Southern Explorer

What is included

• Viedma Glacier Day Trip - El Chalten
• Day walks - El Chalten
  
• Moreno Glacier day trip - El Calafate
  
• Day hikes including Catamaran crossing - Torres del Paine
  
• Seno Otway Penguin Colony - Punta Arenas
  
• Crossing the Straits of Megellan
• Beagle Channel Boat trip - Ushuaia
  
• Day trip to Tierra del Fuego National Park - Ushuaia
  

What is not included

• International flight, transfers and taxes
• Pre and Post tour Accommodation (can be arranged at time of booking)
• 3 lunches and 5 dinners
  
• Items listed in ‘Optional activities’ section
• Items of a personal nature & spending money
• Travel Insurance and Visas
• Local Tour Payment
  

Local Tour Payment:

Local Tour Payment:             USD750 per person

Local Payment is part of your overall tour investment and is the easiest and most economical way to get hard currency to South America to help run your trip. It is part of your overall tour cost and is the easiest and most economical way for us to get hard currency to South America to help run your trip.  It goes toward a variety of day to day local costs which cannot be pre-paid such as locally organised activities and meals at restaurants.  Paying this money locally ensures tour leaders have a supply of money, as access to banking facilities can, at times be limited.

Optional side trips

This tour aims to make your journey as fully inclusive as possible while still giving you freedom to explore at leisure or to decide for yourselves how best to appreciate the wonderful regions through which you travel.  Inclusions are clearly outlined for each trip in order to avoid any hidden costs.  While we include all of the main sightseeing, optional activities do exist for people with special interests and your Tour Leader will help organise these for you as you travel. Optional activities include:

• Horse riding
  
• Fishing
• For more options, please refer to our OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES PAGE
  

Life on Tour

This tour is suited to all people of an active nature who are keen to get out and explore South America in a comfortable, secure and stress free manner. South America is a continent of diverse landscapes, vast open spaces, majestic mountain ranges, rugged coastlines, dense green forests, vibrant villages, unspoilt traditional cultures and much more.  Travelling overland allows you to witness these ever changing landscapes and gives you the chance to see how local people really live away from the hustle and bustle of large cities and tourist centres.  These are the sorts of experiences that allow you to really see the heart and soul of a country and its cultures. 

Comfortable and quality accommodation
Throughout your journey our number one priority is your comfort and enjoyment.  We use only good tourist class hotels and guest houses that are centrally located with ensuite bathroom facilities and great guest services.  At times we will stay in traditional Haciendas or estancias that offer a fine standard of lodging.  Where our itineraries include camping, we offer fully serviced camps, with spacious walk in tents, comfortable beds and linen provided.

Group Size
The maximum group size on all of our journeys is 16.  Not only does this minimise our impact on the environment but it also allows experiences to be of a more intimate nature without the fuss that comes with travelling in large groups.  You will be able to share your experiences with a small group of like minded people while also having time to pursue individual interests throughout the trip.

Your crew 
This tour is fully escorted.  Enjoy the benefits of an expert western tour leader and our professional English speaking local guides throughout your journey as well as two additional crew when camping.  All of our crew are experienced and passionate and will share with you their knowledge and provide experiences and information that no guide book could ever offer.

Its the little things..
We believe that it’s the little things that make your journey special.  Providing delicious cuisine and fine wines from the region, clean filtered drinking water on board our vehicles, a library of interesting books, hiring expert local guides and going the extra mile to service our clients are all examples of the little things we do that make a big difference.

The Vehicles
This expedition is operated in our custom built all terrain expedition vehicle with modern onboard facilities such as filtered drinking water, library, refrigerator, sound system, heating and air-conditioning, toilet, large windows for optimal viewing and comfortable seating. 

Single Travellers
These tours offer a “willing to share” option for all single travellers.  Providing you are willing to share we will attempt to pair you with another 'willing to share' passenger of the same sex.  If there is no one available to share you will have a single room but still pay only the twin share price. 

Pre and Post Tour Accommodation

These wonderful city stay packages are great for people wanting to spend some extra time, either before or after their tour.  Arriving a day before your tour begins gives you time to acclimatise and relax before you begin your exciting journey.  

Visas

Please bring 2 photocopies of your passport details page to give to your tour leader. You'll need at least six blank pages in your passport, which must be valid for at least 9 months from your departure date. If you have dual nationality you can only use one passport.

Visas - Please note it is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the relevant visas that you require. If you have any doubts regarding visa requirements, please contact us or your Travel Agent. Most visas must be used within three months from their date of issue. At present, nationalities of UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada do not require visas for Ecuador, Peru, Argentina or Chile. 

For information on the location of your nearest embassy or consulate we recommend the following website: yahoo.com/Government/Embassies_and_Consulates/ . For current updates on visa information you can try the website www.visaproject.com

Insurance

Personal Travel Insurance is compulsory for these tours. This must be organized prior to commencing any travel arrangements you have with us and it is your responsibility to ensure you are covered for the regions through which we will travel and for all activities you wish to undertake. A suitable policy must provide adequate cover for all necessary medical expenses and repatriation costs, loss of baggage, and cancellation or curtailment of your holiday. 

It is important that you read the terms and conditions of your policy very carefully. You should be aware of any exclusions relating to:
Pre-existing medical conditions (including allergies)
Certain activities deemed hazardous 

Note: Travel Insurance attached to credit cards can often be very limited and is usually only affective if you have purchased your travel arrangements with your card

You will be asked by your tour leader to provide a copy of your travel insurance policy at the pre-departure meeting. The following information is required:
Your policy number
24 hour emergency contact number
Verification that the policy is sufficient to cover you for the entire duration of the tour 

It is a condition of booking on this tour that you provide this information to your tour leader at the beginning of the tour. Failure to provide this information may result in our refusal to accept you on the tour. 

Important note: It is highly recommended that you take out your travel insurance at the time of booking as your cover for pre-departure cancellation will commence from the date your policy is issued. This means that should you have to cancel your travel arrangements for any insured reason you may be able to claim back losses. This is subject to the standard terms and conditions of your policy.