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.

Where can I cruise?

Illustrated Guide

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!

Chloe cruceros cruise pia glacier chilean fjords

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.

Adventure Cruises in Patagonia

Pia Glacier, Southern Patagonia

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What Our Customers Think of Adventure Cruises in Patagonia

Adventure Cruises in Patagonia trips scored 4.5/5 from 149 reviews

Customer Image

We particularly appreciated Chloe's suggestion to add the Australis cruise - brilliant choice.

Travelled: March 2016

Heinrich -

I have a far greater respect and appreciation for those who came to Patagonia before us, from the resourceful indigenous tribes to daring European explorers. I also better appreciate the engineering that made such a luxurious trip to unforgiving terrain possible. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2021

Beverly Reyes Picache - USA

The highlight was the glacier hikes from the zodiac boats. Four days of sailing, daily zodiac excursions, exploring without seeing any other groups of people or ships gave a real sense of the vastness of this region. We felt honored to be able to have this experience! Read the full review

Travelled: January 2020

Lars Houmann - United States Of America

For anyone with mild mobility issues like me, the crew of the Stella Australis were very helpful and careful without causing any embarrassment. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2019

Hilary Forster - United Kingdom

The cruise through the Beagle Channel and Magellan Strait was wonderful. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2019

Mike Forster - United Kingdom

The cruise was fantastic. Every minute was an highlight! We saw tons of wildlife, dolphins, whales, seals, pinguins, and many birds. The guides were super, very interesting information, multi languages, and very friendly. Read the full review

Travelled: February 2019

Anne Marie Mot - United States Of America

Our cruise was really lovely. We learned a lot from the onboard lectures- about glaciology and also the history of the Yamana people. We enjoyed the zodiac excursions, we usually took the “easy” option because it came with more educational time. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2018

Mindy De Hooge - United States Of America

The daily Zodiac excursions were the highlight of the cruise. The staff was always very knowledgeable and helpful. They were fun to be around, but clearly kept everyone's safety in mind. Read the full review

Travelled: March 2018

Shawn Underwood - United States Of America

I'll tell my grandchildren that I've been to one of the few remaining wildernesses and that interesting life is not dependant on cities... utterly amazing, unspoilt, wonderful scenery and wildlife, more than lived up to expectations.

Travelled: February 2017

Colin - UK

The Chilean fjords had just about everything: humpbacks, penguins, sealions; remote location; great scenery; glaciers; boat trip; small group, no crowds.

Travelled: December 2016

Stephen - UK

The Stella Australis cruise was brilliant and very luxurious with plenty of time ashore.

Travelled: December 2016

Brian -

The cruise went well beyond our expectations. The excursions were supported by knowledgeable guides who were passionate about their country.

Travelled: March 2016

Mary -

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.

Adventure Cruises in Patagonia
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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

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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Booking Your Cruise - How We Can Help You

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

Listen

We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.

2
Match

Match

Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.

3
Reserve

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