Day 1

Arrive in Santiago. Transfer to your hotel in the smart residential district Providencia.

You will be met at the airport and escorted by one of our local representatives to your hotel in a modern district with shops, bars and restaurants nearby.

Day 2

Fly south to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia; by road to Puerto Natales.

Fly to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia. Continue by road across the vast expanse of Patagonian grasslands, remote and sparsely populated. Wildlife to look out for includes guanaco and the ostrich-like rhea (ñandu).

After about 2hrs on the road, arrive at your accommodation, the first-class Singular Patagonia, which has an impressive setting overlooking Last Hope Sound and which is within an hour’s drive of Torres del Paine National Park. The Singular’s formerly industrial heritage has been beautifully preserved and enhanced to create one of Patagonia’s most impressive hotels. This is an enticing base from which to explore your elemental surroundings, returning each day to excellent-quality dining and luxurious accommodation and facilities.

Days 3-4

Explore Patagonia, including a visit to Torres del Paine National Park.

Your stay at the Singular Patagonia includes a choice of excursions and activities including a visit to Torres del Paine National Park. The park is dominated by a granite massif of smooth rock towers and icy pinnacles. Milky blue and gem-sharp emerald lakes, sinuous rivers, glaciers and wind-scoured steppes have created a remarkable and unique environment.

Declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, the area is a natural habitat of over 150 species of birds (flamingos, condors, eagles and ostriches) and 25 species of mammal (including guanacos, armadillos, silver foxes and pumas). Other activities on offer include visits to private reserves and estancias, hiking, cycling and riding. Guests may also have the opportunity to visit the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers on the hotel’s own boat.

Day 5

By road to Punta Arenas, overnight.

Travel by road back to Punta Arenas, an atmospheric and often blustery Patagonian city, once an important commercial outpost. Its centre is lined with elegant mansions (built on the wealth of sheep farming and mining during the late 19th century) and colourful buildings with corrugated iron roofs. Overnight at a hotel not far from the centre.

In the afternoon, you attend a briefing that provides important information about your voyage and reviews the essential guidelines for Antarctic visitors.  Later there is a welcome dinner, a chance to get to know your fellow travellers.

Day 6

Fly to King George Island, board your expedition ship.

Transfer to the airport for your 2-3 hr flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island on the South Shetland Islands, just north of the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Explore the area surrounding Chile’s Frei Station and Russia’s Bellingshausen station, before boarding a zodiac to embark your expedition vessel for your cruise around the peninsula.

We offer a choice of comfortable expedition ships for our air-cruises, including the intimate Ocean Nova and sleek Magellan Explorer, both of which carry in the region of just 70 guests on this route ensuring a rewarding and well-informed experience. Ships have ice-strengthened hulls and carry Zodiacs for exploration and remote landings. Each voyage is accompanied by skilled team of expedition guides. Some are accompanied by a practicing scientist, historian, or researcher who conducts fieldwork during the trip.

Days 7-10

Cruising the shores of the Antarctic Peninsula; land and sea excursions.

Cruise between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and among gigantic icebergs, while enjoying the company of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. Each day, disembark by Zodiac and explore the landscape together with expert polar guides. On board the ship, you may attend a programme of lectures and presentations, and enjoy superlative vistas from the glass-enclosed lounge while sharing your daily adventures with fellow guests.

Wildlife you may encounter on your 4 full days on the South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula includes: gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins; petrel; shag; elephant, Weddell and fur seal; and perhaps whales. There is a planned visit to Deception Island, the centre of which is a volcanic caldera that last erupted in 1969, as well as other islands and bays. In Antarctica, silence is so complete that interruptions become indelible memories: noisy penguins squabbling over prized pebbles on Cuverville Island, the boom and crack of a calving glacier in Paradise Harbour, for example.

The soaring peaks and stark rocks of Lemaire Channel are just the excuse you need to grab your camera gear for a shooting session from the deck, if the channel is free of ice. Exactly where the ship lands will vary from one expedition to the next and according to the polar conditions as the ship edges its way southwards through the slush and abstract patterns formed by the sea ice.

(Some departures offer optional snow-shoeing and kayaking activities in addition to, or instead of, the traditional landings or zodiac sailings. These activities are subject to additional cost. If you are interested in confirming a place on these activities, it is best to book with us before departing on your holiday as places may be limited).

Day 11

Fly back to Punta Arenas, overnight.

Return to King George Island and disembark. Fly back to Punta Arenas for one further night.

Days 12-13

Fly to Santiago; by road to Casablanca, 2 nights at a winery. At leisure among the vineyards.

Transfer to Punta Arenas airport and fly to Santiago. Continue by road to Casablanca and the Casona de Matetic winery.

This young vineyard is situated in the Antonio Valley, where a refreshing microclimate supports the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Shiraz grapes. This huge estate has a very peaceful, rural setting amid rolling hills covered in Mediterranean chaparral forest. It’s a modern, state-of-the-art design winery with an historic estate house which has been painstakingly restored and is now a beautiful small hotel. It’s a great place to warm up in after your adventure in the icy wilderness of Antarctica.  A tour of the winery and tasting will be offered during your visit. It has already won awards for the quality of its wine.

Day 14

Return to Santiago airport.