Wildlife, Glaciers & Cape Horn

Day 1: Depart from Punta Arenas

The starting point of the expedition cruise is the port city of Punta Arenas in Chile. You'll board the ship this afternoon and have some time to get to know your beautiful small expedition vessel. With a capacity of 210 passengers, your home for the next few days will feel intimate and practical. Every staff member on board will be dedicated to making your trip one of a lifetime. Departure is at 6pm and on the first evening onboard we'll enjoy a first-class dinner and an introductory lecture to get to know the captain, his crew and the expedition team.

After dinner you might like to enjoy the open-bar (all drink are included on this voyage) with its stunning panoramic windows for you to appreciate the breath-taking landscapes at the End of the World. You are unlikely to come across any other cruise ships on your voyage given that very few operators have permission to sail in these magnificent waters.

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Ainsworth Bay to Tucker Islets*

At dawn, the ship will navigate its way through Almirantazgo Sound to arrive at Ainsworth Bay in Alberto De Agostini National Park. This is the perfect spot from which to see the Marinelli Glacier descending from the Darwin Mountain Range in the distance and to appreciate how the land returns to life after glacial retreat.

We'll take a walk to a beaver dam in the stunning sub-polar Magellan Forest. Whether we're on the beach or the island there's a good chance of sighting southern elephant seals, though bear in mind that sightings cannot be guaranteed due to the colony's unpredictable movements.

Later we'll sail to Tucker Islets* and after lunch we'll board Zodiac boats to get a closer look at a colony of endemic Magellanic penguins and nesting cormorants.

* In September and April, this excursion is replaced by a short walk to a nearby glacier at Brookes Bay.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3: Pia Glacier to Glacier Alley (Beagle Channel)

The day will begin by navigating the northwest arm of the Beagle Channel before disembarking at Pia Fjord. Here you can choose one of two hikes. The first is a shorter hike to a panoramic viewpoint to enjoy spectacular views of the awe-inspiring Pia Glacier whose main tongue extends from the mountaintops down to the sea. The second hike is a longer, more challenging ascent of a lateral moraine of the Pia Glacier. 

More stunning scenery accompanies us as we continue the voyage along the Beagle Channel through the majestic Glacier Alley. A number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing from the Darwin Mountains and Darwin Ice sheet can be observed; most of them named after European countries, including Holland, Spain, Germany, France and Italy.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Cape Horn to Wulaia Bay

During the morning we'll sail south through Nassau Bay to reach Cape Horn National Park, where, weather permitting, we'll go ashore. The legendary Cape Horn was discovered in 1616 and is a sheer 425m (1,394ft) high rocky promontory. For many years it was an important navigation route between the Pacific and the Atlantic, and is often referred to as the 'End of the Earth'. In 2005 UNESCO declared the park a World Biosphere Reserve.

In the afternoon the ship will navigate Murray Channel bringing us to a landing on the shore at historical Wulaia Bay, originally the site of one of the region's largest Yamana aboriginal settlements. Charles Darwin landed here in 1833 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. This area is also famous for the spectacular beauty of its vegetation and geography. We'll walk through the enchanted Magellan Forest of Southern beech trees (lengas, coigues), winter's bark (canelo) and numerous ferns to a beautiful panoramic viewpoint.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Arrive in Ushuaia

Today we'll sail into Argentine waters and arrive in Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the world. Disembark the vessel between 8.30-9:30am for onward travel.

Meals: Breakfast

Please note that the same route can be taken in the opposite direction – see full details.