Boutique Tour of Argentina & Chile

Arrival to Buenos Aires, reception and transfer to your hotel. We recommend the Casacalma.

After breakfast, a city tour of perhaps the most cosmopolitan metropolis in South America. Most of the population is of European descent and the city is reminiscent of Paris. It is situated on the Rio de la Plata, and as its name suggests, it is the city of good winds. The tour will include a visit to the Plaza de Mayo, the hub of the city centre and where many public buildings such as the Catedral Metropolitana can be found. At the east end, you will find the Casa Rosada presidential palace with the famous balcony from which Juan and Evita Peron greeted the masses. A visit will also be made to La Boca, Buenos Aires' most colourful neighbourhood. San Telmo, just a few blocks south of Plaza de Mayo is the artist's quarter, what some believe to be Buenos Aires' most interesting feature. Visit to Recoleta, a very fashionable area where you can visit the fine arts museum, called Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, and the city's gardens of Plaza Alvear and Plaza Francia. The latter hosts the largest crafts fair in the city every Sunday.

Meals: B

After breakfast take a 30 minute transfer to Villa Elisa town in the Buenos Aires province. Here you will enjoy a horse ride in the national reserves of "El Palmar" an area with the most biodiversity in the entire Buenos Aires province. In the afternoon, return to your hotel.
In the evening, enjoy a dinner and tango show at Esquina Carlos Guardel.

Meals: B & D

Free day. In the evening, enjoy an informal wine-tasting class at the Cave de Vines.

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Puerto Iguazu. Transfer to your hotel, we recommend the Saint George Hotel. A visit to the fabulous UNESCO World Heritage Iguazu falls, the most voluminous falls in the world and more than three times the width of the Niagara Falls. The Argentinean side of Iguazu allows for a close appreciation. Set in a subtropical rain forest reserve of over 180,000 hectares, Iguazu is home to jaguar, puma, caiman and over 400 species of bird. The tour will include the Aventura ride, an exhilarating boat ride on the Parana River, heading towards the Iguazu falls themselves. Return to your hotel.

Meals: B

Today you will cross the border into Brazil for a half day excursion to appreciate a wider view of the falls. The falls lie on the three borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Return to your hotel in Argentina for your last night.

(Please note that all US & Canadian citizens require a Brazilian visa for this excursion).

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Buenos Aires and take the connecting flight to Santiago. Arrival and transfer to your hotel. We recommend the Orly Hotel. Free evening.

Meals: B

After breakfast, a half day city tour of Santiago including a visit to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. This museum offers a thorough overview of 4500 years of pre-Columbian civilization throughout Central and South America. At the Main Square (Plaza de Armas) view the Cathedral, Post Office and National Museum. Continue along the main avenue called "Alameda" to admire the San Francisco Church, the National Library. You shall also see the Mercado Central and is Santiago's most colourful market and home to many great seafood restaurants.

Meals: B

After breakfast, we start our journey through the valleys of Curacaví and Casablanca, where we shall visit a local vineyard. Afterwards we travel to the port of Valparaíso, a tourist attraction that cannot be missed. This city was declared a world heritage site thanks to the picturesque architecture of its 44 hills, and their characteristic elevators, 15 of them still working. We first visit the National Congress and then go up the Bellavista hill to see "La Sebastiana", a beautiful house that belonged to the poet Pablo Neruda, a Nobel Prize winner (1971), with an option to visit this lovely building (ticket not included). We then move on to the Sotomayor Square, to see the Building of the National Navy (declared a National Monument) and the Monument for the Heroes of Iquique (Pacific War 1879-1883).

Thereafter, we go up the Concepción hill and stroll along the Atkinson and Gervasoni Walks, for a spectacular view of the port. Afterwards, we visit the Yugoeslavian Walk and the Baburizza Palace, a museum house that maintains the greatness of its first owners.

We then continue towards the Inmigrations Building (National Monument) and take the Artillería Elevator to visit the famous 21 de Mayo observatory, where each year hundreds of visitors gather to see the fantastic fireworks that the port launches to welcome the New Year. Overnight at the Boutique Sutherland House.

Meals: B

After breakfast, we border the coast on our way to Viña del Mar, also known as the City of Gardens, to have lunch in one of its many restaurants. You will have a chance to visit the Flower Clock, the Viña del Mar Casino, the Seaside Walk, Reñaca Beach, and the Fonck Museum, famous for its Easter Island collection (option to visit the museum, ticket not included). Return to Santiago in the evening and to the Orly hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for the flight to Rapa Nui, otherwise known as the Easter Islands. The flight will take approximately 5 hours. Arrival, traditional welcome and transfer to your hotel. We recommend the Altiplanico.

Rapa Nui is the most isolated, inhabited island in the world.
Located 2000 miles (3200 km) west of Chile and over 4000 km from Tahiti, it was discovered by the Dutch in 1772, Admiral Jacob Roggeween landed there on Easter Sunday and gave the island its present name. He was the first European to describe the unusual statues carved from the volcanic rock from Rano Raraku. Standing as tall as 18 ft (5.5 m) and weighing up to 100 tons, the statues are known as moai, and each are supposed representations of clan chieftains. These moais, were placed on top of platforms called ahu, which in turn served as a family burial vault.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast, a full day's tour visiting Vaihu, where eight toppled Moai lie, Akahanga, Rano Raraku volcano, where the statues are half buried, Ahu Tongariki, where the largest Ahu (or platform) is located, Te Pito Kura (a large rock believed to have been brought from Tahiti) and Ahu Nau Nau (where the Moai are in particularly good condition). Enjoy a local style ballet show.

Meals: B & L

Today, a half day's excursion to Rano Kau volcano, site of ancient petroglyphs and the ceremonial temple of Iorongo, Vinapu (site of meticulous stonework found nowhere else on the islands) along with the Anakai Tangata caves. Free afternoon.

Meals: B

Today, enjoy a half day horse riding tour on the islands. Return to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast, a half day excursion to Ahu Akivi, the famous seven Moais, believed to be one of the last built around 1460 and measuring 14 feet in height and weighing 12 metric tons. The caves of Ana Tepahu and Puna Pau, a quarry, from where the red hats that are worn by some of the Moai were made is also visited today. Transfer to the airport for the return flight back to Santiago and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B & L

After breakfast, transfer to Santiago airport for the flight to Calama, set in the middle of the Atacama desert. Arrival and transfer to the Awasi Lodge. Accommodation at your Hotel. The Atacama Desert is home to volcanoes, dry salt lakes, ponds and waters emerging in the midst of the desert. Exploring the Atacama with Awasi, is individual and private, personally tailored for each guest… customized for the most adventurous, for the faithful hiker, for the lover of heights, and for those who just want to be surprised.

An Awasi jeep and a professional guides are always available for private excursions so that guests can take the outings according to their own preferences and pace. The Awasi guides are experienced professionals who have been trained to carry out the outings in an entertaining and safe way. With a fleet of jeeps specially prepared for the difficult conditions of the desert and the altitude, which lets us drive comfortably over off-road courses and thus access unique, exclusive sites and landscapes. In order to always operate with maximum safety, all our vehicles are equipped with a GPS unit and VHF or satellite telephones

Meals: B & D

Private tour through the Atacama Desert.

Meals: B, L & D

Private tour through the Atacama Desert.

Meals: B, L & D

Private tour through the Atacama Desert.

Meals: B, L & D

Very early morning departure to the Tatio Geysers to experience this spectacular demonstration of volcanic activity. In the middle of the Andean mountains, the El Tatio Geysers at 4,500 metres above sea level gush fumaroles at dawn. Box lunch on route. Return to Calama in the afternoon for your transfer to the airport and your return flight to Santiago. Reception and transfer to your hotel.

Meals: B

After breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight home.

Meals: B