Overview
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. Sharp spikes of snow-capped rock bite into the sky. At least that’s what your photos will say. It’s harder to capture how it feels to be wrapped in raw wilderness or to scan the expansive pampas from the porch of a secluded estancia. Many travelers plan tours in Chile just to experience the awesome variety of nature. But we also bring you into the fascinating array of local cultures strung the length of the country. We meet the urbanites of Santiago, experts in the Maipo Valley vineyards, the hardy islanders of Chiloé and, of course, 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.
Highlights
DAY 1 – SANTIAGO
You’ll meet in Santiago, Chile’s capital, and take an easy, guided walk. The country’s legendary wines are grown very near the city. You’ll visit one of the best Maipo Valley vineyards for lunch, a wine tasting, and a hosted tour of the winery.
DAYS 2-4 – VOLCANO & LAKE DISTRICT
A morning flight takes you to Puerto Montt, the jumping off point for Vicente Perez Rosales National Park and Osorno Volcano. You’ll see the Petrohué waterfalls, formed when lava flows dammed the river. And you’ll walk amid the volcanic formations on the volcano’s slopes. After a ferry ride to Chiloé Island, you travel to the rare breeding ground shared by Magellanic and Humboldt penguins. Then you join a local family for a traditional feast of meat, seafood and potatoes cooked in a covered pit.
DAYS 5-8 – PATAGONIA
Another scenic flight to Puntas Arenas positions you for three amazing days in Patagonia. Centered around the towering granite pinnacles of Torres del Paine National Park, your explorations take you to a mountaintop picnic spot…offer chances to spot guanaco, condors and rheas…and bring you to an ice floe-studded lake where you boat to the sheer face of Grey Glacier. You’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 you before an amazing lamb barbecue in the shadow of the Andes.
On our final day, we tour Puntas Arenas before our return flight to Santiago.
Map
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Starting Point:
Santiago – 10:00 am – Lobby of Singular Hotel -
Ending Point:
Santiago – 6:30 pm – Santiago Airport (SCL)
Dates & Prices
The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have and the lower your price. And you can always change your mind — you won’t be charged to transfer to a different trip before your final payment is due. Talk with one of our travel experts at 800-200-3887.
Talk to an expertSelect our “Family Departure” to travel with other families.
Internal Airfare
This trip includes several internal flights which are priced separately from the land tour. The total cost for the internal flights is approximately $695 per person.
Why Choose Classic Journeys
Travel + Leisure has named Classic Journeys the #1 World’s Best Tour Operator multiple times and says, "Classic Journeys provides unbeatable access to experiences around the globe." Here’s what that access means for you.
- Experience the world on foot and at eye level. Each day, join your guide on the most cinematic footpaths in the region.
- Exceptional full-time local guides who become your well-connected friend. Our amazing guides are with you throughout each day of the tour, share their lifelong connections as well as engaging anecdotes about the history and culture of the region.
- Small groups that provide you unrivaled access. An average of fewer than 10 guests per departure means we can offer you special access to sites like Stonehenge so you experience the stone circle when it’s closed to the general public, a guided visit to Zion Narrows that other companies cannot arrange because of larger group sizes, and vineyard walks with a count and countess in Tuscany.
- Award-winning hotels are waiting for you at the end of every day. Luxuriate in the finest and most distinctive accommodations in the region you’re exploring, including rainforest lodges, 16th century villas, and award-winning properties that show up on World’s Best and Gold lists.
- Eat like (and with) the locals. Food is a foolproof way into the hearts, homes and history of the places you visit with us. From gourmet picnics to coveted local restaurants, our meals offer you opportunities to explore native food traditions and fine dining.
- Handcrafted itineraries with all activities included. With our long-term friendships, we know our walking tour regions more personally than anyone else. So you get thoughtfully curated itineraries that combine explorations of the villages, organic farms, archeological sites and the people who know them best.
- Sustainable travel that supports the places you’re visiting. We put our local currency into the pockets of the people who live where we travel. It’s your guarantee that you’ll have authentic, up-close experiences on your trip. Best of all, our person-to-person approach helps sustain their ways of life.
Accommodations
What’s Included
- Award-winning boutique hotels that provide you unlimited access to the people and places, culture and history you came to experience
- All breakfasts, 6 lunches and 3 dinners
- Full-time experienced guide(s) who are with you throughout the trip and handle behind-the-scenes logistics
- Admissions to scheduled events as noted in the detailed daily itinerary
- Gratuities for hotels, meals, and baggage
- All land transportation during the trip
Above & Beyond Benefits
Invisible Check-In
- When your group arrives, we whisk you and your bags to your room immediately. No waiting – no tipping.
Privileged Access Events
- One-of-a-kind access to remarkable people, places and activities arranged just for you.
Wine on Us
- In many regions, we uncork wonderful local wines at every dinner, compliments of Classic Journeys.
Image Gallery
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