Patagonia: The Last Wilderness

Few cities can match the unbridled energy of Buenos Aires. Sun-bleached boulevards, fascinating neighborhoods, cutting-edge restaurants and sultry dancehalls set the stage for a festive expression of Argentine identity. Get to know Buenos Aires in the company of your Resident Tour Director. Recoleta Cemetery, the Plaza de Mayo, the San Telmo neighborhood and La Boca each add a layer to the city’s mystique. A walk along Caminito Street, with its brightly colored houses and diverse museums, offers easygoing cultural immersion. Tonight’s welcome dinner is served family style.

Fly to Ushuaia, arriving with enough free time to enjoy your resort’s amenities such as hiking trails and thermal pools.

The world’s southern-most city, Ushauia is the perfect jumping off point for exploring the Beagle Channel and magnificent Tierra del Fuego. Discover the rich family legacy of Estancia Harberton, a sixth-generation farm and Argentine National Historical Monument. Cruise to Martillo Island for a walk through a teeming rookery of Magellanic penguins, mingling with doting parents and empty nesters alike. Later, relax and embrace the solitude of the primal landscape of Gable Island, where wind, waves and birds make the only sounds.

Take in some of Ushaia’s highlights before flying to El Calafate, a town of well-kept gardens and pretty homes that presents a rustic slice of Patagonian rural life. Serving as the gateway to glacial adventure, El Calafate is nestled on pristine Argentino Lake. Tonight, toast the sunset with a cocktail and dine at a local estancia.

Behold in the rugged natural beauty that surrounds you on a full-day navigation on Argentino Lake. Get up close to limestone rock formations and take an interpretive walk in the biodiverse Andean Patagonian forest. Continue to Perito Moreno Glacier for a hike along walkways that provide diverse perspectives on the ancient mass of ice.

Crossing from Argentina into Chile, arrive in Puerto Natales, in Torres del Paine National Park. Horseback riding, trekking and mountain biking are all on tap at your elegant hotel, so you can discover the wild outdoors your way.

Embark by boat to view the massive Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. Along the way, view barking colonies of sea lions, frolicking in the water or lazing on the rocks, along with other wild species that call the fjords their home. Disembark in Bernardo O’Higgins National Park for a short hike to the Serrano Glacier viewpoint, observing its ice-blue faces and learning about its formation from a local expert. Sail on to view the Balmaceda Glacier, stepping ashore to visit a local estancia for a traditional lunch and the opportunity to go hiking or horseback riding. Tonight, gaze up at the dazzling Patagonian sky awash with starlight.

Jagged, snow-capped peaks with glaciers sprawled between them soar over deep, rocky fjords filled with icy waters rich in marine life. Along with evergreen forests and the occasional ranch, these are the natural wonders that beckon you to roam through Torres del Paine — a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve renowned for its granite spires and deserted pampas. Scan the serrated peaks and you may glimpse a soaring Andean condor riding an updraft. Build an appetite as you help a chef prepare a barbecue and savor the result for dinner.

Fly to Santiago, Chile’s capital, a history-laden city set against the backdrop of the Andes that sits some 2,000 feet above sea level. Your hotel is located in El Golf, Santiago’s most prestigious and refined neighborhood.

Colonial-era architecture takes center stage on visits to the Palacio de La Moneda (presidential palace) and the Plaza de Armas, with its impressive Metropolitan Cathedral and Central Post Office. Ride by cable car up San Cristóbal Hill to behold the graceful statue of the Virgin Mary and take in the expansive views of Santiago for a suitably spectacular finish to your Patagonian adventure. Your touring completed, take your private transfer to the airport for your departing flight.