Chile is a gorgeous spectacle. Spaghetti-thin, up to half of this country’s slim width is covered by the stratospheric Andes. Glaciers calve. Penguins mix with flamingos. Vineyards knit mild valleys into a neat green patchwork. And on December 14, 2020, day will turn to instant night at one of the few places on land where the total eclipse of the sun will be visible. This is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to see it. Many travelers head to Chile just to experience the awesome variety of nature. But we also expose you to the fascinating array of local cultures strung the length of the country, including the Mapuche in the Lake District and the gauchos who ride the pampas. North to south, mountaintop to seashore, you’ll get a carefully curated up-close look at this vast and varied country.

DAYS 1-3 - LAKE DISTRICT, ARAUCANIA REGION & TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

We meet in Santiago, Chile’s capital. A morning flight takes us to Temuco, the jumping off point for Villarrica National Park and Villarrica Volcano. We’ll see several waterfalls and rivers such famous Trancura formed when lava flows dammed the river. And walk amid the volcanic formations on the volcano’s slopes or beautiful rainforest at Huerquehue National Park. December 14, 2020 is eclipse day, and your guide will make sure you’re in a prime position with the items you’ll need to view the eclipse safely. In addition to the solar spectacle, the day includes a visit with the Mapuche-Pehuenche tribe, the indigenous people of Chile. Then we dine for a traditional feast of meat, seafood and potatoes cooked in a covered pit.

 

DAYS 5-8 - PATAGONIA

Another scenic flight to Puntas Natales positions us for three amazing days in Patagonia. Centered around the towering granite pinnacles of Torres del Paine National Park, our explorations take us to a mountaintop picnic spot...offer chances to spot guanaco, condors and rheas...and bring us to a ice floe-studded lake where we boat to the sheer face of Grey Glacier. We’ll also spend a day on a working estancia, a vast sheep, cattle and horse ranch. Gauchos demonstrate their sheep shearing skills and put their shepherd dogs through their paces for us before an amazing lamb barbecue in the shadow of the Andes. 

On our final day, we transfer to Puntas Arenas for our return flight to Santiago.