Day 1 – Touchdown in Chile

Welcome to Santiago, Chile’s cosmopolitan capital framed by the snow-capped Andes and the Pacific coast. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Upon arrival, settle in, and meet your Travel Director and fellow guests. Enjoy a relaxed dinner together, it’s a chance to get to know your travelling companions and look ahead to the experiences that await.

Day 2 – Sights of Santiago

Explore Santiago with your Local Specialist, uncovering stories etched into its neoclassical landmarks. Admire the 18th-century Metropolitan Cathedral, a symbol of colonial endurance, and browse the bustling Central Market, renowned for its ironwork and seafood heritage. Take in panoramic views from San Cristóbal Hill. At Pueblito Los Dominicos, meet artisans from southern Chile who transform horsehair into traditional crafts inspired by the nation’s heritage on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® Experience. Learn about their techniques, try your hand at the delicate weaving process and support a community keeping this rare tradition alive.

Day 3 – On to Puerto Natales

Fly south to Punta Arenas, a historic port once vital to Antarctic exploration. From here, journey across the windswept Patagonian steppe to Puerto Natales, a quiet frontier town on the fjord-like Seno Última Esperanza. With its glacier-fed waters and distant granite peaks, this remote outpost offers your first glimpse of Patagonia’s awe-inspiring scale and solitude.

Day 4 – Patagonian Ranch Life

Cross the waters of Última Esperanza Fjord by boat, arriving at Estancia La Península: a working Patagonian ranch set amidst breathtaking southern scenery. You’re welcomed with traditional sopaipillas, crispy fried pumpkin dough, served with homemade jam before choosing your own way to explore the landscape. Ride horseback along trails once used by gauchos or join a guided hike through wetlands and evergreen forest, rich in birdlife and native flora. Later, gather for a slow-roasted lamb barbecue, then watch skilled sheepdogs at work and learn about shearing techniques that have shaped rural life in Patagonia for generations.

Day 5 – Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine

Journey through the Patagonian steppe toward Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where granite peaks, glacial rivers and sweeping plains define the landscape. As you arrive at Hotel Las Torres Patagonia, the scenery shifts to towering spires and wind-brushed grasslands. You may wish to discover the traditions of Patagonian horsemen, whose bond with the land and their horses is central to life in the south, or explore the hotel’s organic gardens and learn how sustainable practices support the fragile local ecosystem. Both experiences offer a unique window into the spirit of Patagonia.

Day 6 – Glaciers and Waterfalls of Patagonia

Explore the contrasting landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park. Visit panoramic lookouts at Puente Negro, Nordenskjöld, Sarmiento and Lake Pehoé, and witness the force of Salto Grande waterfall. Learn how the park’s unique geology and ecosystems have evolved over millennia. Pause for a gourmet al fresco lunch set against jagged peaks and open steppe. Later, follow the trail along the southern shore of Lago Grey, where calving icebergs drift from the glacier into the lake. In the evening, gather for dinner and reflect on a day immersed in Patagonia’s raw, elemental beauty.

Day 7 – El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park

Travel across the vast Patagonian landscapes as you journey from Chile into Argentina, heading toward the frontier town of El Calafate. Named after the native Calafate berry – a small, dark blue fruit said to ensure your return to Patagonia – this town is the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park. Along the way, watch the scenery shift from windswept steppe to glacial lakes and rolling hills, revealing the scale and solitude that define this southern region. With the Andes behind you and new landscapes ahead, the journey offers a striking transition between two of South America’s most remarkable wildernesses.

Day 8 – Glaciers of Patagonia

Set out on a cruise across the glacial waters of Lake Argentino, where icebergs, mountain views and the scale of Los Glaciares National Park begin to define the day. Continue to Perito Moreno Glacier, where panoramic boardwalks reveal the full sweep of its ice front above the lake. As you explore, watch the shifting surface of the glacier and, with luck, witness a calving event as ice breaks into the water below. Return to El Calafate later in the day, with the evening free to settle back in and enjoy the town at a gentler pace.

Day 9 – El Calafate

Enjoy a full day at leisure in El Calafate to stroll along the shores of Lago Argentino, browse the town’s shops and cafes, or simply relax and take in the Patagonian setting at your own pace. This evening, visit Finca Las Moras for a closer look at farming on the edge of Patagonia. Learn about the area’s productive history and join in seasonal tasks before sitting down to dinner beneath the poplars, prepared with local ingredients.

Day 10 – Off to Buenos Aires

Fly north from the wilds of Patagonia to Argentina’s vibrant capital, Buenos Aires. As you leave behind the glaciers and open steppe, the landscape shifts to leafy boulevards, grand architecture and the energetic rhythms of city life – a striking contrast that highlights the diversity of Argentina’s cultural and natural landscapes.

Day 11 – Explore Buenos Aires

Take a deep dive into Buenos Aires on a city tour that reveals the capital’s layered history and cultural contrasts. Travel along Avenida 9 de Julio past the Teatro Colón, then visit Plaza de Mayo and see Casa Rosada before stepping inside the Metropolitan Cathedral, resting place of independence hero General San Martín. Continue to the colourful streets of La Boca, then head north through Palermo to Recoleta, where the cemetery’s elaborate mausoleums house notable figures including Eva Perón. This evening, gather with your Travel Director and fellow guests for a farewell dinner at El Viejo Almacén in San Telmo. Enjoy traditional cuisine and an evocative tango show in one of the city’s most iconic venues – a fitting finale to your South American adventure.

Day 12 – Depart Buenos Aires

Your journey comes to an end as you bid farewell to your Travel Director and fellow guests before your transfer to the airport.