4**** Travel to Patagonia for a cruise aboard M/V Australis and land tours

Travel to Patagonia for a cruise and land tours !

Expedition Down South

Departures: Fridays!

Guide on board: Spanish and English.
Meals: According to itinerary Air Fare: Not included

More than Patagonia, more than what is commonly visited. A wonderful trip including the traditional points of interest plus an expedition cruise on board the Autralis ships through the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel, exploring one of the most beautiful regions on earth: Tierra del Fuego and most of the main Patagonic attractions. A trip along the land of virgin forests and imposing millenary glaciers.

Day 1 – Buenos Aires
Meeting at Ezeiza International airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. In the afternoon, city tour sightseeing some of the most interesting places of this cosmopolitan city: Plaza de Mayo Square, the Government House, the Cabildo (Colonial Town Hall), the Metropolitan Cathedral, Avenida de Mayo, the Congress Palace, the Colón Theatre, and La Boca, San Telmo, Palermo and Recoleta neighbourhoods.

Day 2 – Buenos Aires
Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure for optional tours. We recommend the Fiesta Gaucha: full day excursion dedicated to visit an estancia, a typical Argentine ranch, an ideal place to appreciate the local gaucho skills at cattle breeding and horseback riding. It's also a great opportunity to taste the typical Argentine 'asado' (barbecue) which consists of cow ribs placed on an iron grid and grilled on wood embers.

Day 3 Buenos Aires / Puerto Madryn
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Trelew. Reception and transfer to Puerto Madryn. Optional excursion to Punta Tombo Fauna Reserve to admire the magnificent Magellan penguin colony. Accommodation.

Day 4 Puerto Madryn
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day tour to Península Valdés, passing by Ameghino Isthmus, located between the Nuevo and the San Jose Gulfs. Visit Puerto Pirámide, where there is a sea lion rookery and it's a great opportunity to take the optional boat excursion for an outstanding whale watch you cannot miss (available from June to November). Continue to Punta Delgada for a view of its important colony of sea lions and Caleta Valdés where sea elephants seem to have found their ideal natural habitat. Return to Puerto Puerto Madryn.

Day 5 Puerto Madryn / Ushuaia
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Trelew airport to board the flight to Ushuaia. Reception at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. In the afternoon enjoy a brief city tour including the End of the World Museum.
Day 6 Ushuaia / Mare Australis
Breakfast at the hotel. Half day excursion to Tierra del Fuego National Park, located 12 km from Ushuaia. Enjoy an excursion with multiple panoramic sights of the Beagle Channel, Lapataia River, Laguna Verde and Roca Lake. In the afternoon, embark the Mare Australis cruise. Dinner on board. Sail along the Beagle Channel.

Day 7 Mare Australis
Sail through the Beagle and the Murray Channels to disembark in Cape Horn National Park. Cape Horn is a natural sea wall, almost 425 meters high, that was discovered on January 30, 1616, by a commercial expedition from the Netherlands organized by Isaac Le Maire and under the command of Captain Willem Schouten. Cape Horn owes its name to the Port of Hoorn where the expedition had originated on June 14, 1615. Later, we disembark in Walaia Bay, which was one of the most important indigenous sites of the region.

Day 8 Mare Australis
Sail Garibaldi Fjord and enjoy the spectacular views of the Glacier of the same name and the impressive snow fields of the Darwin Range. On the route along the bay, the ship makes a short stop to admire the sea lions. Take the opportunity to disembark in zodiacs at one of the beaches along this protected and wonderful place, to undertake an adventurous trek to appreciate the lush vegetation and the virgin forests that cover the mountain slopes. After this unforgettable experience continue the navigation through O'Brian and Ballenero Channels, Bahía Desolada, Paso Aguirre and Brecknock Channel.

Day 9 Mare Australis / Torres Del Paine
Early in the morning, disembark in Magdalena Island, home of an enormous penguin colony with over 120.000 of them in different stages of breeding. Take a walk to San Isidro Lighthouse, that used to guide the explorer sailors on their way across the Magellans Strait. After the visit return to Punta Arenas to dock at 11.00 a.m. and start the disembarking formalities. Thus the adventure comes to an end. Disembark at Punta Arenas to depart on regular bus line to Torres del Paine. Meeting and accommodation.

Day 10 Puerto Natales
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day excursion to Torres del Paine National Park to admire its marvellous flora and fauna with the majestic frame of the Andes Mountain Range. Also take the opportunity to admire its lakes, rivers and glacial era landscapes. Accommodation at Torres del Paine.

Day 11 Puerto Natales / El Calafate
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by regular bus line to El Calafate. Meeting and accommodation.

Day 12 El Calafate
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier located in Los Glaciares National Park. This imposing ice river, 3 km wide and 50 m high, descends from the Patagonian Continental Ice provoking ice cracks and explosions during its slow forward movements. Because of its breathtaking beauty and unusual behaviour it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Later embark for a navigation excursion.

Day 13 El Calafate / Buenos Aires
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Buenos Aires. Meeting and transfer to the hotel.

Day 14 Buenos Aires
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ezeiza International Airport to board the international flight.

Optional extra night:

Day 13 El Calafate
Breakfast at the hotel. Day at leisure for optional tours. We recommend the full day Upsala Explorer excursion. Sail in front of the Upsala Glacier, on board of the Upsala Explorer's embarkation, towards Estancia Cristina to take a walk to the Upsala Glacier overlooking on 4 x 4 vehicles.

Day 14 El Calafate / Buenos Aires
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board the flight to Buenos Aires. Meeting and transfer to the hotel.

Day 15 Buenos Aires
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Ezeiza International Airport to board the international flight.

NOTES:
* To take Punta Tombo's excursion on the arrival date, passengers must arrive at Trelew's airport before 10:00 a.m.; to take it on the departure's date, passengers must leave Trelew's airport after 04:00 p.m.
* Cruceros Australis reserves the right to alter,change, modify or omit part of the itinerary without previous notice.
* This programme has to start on Fridays.