Classic Patagonia Tour to Argentina & Chile with Cruise

Cafes open their doors in the morning. The aroma of freshly baked empanadas stuffed with hand-chopped beef, mozzarella, and basil drifts out of the kitchen. Porteños (Buenos Aires residents) line up to enjoy the mixture of juicy, flaky, and savory baked goods. After breakfast, your guide meets you in the lobby, ready to show the marvels of Buenos Aires on a walking tour. Consider learning more about your Argentina travel agents who strive to design a highly personalized touring experience.

Artists capture the colorful corrugated homes of La Bocca. They set out their easels along the pedestrian streets and paint the vibrant facades and quaint balconies decorated with flowerpots. Cobblestone paves the streets, and gas lamps line the walkways of the neighborhood of San Telmo. On Sundays, the antique market overtakes the streets and squares. Shops with brilliant window displays fill Calle Defensa and lead to Plaza Dorrego. Locals sip wine at tables scattered around the square. Tango dancers perform inside the cafes, utilizing the small spaces to enhance each movement as they press themselves closer together to one another.

After breakfast, your private transfer meets you at the hotel and escorts you to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. The end of the Andes Mountains slopes steeply into the sea. The Beagle Channel wades along the southern border of the city. Snowcapped peaks contrast the cold cobalt water.

Your guide leads you through the protected lands of Tierra del Fuego National Park. Mountain peaks transition into deep valleys. Lenga and Guindo trees populate the antiquated forests. Ferns add a spiced zest to the air. Lush moss fills the underbrush with a bright green. You venture to Lookout Point. The trail leads through the lenga woods. In the autumn, the leaves change to an auburn color. When you reach the summit, you have an unparalleled view of Lapataia Bay. The snow-white peaks of the Patagonian mountains rise in the background. You return to Ushuaia and board your luxurious cruise ship at the harbor.

The morning light washes over the southernmost point of the South American continent, known as Cape Horn. A rugged cliff emerges of the water, rising to a height of 1,394 feet. Windswept grass forms pockets of green along the craggy limestone surface. A monument dedicated to sailors lost on the journey around the horn adorns the hillside, overlooking the water. Steel sheets resemble a kite flying in the Antarctic winds. At the heart of the design is an albatross in mid-flight. A Spanish poem embellishes a marble plaque. The memorial adds to the serenity of the site.

Onboard the ship, you can see the precise moment the Atlantic Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean. The tides collide, the water shifts colors, from turquoise to navy, and the natural phenomenon is magical. You reach Wulaia Bay, the site of the largest Yamana Aboriginal settlements until the 19th century. The Magellanic forest fills the landscape. On land, plaques tell the history of Captain Fitz Roy and Charles Darwin’s exploration of the land and sea. The windswept grass brushes back from the coastline. The water has a stoic atmosphere when seen from the craggy hilltops.

Sea lions bask in the spreading sunlight along the pebbled shores of various islands. You can see them huddled atop one another, nestling into the warmth of their fur. Dolphins burst from the water in the wake of the boat before splashing back down. The natural wildlife is as stunning as the landscape. The ship cruises through the Agostini Sound. The waterway separates Cordon Navarro mountain range from the Monte Buckland Mountains. The latter mountains have rugged peaks decorating the horizon. Ice covers a majority of the Cordon Navarro range.

You take a Zodiac raft to the shores of the sound. Boulders and pebbles spread from the water to the forest. You soon see the Aguila Glacier winding along the craggy mountains and nearly touching the lagoon. The bright blue ice shines in the sunlight. Streaks of black ash muddle the glacier’s true color and are remnants of ancient volcanic eruptions that helped shape the area. The closer you get to the glacier, the grander it becomes. You can make out the crevices and individual paths the icicles take, making the frozen deluge resemble a prairie swirling in the wind.

The boat docks at Magdalena Island. The sea brushes against the muddled shores. You can hear the faint call of cormorants in the distance. You follow the footpath to the white and red lighthouse that watches over the island and safeguards ships in the distance. You find the celebrated penguin colony home to approximately 200,000 Magellanic penguins. In the summer, the penguins burrow into mounds on the shoreline and nest. They waddle along the rocks and boulders as some gather to clean their feathers.

Other penguins glide through the water in search of fish. They can grow up to 30 inches tall and weigh more than 14 pounds. Adults have black backs and white stomachs, along with white bands over their eyes that resemble eyebrows. Witnessing the once endangered species thriving on the island is breathtaking. Listening to them call out to one another is unique. Watching them glide through the water as if they could fly is captivating.

Punta Arenas is Chile’s southernmost city, shaped by both time and the elements of Patagonia. The Strait of Magellan brushes against the edges of the city and add to its colorful landscape, from the vibrant tombs of the Municipal Cemetery to the buildings vivifying the streets. The historic mansions decorating the Plaza Munoz Gamero showcase the historical importance of Punta Arenas during the wool boom. The city also functions as a port for ships sailing to and from the tumultuous Arctic waters. After breakfast, your private transfer escorts you north into the depths of the famous Torres del Paine National Park.

Mountains rise over the Patagonian steppe more than 6,500 feet. Yellow wildflowers blossom on the banks of azure lakes. Emerald forests lead to roaring waterfalls. You settle into your hotel that overlooks a luxurious prairie. You can see the outline of condors circling the sky in the distance in search of food. Rheas, an ostrich-like bird, roam along the landscape, grazing in the tall grassland. They span out their wings out wide when they run, extending over eight feet long.

In the morning, the scent of rich coffee is refreshing. Guanaco, cousins of the alpaca, graze on the high altitude plains. They travel in packs with shimmering gold fur. The day is yours to explore the region as you desire, taking in the remarkable mountains and thundering waterfalls, stunning lakes, and tranquil grasslands all around you. At the estancia, you can mount a horse and follow your gaucho guide through the scenery.

The ranch remains a working site that offers a sample of the historical and legendary lifestyle of the hearty explorers that claimed the area. Your gaucho guide sits atop a polished leather saddle. He carries a traditional bota bag, a leather sack used to hold wine. You are not just exploring the landscape but also gaining insight into the rich culture of Patagonia. The horse runs through a gushing stream, kicking up water as it passes to the opposite bank. Windswept grass folds over the hills. In the distance, you see the snowcapped mountains over the plain.

In the morning, you set out on a journey to explore the far reaches of Grey Lake. When you reach the shoreline, you find the water a shimmering metallic color. You board a boat that takes you along the surface. The lake is more than 12 square miles. You can see lush lenga trees on the shore, along with ruby-red notro flowers blossoming in the trees. They are known locally as “firebush.” Large icebergs float on the lake, creating a quasi-obstacle course with blue peaks resembling icicles.

At the edge of the lake, you find Grey Glacier, a mass of ice 17 miles long and encompassing 100 square miles. The ice wall towers above the water more than 130 feet tall. The milky blue color glistens in the sunlight. You hear an echoing thunder and search for rain. Your guide explains that it is the sound of the ice calving. A magnificent chunk of the glacier wall breaks away from the wall and causes a marvelous splash as it hits Grey Lake. For an added adventure, you can follow a certified guide on a glacier walk, traversing the grooves, caverns, and unique formations of the glacier’s surface.

The sunlight washes over the famous peaking towers that go by the name, “Torres del Paine.” The granite pillars rise nearly 9,500 feet above sea level and glint a remarkable blue color in the passing light. After breakfast, your private transfer escorts you south to Punta Arenas. The city feels like a metropolis, buzzing with daily activity. The fresh aroma of fern trees and fresh lakes shifts to the sweeping sea breeze hinted with freshly brewed coffee wafting out of the cafes. You fly from Presidente Carlos Ibanez del Campo International Airport to Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago, Chile.

Skyscrapers resemble the Cerro Grande peaks of Torres del Paine National Park, creating a spectacular skyline in the heart of the financial district. The Andes Mountains roll along the edges of the city, creating a natural border between Chile and Argentina. The vibrant lifestyle of Santiaguinos (Santiago people) is no more prevalent than in the Universidad de Chile metro station. Murals decorate the walls, covering more than 12,900 square feet of space. Each section commemorates a moment in the nation’s history, from the Spanish conquest up to the late 1990s. When a train rushes through the station, the wind blows across one of the most unique art galleries in the world.

In the morning, locals stroll along the tree-lined walkways of Parque Bustamante. Santiaguinos (Santiago people) enjoy the refuge from the active bustle of the big city, watching their children play in the wading pool or relaxing at the open-air tables of Café Literario on the first floor of the library in the park’s center. Your guide meets you in the hotel lobby, and you are ready to venture out into the city to immerse yourself in the fabulous culture of the neighborhoods. The presidential offices are located inside the 18th-century Neoclassical Palacio de la Moneda. A statue of President Salvador Allende decorates the square and commemorates the bravery and patriotism of the man overthrown by the violent military coup. An antique cannon adorns the courtyard facing the main walls. A citrus aroma drifts from the orange trees inside the grounds. The palace emanates the history of the city in a single building, showcasing grandeur and turbulence simultaneously.

In the morning, the lively restaurants of the Lastarria neighborhood open their doors. Staff set tables on the sidewalks and open umbrellas to help shade patrons from the passing sun. Business professionals file into the Financial District and order a Santiago traditional drink of “coffee with legs.” In the heart of the city, Gondolas rise to the top of Cerro San Cristobal, the largest green space in the city that encompasses nearly 1,800 acres. A funicular carries people up the sections of the hillside, connecting gardens, vistas, and the National Zoo. After breakfast, your private transfer meets you at your hotel and escorts you to the airport for your flight home. As the plane takes off, the majestic Andes Mountains become smaller as you ascend, but you will never forget all the grandeur you have experienced in Patagonia.