Itinerary

Day 1 - Santiago
Hotel Ritz Carlton

Santiago will be the starting point of a fascinating 13-day journey in one of the world’s most unique countries. Upon arrival to Chile’s capital city, you will be greeted by your guide and escorted to your waiting luxury vehicle for the 50-minute transfer to the hotel. Lunch will be at leisure on your own schedule.

After lunch your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel and escort you to your vehicle for an exploration of Santiago. Chile’s capital city is a sophisticated, sprawling metropolis wedged between the Andes and Coastal Ranges. It is home to 6 million Santiaguinos, one third of Chile’s population. This excursion has been designed to showcase the many contrasts of the city, with the juxtaposition of the Colonial heart of the city and the glass towers of uptown Santiago. You will have contact with its people, with the opportunity to explore short sections of the new and old areas on foot. The first area you will see is the administrative and governmental heart of the city, where the first visit stop will be at the Palacio de La Moneda Presidential Palace.

Originally a colonial mint, the palace was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca, opening in 1805 while still under construction. While the Palace served as presidential residence between 1845 and 1930, today it houses the offices of the President and three Cabinet ministers.

Continue to the Plaza de Armas, the city’s most famous square. A short walk away is the Museum of pre-Hispanic Art. With over 700 exhibits, this is the country’s most important collection of pre-Hispanic artwork. This fine museum houses thousand of relics from such diverse cultures as the Mayans, Aztecs, and the Mapuches from southern Chile. Your museum tour will be guided by a private curator. Continue to San Cristobal Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the omnipresent Andes, before heading uptown to the modern areas of the city. Dinner for today will be served at the Akarana Restaurant (walking distance from the hotel). Owner Dell Taylor creates an exciting fusion of recipes from her native New Zealand recipes with the best of Chilean ingredients. Located next to The Ritz-Carlton Santiago.

Day 2 - Santiago
Hotel Ritz Carlton

Departure to Cachapoal valley, on a full day excursion to the sensational Altaïr winery. Altaïr is a marriage between Château Dassault of France and Chile’s San Pedro wineries. Once convinced that Chile could produce wines of Grand Cru stature, the reputed house of Laurent Dassault spent years seeking territory worthy of this great purpose. They found it high in the Cachapoal Valley on a property belonging to San Pedro. It is here that Altaïr was born. Your visit will commence with an aperitif at the observation area, whose privileged location allows wonderful views across the valley. Continue to the winery, while your host explains the techniques employed in the creation of the two wines made here; ‘Altaïr’ and ‘Sideral’. A tasting of both wines follows. For those more adventurous, and considering a different schedule and format, after the wine tasting you will set off on a moonlight horseback ride through the grounds of the winery, a unique way to capture the atmosphere of this magical place. A delicious hot snack will follow, accompanied of course by the fine wines of Altaïr. Following the visit, transfer to the hotel.

Day 3 - Santiago / Punta Arenas / Torres del Paine
Explora (Cordillera Paine)

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel and escort you to your waiting vehicle for the direct transfer to Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez airport to board flight to Punta Arenas.

Upon arrival to the airport in Punta Arenas, you will be met by a local representative who will explain more about Patagonia and the Explora style of operation. Your six-hour drive will take you across the pampas of Chilean Patagonia to the Torres del Paine National Park. Although Patagonia covers 30% of Chile’s land mass, only 5% of the country’s population lives on its windswept, wide-open spaces. Torres del Paine is a true spectacle with its huge granite towers - which Chilean Nobel-winning poet Pablo Neruda once described as “the last cry of the Andes before surrendering to the ocean” – and myriad flora and fauna. Famous for its glaciers, lakes and forests, this rugged region is also home to a wide variety of animal species, including guanaco (a relative of the llama), condors and flamingos. A snack will be served en route to the park, before arriving to one of the true gems of South American travel – the Explora Lodge. Explora is much more than a hotel or resort, it is a complete adventure where guests immerse in the natural beauty of Torres del Paine National Park. Prior to dinner this evening, an Explora guide will discuss the excursion options for the next four days.

Day 4-6 - Torres del Paine del National Park
Explora (Cordillera Paine)

Three full days of exploration await you at the Explora Lodge. Your programme is full board, with all meals being served in the hotel’s excellent restaurant with the exception of full-day tours that include a box lunch prepared by the hotel. Each evening an Explora guide will take you through the different options available to you for the next day’s activities. Some 19 excursions are offered by the lodge, and each evening you will be briefed as to those available for the following day:

Hike to the Peninsula of Lake Grey: This half-day excursion departs from Salto Chico by explora minivan to the Rio Paine. The views of Glacier Grey are magnificent. Lunch will be served back at the hotel, and in the afternoon you would be free to take another excursion or simply enjoy the hotel’s superb facilities and enjoy the stunning views.

Horseback Ride to Refugio Pehoe is a medium level full day excursion. Departing from Salto Chico by minivan to Corrales, the parks administrative office. From there, you will ride on horseback to the Las Carretas campsite, Rio Grey, Refugio Pehoe. You’ll return to the hotel crossing Lake Pehoe on a motorboat.

Walk to the foot of the Torres del Paine: This is a tough full-day expedition and requires considerable physical effort. One can go on foot or on horseback, but riding is possible only half the way up. This is one of the most complete and challenging excursions visitors can take in the Torres del Paine National Park. This is where many animals and birds, including the condors, live. While climbing up to the base of the towers, one has the most beautiful view of the imposing Almirante Nieto, Lake Nordenskjold, the Amarga Lagoon and Paine River.

Other highlights include the Horseback Ride to the Serrano River, which offers wonderful views of Monte Balmaceda and the Horns of the Paine Range and the Journey North of The Park, an easy exploration that takes in Laguna Azul, the Rio Paine waterfall, and also includes a delicious barbecue at Explora’s outdoor grill.

These are just some examples of what is on offer. Your stay may be as action-packed or laid-back as you wish. You may decide to fully enjoy the lodge’s superb facilities such as the heated pool, twin outdoor whirlpool baths, and sauna, and contemplate the brilliant and inspiring landscape around you.

Day 7 - Torres del Paine / Punta Arenas / Santiago / Valparaíso
Casa Higueras

Morning transfer from Explora to Punta Arenas airport, where a local guide will assist you to board your flight.

Upon arrival at Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez airport, you will be met by your guide and escorted to your waiting vehicle for the direct transfer to Valparaiso. The 90-minute journey will take you through one of Chile’s most important wine-producing areas, the Casablanca Valley. The privileged location – between the Andes and Coastal Mountain Ranges – creates the perfect territory for some of South America’s finest white wines.

Late evening arrival to Valparaíso. Dinner at the hotel.


Chile: Fire and Ice Day 8 - Valparaíso
Casa Higueras

Historic Valparaiso was one of the first Chilean cities founded by the Spanish. A thriving port for centuries, modern Valparaiso remains Chile’s primary outlet to the sea. The city is a historic port and university town, famous for its labyrinth hills, which are covered in quaint, colorful old houses and accessible only by a steep climb or by the city’s unique system of funicular railways. There has never been a better time to visit Chile’s chief port, in view of the city’s recent award by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

During your visit to Valparaíso, an exclusive Insider access opportunity will be offered:

This tour gives you the chance to see this famous city at street level, taking in the sights, sounds and vibrancy of this unique place. Highlights include Bellavista, Concepción and Alegre Hills, which were originally settled by German and British immigrants working in the banking and port industries during the golden age of Valparaiso. This walking tour will commence on Cerro Bellavista Hill with a visit to La Sebastiana, former residence of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda.

Next, enjoy a scenic walk to the Valparaiso Foundation for a chance to learn about the project with its founder Todd Tempkin. Todd is an American contemporary poet, and expert in the works of Pablo Neruda, who fell in love with the city of Valparaíso while teaching literature at the Catholic University of Valparaíso. The Foundation has executed major neighbourhood redevelopment projects; has improved the city's tourist infrastructure; and administers the city's jazz, ethnic music, and opera festivals; among other projects. It also played a huge part in achieving UNESCO World Heritage Site status for the city. As part of the visit, a donation will be made on your behalf to the Foundation.


Continue to the interconnecting Cerro Concepción and Cerro Alegre Hills, by far the most picturesque area of the city, with its winding roads and staircases, and beautifully restored houses. Highlights include the Palacio Baburizza, an elegant art nouveau mansion that houses the Museo de Bellas Artes de Valparaiso, closed for renovation at the time of writing. Nearby is the Fundación Lukas, dedicated to the life, times and works of journalist and cartoonist Renzo Pecchenino, or ‘Lukas’ as he was better known. Lukas was far more than a humorist or satirist. He depicted the daily life of the locals with great accuracy, and his work stands as a historical reference point to this day. Refreshments will be served during the excursion, and there will be time to enjoy the views from this vantage point before taking the funicular railway down the hill, where your driver will be waiting to continue the tour.

The second half of the tour will include the principal sights of the more modern neighbouring city of Viña del Mar, including the floral clock and the Plaza Vergara. Included in the tour is the Fonck Museum, with its excellent displays on Chilean and Easter Island pre-history and anthropology, as a well a stunning collection of maps from Chile’s Polynesian territory. Lunch at a local restaurant during the journey.

Day 9 - Valparaíso / Santiago
Awasi

Your guide will meet you in the lobby of the hotel and escort to your vehicle for the drive to Chile’s central coast. Continue towards the delightful coastal village of Quintay. This is truly an “off-the-beaten-path” destination, virtually unknown to foreign visitors. Quintay used to be a whaling port, and remnants of that bygone period can be seen in the village’s quaint museum. Parts of the remaining buildings now house a marine research department of the university. A seafood lunch will be served at the excellent ‘Los Pezcadores’ restaurant, and there will be a short time available to stroll along the impressive beach. Before continuing to Santiago, heading south along the coast you will soon arrive to Isla Negra. This delightful place was home to the Chilean poet, and 1971 Nobel Prize winner, Pablo Neruda (1904-1973). He supervised its construction and brought in a huge array of personal objects from various parts of the world. This collection is now of immense value. After his death in 1973, Neruda was buried – at his bequest – in the garden of his house looking out on to the ocean, thus confirming his obsession with all things maritime. The one hour visit will provide a fascinating insight into the great man’s life. Continue along the coast past El Tabo, Cartagena, and San Antonio and continue directly to Santiago airport to board your evening flight to Calama.

Arrival at Calama airport and transfer to the lodge in San Pedro de Atacama. Calama, at an altitude of 7,900 feet in the very heart of the Atacama, is your gateway to the geological and archeological wonders of the central desert.

Day 10 to 12- Atacama Desert
Awasi

Three full days to enjoy daily explorations accompanied by experienced guides. Your daily explorations through Atacama’s natural environment and to the sites of pre-Columbian, colonial and contemporary cultures are offered in private or sharing vehicles with bilingual guides. Each evening your resident guides will explain in detail the activities you may choose from the next day. There are hikes, desert excursions by van, horseback riding and bicycling activities.

Guests can select among the following activities:

By vehicle:

    Toconao Town & Atacama Salar
    The Moon Valley
    Laguna Cejar
    Altiplanic Salt Flats
    Tara Salt Flat
    Miscanti & Miñiques lagoons
    Geysers del Tatio and Puritama Termal Baths
    Río Grande town.

Walking tours:

    Kari ravine
    Guatin
    Barrancas
    Vilama
    Matancilla

Mountain bikes:

    Ayllus (towns) surrounding San Pedro
    The Death Valley
    Piedra de la Coca

Horseback riding:

    Ayllus (Towns) surrounding San Pedro
    Barrancas

Cultural visits:

    History of the Atacamenian culture
    Walking tour in San Pedro
    Caravans with Lamas

Day 13 - Atacama Desert/Calama

Morning to enjoy some additional activities in Atacama. In due time, transfer to the airport in Calama to board flight to Santiago. Upon arrival to Santiago’s Arturo Merino Benitez airport, you will be met inside the Arrivals Hall by your guide who will assist with Immigration and Customs formalities, and luggage collection, before escorting you to the check-in area for your International flight connection.

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