13D12N Patagonia : Journey to the end of the world (SF)

Welcome to Chile! Meet your Tour Director after your arrival.

Toasts of the Town After breakfast, embark on a city tour with a Local Guide who will show you the highlights of this great city of colonial and contemporary contrasts. See the famous Government Palace, Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and Santa Lucia Hill. After lunch at a local restaurant, visit La Vega Central Market to learn about traditional Chilean food including steaming pots of cazuela and humitas, similar to tamales! Enjoy a terremoto cocktail (meaning ‘earthquake' and made of Chilean wine, liqueur, and sorbet) at a local pub before a visit to Cerro San Cristobal for stunning views of Santiago and the Andes. Visit La Vega Central Market, the area's largest local market housing more than 2,000 traders selling the most local produce, where. A majority of local restauranteurs source their ingredients. During your visit, discover not only typical Chilean foods but also food from neighbouring countries as well.

Patagonia Pleasures Depart Santiago and fly to Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan, gateway to Chile's Patagonia. Head to Puerto Natales on a scenic drive through the Patagonian steppe passing rivers, forests, mountains, and ranches. Enjoy dinner at the hotel tonight. Your drive today takes you through the Patagonian steppe or desert. Keep an eye out for guanacos (a type of camelid) commonly found in this region, along with condors, fox, chinchilla, and, for the very lucky, the more elusive puma.

Fossils, Flora & Fauna Visit the legendary Milódon Cave, where prehistoric fossils dating back 14,000 years ago, including those of a saber-toothed tiger and a gigantic sloth weighing over a ton, have been found. Venture into Torres del Paine, one of the most spectacularly scenic regions in the world. During your visits to see the famous sites, including Los Cuernos, Lago Pehoe, and Salto Grande, you are guaranteed to get a glimpse of some of the park's fauna, such as herds of guanacos, foxes, swans, and birds. Also stop at Lago Grey to see the imposing Grey Glacier, floating icebergs, and the beautiful views and rugged landscapes! Arrive at your hotel where you will be treated to an organic cocktail demonstration which includes a walk through the garden to pick the ingredients followed by a lesson to learn how to make popular drinks from the region. Dinner is at the hotel this evening. Spanning a massive area, this park was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Cascading waterfalls, roaring creeks, shimmering lakes, and jagged mountains are just a part of what Paine offers.

Peak Perfection Today, enjoy a full day exploring the park. See Los Cuernos, or "the horns," the iconic jagged granite peaks that loom over the windswept plains. Next, view the spectacular waterfall, Salto Grande in the park's lake district. After lunch at the hotel, head to the Laguna Azul where you have a good chance of seeing some of the park's wildlife, including guanacos and condors. End the day at Cascada Paine, a beautiful waterfall surrounded by rugged vistas. Discover the breathtaking beauty of Torres del Paine, considered by many who visit to be the world's most spectacular national park. From its dramatic and jagged peaks to the deep blue lakes and vast grasslands, its glacial lakes and rivers will sweep you away into a world unlike any other.

Earthly Treasures After breakfast, take an easy guided hike to Laguna Ines in search of an array of birds and other wildlife that can be found here. Next, depart for El Calafate, a lovely village on the southern shores of Lake Argentino. Originally a simple sheltering destination for wool traders, today El Calafate serves as the entry point for the UNESCO Natural Heritage Site of Los Glaciares National Park. Leave Chile today for Argentina and its breathtaking Patagonian landscapes. Sit back and relax today as you cross the border while admiring the rugged landscape, glacial lakes, and maybe even some Patagonian wildlife.

Ice Sculpture & Lake Shores Today, a cruise on Lago Argentino takes you up close for views of icebergs and Upsala Glacier, one of the longest in South America at over 35 miles long. Disembark at a historic ranch, Estancia Cristina, on the shores of Lago Argentino. Whether you prefer a quiet day of touring and history or more adventurous activities, like trekking or exploring by 4-wheel-drive vehicle-the choice is yours during your ranch visit. Spend time today at Estancia Cristina, a local ranch dating back to 1914 found deep in remote Patagonia in Los Glaciares National Park. Your time on the ranch can be spent as you please: horseback riding, hiking, 4x4 excursion, or relaxing at the ranch.

Ice Breakers A must for all visitors to Argentina is a visit to Perito Moreno Glacier (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in Los Glaciares National Park. During your walking tour along the catwalks, marvel at the breathtaking glacier views and, with some luck, see the ice calve and break into the waters below. Explore Perito Moreno Glacier, which forms part of the Patagonian Continental Ice Field. From here, 13 glaciers descend on the Atlantic side to flow into the Viedma and Argentino Lakes with one of the few glaciers in the world that is still advancing.

A Wilderness at the End of the World After breakfast, fly to Ushuaia, Argentina-the end of the world! You'll have the opportunity to see the Andes Mountains from a Globus Local Favourite cruise along Beagle Channel. Bask in the feeling of being in the southernmost city in the world, and watch for sea lions, albatrosses, skuas, and other interesting Patagonian fauna. Arrive at Martillo Island, where you have the chance to see a colony of Magellan penguins! Visit Martillo Island, home to a colony of Magellanic penguins on an island in Tierra del Fuego. Discover the burrows and nests in the ground and learn about the different types of penguins found in this remote part of the world.

A Fragile Land of Fire Today, discover Tierra del Fuego National Park, the southernmost national park in the world. Hike around the park, escorted by an expert Naturalist. With stops at Bahia Lapataia, Lago Roca, and Bahia Ensenada, you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the delicate ecosystems here. Explore the southernmost national park in the world and all its wonders in Tierra del Fuego National Park. Look skyward to spot any of the 50 fascinating bird species who call this paradise home, including Magellanic woodpecker, Andean condor, and austral parakeet. Closer to earth, you'll watch for other inhabitants like red foxes, muskrats, and guanaco.

The Boulevards of Buenos Aires Fly to Buenos Aires today, the "Paris of South America" and capital of Argentina. Fabulous food, shopping, and architecture all converge here to create a distinctly Latin vibe. Tonight, enjoy Globus Local Favourite Argentinian dinner party with local specialties and wine. Tonight's dinner is an Argentine Experience! Enjoy a five-course dinner of Argentina's most famous food (including steak) paired with a variety of the region's wines. You will also learn how to make your own empanada along with the different folding techniques as well.

Dinner, Dancing & Dazzling Your included sightseeing this morning starts in La Boca, a vibrant district and site of the city's first port. Take a short walking tour of this unique enclave at the mouth of the river and then on to San Telmo, famous for its late-colonial buildings and as a popular gathering spot for artists. At the Plaza de Mayo, see La Casa Rosada (the President's Pink House) and the Metropolitan Cathedral, which houses San Martin's Mausoleum. Drive past the ornate Teatro Colón opera house before reaching Recoleta Cemetery, burial site of Eva Perón. After an afternoon at leisure, top off the evening at a famous Tango club. Start with a Globus Local Favourite dance lesson, followed by a farewell dinner of Argentine steaks and other local specialties, and end with a show featuring flawless performances of Latin America's most sensuous dance-the Tango! The Tango and Argentina go hand in hand and tonight you will visit a local milonga, or tango house, where professional tango dancers teach the traditional techniques of the Argentine Tango. After learning some of the key dance moves, the professionals will delight you in Tango Show featuring the dance as it has evolved through the ages. Plus, dine on Argentine specialties and wine too!

Safe travels until we meet again! Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning.