Exploring Patagonia

National Geographic Highlights

• Explore Patagonia’s incredible wonders by land and sea.

• Settle into Tierra Patagonia, a National Geographic Unique Lodge of the World.

• Take a walk across Magdalena Island, home to more than 100,000 Magellanic penguins.

Day 1: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Arrive this morning in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires, and transfer to our hotel in the heart of the stylish Recoleta neighborhood. Enjoy a tango performance, followed by a welcome dinner.

Day 2: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Spend the day discovering this cosmopolitan city, known as the Paris of South America. See the Recoleta Cemetery, final resting place for Eva “Evita” Perón. Continue to the historic presidential palace, La Casa Rosada, and the cathedral in Plaza de Mayo. After lunch, explore the cobblestoned lanes of San Telmo and the colorful artists’ quarter of La Boca.

Day 3: Ushuaia/Tierra Del Fuego National Park

Fly to Ushuaia and visit Tierra del Fuego National Park. Embark our ship and sail toward the famed Beagle Channel.

Day 4: Cape Horn, Chile/Wulaia Bay

Weather permitting, take Zodiacs to Cape Horn for panoramic views from the southernmost tip of South America. Later, explore Wulaia Bay, where Charles Darwin landed during his voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. Choose one of two walks through the surrounding Magellanic forest.

Day 5-6: Magdalena Channel/Agostini Sound

As we navigate the Magdalena Channel, spot penguins, dolphins, albatross, and other seabirds. After entering the Pia Fjord, board Zodiacs and head out on a shore excursion on Pia Glacier. Continue along the Beagle Channel to the Garibaldi Glacier. Embark on a challenging hike through the Magellanic forest if you choose. The next day, cruise majestic Agostini Sound, and disembark for a closer look at Águila Glacier. During an easy walk, take in spectacular views of the brilliant blue-and-white ice set off by black mountains, and learn about the geologic forces that shaped this dramatic land.

Day 7: Magdalena Island/Punta Arenas

Take a morning walk on Magdalena Island, home to a colony of more than 100,000 Magellanic penguins. Disembark in Punta Arenas and continue across the southern Pampas, looking for herds of guanacos as well as rheas, gray foxes, and black-necked swans. Settle into our spectacular hotel, Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa, a member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World collection.

Days 8-10: Torres Del Paine National Park

During the next three days, tailor your exploration to your interests, choosing from among a variety of hiking and horseback-riding excursions in the park. Discover Grey Lake and its incredibly blue sculpted ice; hike through beech forests along the shore of Blue Lagoon; and marvel at rock paintings left by the indigenous Aonikenk people, some of the earliest inhabitants of the region. Enjoy evening lectures, and cap off your stay with a festive barbecue in the company of local gauchos, getting a glimpse into traditional Patagonian cowboy culture.

Day 11: Punta Arenas/Santiago

Today, drive to the Punta Arenas airport for the flight to Santiago. Arrive this evening and check in to our hotel.

Day 12: Santiago

Spend a full day exploring Santiago. On a walking tour of the city center, see the elegant Plaza de Armas, La Moneda Palace, and the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral. View the impressive collection at Santiago’s Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, and enjoy a farewell celebration at a Chilean winery. This evening, transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Call or visit our website for full itineraries, inclusions, and more.

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