On arrival at Santiago Airport, after clearing immigration and customs, you will be met by your Epic private guide and are then transferred to the hotel, about a 40 minute drive.
At 2.00 pm, after dropping off your bags, you meet in the lobby and set off on a privately guided 3 hour afternoon city tour of Santiago which will give you a wonderful introduction to Chile’s capital and the city’s landmarks. It will provide a chance to see the amazing cultural sights Santiago has to offer. The tour will stop in the fertile valley for a rest and insight from your bilingual historical expert. The tour will also visit the Santa Lucia Hill where the Spanish Conquistador, Pedro de Valdivia, founded the city of Santiago on 12 February 1541.
Overnight – Singular Santiago - Singular Room – Breakfast included
Today you fly south to Patagonia.
You are met and transferred to Santiago Airport where you check in for your flight to Punta Arenas, a 3 ½ hour flight.
On arrival you are met and transfer by vehicle to Torres del Paine National Park, a drive of around 4.5 hours.
The first leg is a 2.5 hours drive to Puerto Natales where you stop for a quick casual lunch before continuing on for another 1.5 hours to Tierra Patagonia for a 3 night stay.
Tierra Patagonia sits on a bluff where the South American pampa meets Lake Sarmiento. The building is immersed in the landscape and emerges from the hillside. The award winning architecture complements the flow of the geology in this privileged location and showcases the magnificent views of the Torres del Paine National Park, declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978.
Overnight – Tierra Patagonia – Superior Room – Fully inclusive basis
The next 2 days are at your leisure.
You may choose from one of the many activities available which are included in the cost of your stay. These include options such as horse riding, trekking, mountain biking, kayaking and more.
Overnight – Tierra Patagonia – Superior Room – Fully inclusive basis
After breakfast you are met and then drive through the national park towards Pudeto. Once at the boat dock you board the catamaran for a 35 minute transfer across Lago Pehoe. Once across you will trek along the fascinating Lake Grey (3-4 hours, 11 km) with magnificent views of Glacier Grey and the floating icebergs nearby and view the vibrant blues of the icebergs (Paine is the Tehuelche Indian word for ‘blue’).
In the afternoon you embark on a kayak adventure across the lake to view the glacier up close and personal. You have a short walk to the Lake Grey where you meet your guides and undergo a safety briefing and gear check. You then carry the kayaks 20 metres to the lake's edge to launch the kayaks and the tour begins with paddling around the icebergs toward the eastern side of the Grey Glacier where you wonder at the spectacle of this special place. If conditions permit you will paddle in closer to the glacier and get a really good view.
You then paddle back to the start point and transfer to the lodge for dinner.
Overnight – Grey Lodge – Dorm room (4 beds) with shared bathrooms – All meals included
Today you set off on an ice hike on Grey Glacier.
After breakfast you meet your guides for an introductory chat and they explain the route, the time the tour takes and will also test the equipment and adjust it for each of you as needed.
You then board our zodiac for the 15 minute boat ride to the western side of Grey Glacier. Once here you disembark on the island at the glacier (nunatak) and have a safety briefing and learn the techniques of displacement in the ice and the correct use of the equipment. Once the briefing is complete you begin your exploration of the Grey Glacier which will last about 3 hours.
You walk on it for around an hour until you reach the ice where you will observe cracks, rivers, lagoons and tunnels with their different tones of blue.
You return to the zodiacs and ride back to base camp. After lunch, you board the Grey III catamaran for a 2 hour navigation of this magical lake surrounded by icebergs.
You then transfer to Singular Patagonia where you spend the next 2 nights.
There are a range of activities available to choose from, at additional cost.
Overnight – Singular Patagonia – Singular Room – Breakfast and dinner included (excluding beverages)
Today is at your leisure to do what you like. Please see a list of activity options under the "Documents tab" - at additional cost.
Overnight – Singular Patagonia – Singular Room – Breakfast and dinner included (excluding beverages)
After breakfast you are transferred to Punta Arenas.
On arrival at the hotel you are met by a representative of Antarctica XXI. After settling in to your rooms you gather with the rest of the group and meet your fellow adventurers for a briefing that provides important information about the voyage and reviews the essential guidelines for Antarctic visitors.
Following the briefing you meet for a welcome dinner and enjoy a typical regional menu.
Overnight – Cabo de Hornos Hotel – Dinner, bed and breakfast basis
Today your Antarctic adventure begins with a two-hour flight from Punta Arenas to King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. As you exit the airplane, the clear Antarctic air fills your lungs for the first time. You will have the chance to explore the area surrounding Chile’s Frei Station and Russia’s Bellingshausen Station, before boarding a Zodiac taking you to your expedition vessel.
Limited spots are available for sea kayaking (10 spots) and snow shoeing (12 spots) whilst on board. If you are interested please ensure you advise us soon as these are sold on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Overnight – MV Ocean Nova – Twin share cabins – Buffet breakfast and lunch, 3-course dinner, wine, beer, juice and soft drink served with lunch and dinner
Days 10 to 13 - Cruising Antarctica
These days are spent cruising between the South Shetland Islands and the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, sailing along ice-filled fjords and among spectacular icebergs, while enjoying the company of sea birds, penguins, seals and whales. Each day, you disembark the ship by Zodiac and explore the landscape together with expert polar guides.
On board the ship, you may choose to attend an engaging programme of lectures and presentations, and enjoy spectacular vistas from the glass-enclosed lounge.
No journey is the same as flexibility is the key to success in Antarctica. The Expedition Team sets the voyage route to take advantage of the ever-changing opportunities provided by nature, crafting a unique and extraordinary experience each time. While the exact itinerary changes with each expedition, you will explore several spots that offer the best possible overview of the varied Antarctic environment. Your voyage may include visits to sites such as Paulet Island, Hope Bay, Port Lockroy, Petermann Island, Paradise Bay, Deception Island, the Lemaire Channel, or many other magnificent places.
Overnight – MV Ocean Nova – Twin share cabins – Buffet breakfast and lunch, 3-course dinner, wine, beer, juice and soft drink served with lunch and dinner
A typical day in Antarctica involves two landings. Being on such a small vessel, this affords us this luxury. The larger vessels that ply the waters of the Peninsula generally do just the one landing per day.
Ocean Nova positions overnight for a mid-morning landing and again during the middle of the day for an afternoon landing.
The programme of landings is flexible and determined by the weather. The Expedition Leader in conjunction with the Captain, will arrange the activities programme to make best use of the prevailing weather conditions. The landings for example, may take the form of visiting penguin colonies, visiting research stations, zodiac excursions.
If people are partaking in the kayaking or snow shoeing programmes, this will be offered in addition to the normal landing activity. In some cases, if weather is inclement or the landing sight isn’t appropriate, these activities may not be offered. If people have bought into the snow shoeing or the kayaking programmes, and they don’t want to partake at any one time, then they can do the landing with the rest of the ship.
A Typical Day:
- 7.00 am – Wakeup call
- 7.30 am – Breakfast
- 9.00 am – Landing/Activity
- 11.30 am – Return to the vessel
- 12.30 pm – Lunch
- 3.00 pm – Landing/Activity
- 5.00 pm – Return to the vessel. At this time you may gather in the lounge for a lecture or the like
- 6.30 pm – Pre-dinner drinks
- 7.00 pm – Dinner
Please note: It is important to point out that if on any landing you wish to return to the boat, there are always staff and zodiacs available to transfer you back onboard
Today marks the end of your journey and you and bid farewell to Antarctica.
You return to King George Island before boarding the flight back to Punta Arenas.
Upon arrival, you transfer to the hotel and overnight. (Note: Meals in Punta Arenas are at your leisure and not included in the cost.)
Overnight – Cabo de Hornos Hotel - Bed and breakfast
This morning you depart the hotel and transfer to the Punta Arenas Airport. The flight is 3.5 hours to Santiago where you will be met and transferred 40 minutes to the Singular Santiago.
Overnight – Singular Santiago – Singular Room – Bed and breakfast basis
Today you are transferred from the Singular Santiago to the Santiago Airport, a drive of around 40 minutes and check-in for your home bound flight and depart Chile.
End of arrangements
