10/22/21 - UPDATE 2:
We understand there were some questions regarding travel to Patagonia at this time. We aren't making official decisions yet, because the Chilean government is revisiting travel restrictions on November 1. In the meantime, let's review the current status of things.
We still plan on hosting these trips. If you are registered to attend the February or March 2022 trip to Patagonia, we hope to see you there! However, if you are attending one of these trips and if any of the information below makes you uneasy, please consider transferring to another trip. With successful trips this past year to Iceland and Our Costa Rica, we are confident that both of these locations will continue without trouble. We also expect our 2022 trips to Alaska to go according to plan.
Chile
- Can U.S. tourists enter Chile? Yes. As of October 1, 2021, US tourists may enter Chile. See question 2 for details.
- Do tourists need a COVID-19 vaccine or negative test to enter Argentina? Starting October 1, Chile allows fully vaccinated foreigners who test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to travel to enter the country. All travelers regardless of vaccination or testing status will also need to self-isolate for five days* at a previously declared home, hotel or residence and comply with a 14-day follow-up process that includes daily self-reporting of their health status, location, and testing.
*On November 1, the five-day isolation requirement will be lifted for fully vaccinated travelers who validate their vaccination status and get a negative PCR test when arriving in Chile.
Argentina
- Can U.S. tourists enter Argentina? No, most foreigners who are not residents of Argentina are prohibited from entering. However, the Argentine Government announced that non-resident foreign citizens will be permitted to enter the country starting November 1.
- Do tourists need a COVID-19 vaccine or negative test to enter Argentina? Travelers can show proof of vaccination to enter. If they are not fully vaccinated, they will be subject to a quarantine period and testing, according to a tweet from Carla Vizzotti, Argentina's health minister.
10/6/21 - UPDATE 1: Some days, it feels like we are fighting a never-ending battle against COVID restrictions and changing government policies. Lately, this is what we’ve experienced with our 2021 and 2022 trips to Patagonia.
We announced in an email to registered Patagonia travelers that we had to postpone the November 2021 trip to Patagonia. This was a very difficult decision to make, but in August, the Chilean government banned US citizen travel to Chile and declared that the country was in a “state of emergency” through the end of September.
While most of the trip takes place in Argentina, which is open, part of the itinerary involved an excursion in Chile that we believe is essential to the whole experience. With Chile’s borders closed, we are unable to fulfill the itinerary of this trip.
The good news is that the scheduled trips to Patagonia for February and March 2022 are still happening as of now. Chile announced that it would review its state of emergency status at the end of September 2021 and may re-open the country’s borders if deemed safe. The government completed this review, and as of October 1, 2021 Chile is open to US citizens to travel and has gone from an emergency level 4 to a level 3. Argentina is scheduled to open on November 1, 2021. Throughout this time, COVID rates have steadily dropped, which is good news.
Our Global Adventures travel policy states that we review all trips 60 days before travel to determine internally if we are able to continue with the trip. We will share whether or not the trips are happening with all registered travelers 45 days prior to the trip. For February travelers, this 45-day decision will come on January 5, 2022. For March travelers, this decision will come on January 26, 2022.
If we have to postpone either of the trips for February or March, you will be able to:
- Transfer to the November 2022 trip (limited availability)
- Transfer to another Global Adventures trip
If you are not comfortable with this uncertainty, we encourage you to withdraw from the trip for a refund now.
If you’re reading this thinking, “Um of course I still want to go!” that’s great! Start shopping for Airfare now. You can easily book with our SkyTeams link that we've set up for these trips. If you are part of the February trip, use this link. March participants should use this link. You don't have to use these links, but they tend to make finding optimal flights at the best price easier. Feel free to also look for flights on Kayak, Hopper, Scott’s Cheap Flights and Google flights. Create alerts so you get notified if flights are lowered.