views of the Martial Range and the Andorra and Rio Chico valleys. Ushuaia and its landmark, Mt Olivia, of the Andean Range may be seen from here as well as Isla Navarino in Chile Patagonia and the legendary Murray Pass leading to Cape Horn. The setting for today's lunch is one of the most picturesque in the area. After your descent back to the quarry, the Land Rover will be waiting to return you to Ushuaia. Overnight at your cozy Ushuaia hotel. (B,L)
  Patagonia Hiking Details: 6.1 mi; 2000 ft elevation gain; 5-7 hrs
• Day 7 (Mon): HARBERTON RANCH - THE HISTORY OF THE PIONEERS View Ushuaia accommodations picture gallery Today offers more unforgettable Patagonia tours, exploring Tierra del Fuego, the southern portion of Patagonia with its magnificent vistas and fascinating history. You'll travel east to Estancia Harberton, belonging to the descendants of the first British missionaries to reach the area, Rev. Thomas and Mary Bridges and managed for many years by Natalie Goodall, a well-respected local naturalist. From here, you'll take a small boat to the largest island in Patagonia's Beagle Channel. Here on Gable Island, you'll have lunch followed by a hike to the penguin rookery, largely the domain of the Magellanic species but home to a few Gentoo penguins as well. The rookery is located on Martillo Island, near where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans merge, a unique location that attracts a rich variety of sub-aquatic life as well as petrels, skuas, cormorants, sea gulls and albatross. Today's Southern Patagonia tour ends at Harberton before returning to your hotel in Ushuaia for another free evening. (B,L)
• Day 8 (Tue): USHUAIA - EL CALAFATE - EL CHALTEN View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery Depending on the flight schedule you’ll have time for some on your own sightseeing in Ushuaia, with a visit to the fascinating End of the World Museum or the Presidium, before your transfer to the airport for your flight to El Calafate for your next adventure. When you arrive in El Calafate, you'll travel to El Chalten, a small remote town at the foot of Mt. Fitz Roy, and be taken to your hotel with dramatic views of the mammoth granite walls of the mountain and other important peaks. After getting settled, you may enjoy a short or long hike in preparation for the rest of your Patagonia hiking. The hour-long hike to Piedras Blancas Glacier goes through a beech forest where you may hear Magellanic woodpeckers at work. Reaching the gateway to the Continental Icecap, you'll view the Marconi Glacier. If you care to make a longer more rigorous hike, you may choose the five-hour trek of Cerro Polo which offers a panoramic view of Poincenot, Fitz Roy, Cerro Torre and the Continental Icecap. (B)
  Patagonia Hiking Details: Piedras Blancas (optional) - 2.5 miles, Altitude gain: 550 ft / Cerro Polo (optional) - 3.1 miles, Altitude gain: 2,200 ft
• Day 9 (Wed): MT FITZ ROY View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery The Patagonia hiking becomes more challenging starting today with an all-day hike to Mt. Fitz Roy base camp and Laguna de los Tres. The peak was named after Robert Fitzroy, captain of Darwin's ship, the Beagle. The indigenous Tehuelche people continue to call this granite pinnacle Chalten, meaning "God of Smoke" because the mists that enshroud it look like volcanic eruptions. You'll start after breakfast, hiking north to the base of Mt. Fitz Roy where three glaciers drain into Laguna de los Tres. Here you'll enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Viedma and the vast Patagonian steppe. (B,L,D)
  Patagonia Hiking Details: Start to Laguna Capri - 2.6 Miles, Altitude gain: 1200 ft / Laguna Capri to Laguna de los Tres - 2.7 miles, Altitude gain: 1800 ft
• Day 10 (Thu): CERRO TORRE HIKE View El Chalten accommodations picture gallery Today is spent on another of Patagonia's classic hikes along 10,259-ft Mt. Torre, famed for its breathtaking scenery and for the many expeditions that attempt to reach the summit each year, only a few of which succeed. The excursion is a full day of trekking Patagonia. You descend into a forest along a trail that leads to a lookout facing the Cerro Torre and the Adelas Range and ends at the shore of Laguna Torre. Here you'll enjoy beautiful views of Mt. Torre and the Torre Glacier surrounded by the Egger and Standhard spires. At the end of today's hike, a van will be waiting to drive you back to the hosteria. (B,L,D)
  Patagonia Hiking Details: Cerro Torre - 11 miles round trip, Altitude gain: 1,000 ft
• Day 11 (Fri): EL CHALTEN- EL CALAFATE View El Calafate accommodations picture gallery If you care for a bit more hiking on your last morning here, after breakfast, there will be time for a short trek from town to overlook Mt. Torre. Later, a private van will transfer you to El Calafate, giving you the late afternoon to tour this charming city on your own. You'll spend the night in El Calafate at a local hotel. (B)
• Day 12 (Sat): PERITO MORENO GLACIER HIKE View El Calafate accommodations picture gallery Perito Moreno Glacier, the crown jewel of Patagonia tours, is today's destination. You'll go by boat on Lake Argentino, seeing floating icebergs along to way, to reach the massive, brilliant blue terminus. From the beach, you'll walk along the ancient beech forest that meets the glacier to photograph one of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders in South America. An hour into your Patagonia hiking, you'll step on to glacial terrain for a short distance (equipment and local guide provided), to enjoy the extraordinary surroundings and perhaps witness an ice wall calving into the lake. During your picnic lunch you'll be hearing the amazing sounds of ever-shifting ice. Following today's tour, you'll return to your hotel for another comfortable night's rest. (B,L)
  Blue Ice Upgrade - $100 Per Person: This extension of your Patagonia trekking tours is accompanied by a local glacial guide and designed for hardy hikers who wish a more in-depth exploration of the Perito Moreno Glacier. After practicing safety techniques with crampons, you'll be able to hike deep into the glacier and its caves for the day. This is a very demanding seven-hour ice hike over uneven terrain, advisable only for participants between eighteen and forty-five years old who are in good physical condition.
  Click here to see the Blue Ice Glacier Hike picture gallery
• Day 13 (Sun): EL CALAFATE - TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK View Hosteria Las Torres picture gallery Today's long travels take you across the Argentina border to Chile Patagonia and on to tour renowned Torres del Paine National Park. Surrounded by majestic mountains, you'll visit the summer grazing grounds of the now endangered guanaco where you'll be able to photograph this fascinating species. Your accommodations for the next three nights will be the picturesque Las Torres. Over cocktails in the comfortable bar, you can decide on the full range of hiking, riding and sightseeing possibilities during your stay. (B,D)
   
  Hosteria Las Torres is a rustic hotel extremely well-situated at a hub of Torres del Paine National Park near the trailheads for several well-known hikes: through the Ascencio Valley to the base of the Towers of Paine, through Valle Encantado to Lago Paine, and along Lake Nordenskjold to Los Cuernos and French Valley. The lodge has 84 cozy rooms with views of nearby hills and rustic, yet stylish, ambiance perfect for resting after an ambitious day exploring the Park. The convenient location and larger size of the hotel allows for around 25 different activities to choose from daily each with groups of up to just eight travelers, ensuring ultimate flexibility without sacrificing personal attention. The lodge has many comfortable common areas, a bar with delicious artisan beers and regional wines, an extensive spa, and a restaurant featuring home-styled cuisine that incorporates meats and vegetables from the hotels nearby organic farm.
• Day 14-15 (Mon-Tue): TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK View Hosteria Las Torres picture gallery Spend the next two days touring Torres del Paine National Park and nearby areas of interest. Select from a number of Patagonia adventures, each lead by a knowledgeable bilingual guide. Hike up to the base of the giant Towers of Paine, horseback ride through the Enchanted and Ascencio Valleys, trek around the brilliant blue Lake Nordenskjold, visit the archeological sites of Lake Sofia, cruise to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers, kayak Grey Lake, or enjoy any number of other activities for any activity level and interest. After full days exploring the area, return each evening to your comfortable accommodations. (B,L,D)
• Day 16 (Wed): TORRES DEL PAINE NATIONAL PARK - PUNTA ARENAS - SANTIAGO - HOME Today, you'll be transferred in the early morning to the Punta Arenas Airport for your connecting flights to Santiago, Chile, and home, marking the end of Southern Explorations' services. If time allows, you may wish to extend your stay with one or more of our many Patagonia tour options. (B)
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• Key: (B)reakfast (L)unch (D)inner
• More information about Traveling in Patagonia

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2010 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES

Tuesday Departures
2 person minimum / 8 maximum

Mar 02/23-03/10
09-24

Private Departures can be arranged. Please contact us regarding private departure costs.

2010-2011 SCHEDULED TRIP DATES

Tuesday Departures
2 person minimum / 8 maximum

Oct 05-20
10/19-11/03
Nov 02-17
11/16-12/01
Dec 11/30-12/15
14-29
Jan 12/28-01/12
11-26
Feb 01/25-02/09
08-23
Mar 02/22-03/09
08-23

Private Departures can be arranged. Please contact us regarding private departure costs.

INCLUSIONS / EXCLUSIONS

Included in tour cost

- Professional, English-speaking local guides

- All hotel accommodations (twin shared basis including continental breakfast)

- Meals as indicated

- All transfers in private van

- Entrance fees for all scheduled tours, national parks, archaeological sites and boats

- Southern Explorations pre departure services

Excluded in tour cost

- International round-trip airfare to Santiago

- Airfare $360 (Santiago / Punta Arenas / Santiago), subject to change

- $350 Airfare (Ushuaia / El Calafate), subject to change

- Lunches and dinners in the cities (unless otherwise noted)

- Hiking boots and other personal gear

- Personal expenses (tips and gratuities, alcoholic beverages, medical or travel insurance, laundry, airport taxes, etc.).

PHYSICAL RATING

Moderate - Difficult

CHILE / ARG ACCOMMODATION

Australis Glacier Cruise & Patagonia Hiking Plus:

4 nights cruise
8 nights hotel
3 nights estancia

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

Additional $contact us

- Single Supplement is the additional cost of a single traveler not sharing a room in double occupancy. We will match you with another same gender traveler unless you request single accommodations.

Prices based on 3% cash discount