From cathedral cities to glacier silence — the southern continent at full breath.
South America doesn’t rise — it builds, bold and elemental, a crescendo carved in land and light. Begin in Santiago, where light moves across colonial facades and glass towers, and the Andes hover just beyond. Time stretches with wine, rhythm, and mountain air.
Fly south, and the world opens. In Patagonia, silence becomes architecture — Torres del Paine, granite and wind. In Argentina, the vastness continues: blue lakes, calving ice, and the stillness of a glacier that holds its own time.
Then from ice to mist. Iguazú roars through rainforest. Butterflies rise. Paths vanish in spray. Nature becomes orchestral — every note held in water and light.
And finally, Rio. A city that moves like a release. Corcovado leans into cloud, samba hums from corners, and coastline curves in golden arc. The journey doesn't close — it lifts.
This isn't a loop. It's a symphony — every region a new movement, every step a rising note.
This is where the land composes something larger than you — and invites you into the sound.
South American Splendors traces a deliberate path through the southern spine of the continent — from refined calm in Santiago to the wind-carved edges of Patagonia, across the glacial pulse of El Calafate and into the elegant rhythm of Buenos Aires. For those who choose, the journey stretches further: into the rainforest mist of Iguazú Falls and the coastal glow of Rio. It is a luxury Patagonia tour built not around pace, but presence — shaped by space, silence, discovery and refined detail.
The journey begins in Santiago, a city cradled by the Andes. It's a capital of contrasts — colonial quarters beside contemporary calm, galleries and wine rooms nestled into leafy streets. From here, the route sweeps south into Patagonia, first to Chile’s Torres del Paine and then across the border to Argentina’s El Calafate. The final arc curves north again — from the cosmopolitan elegance of Buenos Aires to optional extensions in the Atlantic rainforest and Brazil’s most iconic shoreline. Each destination reveals a different register of South America: the composed, the untamed, the reflective.
Torres del Paine delivers raw scale: vast skies, jagged spires, ancient silence. Here, days are made of glacier hikes, private boat journeys across Lago Grey, and guided explorations through lenga forests where condors glide overhead. In El Calafate, time slows at the edge of Perito Moreno Glacier, where ice creaks into lake and blue fractures like light. Buenos Aires offers an elegant contrast — architecture, culture and cuisine wrapped in a slower rhythm. Optional extensions bring powerful shifts in tone: Iguazú, where waterfalls roar through emerald canopy, and Rio, where the city sways at the water’s edge beneath Sugarloaf’s steady gaze.
The journey begins in Santiago, where two contrasting sanctuaries ease you into the southern rhythm. The Ritz-Carlton Santiago offers classic elegance with rooftop views across the Andes, where sunrise breaks over quiet refinement. Not far away, the Mandarin Oriental Santiago opens into its own world — one of glass, gardens, and a tranquil modernity that sets the tone for what lies ahead. Deep in Patagonia, accommodation becomes part of the wilderness. Explora Patagonia stands beside the still waters of Lake Pehoé, offering direct access to guided explorations from steppe to glacier. Awasi Patagonia turns seclusion into art — individual villas facing wind-carved peaks, each paired with a private guide and vehicle, allowing days to unfold entirely around you. Then comes EOLO Patagonia Spirit, rising alone on a remote plain near El Calafate, a tribute to Argentine estancias that delivers stillness, space and a view onto something ancient. Every window there frames the silence of the steppe; every evening folds into the vastness outside.
Buenos Aires offers a return to polish and poise. At the Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt, French classicism meets Argentine soul in limestone halls and garden courtyards, while Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires balances Recoleta elegance with modern softness — wide suites, warm service, the city just beyond. Extensions to Iguazú and Rio bring a final shift in tempo. At Belmond Hotel das Cataratas, the falls become private — visible before dawn, heard after dark, and paired with the hush of rainforest. And finally, Copacabana Palace, A Belmond Hotel in Rio de Janeiro closes the journey with quiet glamour: Art Deco lines, ocean air, and the kind of effortless grace that makes even a departure feel like arrival.
The best time to take this journey is from October to April, when Patagonia is at its most accessible. These months bring long days, golden light, and open trails. Spring flowers soften the steppe, while autumn casts deep shadows across the peaks. In the north, Buenos Aires remains temperate most of the year, with a cultural calendar that adds rhythm to each stay. Iguazú and Rio offer year-round appeal — one in mist, the other in glow — perfect bookends for those extending their exploration.
Jetsetters creates experiences shaped by understanding. We work with hotels and guides that speak the language of place, not performance — where luxury lies in intuition, not excess. From remote estancias to rooftop retreats, each detail has been chosen not just for what it is, but for how it feels. This is not a circuit. It’s a composition. One crafted with care, edited with restraint, and ready for travellers who seek not just the south, but the soul of the journey. This luxury Patagonia tour is for those ready to let the silence speak — and discover something rare.
