Discover the wild beauty of Patagonia on the M/V Ventus cruise that showcases the region’s pristine landscapes, rich wildlife and fascinating human history aboard an expedition ship that brings an extraordinary level of comfort and service to the uttermost edge of the world. Leaving the twinkling lights of Ushuaia behind, the vessel calls on fabled spots like Cape Horn and Wulaia Bay before cruising down the Beagle Channel.
*M/V Ventus Australis vessel offers longer round trip cruises. For more information on detailed itineraries, feel free to contact us.
Check in at 1398 Costanera del Estrecho Ave. (Arturo Prat Port) in Punta Arenas between 13:00 and 17:00 (1-5 PM) on the day of your Australis cruise departure. Board the vessel at 6 PM. After a welcoming toast and introduction of captain and crew, the ship departs for one of the remotest corners of planet Earth. During the night we cross the Strait of Magellan and enter the labyrinth of channels that define the southern extreme of Patagonian. The twinkling lights of Punta Arenas gradually fade into the distance as we enter the Whiteside Canal between Darwin Island and Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.
Dinner included.
By dawn the ship is sailing up Admiralty Sound (Seno Almirantazgo), a spectacular offshoot of the Strait of Magellan that stretches nearly halfway across Tierra del Fuego. The snowcapped peaks of Karukinka Natural Park stretch along the north side of the sound, while the south shore is defined by the deep fjords and broad bays of Alberto de Agostini National Park. We go ashore at Ainsworth Bay, which harbors copious bird life and a colony of southern elephant seals which can sometimes be spotted from the Zodiacs. Two guided excursions are available: one is along the edge of a stream, peat bog and beaver habitat to a waterfall-and-moss-covered rock face tucked deep inside a pristine sub-polar forest; the other is a more strenuous hike along the crest of a glacial moraine. Both afford views of Marinelli Glacier and the Darwin Mountains.
Leaving our Ainsworth Bay tour behind, we sail west along the sound to the Tucker Islets. After lunch, we board the Zodiacs again for a close-up view of the Magellan penguins that inhabit the tiny islands. More than 4,000 penguins use Tucker as a place to nest, give birth and nurture their chicks. Many other bird species also frequent the area including king cormorants, oystercatchers, Chilean skuas, kelp geese, dolphin gulls, eagles and even the occasional Andean condor. In September and April -- when the penguins live elsewhere -- this excursion is replaced by a short walk to a glacier at nearby stunning Brookes Bay.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
Overnight we sail around the western end of Tierra del Fuego via the very narrow Gabrial Channel, Magdalena Channel and Cockburn Channel. After rounding the remote Brecknock Peninsula, the Australis cruise tacks eastward and enters the Beagle Channel again. By morning we are entering Pia Fjord and boarding the Zodiacs for a Pia Glacier tour. After disembarking we take a short hike to gain a panoramic view of the spectacular glacier, which extends from the mountaintops down to the sea or a longer much more difficult walk up a lateral moraine of the old Pia Glacier.
No one knows for certain how the hulking mass of snow and ice got its feminine moniker, but one theory says it was named for Princess Maria Pia of Savoy (1847-1911), daughter of the Italian king.
Back onboard the ship, we continue east along the Beagle Channel through an area called Glacier Alley. Living up to its name, the passage features a number of impressive tidewater glaciers flowing down from the Darwin Mountains and Darwin Ice Sheet on the north shore. Most of them named after European countries -- Holland, Italy, Germany, Spain and France.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
During the morning we cruise across Nassau Bay into the remote archipelago that includes Cape Horn National Park. Weather and sea conditions permitting, we shall go ashore on the windswept island that harbors legendary Cape Horn (Cabo de Hornos). Discovered in 1616 by a Dutch maritime expedition -- and named after the town of Hoorn in West Friesland -- Cape Horn is a sheer 425-meter (1,394-foot) high rocky promontory overlooking the turbulent waters of the Drake Passage. For many years it was the only navigation route between the Pacific and Atlantic, and was often referred to as the "End of the Earth." The park was declared a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2005. The Chilean navy maintains a permanent lighthouse on the island, staffed by a lightkeeper and his family, as well as the tiny Stella Maris Chapel and modern Cape Horn Monument.
In the afternoon we navigate the narrow Murray Channel between Navarino and Hoste islands and drop anchor at historic Wulaia Bay, one of the few places in the archipelago where the human history is just as compelling as the natural environment. Originally the site of one of the region’s largest Yámana aboriginal settlements, the bay was described by Charles Darwin and sketched by Captain FitzRoy in the 1830s during their voyages on the HMS Beagle. This area is also renowned for its mesmerizing beauty and dramatic geography. After a visit to the Australis-sponsored museum in the old radio station -- which is especially strong on the Yámana people and European missionaries in the area -- passengers have a choice of three hikes (of increasing degrees of difficulty) that ascend the heavily wooden mountain behind the bay. On all of these you will be strolling through an enchanted Magellan forest of lengas, coigües, canelos, ferns, and other endemic fauna to reach a panoramic viewpoint overlooking the bay. Before leaving Wulaia Bay, drop something into the wooden mail barrel inside the museum – letters or postcards meant to be hand delivered by future travelers – an ancient mariner tradition revived by Australis.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner included.
The following morning we sail into Argentine waters and dock in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost city. Arrival at 08:30 a.m. and 9:30 am according to date of departure.
Breakfast included.
| Dates | Cabin | From | Additional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 2026 - 25 Sep 2026 | AUD$2888pp | Includes specials! | |
| B Twin | AUD$2918pp | Contact us | |
| A Matrimonial | Save up to A$746 | | ||
| AA Matrimonial | Save up to A$746 | | ||
| AAA Matrimonial | Save up to A$746 | | ||
| AA Superior | Save up to A$746 | | ||
| AAA Superior | Save up to A$746 | | ||
| 29 Sep 2026 - 03 Oct 2026 | AUD$2888pp | Includes specials! | |
| 07 Oct 2026 - 11 Oct 2026 | AUD$4353pp | Includes specials! | |
| 15 Oct 2026 - 19 Oct 2026 | AUD$4353pp | Includes specials! | |
| 23 Oct 2026 - 27 Oct 2026 | AUD$4353pp | Includes specials! | |
| 31 Oct 2026 - 04 Nov 2026 | AUD$4353pp | Includes specials! | |
| 08 Nov 2026 - 12 Nov 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 16 Nov 2026 - 20 Nov 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 24 Nov 2026 - 28 Nov 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 02 Dec 2026 - 06 Dec 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 10 Dec 2026 - 14 Dec 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 18 Dec 2026 - 22 Dec 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 26 Dec 2026 - 30 Dec 2026 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 03 Jan 2027 - 07 Jan 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 11 Jan 2027 - 15 Jan 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 19 Jan 2027 - 23 Jan 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 27 Jan 2027 - 31 Jan 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 04 Feb 2027 - 08 Feb 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 12 Feb 2027 - 16 Feb 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 20 Feb 2027 - 24 Feb 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 28 Feb 2027 - 04 Mar 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 08 Mar 2027 - 12 Mar 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 16 Mar 2027 - 20 Mar 2027 | AUD$5966pp | Includes specials! | |
| 24 Mar 2027 - 28 Mar 2027 | AUD$4353pp | Includes specials! | |
| 01 Apr 2027 - 05 Apr 2027 | AUD$2888pp | Includes specials! |
**Prices are per person based on twin / shared accommodation.
**Single supplements may apply
Twin / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
Matrimonial / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
Matrimonial / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
Matrimonial / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
Superior / 20,5 m2 / 220 sq.ft
Superior / 20,5 m2 / 220 sq.ft
Twin / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
Twin / 16,5 m2 / 177 sq.ft
* Port Taxes & National Park Fees
Port taxes and national park fees are not included in the price of the voyage and will be charged during the booking process. Additional costs per person for each season are:
**Required clothing
Please note that trekking or hiking shoes are required for all passengers.
At Eclipse Travel, our expert destination knowledge and decades of travel planning experience come at no extra cost to you. While many think booking through a tour operator is more expensive than planning a trip independently, that’s not the case. We’re paid by our travel partners—such as hotels, activity operators, and cruise providers—via commissions, not by our clients.
Our team negotiates the best rates for you and ensures you receive unbiased advice, with no preference for any particular supplier. In fact, where we secure higher commissions, we often pass the savings on to you, giving us a competitive price edge.
Additionally, we lock in exchange rates at the time of your deposit, ensuring no surprise costs when it’s time for final payment. You can rest easy knowing we’ll handle the details with our suppliers. The only exceptions are national park fee increases or fuel surcharges imposed after your booking, though these are rare.
Take advantage of our team’s expertise and let us help you plan the perfect holiday—hassle-free!
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