Antarctic Peninsula: Fly and cruise

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.

Stay at - Pullman el Bosque

Day 2

Day trip to a winery.

Santa Rita is located at the foot of the Andes in the Maipo Valley, some 40 km from Santiago. It is one of Chile’s best-known vineyards, established in 1880 by Domingo Fernández Concha and has long gained a reputation among experts for the quality of its wines. Its cellars combine traditional French and American oak casks with modern processes, a combination that helps give a unique aroma and body to its wines. The estate also played a part in Chile’s battle for independence, when General O’Higgins and 120 of his soldiers sheltered here. Lunch is taken at a local restaurant, returning to Santiago in the late afternoon.

Stay at - Pullman el Bosque

Day 3

Fly to Punta Arenas

Fly to Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia and transfer to your hotel. 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.

Stay at - Hotel Cabo de Hornos

Day 4

Fly to the Antarctic and board your vessel

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.

We offer a choice of comfortable expedition ships for our air-cruises, including the sleek Magellan Explorer. All ships have ice-strengthened hulls and carry Zodiacs for exploration and remote landings. Each voyage is accompanied by a skilled team of expedition guides. Some are accompanied by a practicing scientist, historian, or researcher who conducts fieldwork during the trip.

Stay at - Magellan Explorer

Days 5-8

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, while sharing your daily adventures with fellow guests.

Wildlife you may encounter in the South Shetlands and the Antarctic Peninsula includes: gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins; petrels; shags; elephant, Weddell and fur seals; and perhaps whales. You may also visit 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 the 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 weather an ice conditions as the ship edges its way southwards through the slush and abstract patterns formed by the sea ice.

Some departures offer optional excursions such as 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.

Stay at - Magellan Explorer

Day 9

Fly back to Punta Arenas for an overnight stay.

Return to King George Island and disembark. Fly back to Punta Arenas for another overnight stay.

Stay at - Hotel Cabo de Hornos

Day 10

Fly back to Santiago and overnight

Transfer to Punta Arenas airport and fly back to Santiago and overnight near the airport.

Stay at - Holiday Inn Santiago Airport

Day 11

Fly home, or continue your adventure

Either fly home, or continue your adventure by visiting some of Chile’s many fascinating and stunningly beautiful regions, or even hop to one of its neighbours for an entirely new experience.