12 Day End of the World Australis Cruise Expedition
It doesn’t get more evocative or diverse than this 12-Day End of the World Australis Cruise Expedition. Not only will you cruise the pristine waters of Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego – one of the most remote and biodiverse regions on the planet – but you’ll also get under the skin of two of South America’s greatest cities, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. In only 12 days you’ll get up close and personal with penguins, navigate fjords and glaciers, witness an intimate tango show and visit the home of Chile’s greatest poet.
This fully customizable, private tour can be crafted by a Destination Expert to match the vacation of your dreams. From the moment you contact us, until the day you return home, we cater to your every whim.
See our preferred hotels for this itinerary by destination:
3 nights in Santiago | 4 nights on an Australis Cruise | 1 night in Ushuaia | 3 nights in Buenos Aires
Highlights:
- Get to know Santiago’s main attractions, including the Plaza de Armas, the main cathedral and the Presidential Palace, on a guided half-day tour of the city.
- Visit two of central Chile’s most popular coastal cities: colorful Valparaiso and tranquil Viña del Mar.
- Navigate the incredible fjords and glaciers of Chilean Patagonia aboard your comfortable Australis cruise vessel.
- Visit world-famous seafaring landmarks including the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, Cape Horn and the Drake Passage.
- Encounter incredible bird and wildlife, including elephant seals, albatrosses, whales and at least three species of penguin.
- Spend a night in colorful, unique Ushuaia, the city known affectionately as The End of the World.
- Explore Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, on a guided tour, followed by the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the metropolitan city on a day that’s left up to your whim and desire.
Trip At A Glance
- Day 1 – Welcome to Santiago. One of our representatives will greet you and transfer you to your hotel to settle in.
- Day 2 – Enjoy a half-day tour of Santiago, visiting the city center, the Plaza de Armas, the main cathedral and the Presidential Palace.
- Day 3 – Visit two of Chile’s most popular coastal cities – colorful Valparaiso and tranquil Viña del Mar.
- Day 4 – Fly to Punta Arenas (via Puerto Montt) where you will board your vessel and set sail for the Strait of Magellan.
- Day 5 – Navigate the snowcapped peaks and deep fjords of Admiralty Sound before sailing west to the Tucker Islets and their impressive penguin colonies.
- Day 6 – After passing Tierra del Fuego overnight, you’ll board Zodiacs to tour the incredible Pia Glacier before returning to the main vessel to navigate Glacier Alley.
- Day 7 – In the morning, weather permitting, you’ll disembark on windswept Cape Horn before following the narrow Murray Channel to Wulaia Bay.
- Day 8 – Dock at Ushuaia, Argentina, the world’s southernmost city. After checking into your hotel enjoy a private tour of the Tierra del Fuego National Park
- Day 9 – After breakfast you’ll fly to Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America and the captivating birthplace of tango.
- Day 10 – Discover Buenos Aires on a guided city tour with stops at San Telmo, La Boca, Recoleta, Puerto Madero and the main plaza.
- Day 11 – The day is yours to explore Buenos Aires at your leisure. Then you’ll experience an authentic Porteño evening of dinner and tango.
- Day 12 – After breakfast at your Buenos Aires hotel you’ll be transferred to the airport for your international departure.
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Day 1 – Welcome to Santiago
Welcome to Santiago de Chile! Upon arrival, one of our SA Expeditions guides will meet you and drive you to your comfortable hotel to relax or begin exploring the city.
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Day 2 – Private Half Day Santiago City Tour
After breakfast at your hotel you’ll enjoy a tour of Santiago. You’ll visit the city’s historic center where you’ll find the Plaza de Armas, the main cathedral, and the Presidential Palace. You will also have the chance to view the city from the top of Cerro San Cristobal. The afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure, shopping, eating and exploring to your heart’s content.
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Day 3 – Private Full Day Valparaiso & Viña del Mar Tour
Today you’ll visit two of central Chile’s most popular coastal cities: Valparaiso and Viña del Mar. Valparaiso is a vibrant, colorful collection of hillside houses overlooking the bay. Here you’ll visit the one-time summer house (now a museum of Pablo Neruda), one of Chile’s most prolific poets. You’ll then continue to the tranquil Viña del Mar, a popular beachside retreat for the Santiago elite.
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Day 4 – Fly to Punta Arenas and begin your cruise
Today you'll be transferred to Santiago airport for your flight to Chile's southernmost city, Punta Arenas. Upon arrival you will be transferred to the check-in point for your Australis cruise and board the vessel, en route to one of the most remote corners of the planet. Overnight you’ll cross the Strait of Magellan and enter the Whiteside Canal between Darwin Island and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.
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Day 5 – Australis Cruise Exploration
By dawn your ship will be sailing up Admiralty Sound, a spectacular offshoot of the Strait of Magellan, showcasing snow-capped peaks, deep fjords and broad bays. You’ll go ashore at Ainsworth Bay, which harbors copious bird life and a colony of southern elephant seals. After lunch, sailing west along the sound to the Tucker Islets we’ll enjoy close-up view of the Magellan penguins and many other bird species. Note that from Sept-Apr this excursion is replaced by a short walk to a glacier at nearby Brookes Bay.
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Day 6 – Australis Cruise Exploration
Overnight your ship will ship sail around the western extremity of Tierra del Fuego via the very narrow Gabriel, Magdalena and Cockburn Channels, before heading eastward to the Beagle Channel once more. By morning you’ll enter Pia Fjord and board the zodiacs for a Pia Glacier Tour where you’ll have the opportunity for a stunning hike. Back onboard, the ship heads east to Glacier Alley which features a number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing down from the Darwin Mountains.
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Day 7 – Australis Cruise Exploration
During the morning, you’ll cross the Nassau Bay into the remote archipelago that includes Cape Horn National Park. Conditions permitting, you’ll get off on the windswept island of Cape Horn which overlooks the turbulent waters of Drake Passage. In the afternoon, you’ll turn towards the narrow Murray Channel and drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, the original site of one of the region’s largest Yamana aboriginal settlements.
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Day 8 – Arrive at Ushuaia & Tour the National Park
Arriving to Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, in the morning, you’ll be transferred to your hotel to settle in. In the afternoon, enjoy a private tour of the breathtakingly remote Tierra del Fuego National Park.
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Day 9 – Ushuaia to Buenos Aires
Enjoy a final hearty breakfast in this remarkable region before meeting your airport transfer for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival in Buenos Aires a guide will meet you and take you to your comfortable lodgings in the city that has been described as the Paris of South America.
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Day 10 – Private Half-Day Buenos Aires City Tour
After breakfast you’ll head out on a Buenos Aires city tour during which you’ll explore the districts of San Telmo, La Boca, Recoleta, Puerto Madero, the city center, and the main plaza. The tour will end in the Recoleta Cemetery where you’ll have the chance to stay and explore independently or continue back to the hotel.
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Day 11 – Free Day with Dinner & Tango
There are no set excursions during the day, giving you time to explore independently. The main districts in Buenos Aires are pedestrian-friendly and the city's subways are efficient and easy to use. In the evening, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to one of Buenos Aires' best tango houses for an authentic Porteño evening of dinner, music, and dancing. Choose either a small, intimate show or a large, Broadway-style production.
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Day 12 – Depart Buenos Aires
Today your South American adventures come to an end. After breakfast at your hotel, you'll be transferred to the airport for your final departure.
Pricing includes everything from your international arrival to your departure, with the exception of flights and a few lunches and dinners. Our specialty is private, customizable travel experiences.
10 Day Tour from $5,390 per person
Includes:
- 7 nights in our preferred properties hand selected for comfort, convenience and quality
- Privately guided tours with your own personal guide and driver (outside Australis Cruise)
- All private airport transfers with English speaking assistance (outside Australis Cruise)
- 4 nights aboard the Australis Patagonia Cruise
- All meals and non-alcoholic beverages
- Naturalist guide and crew support
- Daily excursions to Patagonia & Cape Horn
- All required entrance fees
- All breakfasts
- 24hr support
- All taxes
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