Itinerary:

Day 1 – U.S. / Santiago

Fly to Santiago


Day 2 – Santiago (Chile)

Upon flight arrival at Chile’s capital Santiago airport in the morning, proceed for half day Santiago city tour.

Santa Lucia Hill, where the city of Santiago was founded in 1541. You'll continue to the bohemian area of Bellavista and climb the San Cristobal hill for a panoramic view of Santiago with the Andes Mountains in the background. Move to the Parque Forestal, based on Paris' Champs-Elysees. Tour around Santiago visiting the city’s most outstanding attractions, including city center visiting the main square “Plaza de Armas”, Santiago’s Cathedral, Ahumada Boulevard, the Government Palace “La Moneda”.

The balance of the day is at leisure.

Meals: Lunch, dinner

Lodging: Holiday Inn Santiago Airport

 

Day 3 – Santiago – Easter Island
 
Fly to Easter Island.

Easter Island is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Early settlers called the island "Te Pito O Te Henua", Navel (or Center) of The World. Officially a territory of Chile, it lies far off in the Pacific Ocean, roughly halfway to Tahiti.

It is most famous for its enigmatic giant stone busts, called “moai”, built 1200 years ago, which reflect the history of the dramatic rise and fall of the most isolated Polynesian culture. Mystery surrounds the purpose of ceremonial platforms and burials called Ahu platforms and moai statues.

It was Easter 1722. The Dutch Admiral Jacobs Roggeveen had discovered a new island in the Pacific Ocean. He named it Easter Island.

Science has learned much about the enigma of Easter Island and has put to rest some of the more bizarre theories, but questions and controversies remain. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with much of the island protected within the Rapa Nui National Park.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Lodging: Hotel Iorana


Day 4 – Easter Island

Tour of the island by driving along the southern coast. Your first stops are at Ahus Vaihu and Akahanga. Ahu, which means "sacred place," refers to the rectangular stone platform on which the famous Moai (enormous, 100-ton basalt statues) were often erected.

Next you head to the volcanic crater of Rano Raraku. This might be the most impressive site on the island. Seventy standing sentinels, embedded up to their shoulders in grass on the south slope of the volcanic crater Rano Raraku, lead the way to the quarry or "nursery" inside of the impressive crater rim. This is where the Moai were cut from volcanic tuff, and some 150 figures remain here in all stages of completion. They are mute witnesses to the mystery that suddenly stopped all work. You visit the Ahu of some of the nearby Moai, and check out the holes in the crater rim that were used to maneuver the statues.

You will also visit Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu. These moais weights an average of 50 tons and were destroyed by a tsunami and re-erected.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Hotel Iorana


Day 5 – Easter Island / Santiago

Transfer to the airport for the flight to Santiago.

Upon flight arrival at Santiago airport, transfer to the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner

Lodging: The Ritz Carlton, Santiago


Day 6 – Santiago / Valparaiso / Vina del Mar

Travel out of Santiago, drive towards the central coast crossing the most beautiful and fertile valleys of Curacaví and Casablanca, head for Chile’s principle port city of Valparaiso with its hilly cobblestone streets and colorful homes. We will pass beautiful neighborhoods such as Gran Bretaña which still maintains its lordly European style.

Valparaíso played an important geopolitical role in the second half of the 19th century, when the city served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans by crossing the Straits of Magellan. Always a magnet for European immigrants, Valparaíso mushroomed during its golden age, when the city was known by international sailors as “Little San Francisco” and “The Jewel of the Pacific.” Valparaiso is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Admire the view over the bay, then on along the coastal highway to Viña del Mar, the “Garden City”. See the flower clock, the casino, Plaza Vergara, and the shopping avenue. Then it’s time to return to Santiago.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: The Ritz Carlton, Santiago


Day 7 – Santiago / Punta Arena / Puerto Natales (Patagonia)

Fly to Punta Arena, the Patagonia’s largest city and most important settlement on the Strait of Magellan.

Punta Arenas is the southernmost city on Earth, overlooking the Straits of Magellan. Situated astride one of the world's historic trade routes, its prosperity has risen and fallen with that trade.

Bus transfer from Punta Arena to Puerto Natales – the gateway to regional beautiful natural landscape of Patagonia. The splendid landscape that surrounds Puerto Natales is dominated by sheep ranches and organic orchards plantations.

Chilean Patagonia offers all the dramatic landscape one would expect from the world's ultimate land's end. Here the South American continent falls away in a dazzling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains. It is truly one of Mother Nature’s grand finales. The Patagonia ice field, which is the third most important reserve of freshwater – the element that is vital to sustain life – on the planet.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Hotel & Spa Indigo Patagonia


Day 8 – Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine National Park (Patagonia)

Torres del Paine National Park is a national park encompassing a mountains, glaciers, lakes, and river-rich areas in Chile’s Patagonia.

UNESCO declared Torres del Paine National Park a Site of Biosphere Reservation in 1978. The park of part of the National System of Protected Wild Areas and it has total surface of 242,242 hectares. The park has a microclimate that derives in mild winters. Torres del Paine is located in the Magallenes Region, between the massif of the Andes Mountains and the Patagonian steppe

We will visit Mylodon Cave, Toro Lake, Serrano River, Grey Lake, Viewpoint Nordenskjold, Viewpoint Los Cuernos, Salto Grande Waterfalls, Amarga Lagoon and Cerro Castillo.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Hotel Rio Serrano


Day 9 – Torres del Paine National Park / Punta Arena (Patagonia)

Travel south to Otway Sound to see the Magellanes Penguin Colony.

Sightseeing of Punta Arena, we will visit Plaza Munoz Gamero, Palacio Sara Braun; from Cerro La Cruz a beautiful view of the city with its colourful roofs that reach the Magellan Strait and the faraway sceneries of Tierra del Fuego.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Hotel Rey Don Felipe


Day 10 – Punta Arena / Puerto Montt / Puerto Varas (Lake District)

Fly to Chile’s Lake District port city – Puerto Montt.

Chile's Lake District is famous for its spectacular scenery of deep blue mountain lakes, snow-capped volcanos, pristine beauty of alerce (larch) forests, popular resorts, year-round sports, and traditional folklore, handicrafts and legends.

Bus travel from Puerto Montt to Lake Llanquihue, the second largest lake in Chile, with gorgeous views of the volcanoes Osorno, Calbuco, Puntiagudo and Tronador. Frutillar is a charming village on the bank of the huge Llanquihue Lake. The village is noted for the German influence on the architecture developed by the immigrants who arrived around 1853. Here we will take a walk to visit some restored colonial houses and see the strong German influence on the architecture. You will learn about the history of this picturesque town and about the time of German settlement. Afterwards we will visit the open-air German Colonial Museum; also we’ll visit Puerto Octay. In the afternoon return to Puerto Varas – The “City of Roses”, one of Chile’s charming villages.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Gran Hotel Colonos del Sur


Day 11 – Puerto Varas

Driving along the shores of Lake Llanquihue and passing the town of Ensenada we will soon reach Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. The unpaved road leads us to the famous Petrohué Falls where we will stop and take a short walk to admire the series of rapids and waterfalls, formed long ago by cooling lava from the volcanoes. Continuing we reach Petrohué on the shores of Lake Todos Los Santos. From Petrohué Pier the modern catamaran departs for the crossing of Todos los Santos Lake, also called “Emerald Lake” due to its deep green colors. During the navigation you can enjoy the magnificent presence of the Osorno, Puntiagudo and Tronador volcanoes. Arrival at Peulla, at the eastern end of the lake Todos los Santos. Here we will explore the beautiful surroundings of Peulla. In the late afternoon return by boat to Petrohué and by bus to Puerto Varas.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Lodging: Gran Hotel Colonos del Sur


Day 12 – Puerto Varas / Puerto Montt / Santiago / U.S.

Puerto Montt was founded in 1853 by Don Vicente Pérez Rosales. The German settlement at that time had a strong influence on its foundation. The main economical activities of Puerto Montt are cattle, agricultural activities, fisheries and salmon farming as well as tourism. Our site will be the fish and craft market Angelmó. The place is well known for its fresh fish and seafood, local cheese from the farms in the area and other local products. We may see the local fishermen bringing and selling their fresh fish and seafood. Besides that Angelmó is also famous for its typical Chilean craft. There are many small shops selling their wool, wood and lapis lazuli crafts.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch

Fly to Santiago and connect international flight to U.S.


Day 13 – U.S.

Flight arrival at U.S.