Viking Expeditions Cruises – Chilean Fjords & Scenic Shores (Chile, Argentina) 13 Days

Santiago (Valparaíso), Chile
Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom. Chile’s modern capital of Santiago is one of the largest cities in the Americas. Its impressive neoclassical, neo-Gothic, art deco and other architecture spans several centuries. Santiago’s gateway, Valparaíso, is often compared to San Francisco for its many cerros, or hills. The city prospered as a major port until the opening of the Panama Canal rendered it unnecessary. Quaint Victorian-era architecture recalling its 19th-century affluence and steeply sloped barrios are linked by ascensores, or funiculars, and winding byways. From Los Cerros, the views are spectacular.

Sail the Pacific Ocean
Sail Mar Pacífico, meaning “peaceful sea,” dubbed by Ferdinand Magellan when he crossed these waters almost 500 years ago. As you sail today, attend an informative lecture or watch a film on our 8K laser-projected panoramic screen in The Aula, one of the world’s most advanced venues for learning at sea. This indoor-outdoor experience allows nature to take center stage with its retractable floor-to-ceiling windows that unveil 270° views.

Scenic Sailing: Chilean Fjords
A pristine paradise of soaring peaks, countless lush islands teeming with wildlife and a tapestry of glaciers and rivers spilling into shimmering waters, the fjords of Chile are heralded as one of the most rugged and untamed places on earth. The crystal waters are a breathtaking sight as they journey through vast ice fields, towering mountainsides and serene fishing villages that hug tranquil shores against backdrops of dramatic forested hills.

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile
Puerto Chacabuco is a tiny Patagonian enclave and gateway into the spellbinding beauty of the rugged wilderness. The port was named for the 1817 Battle of Chacabuco, a pivotal moment during the Chilean War of Independence, in which national hero José de San Martín of the Army of the Andes defeated the royalist forces. Jagged rocky peaks with deep-cut gorges, icy-blue glaciers spilling into the sea and pine-green forests clinging to steep slopes dominate this untouched region, one of the most inspiring and breathtaking corners of the globe.

Shore Excursions – Scenic Sailing by Special Operations Boat
Duration: 45 minutes  
Experience the beauty of the Chilean Fjords from the water during a ride in a Special Operations Boat. Board your vessel from the ship’s shell door landing, with assistance by a member of Viking’s Expedition Team. Once securely on board, lines will be untethered, and your thrilling journey will begin. Keep watch for the diverse array of pelagic bird species and marine life that inhabit the shoreline and waters surrounding this striking, rugged landscape. Your highly maneuverable vessel will allow you to reach less accessible locations along the water’s edge. Knowledgeable specialists will be on hand to explain the natural world that surrounds you and to alert you of birdlife in the area. At the end of your excursion, your Special Operations Boat will return you and your fellow travelers to your ship.

Shore Excursions – Zodiac Cruise: Puerto Chacabuco
Duration: 1 hour      
Investigate the dramatic scenery of Patagonia during an exhilarating Zodiac ride. Board your Viking Zodiac and set off from your Expedition ship with a small group of fellow travelers amid the stunning Chilean fjords with views over the majestic Andes Mountain range. Admire the rugged and picturesque landscape of your surroundings as you cruise along the crystal-clear waters with a bucolic backdrop of dense forests as you watch for possible wildlife sightings. Your Expedition team will answer any questions you may have along the way, as well as share stories and insights. At the end of your excursion, your Zodiac will return to your ship.

Shore Excursions – Kayaking in Puerto Chacabuco
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes   
Take to the water and explore your surroundings with a member of your Viking Expedition Team. After a thorough introduction and safety briefing, transfer from your ship to the kayak staging area, where you will receive your paddle and join a fellow traveler in a two-person kayak. Your kayak has been designed to provide a combination of stability and comfort as you paddle your way through the open water. Dressed in a kayak suit and bespoke life jacket for maximum maneuverability, you will be geared up to remain warm and dry during your expedition experience. Immerse yourself in nature as you journey along the pristine fjords, reaching less accessible locations along the water’s edge and keeping watch for local wildlife. 

Shore Excursions – Puerto Chacabuco & Surroundings
Duration: 3 hours    
Marvel at the magnificent “Wild West” fjordland coastline of Chile, where the Andes Mountains plunge to the ocean. Situated 250 miles south of Puerto Montt, it is here that the northern Patagonian ice sheets fall into the sea in intense blue splendor. The journey through what is known as the Chilean Patagonia is a truly magnificent experience. The construction of the Carretera Austral roadway now makes the area more accessible for travelers. Your excursion begins with a one-hour journey through beautiful scenery, as you follow the river along the base of a deep, rocky gorge. Your destination is the Rio Simpson National Reserve, where you will take a brief walk down to the river to photograph this rugged landscape. Visit the information center and small museum before heading back to port and your awaiting ship.

Scenic Sailing: Chilean Fjords
The fjords and channels of Chile were first inhabited by indigenous people who used the wood of the endemic Pilgerodendron uviferum, a conifer tree, to build their canoes and homes. Spanish conquistadors began exploring the region during the mid-16th century, navigating the fjord’s internal passageways to avoid the heavy seas and bad weather of the Pacific Ocean. The harsh climate and declining local populations limited colonial expansion, leaving the fjords sparsely populated—a situation that continues to this day.

Explore Chilean Glaciers
The gigantic Patagonian Ice Sheet covered southern Chile in a thick blanket of ice and snow during the last Ice Age. Around 12,000 years ago, rising temperatures caused it to begin melting, carving out the Patagonian landscape as it receded. Today, two vast sections, northern and southern, remain of this ancient ice sheet. Together, they cover more than 5,400 square miles and form the third largest frozen landmass on Earth. At their edges are towering glaciers of blue-tinged ice, whose ever-changing faces create the large icebergs that float in the fjords and channels.

Scenic Sailing: Chilean Fjords
The picturesque Chilean Fjords stretch nearly 1,000 miles from Cape Horn at the South American continent’s southern tip to the Reloncaví Estuary just below the city of Puerto Montt. Carved out by receding glaciers starting more than 2.5 million years ago, the fjords are composed of several hundred channels and passages that wind their way past walls of blue ice, dense forests and steep mountain ranges. Its rugged coastline is home to colonies of Magellanic penguins and lazing elephant seals, while its waters welcome dolphins, migrating humpback whales and orcas on the hunt.

Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas was founded as a penal colony by Chile in 1848. Nestled amid spectacular mountain vistas on the eastern shores of the Brunswick Peninsula, it played host to mariners crossing the continent by ship. Europeans followed, searching for newly discovered gold and establishing vast swaths of sheep farms locally and throughout the surrounding region. Over time, Punta Arenas became one of Chile’s most important ports as, before the opening of the Panama Canal, it laid on the northernmost transcontinental shipping route.

Shore Excursions – Highlights of Punta Arenas
Duration: 3 hours     
Explore the sights of Punta Arenas and sample Chile’s most famous cocktail. Board your motor coach and set out on a panoramic drive through the city, pausing at the Monumento al Ovejero, a beloved landmark that pays tribute to local shepherds. Continue to the Pioneer Cemetery, considered one of the world’s most beautiful, and take a stroll beneath its towering cypress trees as you view the ornate mausoleums, including the final resting place of the last member of the Ona People—now an extinct Indigenous tribe. Visit the Salesian Museum Maggiorino Borgatello, founded by missionaries, and explore exhibits that preserve the legacy of Indigenous Peoples. After, make your way to a scenic viewpoint before heading to Plaza de Armas Muños Gamero, a national heritage site. Enjoy a refreshing pisco sour, a Chilean classic, before returning to your ship.

Explore Chilean Glaciers
Spanning the border of Chile and Argentina, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field stretches along the spine of the Andes Mountains for more than 200 miles. Chile itself is home to almost 80% of South America’s glaciers, covering an estimated 7,700 square miles. These glaciers act as enormous freshwater reserves for the mountain habitats across Patagonia, helping to sustain the region’s diverse plants and wildlife.

Garibaldi Fjord, Chile
The pristine waters of the Garibaldi Fjord weave their way through the Alberto de Agostini National Park in Chile, where the Andes mountain range meets the ocean. The region is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and its majestic natural wonders are home to an array of wildlife. Its valley walls are covered with ice and floating icebergs drift along with the bobbing heads of seals and sea lions. The Garibaldi Glacier feeds the waters of the fjord, and this retreating 12 square mile spectacle dwarfs any vessel that passes by.

Scenic Sailing: Cape Horn
Rising above the point where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans converge, Cape Horn, named for the Dutch city of Hoorn in The Netherlands, is part of the Hermite Islands archipelago. This remote, stark and treeless place is often considered the continent’s southernmost point. Soaring from Hornos Island is an enormous prehistoric-looking massif of Jurassic volcanic rock. Atop, stands its historic lighthouse near the water’s edge. A beacon of assurance and safety for countless sailors since 1991, it is the world’s southernmost traditional-style lighthouse.

Ushuaia, Argentina
After breakfast, disembark your ship and transfer to the airport for your charter flight. Bid farewell to your fellow travelers and journey home.