Think you know aviation? Think again.
Step aboard an iconic 1940s Dakota DC-3 and be transported back to the golden age of glamour and sophistication while soaring over some of South America’s most spectacular scenery.
This 12-day adventure comes from the pioneering team behind White Desert, who, during one of their annual flights from northern Canada to Antarctica to build their polar camps (more on that here), realised the journey should be an adventure in its own right. Able to land amid pristine jungle, across vast desert, and beside iridescent blue ice caps, their meticulously restored DC3—following a $10 million renovation—has been transformed into a luxurious airborne expedition vessel, turning wild, seldom-seen destinations into one seamless journey with no overnights, transfers, or airport queues.
With 11 other explorers, you’ll trace a path from historic Lima to the same remote Peruvian cloud forest where White Desert founder Patrick Woodhead, while seeking a route to the lost Chachapoyan mummies, once crossed paths with a man who knew the way and pointed him onward. The moment, reminiscent of Stanley discovering Dr. Livingstone deep in Africa, sparked a nickname that stuck: ‘Dr. Jones’.
In Chacapoyas, a jungle so dense it wasn’t fully explored until the late 1990s, you’ll spend three nights immersing yourself in this storied corner of the Peruvian Andes. Drop your bags at Gotca Nature Reserve, nestled in the foothills of one of the world’s tallest waterfalls (but seldom visited by tourists). Relish farm-to-fork lunches, watch hummingbirds feed in front of your eyes, and follow in Dr. Jones’ footsteps to the lost pre-Inca sarcophagi hidden deep in the El Tigre cloud forest.
A two-and-a-half hour flight is all that stands between you and your next destination: Paracas, where a strikingly secluded desert camp, designed exclusively for Dr. Jones, sets a scene straight from the pages of an explorer’s journal. Over two days, you’ll dine amid sun-kissed vineyards, drive across endless sand dunes glowing under the setting sun, and dive into pearly blue waters alongside local fishermen in search of rare ‘fan shell’ scallops.
In Chile’s Atacama Desert, just five-and-a-half hours away, the future feels almost tangible. Verging on otherworldly, you’re perfectly positioned to witness the world’s driest desert’s most dramatic features: endless salt flats, towering volcanoes, steaming hot springs, and celestial skies. Take to the skies once more to marvel at the vast and enigmatic Nazca Lines—ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert, visible only from above. Back on solid ground, turn your gaze upward for a hike through the technicolor landscapes of Rainbow Valley and, come evening, skyward again for an evening of stargazing.
Settle in for the seven-hour flight to Chiloé, South America’s fifth-largest island, where off-the-radar architectural marvel, Tierra Chiloé, is bound to blow you away with its daring blend of striking contemporary design and the island’s rugged natural beauty. Spend your day absorbing the dramatic volcanic landscapes while unwinding at the spa or sipping cocktails on a boat, fully rested and ready for your final flight to South America’s magnum opus: Patagonia.
In a land where jagged peaks pierce the sky and ancient glaciers remain frozen in time, Patagonia is nature at its most raw. From your hotel-hideaway perched on the edge of the Last Hope Sound, you’ll sail beneath the shadows of the region’s most magnificent glaciers, ride alongside gaucho cowboys at a local estancia, and traverse Torres del Paine National Park’s diverse ecosystem on foot, through ancient forests and along vibrant, glacial-fed lakes.
