ITINERARY:-
18 NOVEMBER 2020 — FLY AUSTRALIA TO SANTIAGO
Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the next 2 nights
19 NOVEMBER 2020 — SANTIAGO DE CHILE
After breakfast enjoy a leisurely morning before taking part in an afternoon city tour including Santa Lucia hill. The tour will take you to visit the heart of the city and its emblematic sites such as the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Santiago’s Central Postal Office and its Municipality. We will also visit the Moneda Palace, which is the government’s headquarters as well as the traditional districts of the historic city centre. The tour also includes a visit to the Santa Lucia hill, named Huelén by the natives. It is a real urban oasis in the centre of the city. There we will learn more about Chile’s history and enjoy some of the best views in the city. After knowing Santiago, we will arrive to Barrio Lastarria, famous by it cultural, inherited and gastronomical offer. The second part of the tour will take you to the eastern side of the city, to the financial heart of Santiago, known for its modern buildings, impressive glass skyscrapers and its impressive sculptures designed by prominent national architects. There, you will see exactly why this area is known as “Sanhattan” among the locals. Breakfast Included
20 NOVEMBER 2020 — LIMA
After breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Lima. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your hotel and the rest of the day is yours at leisure to explore this city. Breakfast Included.
21 NOVEMBER 2020 — LIMA TO SACRED VALLEY
This morning you will be picked up from your hotel and visit the modern and colonial parts of the city of Lima the "City of Kings", starting in the districts of Miraflores and San Isidro. The road passes a Huaca or sacred pre-Inca site. There will then be a stop at Parque del Amor (Lovers Park) in Miraflores for its magnificent view over the Pacific Ocean. The tour also includes the Historic Centre based on the Main Square, where the Presidential Palace, the Archbishop´s Palace, the Municipality of Lima and the Cathedral are located, as well as a visit to one of the largest colonial-era convents.
This afternoon, you will then be transferred to the airport for your flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Sacred Valley. Breakfast Included
22 NOVEMBER 2020 — MACHU PICCHU
The joy of visiting Machu Picchu is not limited to the ruins themselves. Today you will board the famous Vistadome Train and after leaving Ollantaytambo, the railway enters the beginnings of a gorge, which grows narrower and deeper. The vegetation grows more prolific. You are entering the “eyebrow of the jungle”! And finally Aguas Calientes station, 1-½ kilometres below Machu Picchu.
When Hiram Bingham rediscovered Machu Picchu in 1911, he mistakenly thought he had found the location of Vilcabamba, the lost city of the Incas. The true site of Vilcabamba was actually discovered by Gene Savoy in 1964.
Upon arrival to Aguas Calientes train station one of our local staff will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name/s on it. After a short briefing, explaining about your full day tour inclusions & timings you will be introduced to your expert guide for the rest of the day. At this point your luggage will be taken by a porter to your hotel. Your guide will walk with you for about 5 min to catch a bus, which takes 30 minutes to reach Machu Picchu (buses depart every 10 minutes and the first bus departs 05:30). Please note that our local guide speaks perfect English, so do not hesitate to ask him/her any question about your arrangements in the area, as they are there to help you having a unique Machu Picchu experience.
Your local guide will guide you through the ruins and then you will have lunch at the Santuary Lodge restaurant. Then you will be getting the bus down to Aguas Calientes town for your overnight. Breakfast & Lunch included.
23 NOVEMBER 2020 — MACHU PICCHU TO CUZCO
This morning is yours to explore Machu Picchu for a second viewing if desired.
In the afternoon, you will board the Vistadome Train to Poroy station and be transferred to your hotel.
If you love nature and the countryside, the Vistadome is exactly what you’re looking for. The panoramic windows located beside and above your seat will bring you close to nature unlike anything you’ve experienced before. The Vistadome train offers a unique connection with the scenery along the way from Machu Picchu, making passengers feel as if they were somehow part of the nature that surrounds them.
On arrival into Ollantaytambo, you will be met by our driver and tranferred to your hotel in Cuzco. Breakfast Included
24 NOVEMBER 2020 — CUZCO
You will visit the city of Cuzco, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco and home to a somewhat particular essence. The tour will start at the Koricancha temple, an ancient Inca palace and main worship center of the Sun God, where the order of the Dominicans built an incredible church that can still be seen there. Then, you will tour the Plaza de Armas, where the Cathedral and the beautiful Church of the Society of Jesus, among other colonial buildings, are located. You will then continue the journey to the colonial church of San Cristóbal to enjoy a spectacular view of the city.
Afterwards you will go on to the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, an Inca building known for its massive walls of hewn stone, located in a strategic location, on a hill, with a broad view of the city of Cuzco. Later, you will visit the important archaeological complexes of Qenko and Puca Pucara. Breakfast Included.
25 NOVEMBER 2020 — CUZCO TO SANTIAGO DE CHILE
Transfer to the airport for your early flight to Santiago. On arrival you will be met transferred to your hotel in Valparaiso. Breakfast included.
26 NOVEMBER 2020 — SANTIAGO DE CHILE
Today is yours at leisure to explore the sights and dining in Valparaiso. Breakfast included.
27 NOVEMBER 2020 — EMBARK WESTERDAM
Today you will be picked up from your hotel in Valparaiso for a private tour of Valparaiso & Viña del Mar.
Valparaiso is Chiles’ principal port, combined in its urban landscape, the giant bulk of ships moored at the wharfes. Viña del Mar, a sophisticated summer resort located 85km west of Santiago is also known as the “garden city” for its beautiful gardens and avenues filled with flowering trees and palms. You will then be dropped off at San Antorio Port, to embark Westerdam for the next 22 nights. Breakfast & Dinner included
29 NOVEMBER 2020— PUERTO MONTT, CHILE
Located in the lake district of Chile, Puerto Montt is a city amidst snow-covered volcanoes, lush jungle ferns, hot springs, forested hills and narrow fjords. The city's early German settlers left their mark with distinctive European-style architecture that gives this city a unique feel. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
30 NOVEMBER 2020 — CASTRO, CHILE
The city of Castro itself is a walker’s paradise. A stroll south from the main square (the Plaza de Armas, where the Iglesia de San Francisco is located) to the Museo Regional and on to the Mercado Artesanal de Castro along the coast provides a delightful itinerary. Just outside the town center is the Museo de Arte Moderno on a hilltop in a municipal park, where there are lovely views of the city and the bay. Each February, the Festival Costumbrista of Chilote food, crafts, music and dance takes over the area and is equally popular with locals and visitors to Castro. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
01 DECEMBER 2020 — CHILEAN FJORDS (CRUISING), CHILE
Much like the Norwegian coastline, the west coast of Chile is sliced by dramatic inlets, or fjords, lined with rugged mountains and glacier-covered valleys. This spectacular stretch of coastline starts near the Reloncaví Estuary (roughly halfway down the long spine of Chile) and extends south to the very end of the continent, at Tierra del Fuego. It's a distance of some 1,500 kilometers (930 miles), as the crow flies. Travel here, however, is never in a straight line—instead ships follow meandering paths along the many fjords and channels.
The area is known for its desolate beauty and not surprisingly it's home to many of Chile's national parks, including Alerce Andino, Hornopirén and Vicente Pérez Rosales, as well as the Llanquihue National Reserve and the Cochamó Valley. Early Spanish explorers came here in search of the mythical City of the Caesars, whose people were believed to be rich in gold and diamonds. Though the city was never found, the explorers added much to the world's navigational knowledge and at the same time established shipping routes that have been used ever since. Similarly, the riches that travelers to the region today discover are measured not in ounces or carats but in gasps of wonder at the stunning scenery of this windswept, dramatic land and its unusual animal residents. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
02 DECEMBER 2020 — AMALIA GLACIER OR BRUJO GLACIER (CRUISING), CHILE
Ice and weather. That’s what it all comes down to as ships make their way through this part of the world. On Chile’s coast along the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, ice buildup and quixotic weather conditions heavily dictate which routes ships can take. Even when passage is safe around the popular Amalia, El Brujo or numerous other breathtaking glaciers found here, misty rain or soupy fog might be the order of the day. And it can always shift in a flash, as glassy waters erupt into choppy waves—or, more happily, shrouded peaks become flooded with sunlight sparkling off the ice fields, letting you relish a momentary peaceful stillness in the air. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
02 DECEMBER 2020 — SARMIENTO CANAL, CHILE (CRUISING)
One of the main channels in Patagonia, the Sarmiento Channel runs in a north-south direction, starting at the Guía Narrows and finishing at the southern edge of Victoria Pass, where it joins the Smyth Channel. The Kawesqar people have inhabited this region for more than 6,000 years, but the channel was named for a more recent arrival: the Spanish explorer Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, who first navigated it between 1579 and 1580. The Chilean mainland lies to the east, and the islands of Esperanza, Vancouver and Piazzi flank the channel to the west. As elsewhere in the Chilean fjord region, the ragged coastline is cut with inlets set among snow-covered mountain ranges. In many places, massive glaciers run down to the sea. All kinds of marine animals, including Magellanic penguins, southern elephant seals, dolphins and orcas, can be seen along these shores. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
03 DECEMBER 2020 — STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, CHILE (CRUISING)
Before the Panama Canal, there was the Strait of Magellan. This cinematic channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans cuts between the mainland tip of South America and Tierra del Fuego island. It was the passage of choice for seafaring transport between these two oceans until the Panama Canal shortened the distance by thousands of miles in 1914. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
03 DECEMBER 2020 — PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE
If Punta Arenas exudes an "edge of the world" air, it's not without reason. This windblown city near Chile's southernmost tip sits on the Strait of Magellan, which itself is positioned squarely between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The city has played—and continues to play—an important role in geographic, political and economic affairs in South America's so-called Southern Cone, which is formed by Chile and neighboring Argentina. Too many travelers rush through Punta Arenas, treating it as a pit stop on their way to the stunningly beautiful landscapes of Torres del Paine National Park and other attractions in Patagonia, but there's plenty in this city and its environs to experience, too. From penguin spotting on Isla Magdalena and kayaking the Strait of Magellan to visiting area farms and then indulging in surf-and-turf specialties (here meaning fresh seafood and asado, or Chilean barbecue) at local restaurants, Punta Arenas is worth a stopover all its own. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
04 DECEMBER 2020 — USHUAIA (TIERRA DEL FUEGO), ARGENTINA
Located on the Beagle Channel and backed by the Martial Mountains, the city offers an abundance of eco-tourist activities and access to Tierra del Fuego National Park. The End of the World Museum provides regional history exhibits, and the old penitentiary houses the maritime, prison and Antarctic museums. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
05 DECEMBER 2020 — CAPE HORN (CRUISING)
Cape Horn is widely considered to be the southernmost tip of South America. The culmination of the Andes mountain range. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
07—10 DECEMBER 2020 — ANTARCTIC PENINSULA (CRUISING)
After a day and a half crossing the Drake Passage, which separates South America from Antarctica, your Holland America ship will arrive at the White Continent. You’ll begin your Antarctic Expedition sailing through the bays and islands of the Palmer Archipelago, off the northern tip of the long Antarctic Peninsula, which reaches out toward South America. Encircled in a landscape of snow and ice in every direction, your ship will slowly navigate the iceberg-dotted waters. The surroundings are hauntingly quiet as well, an aspect of the continent that comes as a surprise to many first-time visitors. Along the way, the ship's naturalists will point out the birds—terns, petrels, and gulls—found on the coast and on small islets at stops like Dallmann Bay. As you pass dark, rocky Cuverville Island, you’ll see some of the 6,500 pairs of gentoo penguins that make their home there, the largest known colony in the world. Continuing on to Paradise Harbor, you'll have a chance to observe not only gentoo and chinstrap penguins but possibly humans as well: Both Argentina and Chile have manned research stations here. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
12 DECEMBER 2020 — PORT STANLEY, FALKLAND ISLANDS
A town with an English feel and British food with a greatest attraction being the marine bird species. You will find five species of penguin, birds of prey and Albatross. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
14 DECEMBER 2020 — SOLAR ECLIPSE EXPERIENCE (CRUISING)
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
15 DECEMBER 2020 — PUERTO MADRYN, ARGENTINA
Traces of the city's British roots remain—you can find restaurants that still serve afternoon tea. But for most travelers today, Puerto Madryn is best known as the gateway to the Península Valdés, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that's home to significant populations of seals, sea lions and whales just offshore. While the natural wonders and the region's fauna are the main draws, it's worth spending some time exploring the restaurant-lined promenades and beaches that have made the city an increasingly popular resort destination. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
17 DECEMBER 2020 — MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
Montevideo is nestled on the north shore of the River de la Plata. The best view of the city is from the top of town hall. The most prominent sites here are the statues of the country's heroes scattered throughout the town. The grandest of them all, a 30-ton equestrian statue, sits in Independence Square, while the others fill the local parks. The top excursions include a city tour and an all-day ranch visit. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
18 DECEMBER 2020 — BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Porteños—as the locals are called—may be of Spanish, Italian, Jewish or Middle Eastern descent; that mix of cultures is reflected in the city's dialect, foods and pastimes. Looking beyond the city's sights, Buenos Aires is known as the birthplace of tango, and while the music and dance never quite went away, today tango is making a resurgence. Fans come here from around the world to take part in or watch the milongas (dance events). Argentines are world leaders in polo as well, and as the sport captures the interest of more and more travelers, hunky players like Nacho are gaining global celebrity. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.
19 DECEMBER 2020 — DISEMBARK & FLIGHT BACK TO AUSTRALIA
After breakfast, you will disembark your cruise and will be transferred to the airport for your return flight back to Australia. Breakfast included.