South America & the Chilean Fjords

Arrive at Santiago airport, where you will meet your Viking Representative and transfer to your hotel. After check-in and lunch, relax or start to explore the city on your own. Stroll the charming streets and plazas of the Old Town or take the funicular to gaze upon the sweeping vistas from atop San Cristóbal Hill. This evening, you will enjoy an included dinner. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Santiago so you can make the most of your visit. (L, D)

Check out of your hotel this morning and head to the airport for your flight to Rapa Nui, where you will receive a warm welcome complete with traditional Polynesian flower leis. After check-in and lunch at your hotel, begin your exploration of the island and the indigenous Rapa Nui culture. View the ceremonial site of Tahai, with its altars and monolithic statues, and the seven well-preserved, ocean-facing moais of Ahu Akivi. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (B, L, D)

Set out to the Rano Raraku Volcano, the site of the quarry where all moai were sculpted; around 400 of them were left in various stages of completion. View the restored platform of Tongariki at Hanga Nui Bay, then after lunch, visit the archaeological site of Vinapu; its construction mirrored techniques used during the Inca Empire. See the ahu and prostrate moai, then see the remains and statues at Akahanga and stroll along Anakena beach. This evening, dine at your hotel. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, set out to enjoy the views over the crater lake of Rano Kau. After, head to a scenic viewpoint for a glimpse of the ceremonial village of Orongo, followed by a visit to Hanga Kio’e or the “Bay of the Mouse,” an archaeological site offering insight into the island’s past. After lunch, transfer to the airport for your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, meet your Viking Representative who will accompany you to your hotel. This evening, enjoy dinner with your fellow guests. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, head to your awaiting ship and begin your voyage. (B)

Fly to Buenos Aires, where you will be met by a Viking Representative and escorted to your hotel. After check-in, you may spend time relaxing or exploring the city at your leisure. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Buenos Aires so you can make the most of your visit.

Today, discover more of Argentina’s most populous city on your own. You may take the subway—the oldest in the Southern Hemisphere—and head to the barrio of Palermo. This tree-lined residential area is full of upscale eateries and boutiques. Or visit San Telmo, the city’s oldest neighborhood. Optional excursions are also available, including a culinary experience at an Argentine parilla, a visit to a winery followed by lunch and an evening tango show accompanied by dinner. (B)

On your final day, you may choose to join an optional excursion to visit the colorful barrios of Buenos Aires. Or, after check out, explore more of the city on your own before transfering by motor coach to your awaiting ship. (B)

Fly to Santiago and transfer to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may spend the remainder of the day relaxing or exploring the city on your own. Perhaps visit the Plaza de Armas, the capital’s main square and the site of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago and Central Post Office. Or venture to El Golf, a neighborhood noted for its upscale shops and restaurants. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time in Santiago so you can make the most of your visit.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to the airport for your flight to Punta Arenas, Chile. Upon arrival, your Viking Tour Director will meet you at the airport and accompany you as you travel through the vast countryside of scenic Patagonia. This afternoon, check into your hotel and enjoy the amenities at your leisure. Alternatively, you may join an orientation tour with your Viking Tour Director. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel with your fellow guests. (B, L, D)

Enjoy a full day of exploring Torres del Paine National Park, a wonderland of soaring mountains, blue glaciers, and shimmering lakes and rivers. Admire the park’s iconic mountain ranges: the Paine Towers (Torres del Paine) and the Paine Horns (Cuernos del Paine). Visit waterfalls and the Grey Lake area, where you will see glacial blocks of ice floating in the water. The park is also known for its vivid vegetation and wildlife. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B, L, D)

Today, enjoy the morning at your leisure. Following lunch, embark on a panoramic transfer from Cerro Castillo to the Chali Aike Ranch, an estancia located just across the Chile-Argentina border. Tracing its origins back to the turn of the 20th century, the ranch is home to 4,000 sheep grazing across its 50,000 acres. Tour the premises, then observe a sheep-shearing demonstration before savoring a delicious dinner. Afterward, you will travel to your hotel in El Calafate. (B, L, D)

Set out on a full-day excursion to Los Glaciares National Park and the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the world’s only advancing glaciers. Drive through the Andean-Patagonian Forest to the Curve of Sighs (Curva de los Suspiros), where you will first glimpse the vast glacier. Traverse a series of catwalks and enjoy a scenic cruise, listening to the immense chunks of ice hiss and crack as they calve off the glacier and tumble into Lake Argentino. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. When you arrive in Buenos Aires, you will be met by a Viking Representative, who will escort you to your awaiting ship to begin your cruise. (B)

Fly to Rio de Janeiro, where a Viking Representative will meet and escort you to your hotel. After check-in, you may relax or explore the city at your leisure, perhaps taking in the modern Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian or the National Fine Arts Museum. This evening, enjoy dinner on your own at the hotel or a local restaurant. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time in Rio de Janeiro so you can make the most of your visit.

Set out on a full-day tour of Rio including its UNESCO-listed Carioca landscapes, an iconic natural feature that tumbles down to the sea from Tijuca National Park’s lush green mountains. You will visit the towering Christ the Redeemer statue that stands atop Corcovado mountain. After lunch, take a cable car to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain for more inspiring views of the city and harbor. This evening, travel to a local churrascaria for a traditional Brazilian barbecue dinner. (B, L, D)

This morning, proceed to the airport for your flight to Iguazú. After check-in and lunch, travel to the rim of Iguazú Falls. Taller than Niagara Falls, this natural wonder straddles the border of Brazil and Argentina and is the largest waterfall system in the world. Tour the Brazilian side of the falls, a vast rainforest of rare birds and other wildlife. Explore along a circuit of walkways facing the falls. This evening, enjoy a delicious dinner, accompanied by a wine pairing. (B, L, D)

Today, experience Iguazú Falls from the Argentine side, where you will have a choice of different experiences and a local lunch. Take a train ride to Garganta del Diablo Station, then follow the walkways to see the spectacular Devil’s Throat. Or stroll along the Upper Trail, a series of walkways offering panoramic views of the falls from the upper Iguazú River. Alternatively, walk the Lower Trail and enjoy views of the falls from below. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B, L, D)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires, where you will board your awaiting ship and commence your cruise. (B)

Disembark your ship in Valparaíso and a Viking Representative will escort you to Santiago, where you will enjoy a two-night stay at your hotel. After check-in, you can spend time relaxing or exploring the city at your leisure. You may choose to join an optional excursion to a selection of vineyards or to a historic food market. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Santiago so you can make the most of your visit.

After breakfast, explore Santiago, the capital of Chile. Take in the many sights of this vibrant city, such as the Palacio de la Moneda—the presidential palace—and the historic cathedral in the Plaza de Armas. You may choose to join an optional excursion to discover Santiago's art scene or embark on a scenic Andes drive. Perhaps visit Santiago Metropolitan Park and climb San Cristóbal Hill for panoramic views of the city below. In the evening, enjoy dinner at one of Santiago's many eateries. (B)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)

Disembark your ship in Valparaíso, Chile, and explore the city with your guide before enjoying lunch at a nearby vineyard. Then, transfer to the airport for your flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Upon arrival, a Viking Representative will greet you and accompany you to your hotel. After check-in, enjoy time to relax and explore on your own in Ecuador’s principal harbor town. Its heartbeat is the popular Malecón 2000, a boardwalk that runs along the Guayas River and is dotted with cafés, fountains, parks, plazas and shops. (L)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and head to the airport for your flight to Baltra Island in the Galápagos Islands. Ferry across the Itabaca Channel to Santa Cruz Island, where you will visit a wildlife reserve famous for its conservation and breeding programs for the endangered Galápagos tortoises. Later, stop at the Twin Craters—a geologic formation caused by the collapse of surface materials into empty magma chambers. After your tour, check into your hotel and enjoy dinner. (B, L, D)

Today and tomorrow, you will explore two uninhabited Galápagos Islands. Cruise and make stops with your naturalist guide, who will point out the islands’ geologic formations as well as their amazing flora and fauna. Then, return each evening to your lodgings on Santa Cruz Island. (B, L, D)

*Note: Due to the carefully controlled environment of the Galápagos Islands and national park regulations, visits are subject to change without notice. Specific wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Quito, Ecuador's capital. After checking into your hotel, set out on a guided tour to discover the treasures that have earned Quito the distinction of being one of the first cities recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will see why when you visit the historic city center, perhaps peeking inside the Church and Convent of St. Francis or strolling the stately Independence Square. This evening, enjoy dinner at your hotel. (B, D)

This morning, check out of your hotel after breakfast and transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (B)

Disembark your ship in Valparaíso and transfer to the airport for your flight to Lima, where a Viking Representative will greet you and accompany you on your connecting flight to Cuzco. Upon arrival, take a scenic drive to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. After checking in to your hotel, spend the rest of the day relaxing and taking in panoramic views of the Andes as you acclimatize yourself to the high altitude. Enjoy a delicious Peruvian dinner at your hotel this evening. (D)

After breakfast, set out into the scenic Sacred Valley to Ccorcorr, the “Village of Flowers.” Enjoy a warm welcome from your hosts, then immerse yourself in daily life. Learn about local traditions as you tour this charming Peruvian village and observe demonstrations of textile making and centuries-old farming techniques. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant, then return to your hotel for an evening at leisure. (B, L)

Travel to Ollantaytambo and visit its Incan fortress before embarking on a first-class rail journey to Machu Picchu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take in the spectacular scenery as your carriage winds through the valley, passing snowcapped peaks and archaeological ruins. At Machu Picchu, discover the ancient temples, houses and sanctuaries of the Inca empire. After tea and time to explore the stonework and terraced fields, you will continue to Cuzco by rail, and onward to your hotel. (B, L, D)

Take a guided tour of the first capital of the Inca empire. Begin at the Sacsayhuamán fortress and admire the ancient construction techniques. Next, visit what is possibly the Inca empire’s most sacred site: Koricancha, or the Temple of the Sun. Here, view the Dominican Convent of Santo Domingo that was built on its foundations. Complete your tour at the Cuzco Cathedral, one of the Americas’ finest Spanish colonial churches. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure. (B, L)

After breakfast, head to the airport for your flight to Lima. Transfer to your hotel and check in, then enjoy the rest of the day to explore the Peruvian capital at leisure. Perhaps take a stroll past the city’s colonial architecture and through stately museums, and immerse yourself in Lima’s old-world charm. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time in Lima so you can make the most of your visit. (B)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (B)