Ultimate Chilean Fjords, Glaciers & Antarctic Wildlife Explorer Santiago > Buenos Aires

Valparaíso is Chile's UNESCO-listed port city of 42 painted hills, Victorian funicular railways, and one of the world's most spectacular street art scenes, where Pablo Neruda built his hill-top home La Sebastiana. Must-dos include riding the historic ascensores, touring Neruda's house, and feasting on Humboldt Current seafood. October through March offers the warmest, driest weather.

Niebla, Chile, Chile is a distinctive port city where deep cultural heritage meets authentic local atmosphere, featured on itineraries by Scenic Ocean Cruises. Must-do experiences include walking the historic center to experience the layered architectural heritage, and seeking out the regional culinary traditions at a locally favored establishment away from the port area. The optimal time to visit is November through March, when mild temperatures and long days favor unhurried exploration.

Puerto Montt is the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, where the Pan-American Highway ends and a landscape of volcanoes, fjords, and the UNESCO-listed wooden churches of Chiloé island begins. Visit October through March via Seabourn or Viking for Osorno Volcano reflections, king crab at the Angelmó market, and the Lake District's Germanic towns that serve classical concerts with volcano-and-lake views.

Castro, Chile, delivers South America's irresistible combination of dramatic landscapes, vibrant culture, and extraordinary biodiversity. Essential experiences include exploring local markets, tasting the distinctive regional cuisine, and venturing into the surrounding natural environments. Best visited November through February, when the austral summer brings the longest days and mildest conditions. Cruise lines including Azamara feature this port on their most compelling itineraries. Whether you have a few hours or a full day, the port rewards exploration at every pace and in every direction.

Puerto Eden is an extraordinarily isolated Chilean fishing village of 200 residents on Wellington Island in the Patagonian channels, home to the last survivors of the ancient Kawesqar canoe-nomad culture. Must-dos include walking the village boardwalk, learning about Kawesqar heritage, and absorbing the dramatic fjord landscape of glaciers, rainforest, and channels. Visit December through March for the mildest conditions and longest daylight, though waterproof gear is essential year-round.

Punta Arenas is Chile's southernmost continental city and the historic gateway to the Strait of Magellan, Antarctica, and Tierra del Fuego. Visitors should not miss savouring fresh centolla king crab at a waterfront restaurant and taking a boat excursion to the Magellanic penguin colonies at Tucker Islets. The best time to visit is during the austral summer from November through March, when temperatures are mild, daylight stretches past ten in the evening, and expedition cruise schedules are at their peak.

The Chilean Fjords are a 1,600-kilometer wilderness of glaciers, temperate rainforest, and channels along Patagonia's coast, where tidewater glaciers calve into jade-green waters and Magellanic penguins, condors, and dolphins thrive in one of Earth's last great frontiers. Must-dos include glacier viewing, wildlife observation from the deck, and transiting the Beagle Channel. December through February offers the longest days and mildest conditions in this notoriously unpredictable climate.

Cape Horn is South America's southernmost headland, where the Atlantic meets the Pacific in waters that claimed over ten thousand lives during the age of sail, and a solitary Chilean lighthouse keeper endures some of Earth's most extreme conditions. Attempt a landing November through March via Seabourn or Viking — weather permitting — for the albatross memorial walk and the visceral triumph of standing at the end of the Americas in howling Antarctic wind.

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is a captivating blend of history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty, making it a unique port of call in Argentina. Must-do experiences include savoring local delicacies like centolla and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of nearby Los Glaciares National Park. The best time to visit is during the summer months of December to March, when the weather is mild, and the scenery is at its most stunning.

The Falkland Islands are a windswept South Atlantic archipelago famed for extraordinary wildlife — five penguin species, elephant seals, and black-browed albatrosses — set against a stark, treeless landscape of rugged beauty. Must-dos include visiting the king penguin colony at Volunteer Point, exploring Stanley's maritime heritage, and hiking the wild outer islands. November through January offers peak wildlife breeding activity and the longest summer days.

South Georgia is a remote, glacier-clad island in the Southern Ocean that harbours one of Earth's most spectacular wildlife concentrations, including king penguin colonies of 250,000-plus and vast elephant seal haul-outs. Visitors must walk among the penguins at Salisbury Plain, pay respects at Shackleton's grave in Grytviken, and witness the raw grandeur of Drygalski Fjord. November and December offer peak wildlife activity and the most favourable expedition conditions.

South Georgia is a remote, glacier-clad island in the Southern Ocean that harbours one of Earth's most spectacular wildlife concentrations, including king penguin colonies of 250,000-plus and vast elephant seal haul-outs. Visitors must walk among the penguins at Salisbury Plain, pay respects at Shackleton's grave in Grytviken, and witness the raw grandeur of Drygalski Fjord. November and December offer peak wildlife activity and the most favourable expedition conditions.

Antarctica is earth's last pristine continent, a fourteen-million-square-kilometre ice wilderness supporting extraordinary wildlife — vast penguin colonies, humpback whales, leopard seals — in landscapes of otherworldly beauty. Essential experiences include Zodiac landings among penguin colonies, whale watching, and witnessing icebergs of electric blue. November through March is the visiting season, with December-January warmest and February best for whales.

Antarctica is earth's last pristine continent, a fourteen-million-square-kilometre ice wilderness supporting extraordinary wildlife — vast penguin colonies, humpback whales, leopard seals — in landscapes of otherworldly beauty. Essential experiences include Zodiac landings among penguin colonies, whale watching, and witnessing icebergs of electric blue. November through March is the visiting season, with December-January warmest and February best for whales.

Antarctica is earth's last pristine continent, a fourteen-million-square-kilometre ice wilderness supporting extraordinary wildlife — vast penguin colonies, humpback whales, leopard seals — in landscapes of otherworldly beauty. Essential experiences include Zodiac landings among penguin colonies, whale watching, and witnessing icebergs of electric blue. November through March is the visiting season, with December-January warmest and February best for whales.

Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, is a captivating blend of history, vibrant culture, and natural beauty, making it a unique port of call in Argentina. Must-do experiences include savoring local delicacies like centolla and exploring the breathtaking landscapes of nearby Los Glaciares National Park. The best time to visit is during the summer months of December to March, when the weather is mild, and the scenery is at its most stunning.