Chile in 13 Days

Arrival in Santiago. Reception at the airport and transfer to the selected hotel.

The capital of Chile, Santiago is a vibrant city full of character, with a thriving artistic culture, modern restaurants and lively nightlife. Surrounded by mountains – the mighty Andes to the east and the smaller coastal range to the west – on a clear day, Santiago boasts one of the most incredible urban scenes in the world. Old-world colonial mansions and eclectic neighborhoods seamlessly integrate the skyscrapers of “Sanhattan” into a captivating fusion of tradition and modernity. With world-class skiing, wine routes, biking and trekking right at your doorstep, Santiago is a city full of stimulating possibilities.

Our tour starts from the hotel where the transfer will pick us up. We will start through the main avenue of the city, knowing its history and its surroundings. We will go down to the cobblestone neighborhood of Lastarría, a characteristic sector for its green areas and beautiful houses of the XIX century, now restored and mostly used as cafes, restaurants, bookstores and museums.

Then, we will go to Cerro Santa Lucia here we will have time to walk and take pictures, while our guide tells us some of the most important episodes in the history of Santiago, such as the Mapuche / Spanish confrontation. From its terraces we will have a panoramic view of Santiago, as well as admire relics and constructions from the colonial era, such as Castillo Hidalgo.

We will go to our next stop, on the way we can see emblematic places of the city such as the Plaza de Armas, The Santiago Cathedral and its impressive architecture, in addition to the former national congress. We will arrive at the imposing government house called “La Moneda” and next to it the “Plaza de la Constitución”; We will visit its surroundings and we will know more about its important and interesting history.

Once in our vehicle, the tour will continue with a step through the Central Market, one of the most characteristic gastronomic points of Santiago, and then continue to the upper sector of the capital. On the way we will stop at a lapis lazuli store where we can admire and/or buy beautiful jewelry and unique crafts. Then we will finish the tour at the respectives hotels.

The stunning coastline of Chile offers spectacular views of breaking waves, colorful landscapes and soft sandy beaches. Anchored by the affluent tourist town of Viña del Mar and the historic port of Valparaíso, the central coast is a popular and summer weekend getaway for the Santiaguinos.

We will leave the hotel in Santiago, drive approximately 90 minutes west to the coast, passing through the exuberant agricultural valley of Curacaví and the Casablanca Valley, famous for its innovative wineries that are producing the best white wines of Chile and fresh climate red wines. Late in the morning, we will arrive in Valparaíso, one of the first Chilean cities founded by the Spaniards. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003 for its architectural and cultural importance, the city is also one of the most interesting in Chile.

We will start in the downtown sector, knowing the history of “Valpo” and its importance in trade and commerce in South America. Centennial elevators will transport you to the steep hills of the city, where a labyrinth of streets reveals brightly colored buildings, bohemian cafes, elegant restaurants, and spectacular views of the harbor.

The tour will take you on foot through two of the most famous and eclectic neighborhoods, Cerro Concepción and Cerro Alegre. In addition, we will make a panoramic visit to one of the three houses converted into Pablo Neruda’s museums, La Sebastiana (entrance and lunch not included).

Then we will continue our tour to the city of Viña del Mar where we will visit its main attractions such as the “Reloj de Flores”, Fonck Museum, Quinta Vergara, and Los Cañones Beach. We will finish the tour at your hotel.

At schedule time transfer to Santiago Airport to board flight to Calama. Arrival at Calama. Reception at the airport and transfer to selected hotel in San Pedro de Atacama. In the afternoon we will visit the Moon Valley, in the middle of the deep arid Cordillera de la Sal we find a landscape of salt and clay modeled by water and wind of millions of years, in our journey we will enjoy the beauty delivered of the extravagant forms that the mountain range gives us encouraging the imagination and reflection for its tranquility. As the afternoon passes, we will enter the Death Valley and from there enjoy one of the best views of the Andes Mountains and its volcanoes, to finally finish watching the sunset that through its colors give us a wonderful final for our excursion. Return to selected hotel.

The journey will begin with the visit to the Village of Toconao, built with stone of volcanic origin, stands out for its heritage architecture, with the church of St. Luke, and its bell tower, declared a National Monument. Agriculture and handicrafts are the main source of work for itsinhabitants, highlighting the making of artifacts in volcanic stone. Then we head towards the Altiplano to explore the Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons at more than 4,200 meters above sea level, surrounded by large and imposing volcanoes, originated by the elevation of the Andes Mountain Range and that in its surroundings you can observe a variety of birds and animals in their natural habitat. We continue the route to Laguna Chaxa, a spectacular scenery that is divided into several water mirrors, where many flamingos inhabit and other birds. Finally, before returning, while the landscape gives us breathtaking views of the Licancabur and Láscar volcanoes, we will visit Toconao of typical colonial architecture, its bell tower and church of San Lucas, the first National Monument. Return to selected hotel.

Our trip to the altiplano begins at dawn to reach one of the most important geothermal fields in the world, the “Geysers del Tatio”, surrounded by emanations of water and steam, we will enjoy the beauty of the Andes and with this natural scenario we will offer you a revival breakfast. Then we will visit the “Pozon Rustico” where you can enjoy the hot springs that the mountain range gives us. Taking the road back to San Pedro de Atacama you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape, native flora and fauna to finally stop at the village of Machuca, place of llama shepherds, today this town of adobe house, straw and Cactus wood is dedicated to tourism offering local products such as Andean crafts, llama meat, sopaipillas and empanadas. As a historical and architectural attraction we will visit the Church of San Santiago, patron of the town. Return to selected hotel. Transfer to Calama airport to board a connection to Santiago. Hotel accommodation at Santiago Airport.

At the agreed time, transfer to Santiago Airport to board a flight to Puerto Montt. Reception at Puerto Montt Airport and transfer to selected hotel in Puerto Varas. In the afternoon we will tour the cities of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas. We will start the tour visiting the highest point of the city of Puerto Montt, from where we will have a beautiful panoramic view of the city, the Pacific Ocean and Tenglo Island. From there we will go to the Monument to the German settlers, located in front of the Plaza de Armas and its Cathedral, enjoying the journey of its architectural heritage and mixture of cultures. Later, we will continue towards the sector of Angelmó, famous in our country for its large number of craft shops and of course the Fishermen’s Cove and Municipal Market where we will get to know the daily activity of the seafarers who arrive to this place bringing the traditional seafood and fish. We will continue to the city of Puerto Varas, also known as the City of Roses, where we will know its main tourist attractions; The Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, built between 1915 and 1918, an exact replica of a Church in the Black Forest of Germany, the Old Town; where the first German settlers settled and then descend to the downtown area bordering the beautiful Llanquihue Lake and as a backdrop we will see if the weather allows the imposing Osorno Volcano which with its thaws feed every day to Lake Llanquihue. Return to selected hotel.

We will sail the wonderful “Todos los Santos” Lake, visit the world famous waterfalls of the Petrohué River and visit Peulla, a small ecological village of 120 inhabitants that is part of the famous Cruce Andino® tourist circuit. After visiting Los Saltos del Río Petrohué, we will sail the Todos los Santos Lake for almost two hours, observing the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Tronador volcanoes. In this place we will have time to enjoy a lunch (included) We will have the opportunity to do some of the sightseeing adventure tours (not included) like canopy, horseback riding, fishing trips, jet boat tours and 4×4 safari offered in this paradise of nature. Return to selected hotel.

We will start our excursion from Puerto Varas “the city of Roses” to the Osorno Volcano, bordering the Llanquihue Lake, we will enjoy a beautiful postcard with Osorno and Calbuco snowcapped volcanoes in the background, until we reach the Ensenada sector from where we will start the ascent until we arrive to the Ski Center Volcán Osorno, located at 1,240 meters of altitude. There we will be around an hour where there will be time to enjoy the landscape, take photographs, and appreciate an incomparable view of the summit of the volcanoes with their eternal snow glaciers, Calbuco, Lake Llanquihue and the Pacific Ocean. Optionally, passengers can serve a coffee or delicious hot chocolate or take the chairlift to ascend to 1,450 meters high in the Spring Station or 1,750 meters in the Glacier Station from where you can see a wonderful and breathtaking view of Lake Llanquihue. Return to the selected hotel where we will have lunch (not included). In the afternoon we will start our excursion to Frutillar, visiting first the city of Llanquihue, famous for its hams and sausages and place of origin of the Maullín River, it is part of the old Route of the Settlers and then we will border the Llanquihue Lake to go to Frutillar. This city is a beautiful town reminiscent of Bavaria, from where its first settlers came from. It emerged in 1856 as a loading dock, soon showing tanneries, mills, breweries, etc. We will walk around its beautiful old German-style houses, admiring its well-kept gardens and its incomparable view of Osorno and Puntiagudo volcanoes. Optionally, passengers will have access to the German Colonial Museum that shows the life of the settlers, and in its Costanera we will see the Teatro del Lago where the famous “Musical Weeks of Frutillar” are held annually with concurrence worldwide. Return to selected.

At the agreed time, transfer to Puerto Montt Airport to board a flight to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, transfer to bus station of Punta Arenas to take a regular bus to the city of Puerto Natales (3 hrs.). Reception at the bus station of Puerto Natales and transfer to selected hotel.

The excursion begins with a visit to the Milodón Cave, a natural monument located on the hillside of Benítez Hill, 25 kilometers from Puerto Natales, where in 1895 remains of extinct animals were found, such as the saber-toothed tiger, American horse and a large mammal known as Milodón. It is necessary to take a walk for about half an hour, to enter the cave and appreciate the stalactites, the places where the remains were found and a replica of the Milodón. Subsequently, a technical stop is made in the town of Cerro Castillo, where you can make some purchases, enjoy the cafeteria service or just relax. Continuing with the trip to the Torres del Paine park, visitors will be able to appreciate the most diverse landscapes, from the deciduous Magellanic forest to the Patagonian steppe, dominated by the wind, the aridity and the immensity of the landscape. On the way, it is also possible to find two species of local fauna in abundance, the guanaco, the South American camelid llama family and the ñandú, family of the African ostrich. Once you reach the park, a biosphere reserve with an area of more than 242,000 acres, the landscape changes drastically to give way to dozens of lagoons populated by waterfowl, and in the background, granite giants that dominate the landscape. Turquoise lakes, waterfalls and ice-covered mountains are the dominant landscape within the park. A 15-minute walk inside the park is necessary to get close to Salto Grande, a waterfall that connects two large lakes within the park, the Nordenskjold and Pehoé Lake. After lunch, the visit continues with a walk on the shores of Gray Lake, where it is possible to see icebergs, and as a backdrop the immensity of Gray Glacier. Depending on the needs, the return can be made by the same way, or by the new road, which borders the lakes Toro, Buenos Aires and Sofia. Return to selected hotel.

The Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers are located within the Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, which is located 31 miles northwest of the city of Puerto Natales and is part of the Andes mountain range. To visit it means to admire a majestic place, almost untouched by man. Its access is only by sea, navigating through Ultima Esperanza Fjord, which owes its name to the “last hope” of finding the Strait of Magellan in 1557, for an expedition that was looking for it from the Pacific Ocean. The trip begins at the pier of Puerto Natales, and on the way it is possible to see the buildings belonging to the Bories refrigerator, which was one of the largest meat processing industries in Patagonia, you can also see a colony of Imperial Cormorants, a small colony of Sea Lions and a variety of plants that make up the flora, such as Coigüe, Canelo, Lenga, Ñire, Chilco and Calafate among others. The Balmaceda glacier can be seen from the ship, however, to visit the Serrano, it is necessary to make a 20 minute walk along a path that borders a small lake originated by the melting of said glacier. Return to selected hotel.

At the agreed time, transfer to Puerto Natales bus station to take a regular bus to the city of Punta Arenas (3 hrs.). Reception at bus station and transfer to Punta Arenas Airport.

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