4* & 5* Tours and Cruises to Argentina
on Mare Australis Cruises

Day 1, Santiago de Chile:
Arrive this morning in Santiago de Chile, gateway to the Andes, situated between mountain peaks and the Pacific Ocean. Your SouthAmerica.travel tour guide will accompany you to your international 4**** hotel in the green heart of the city, the Radisson **** or Torremayor ****. This afternoon, your guide introduces you to this city nestled between mountains: Enjoy a city tour visiting both the historic and modern centers of Santiago, as well as a trip to neighboring San Cristobal for a good look at the surrounding area.

Day 2, Santiago de Chile:
Full-day included excursion to Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. Today, experience a full-day excursion to Valparaíso, the oldest port in Chile. Though no longer its largest port, it retains tremendous historical significance and beauty, as well as being home to the Chilean House of Assembly and Senate. The upper and lower parts of the city are connected through 16 funicular railways constructed around the turn of the century, a time when the city experienced tremendous growth. From Valparaíso, continue along the coast to the beautiful beaches of Viña del Mar, the Garden city, named for its many parks and green spaces.

Day 3, Santiago de Chile - Punta Arenas:
Fly from Santiago de Chile straight south to Punta Arenas. Chile's Southern most airport. Meet your expert guide team for Patagonia and drive north through the vast Patagonian"Pampa" to Puerto Natales. (Entrance fee penguin colony collected locally). Transfer to your hotel Costaustralis ****. Dinner is on the house!

Day 4, Torres del Paine:
Early start driving for full day inside Torres del Paine National Park. Busy day traveling and walking including unforgettable views of the Towers and the Torres Massif, Lago Grey and Grey Glacier and tremendous wildlife. Journey on some short hikes to reach the most beautiful points of view of this National Park and of course also get to know the diverse wildlife.

Day 5, Mare Australis - Punta Arenas:
Check in at Magallanes 990, Punta Arenas, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cruise ship boarding at 6:00 p.m. The Captain and crew give a welcome cocktail reception on board. Immediately afterwards, the ship departs for Ñthe uttermost part of the earthÉ. Our excursion will take us through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel to explore one of the most breathtaking wilderness regions in the world: Southern Patagonia, and Tierra del Fuego. We have just embarked on a Great Adventure!

Day 6, Mare Australis - Ainsworth Bay, Tuckers Islets:
At dawn, we continue navigating through Almirantazgo Sound, arriving at Ainsworth Bay, inside the Alberto De Agostini National Park. From a distance we may see the Marinelli Glacier which descends from the Darwin Mountain Range, and we will learn how life begins after the retreat of the ice. We will also take a walk to discover a beaver dam in the marvelous subpolar Magellanic forest. On the beach, we will try to see elephant seals, but we cannot guarantee this as the precise location of the colony is unpredictable.
Later, we sail to Tuckers Islets, and after lunch we board the Zodiac boats to view Magellanic Penguins (which only live in the Southern Hemisphere), and Cormorants. In September and April this excursion is replaced by Brookes Bay where we land for a short walk to approach a glacier.

Day 7, Mare Australis - Pia Glacier, Glacier Alley:
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 ÑGlacier AlleyÉ.

Day 8, Mare Australis - Cape Horn, Wulaia Bay:
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 ÑEnd of the EarthÉ, and itÅs 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 regionÅs 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.

Day 9, Mare Australis - Ushuaia:
Arrival at Ushuaia, ArgentinaÅs most important city on Tierra del Fuego, and the southernmost city in the world. We disembark at 8:00 a.m., enabling you to get an early start on visiting the city and national parks, and on continuing your trip to Buenos Aires.

Day 10, Buenos Aires:
Enjoy a tailor-made citytour so as to combine a comprehensive visit of the city with your own interests. We include here with one of our suggestions:
Art Galleries & Antiques City Tour: this special tour around the city allows an approach to the core of its culture, printed in its architectural treasures and relicts of the city unforgettable past along with important works of art at some of the city art galleries and antique shops. Just a different way of 'experiencing' the city.
In the evening enjoy the perfect way to know Argentina with an unforgettable Tango Show.

Day 11, Buenos Aires:
Optional today to visit Estancia with lunch and Gaucho Show.
Afterward, transfer to the International Airport to flight back home or continue travelling...

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