SANTIAGO - ATACAMA DESERT - USHUAIA CRUISE
(
12 days, 11 nights
)
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Day 1: Santiago
Arrival in Santiago, reception and transfer to your hotel.
Day 2: Santiago
City tour of Santiago including a visit to the Government
Palace, the Main Square, the Cathedral and a visit to the
museum of precolumbian art. An excursion to the Cerro San
Cristobal viewpoint for a beautiful panoramic view of the
city. Santiago de Chile was founded in 1541 and is in a beautiful
setting with only 62 miles separating the Pacific coast from
ski resorts in the high Andes. You will find 17th Century
architecture and lively markets set against a backdrop of
snow-capped mountains.
Day 3: Santiago - Calama
- San Pedro de Atacama
After breakfast, private transfer to Santiago airport for
the flight to Calama, set in the middle of the Atacama desert.
Arrival and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. Accommodation
at the hosteria.
Day 4: Atacama desert tour
Tour of San Pedro de Atacama, cradle of the Atacama Culture
during the pre-Columbian period. Followed by a visit to the
Cordillera de la Sal (Salt mountain range) and the only view
of the massive salt flat with the Licancabur volcano in the
background. We will then visit the Pukara de Quitor. In the
afternoon, excursion to the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the
Moon) which astonishes visitors with its geological formation
of salts and carbonates and where nature has shaped an astonishing
landscape. Return to your hotel in San Pedro de Atacama.
Day 5: Atacama desert tour
After breakfast, we will visit the Archaeological Museum Padre
Le Paige where we will witness an exhibition showing the evolution
of Atacamanian life over the last 11,000 years. We will then
visit the town church, The Main Square, the house of Pedro
de Valdivia (a conquistador and the founder of Santiago).
Toconao stands out with its bell tower, alleys and craft workshops.
After lunch, a visit to Lake Chaxa to view the three species
of flamingoes amongst many other birds.
Day 6: San Pedro de Atacama
- Calama - Santiago
Very early morning departure to the Tatio Geysers to experience
this spectacular demonstration of volcanic activity. In the
middle of the Andean mountains, the El Tatio Geysers at 4,500
metres above sea level gush fumaroles at dawn. We will also
visit the village of Caspana with its fertile terraces, architecture
in Liparita stone and characteristic mud-roofs. We will continue
with visits to the villages of Toconce and Vegas de Turi on
an awe inspiring route which takes us through Chiu-Chiu and
Lasana, with their important cultural and historical legacies
including one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in
Chile. Box lunch on route. Return to Calama in the afternoon
for your transfer to the airport and your return flight to
Santiago. Reception and transfer to your hotel.
Day 7: Santiago - Punta
Arenas
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to
Punta Arenas.
Arrival and transfer to your hotel, the four star Finnis Terrea
Hotel.
Day 8 (Saturday): Punta
Arenas
Transfer to the port in Punta Arenas for the boarding of the
"Mare Australis" expedition cruiseship. The crew,
headed by the Captain, will welcome you aboard with cocktails.
The ship will depart towards the city of Ushuaia, through
the mythical Strait of Magellan and sailing through the Patagonian
Channels and around Tierra del Fuego.
Day 9 (Sunday): Ainsworth
Bay - Tucker Islet
With the first light of dawn, navigation will continue through
the Almirantazgo Fjord. We will disembark in Ainsworth Bay
near the Marinelli Glacier, where we will take a walk to see
an elephant seal colony and appreciate the Magellan Forests.
Located in Ainsworth Bay, in the midst of the Darwin Range,
one can see the enormous ice wall more than 40 metres high.
During the afternoon, we will approach Tucker Islet and the
Australis Cruises Expedition Group will give us a brief talk
about the ecosystem and geography. An excursion on board zodiac
boats to admire a small colony of Magellan Penguins. We will
also see other bird species such as Skuas and Cormorants.
The presence of dolphins and sea lions are also likely.
Day 10 (Monday): D'Agostini
Fjord
In the morning, a number of blue-tinted floating icebergs
announce that we are sailing through the D'Agostini Fjord,
a sea route which passes several glaciers. In a memorable
awakening, and surrounded by a breathtaking landscape, we
can watch the dance of light at dawn in front of the Serrano
Glacier, where we will clearly see the central moraine. The
myrtleberry, chaura (wild berry), ñirre (nothofagus
pumilio, known as Antarctic beech), and wild strawberry together
with other native species, thrive in these surroundings. We
will disembark in Condor Bay, close to the Condor Glacier.
Here we will enjoy a short walk through the native forest
and an excursion by boats. After boarding again, the ship
will sail through the Magdalena and Cockburn channels towards
the Beagle Channel.
Day 11 (Tuesday): Garibaldi
Inlet - Puerto Williams
When the ship enters the Garibaldi Inlet, our aim will be
to come as close as possible to one of the most beautiful
glaciers of our cruise and to be able to observe the breathtaking
mass of blue ice. During the route we will stop for a moment
to admire the sea-lions and wild duck that herald our arrival.
We will continue cruising through floating ice towards land
and will disembark, in the middle of silence, in one of the
solitary beaches of the Garibaldi Inlet. From here, we will
penetrate one of the wildest and thickest forests of Patagonia,
as our guides tell us about its flora, fauna and geography.
Located at the northern end of Navarino Island and on the
shores of the Beagle Channel, Puerto Williams - with no more
than two-thousand inhabitants is one of the most southerly
towns in the world.
Day 12 (Wednesday): Puerto
Williams - Ushuaia
The last day of the cruise with an early arrival in Ushuaia,
located on the border of the Beagle Channel and surrounded
by the Martial Mountains. The port of Ushuaia, originally
a penal colony, is now the capital of the Argentinean province
of Tierra del Fuego. Here, we will enjoy the wonders of this
landscape where the sea meets the forests and mountains and
is the start of excursions into the Tierra del Fuego National
Park. Return to the airport for your flight home, return to
Punta Arenas with the same ship but lasting only three days
or optional tours to visit the surrounding area.
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Prices start from US$
Upon request
per person based on two sharing and includes accommodation in 3* and 4* hotels with breakfast, all transfers and tours with a bilingual guide, standard cabins aboard the cruise to Ushuaia with all meals and an open bar, all land transportation and meals as per itinerary. Airport taxes, the international airfare to Chile and internal flights are not included. A LanPass bought in conjunction wiith your international flight provides substantial savings compared to locally purchased domestic flight tickets.
For more information on hotels in Chile, please see:
our hotels page
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For current availability contact us at info@amazingperu.com and we will send you the relevant trip dossier along with a 90 day fixed quote, terms and conditions.
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