Wildlife Cruises
Patagonia's coastlines are teeming with wildlife activity, and the best way to immerse yourself in the action and capture some incredible photos is by cruise or boat. Choose from …
Choosing the right trip
Our Adventure Cruises have been described as ‘cruises for people who don’t do cruises’. These aren't your ordinary trips - the focus is heavily on adventure and getting out and about in remote locations.
- Explore deep into the sparkling, mountain-lined fjords, to watch crashing glaciers calve before you and wildlife going about their business.
- Experience the peaceful channels as the pioneers once did - with barely anyone else around.
- Expect to be out and about exploring on foot and by zodiac in remote locations each day.
- Pick a cruise that visits a bit of everything, a day trip, or a more specific multi-day whale-watching expedition.
Darwin Range, Tierra del Fuego
Magellanic Penguins, Isla Magdalena
Pia Glacier, Southern Patagonia
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Playful dolphins in White Narrows
Glacier Cruise, Southern Patagonia
Dolphins in the Chilean Fjords
Zodiac landing at Cape Horn
Adventure cruise arriving into Ushuaia
Sunset on Southern Patagonia Adventure Cruise
Where can I cruise?
Choosing your cruise
Routes
The most popular Patagonia cruise routes run between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas (Chile). This is one of the best ways to cross the border, a great alternative to flying or taking the bus, the cruise combines border crossings with sightseeing along the way.
Other round trip routes start and end in Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Ushuaia, Puerto Montt and Puerto Aysen perfect to fit into an itinerary where you're exploring one region in depth. Different areas will have a different focus, be it glaciers, whales, rainforest, Cape Horn, or all of the above!
Pia Glacier, Chilean Fjords
Things to consider
Highlights: Glaciers, penguins, whales, getting to places inaccessible by foot, visiting Cape Horn... Cruises in Patagonia are varied, and each has a very different style and focus. Talk to us about finding the right cruise that will make your trip spectacular.
Duration: Fit a one day whale watching encounter into your packed itinerary, or make time for an 8-night expedition, or anything inbetween.
Budget: You can take a 2-night whale watching cruise for $650 USD per person, or you could choose the best cabin on an 8-night cruise for $7,000 USD per person.
Pia Glacier, Southern Patagonia
What Our Customers Think of Adventure Cruises in Patagonia
Adventure Cruises in Patagonia trips scored 4.5/5 from 149 reviews
We particularly appreciated Chloe's suggestion to add the Australis cruise - brilliant choice.
Travelled: March 2016
Heinrich -
Review:
Vessels
There are many different vessels offering adventure cruises of the Patagonian fjords and glaciers, from small sailing and expedition boats to cruise ships. The largest cruise ship has a capacity of 210 passengers, while smaller expedition boats may accommodate 10-20 passengers.
Chloe O'Keeffe says
The thought of a typical cruise has never appealed to me. But cruising in Patagonia is different. On some cruises you don't even sleep on the ship - you stay on tiny islands surrounded by humpback whales, whereas on others you have a luxurious cabin but are out exploring all day.
Swoop Expert
Patagonia Cruises: FAQs
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Will it be expensive?
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t have to be. If you plan in advance and book early, you can snap up a cabin in the cheapest category before anyone else. We work very closely with a range of cruise and operators in Patagonia and know the best early booking discounts. There are some excellent low season rates too, if you’re willing to travel at the start/end of the season.
We offer cruises and boat trips to suit a wide spectrum of budgets, from around $600 USD for a 1 day whale watching trip to $4,000 for the best cabin in high season on a luxury adventure cruise vessel.
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I’m not normally a cruise person. Is an adventure cruise really for me?
Our Adventure Cruises have been described as ‘cruises for people who don’t do cruises’. Basing yourself from a boat is a great way to explore deep into the sparkling, mountain-lined fjords, both on and off the vessel, to watch crashing glaciers calve before you and wildlife going about their business, and experience the peaceful channels as the pioneers once did - with barely anyone else around.
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How big are the ships? I don’t want to be on a big boat...
We work with 15 different ships, small boats and sailboats, with capacity of between 10 to 210 passengers. Each ship has a different style and focus and we can talk you through the pros and cons of each, to help you to choose the best cruise for you.
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How active will it be?
We can help you choose the right cruise to suit you, depending on how active you want to be. All of our cruises and boat trips offer the opportunity to be active, but it’s not compulsory; excursions are optional and there are different effort levels available on some cruises, so that you can mix challenging hikes with more relaxed excursions - the choice is yours.
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What routes do Patagonia cruises take?
The most popular Patagonia cruise routes run between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas (Chile), and are a great alternative to flights or bus journeys as they combine border crossings with sightseeing along the way. There are also a number of ‘there and back’ trips, for example from/to Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales, Ushuaia, Puerto Montt and Puerto Aysen - great if you want to start and end in the same place.
Explore Patagonia Cruises
Whale Watching in Patagonia
The waters around Patagonia are home to four types of whales: the orca, humpback, southern right and the blue whale. There are a number of dedicated whale watching cruises and boat…
Glacier Cruises
Patagonia is famous for its many glaciers, and some of the most interesting and stunning can only be accessed from the water, by boat. The wild and remote scenery will make you …
Cape Horn Cruises
As the southern most tip of South America, and a landmark steeped in history and mystery, Cape Horn is a destination high on many a traveller's bucket list, and an adventure cruise…
Booking Your Cruise - How We Can Help You
Find the best cruise for you
We work with 10 different cruise, small boat, and sailing companies throughout Patagonia, offering a range of trips, each with it's own focus. We know each and every one of them inside out and love helping people to find the best one to suit their plans, interests and travelling styles.
Incorporate your cruise into a 2-3 week itinerary
People often want to combine a cruise, small boat trip or sailing adventure into a longer 2-3 week itinerary. We'd be delighted to help you work out which regions offer the types of experiences you're looking for, and the best ways in which to combine them and make the best use of your precious travel time.
Plan and arrange your flights, logistics and accommodation before/ after
If it's just a cruise, small boat or sailing trip that you want to book, but you'd like some help managing the logistics of getting to the right place at the right time, and arranging suitable accommodation and transport, just let us know.
Ready to plan your Patagonia adventure?
1
Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
2
Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
3
Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.
1-855-369-7866