Antarctic cruise & Patagonia Mountains
| country: | Antarctica, Patagonia |
| departures: | 2008: 24 Nov 2009: 17 Jan |
| price: | From £5895 - £6395 (27 days) excluding flights. Price depends on departure date. We can arrange flights from the UK |
what excites us about this holiday
Immerse yourself in wilderness on this tour, where breathtaking mountainscapes are mirrored in the glassy lakes of Patagonia. For me the highlight would be to spot an ocean giant sliding through the icy waters of Antarctica or to witness penguins going about their daily rituals. Lisa, responsibletravel.com
the amazing things you'll be doing
Antarctica - Torres del Paine National Park - World Class Hiking - Stunning Mountain Scenery - Walk with Light Packs - Cruise to Antarctica. Combine exploration of two dream destinations in one unique holiday. Complete the circuit of Torres del Paine National Park, one of the world’s great hikes. Enjoy the freedom of walking without heavy packs. Cruise to Antarctica on board a first class vessel for just 78 passengers. Visit Antarctica with one of the most experienced teams in the region.
Price includes; Flights from LON/MAN; All domestic flights in Chile; 12 nights in first class hotels (twin share) and 4 nights refugio accommodation; Full time guides in Chile; luggage porters in Torres del Paine; private transport throughout; 10 night Antarctic Cruise with twin/double cabin on Amundsen deck. All activities mentioned; and meals (b,l,d) as per itinerary.
Price includes; Flights from LON/MAN; All domestic flights in Chile; 12 nights in first class hotels (twin share) and 4 nights refugio accommodation; Full time guides in Chile; luggage porters in Torres del Paine; private transport throughout; 10 night Antarctic Cruise with twin/double cabin on Amundsen deck. All activities mentioned; and meals (b,l,d) as per itinerary.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Chile |
| Day 2: | Santiago, Walking tour: Tour Santiago before relaxing this afternoon. |
| Day 3: | Puerto Natales, Fly to Patagonia: Long but beautiful travel day. Fly south along the spectacular spine of the Andes to the seafront town of Puerto Natales. (b) |
| Day 4: | Torres del Paine, Start the circuit hike: Start walking views of the ‘torres’ and the lake.Your bags are carried for you throughout this trek. For 7 of the next 8 nights you sleep in refugios. These are basically serviced mountain huts. Walk 19km, 6hrs, up 100m, down 50m. (b,l,) |
| Day 5: | Torres del Paine, Hike in remote surroundings: Day to explore. Hike in the wilderness area around the refugio. (b,l,d) |
| Day 6: | Torres del Paine, Hike through forest: Walk through woods and forests today. Views open up along the valley towards the Paso John Gardener, the highest part of the circuit. Walk 9km, 4.5hrs, up 400m, down 100m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 7: | Torres del Paine, Cross the highest point: Today is the hardest day of walking as you cross the Paso John Gardner, the highest point of the circuit (1,210m).An early start is needed for a walk of between 8 & 10hrs.Walk 22km, 8.5hrs, up 650m, down 1,150m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 8: | Torres del Paine, Walk on Glacier Grey: Day to relax and walk on a glacier. (b,l,d) |
| Day 9: | Torres del Paine, Grassland walk:Walk with views back over Glacier Grey and onwards to the turquoise waters of Lago Pehoe. Walk 11km, 4hrs, up 400m down 400m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 10: | Torres del Paine, Paine Grande walk: Walk under the mountain of Paine Grande then a steady uphill and a steep downhill to the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Walk 9km, 4hrs, up 200m, down 200m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 11: | Torres del Paine, Lakeside walking: Continue your walk along a good path in the shadow of the mountains throughout today. Walk 13km, 5hrs, up 600m, down 300m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 12: | Torres del Paine, Hike to the Torres: Early start to hike up to the distinctive mile-high granite towers. Stay overnight in a comfortable lodge. Walk 16km, 7hrs, up 650m, down 900m. (b,l,d) |
| Day 13: | Punta Arenas, Relax: Travel south to the town of Punta Arenas, the world’s most southerly city. (b) |
| Day 14: | Ushuaia, Travel into Argentina: Short flight onto the island of Tierra del Fuego and the Argentine town of Usuhuaia. (b) |
| Day 15: | Ushuaia, Day to explore and relax: Full day to wander the town or take a tour to the inland of the island. (b) |
| Day 16: | Ushuaia, Board your boat: Board your boat, the MV/Antarctic Dream. Cabins are very comfortable and spacious, all have external portholes. Set sail to Antarctica this evening. (b,d) |
| Day 17: | Open seas, Sail Drake’s Passage: Cross the 400 miles of Drake’s Passage over the next two days. Seabirds fly alongside the ship, look out for whales, dolphins and penguins. (b,l,d) |
| Day 18: | Open seas, Sail Drake’s Passage: There is a programme of talks on board. Relax in the gym, sauna, library or pub. Food on board is a highlight. (b,l,d) |
| Day 19: | Neko Bay, South Shetland Islands shore landing: Go ashore to King George Island today. See wildlife with your expert naturalist guides, elephant seals and penguins. Take a helicopter flight if the weather is good enough. (b,l,d) |
| Day 20: | Antarctica, Set foot on Antarctica: Set foot on the mainland of Antarctica for the first time. Encounter rich bird life and marine mammals, leopard seals as well as Orcas, humpback and minke whales. (b,l,d) |
| Day 21: | Antarctica, Explore ice formations: Sail south through a narrow passage, icebergs fill the waters. The most southerly landing of your expedition is today. Look for gentoo and chinstrap penguins and elephant seals. (b,l,d) |
| Day 22: | Antarctica, Visit penguin colonies: This morning to explore the faces of huge glaciers. Afternoon shore landings and wildlife spotting. (b,l,d) |
| Day 23: | Antarctica, Explore ice formations: Sail to the largest active volcano in the area. Visit the ruins of an old whaling station. Swim in waters warmed by the volcanic sand. (b,l,d) |
| Day 24: | Drake’s Passage, Relax: Return journey. Relax and talk over your experiences. (b,l,d) |
| Day 25: | Drake’s Passage, Relax: Drake’s passage is entirely open water with no land anywhere around the world at these latitudes. (b,l,d) |
| Day 26: | Buenos Aires, Flight: Disembark this morning for your flight home via Buenos Aires. |
| Day 27: | Home |
how this holiday makes a difference
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On this holiday we work with a large number of people in Chile. Everything from the transport and local guides to accommodation and excursions, we book directly, ensuring maximum benefit for local communities. It also means that your holiday is more interesting as you get to interact with the locals.
Your guide has extensive knowledge and experience of this specific route through the Torres del Paine park. You are in safe hands and can share in his knowledge of the environment. The Antarctic Dream is wholly Chilean owned and therefore more of the benefit from your trip stays in the region. Small groups in Antarctica minimise any impact on the wildlife and since there are under 100 passengers, there is no limit to the length of shore landings and you will get more from your time on shore. Expert guides and leaders know how best to minimise the impact of any landings. They will also educate you as to how to behave, particularly on shore. You must wear boots that we provide on shore at all times. These are cleaned and disinfected by staff before and after all shore visits to ensure that no ‘alien matter’ is transferred onto the shore. Antarctic Dream is a full member of IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) which promotes safe and environmentally responsible travel to the Antarctic. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |