Chile
To get our mini brochure for this holiday please click here, and we will email you a PDF copy.
Day One: Discover Santiago
Arrive at Santiago airport for a private transfer to your hotel (30 minutes). Then get acquainted with Chile’s complex capital with your private guide. Start on San Cristobal Hill, for knock-out views over the city from 800m up, before moving into its heart at the grand, colonial Plaza de Armas. From there, take in the cobbled streets and crumbling mansions of the old, colonial barrios before exploring Santiago’s modern eastern suburbs. The rest of the day is yours to settle in. Be sure to leave some time for once - a traditional Chilean evening snack.
Overnight in Santiago
Classic - Hotel Novapark
Premium - Hotel Plaza San Francisco
Deluxe - The Singular Lastarria Hotel
Meals included: None
Day Two: Lush Country and Coastal Cities
Discover two not-to-be-missed coastal cities, on a drive from Santiago. Your private adventure takes you by car through the lush Curacaví and Casablanca Valleys, filled with vineyards, fruit plantations and forest reserves, towards lively Valparaíso. In this UNESCO World Heritage city, rainbow-hued homes climb the cliffs. The best way to explore is by foot, passing bright murals and funiculars that slope up steep alleys, as well as landmarks including grand Plaza Sotomayor and the busy, buzzy dockside of Prat Muelle.
Next, it’s time for contrasting Viña del Mar (‘Vineyard by the Sea’), a neatly-landscaped resort city that’s popular with Chileans and packed with pristine parks. You’ll visit some of these, as well as the skyscraper-topped seaside boulevard of Avenida del Peru, home to Chile’s oldest hotel, the del Mar. Then it’s time to return to Santiago for the night.
Overnight in Santiago
Classic - Hotel Novapark
Premium - Hotel Plaza San Francisco
Deluxe - The Singular Lastarria Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Three: Gateway to the Strait of Magellan
Transfer to Santiago Airport before flying south to a town that English sailors once called ‘Sandy Point’: Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan (3hrs 25mins). This rich cultural heritage of this city draws on the nationalities of its founders, who came from Croatia, Spain, Italy, Germany and England, as well as Chile. When you’ve checked into your hotel, you’ll head out to admire the view to the Strait of Magellan from Mirador Hill, before driving to the Nao Victoria museum. Here, Charles Darwin’s ship, the HMS Beagle, has been lovingly recreated, alongside one used by Shackleton and another by Fernando Magellan.
Overnight in Punta Arenas
Classic - Diego De Almagro Punta Arenas
Premium - Hotel Cabo de Hornos
Deluxe - Dreams Del Estrecho Hotel
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Four: Walk with the Penguins
See the Strait of Magellan’s extraordinary wildlife, on a half-day boat trip to the Marta and Magdalena Islands. You’ll circumnavigate Marta Island, where rare seabirds live alongside elephant seals, austral dolphins and more than 1,000 sea lions (landing is forbidden in order to protect the native species). Then make for the shore of Magdalena Island, to walk among its 150,000-strong penguin colony. On the boat back to the mainland, look out for the Overas Tonina (Commerson’s dolphin), a rare black and white dolphin, found in only two places in the world. This trip is reliant on good weather. An alternative will be provided in bad conditions. End the day with a transfer to your hotel in Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine (2hrs 50mins).
Overnight in Puerto Natales
Classic - If Hotel
Premium - Costaustralis Hotel
Deluxe - The Singular Patagonia
Meals included: Buffet breakfast
Day Five: Glacier Country
Explore the incredible landscapes of the Torres del Paine National Park, a protected area of Patagonian mountains, glaciers and lakes, which spans 700 square miles. After an early start, the hour-long drive towards the jade green Nordenskjold Lake will take you past lagoons and lush pastures where wild flocks of guanacos (llama) can be seen. From Nordenskjold Lake, walk to the Salto Grande waterfall and a viewpoint offering photogenic vistas over the Paine range. Then you’ll continue higher into the mountains by car, stopping to tramp across to Pingo River and catch your first glimpse of icebergs, followed by the dramatic Grey Glacier.
Overnight in Puerto Natales
Classic - If Hotel
Premium - Costaustralis Hotel
Deluxe - The Singular Patagonia
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Six: On the Water
Take a boat trip past fishing cormorants, gliding condors and basking sea lions en route to the Balmaceda Glacier and the mountain of the same name, which soars to 6,675 feet. Then make an hour-long hike around the Tempanos lagoon, wandering through dense forest towards the immense Serrano glacier, before returning to your vessel and heading back to Puerto Natales to disembark.
Overnight in Puerto Natales
Classic - If Hotel
Premium - Costaustralis Hotel
Deluxe - The Singular Patagonia
Meals included: Breakfast
Day Seven: Homeward Bound
After breakfast, make the journey back to Punta Arenas airport (3 hours) for your return flight (not included).
Meals included: Breakfast
Overall meals included: 6 Breakfasts
What's included:
- Private English-speaking guides unless stated otherwise
- Private transfers and internal flights, unless stated otherwise
- Meals as listed
- Mandatory taxes and service fees
- Entrance tickets and permits unless stated otherwise
- Boat and walking excursions in Patagonia
What's not included:
- International flights to/from experience: call 0208 251 0425 for AX specially negotiated flight rates
- Optional extras listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, hotel and restaurant staff
- Any visa, customs, airport taxes or similar charges before or after the tour
- We cannot guarantee the included hotel breakfast for early departures
- Drinks during meals unless stated otherwise
- Personal expenses, such as laundry
If you intend to travel solo, contact us on 0208 251 0425
If you would like to extend your experience and spend 3 days relaxing in the Patagonian mountains, check out our Chile's Mountains, Glaciers and Cities here!
To check out all our Chile trips, click here!
GETTING THERE
Typical return Economy flights from London cost around £900 per person and take approximately 16 hours outbound, 22 hours inbound depending on exact flight configurations and layover times.
For this particular experience, the best option is normally to book return flights from London - Santiago, and book a separate internal flight from Punta Arenas - Santiago for your return journey.
Experience start point: Santiago (SCL). Arrive by 12.30pm on first day of tour.
End point: Punta Arenas (PUQ). Suggested departure time after 4pm.
Prices for departures to 30th October include a 20% Pioneers Club discount and are subject to Pioneers Club terms & conditions. Click here for more information about the Pioneers Club.
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