Best of Chile Premium - Atacama Desert to Patagonian Glaciers

Day 1: Bienvenidos a Chile! 

Santiago de Chile

After landing at Santiago airport and clearing through customs, you will be met by a Cascada representative and driven to your hotel in a private hotel transfer. You will have time to relax after checking into your upscale hotel before being picked up for a City Walking Tour.

The tour begins with us taking the subway downtown to famous landmarks including the central fish market and ‘Plaza de Armas’ (Santiago’s main square) and kilometer zero (the point from which all distances in the country are measured). We will visit the ‘Alameda’, the main street of the city centre, via busy pedestrian walkway ‘Paseo Ahumada’, famous for its shops, and diverse crowds.  After visiting Chile's presidential palace ‘La Moneda’, a symbol of Chile’s political past and its famously turbulent history, we will climb the Cerro Santa Lucía, where Santiago was founded in 1541 by Pedro Valdivia. Our city tour will finish with a visit to  the bohemian Lastarria neighborhood, lined with cafés, restaurants, small theaters, bookstores and boutique shops. You will be treated to a welcome dinner at the renowed Peumayen Restaurant, a popular establishment which seeks to take every customer on a delectable, gastronomical journey through the Aymaran, Chiloean and Mapuchean cultures indigenous to Chile.

• Overnight Hotel Castillo Rojo 4*, Santiago.

Day 2: Chilean Premium Wine Tasting Day Tour

Maipo Valley, Chile

Our exclusive tour begins with a visit to Perez Cruz, a boutique winery located on the estate grounds of the Perez Cruz family in the Maipo Alto valley. The vineyard is surrounded by beautiful scenery which complements the modern, elegant architecture of the manor. 

After having sampled some of the finest wines of the Maipo Alto valley, we will continue to the legendary Concha and Toro winery in Pirque, where we will embark on a wonderful, informative tour covering the the spectacular grounds and rich history of Chile’s oldest winery. We will be treated to a visit of the legendary wine cellar, before moving on to a tasting session where we will sample four varieties of the vineyard's prestigious, internationally-acclaimed Marques de Casa Concha wine. The wine is accompanied by a selection of cheeses, nuts, dry fruits and freshly baked breads.  

After the tasting, we will enjoy a delicious lunch in one of Pirque’s local restaurants, Tesoros de Chile. A beautiful restaurant housed in a heritage-rich Chilean casona from the nineteenth century, Tesoros de Chile was originally the house in which the estate of Pirque was administered. The house is decorated with elements of Chile's varying cultural influences and is home to a delicious tasting menu with recipes from different regions of the country, offering an entertaining and authentic sensual journey through Chile’s regions and cultures. 

The tour will continue with a visit to the Aquitania Winery*, discovered in 1984 by two Bordeaux residents looking for high-quality Chilean land to plant a vineyard. We will be taken on a tour of the vineyard, complete with information about the history of the vineyard and the wine-making tradition. After visiting the wine cellar, we enjoy an exquisite tasting of a variety of different wines before being driven back to our hotel in Santiago.

• Overnight Hotel Castillo Rojo 4*, Santiago.

* Aquitania Winery is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. If you book the tour on one of these days, the morning’s second wine tour and lunch will be at the prestigious Santa Rita winery and the pm wine tour at Concha y Toro winery.

Day 3: Arrival in Atacama

San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

You will check out of the hotel and be driven to the airport in a private transfer. After a short, scenic flight you will arrive in Calama and be driven to San Pedro de Atacama, in the middle of the desert, where you will check into your hotel.

In the afternoon you will have some time to acclimatise before being whisked off on tour tour to Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley), located 13km/8 miles west of San Pedro in the Salt Mountain Range. The valley has beautiful, otherwordly landscapes and is considered one of the driest places on the planet. This tour to Valle de la Luna will be planned in time for you to witness the spectacular sunset fading behind the cascading sand dunes. As you watch the sun disappear behind the horizon,  you will feel the immensity of the desert stretching out all around you. Light refreshments and a specialist guide will be provided.

• Overnight stay  Hotel Spa Tierra Atacama 4*, San Pedro de Atacama.

Today we drive to the great Salar de Atacama, a white endless salt flat with flamingos nesting in the lagoons. Geological research studies suggest this great salt flat is the most important lithium reserve in the world. 

We visit a nearby village with ancient architecture and inviting locals who produce fine wool knit products and in the afternoon we visit the Altiplano lagoons Miscanti and Meñique, located at 4,500m above sea level. Unique flora and fauna can be seen and the area is also home to many legends about the Atacama Desert. We end by visiting the town of Socaire, where old Andean traditions still exist today.

The very early wake-up call from the hotel will be well worth it when we arrive at the amazing Tatio Geysers and see them in action. From almost 900 meters below the earth, boiling steam bursts up to 40 meters over the surface of these spectacular geysers. A scrumptious breakfast will be served upon arrival before we walk through the geothermal fields with the geysers erupting nearby. As we drive back, there is a magnificent view of the Tocopurri and Sairecabur volcanoes. We arrive back in town in time to have lunch and the afternoon will be free to rest after the early start, high altitude and low temperature we faced in the morning. 

Today we're travelling from one extreme to another as we head from the dusty Atacama desert to Chile's luscious Lake District, lined with vast lakes and active volcanoes. After checking out from the hotel you'll be driven to Calama airport and board a flight to Puerto Montt, connecting in Santiago. Upon arrival in Puerto Montt you'll be driven to nearby Puerto Varas, a beautiful town with a marked German architectural style located on the shore of Lake Llanquihue, where you'll check into your welcoming hotel.

This morning we are going white water rafting! We are driven to the Petrohue sector, in Perez Rosales National Park, located at the foot of Osorno Volcano next to the flowing turquoise waters of the Petrohue river. Once we arrive we meet our skilled guides who will equip us will all the rafting gear needed (wetsuit, helmet, paddle jacket and life jacket) and then talk us through safety instructions. We board the rafts and start paddling down this beautiful class III river, enjoying the rapids and the views. After completing the designated river section, we have a snack on the river banks and then return to Puerto Varas to spend the afternoon.

We depart Peurto Varas for Ensenada and drive to the Osorno Volcano and ski center. From here we get an incredible view of Lake Llanquihue and the surrounding volcanoes. After taking in the view, we head back down the hill and start our trek along the El Solitario trail, a small track formed by lava which weaves its way through ancient native forest. After 6 kilometers of this undulating trail, with constant views of the volcanoes and the lake, we reach Saltos de Petrohue, close to Lake Todos los Santos.

Today you check out of your hotel and are driven to the airport to board a flight to Punta Arenas*. You are picked up from Punta Arenas airport in the morning and driven to EcoCamp Patagonia, located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. 

En route we make a stop in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen. The day ends with our arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there's plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.

For the next two days you will have the choice between active or easy excursions. EcoCamp Patagonia provides you with a chart of excursions provided each day of the week. The excursions vary depending on weather and the season. (For a detailed description of all excursions and restrictions in shoulder season restrictions please see our Wildlife safari program.)

We drive across the Park, admiring the view of Paine Grande and its snowy peaks, and Los

Cuernos with its black, granite horn-like spires. Walking along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. The walk continues over the gentle Nordenskjold trail until until we reach its spectacular lookout point. Later, back at Lake Pehoe, we are driven south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey. Here we enjoy a tasty box-lunch by the lake before embarking on a boat ride across the icy waters to the towering blue walls of Glacier Grey. After this incredible sight of the glacier up close, we drive back to EcoCamp.

*During Shoulder Season (October and April) the boat trip on Glacier Grey may be cancelled as the boat requires a minimum of 10 passengers to sail. If this is the case we will plan an alternative excursion in the Park.

ACTIVE: Western Lakes drive, Cerro Ferrier Hike

We will begin the day driving across the park, admiring the view of Paine Grande's snowy peaks and the black, granite, horn-like spires of Los Cuernos. As we walk along the shores of the stunning Lake Pehoe, we will see the furious Salto Grande waterfalls where the water from Lake Nordenskjold cascades down into Pehoe. The van will drive us south to a beach along the shores of glacial Lake Grey. It is here where we will begin our hike to Cerro Ferrier, a fairly steep route taking us through a fairytale-like Magellanic forest where we might spot the Huemul, the endangered South Andean deer. We will go uphill for about an hour and a half to reach a breathtaking lookout that will offer us a unique perspective of the Paine Massive, Grey Glacier and some of the most famous lakes of the National Park. We will then walk back to Grey Beach to meet our fellow travelers coming back from the boat ride. Together, we all head to Ecocamp to enjoy a relaxed evening.

 

We start the day driving to Laguna Azul, on the north-eastern side of the Park, stopping at various points en route to admire the local flora and fauna and the mighty Paine Waterfall. Once at Laguna Azul we hike to a sightseeing point with a panoramic view of both the lagoon and granite towers. We then drive down to the shores of Sarmiento lake, home to many limestone formations and herds of guanacos, and walk northwards along the Fauna Trail past the small Goic lagoon and various types of fauna. After around 5km we reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station from where we are driven back to EcoCamp to relax and enjoy the evening meal.

 

We walk from Ecocamp towards Hostería Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world's most famous views overlooking the Towers. The famous Torres del Paine (2,900 m/ 9,400 ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp.

We board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta

Arenas on time to catch the evening flight to Santiago. Once in Santiago we are driven back to our lovely hotel by private transfer and get some well-deserved sleep.

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and are driven to the airport by private transfer, where we board our flight... Hasta la próxima Chile!.