Small group tour of Chile
| country: | Chile |
| departures: | 2010: 12 Nov |
| price: | From £2695 (18 days) excluding flights. Price includes domestic flights in Chile, first class hotels and lodges, full time guide, private transport, activities and meals as per itinerary |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Combine walking, wine, culture and food on this small group tour. Explore the vineyards of Chile’s central valley. Enjoy the volcanoes, lakes, rivers and forests of Chile’s Lake District during active days. Fine food, wine and nights in small hotels and lodges.
Discover the wine, landscape, culture and people of Chile at a relaxed pace as hidden gem wineries and restaurants offer an authentic taste of Chile. Get well off the ‘beaten track’ to explore breathtaking scenery at close quarters and walk through ancient forests, raft in the shadow of active volcanoes and ride horses to hot springs.
Discover the wine, landscape, culture and people of Chile at a relaxed pace as hidden gem wineries and restaurants offer an authentic taste of Chile. Get well off the ‘beaten track’ to explore breathtaking scenery at close quarters and walk through ancient forests, raft in the shadow of active volcanoes and ride horses to hot springs.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flight: Travel to Latin America: Fly overnight to Latin America. |
| Day 2: | Santiago: Arrive in Chile, explore Santiago: Early morning arrival in Santiago. Stretch your legs with a relaxed walking tour and get a bite to eat. After lunch, settle in to your hotel and relax. (B) |
| Day 3: | Chile winelands: Travel into the Colchagua Valley: Set off on your journey through Chile today as you drive south towards the Colchagua Valley. Enjoy a soak in hot springs en route. Before dinner you have a private wine tasting with a local winemaker. (B, L, D) |
| Day 4: | Chile winelands: Explore the Colchagua Valley: Today starts with a three hour walk through the vineyards of the Montes estate. Taste some of the Montes Alpha wines. After lunch visit the stunning Lapostolle estate. (B, D) |
| Day 5: | Chile winelands: Explore the coast towards Maule: Leave the Colchagua Valley to continue south following the Pacific Coast well off the main road. Visit fishing villages, walk along an empty beach to eat in a small restaurant. (B, L, D) |
| Day 6: | Chile winelands: Walk in the Andes: Spend today walking in the forests of Altos del Lircay reserve on the slopes of the Andes. This park is really very little visited so you can enjoy a relaxed though long day of walking through beautiful wooded surroundings. (B, L, D) |
| Day 7: | Chile winelands: Explore the wineries of Maule: In the Maule Valley they really are not set up for visits in the same way they are in Colchagua. This tends to give visits in this area an unpolished charm. In addition, the vineyards you visit today are very small, family run operations. (B, L, D) |
| Day 8: | Chile winelands: Travel south to Los Angeles: Drive south today to stay in a lovely ranch near the town of Los Angeles. En route visit the artisan market in Chillan and also see the waterfalls at Salto de Laja. (B, L, D) |
| Day 9: | Los Angeles: Relax, ride and explore: Spend today on the ranch either relaxing, walking or riding their horses. (B, L, D) |
| Day 10: | Pucon: Travel to the Lake District: Travel south to the town of Pucón, surrounded by a beautiful combination of mountains, lakes, forests and the active volcano of Villarica. Ride horses into the foothills this afternoon. (B, L, D) |
| Day 11: | Pucon: Walk up an active volcano: Rise early to walk to the smoking, snow-capped summit of Villarica volcano. From the top you have views right across the Andes into Argentina. You can see the five other volcanic cones of the area as well as three lakes. (B, L) |
| Day 12: | Pucon: Raft then relax: Raft the fun white-waters of the Trancura River this morning. After a few hours in the water lunch is a traditional asado (spit roast lamb) on a ranch in the hills high above the river. (B, L) |
| Day 13: | Lake District: Travel south to Puerto Varas: After breakfast drive south towards the southern end of the beautiful Lake District. The drive today is the longest of your trip at around five hours.Your destination is the town of Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue. (B, L, D) |
| Day 14: | Lake District: Walk in a National Park: Walk a very pretty trail which leads you across open landscapes, sometimes woods, but almost always with views of Lago Todos los Santos on one side, the snow capped cone of Osorno Volcano on the other and the peak of Puntiagudo ahead of you. (B, L) |
| Day 15: | Lake District: Walk through forests: Visit the Alerce Andino National Park to walk amongst the oldest trees on earth – some up to 4,000 years old. (B, L, D) |
| Day 16: | Santiago: Visit Puerto Montt, fly to Santiago: After a relaxed morning, drive down to the fishing village of Angelmó, part of Puerto Montt. After an informal but delicious and fresh seafood meal, fly back to Santiago for the night. (B, L) |
| Day 17: | Santiago: Travel home: Leave Santiago today. Flight times vary as international flights are quoted separately for this holiday. (B) |
| Day 18: | Home: Arrive back home. |
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Our company started in Chile so all of our trips to the country are run with a real passion for the destination. We want clients to see inside the real country and come away knowing and loving the place. We also want to preserve, protect and develop the country.
Community In the case of this holiday clients spend time along the remote Pacific coast of Chile as well as time travelling through the Mapuche heartland, visiting communities along the way and ensuring direct benefit for locals. The hotels used on this holiday are all family run, locally owned with as few as four rooms. The benefit to local economies is considerable. The vineyards visited in the Maule area are boutique wineries which employ only locals and sell only domestically, our visits are therefore an important source of income for them. Our holidays are run by our own dedicated team on the ground in Chile providing employment for locals at a proper wage. The vineyards visited in the Maule area are boutique wineries which employ only locals and sell only domestically, our visits are therefore an important source of income for them. Environment To preserve and protect the destination we run small groups which have a minimal impact on their surroundings. Our guides are Chilean and therefore know how to guide our clients through remote areas whilst being sensitive to both local people and the physical environment. The vineyards visited in the Maule area are boutique wineries which employ only locals and sell only domestically, our visits are therefore an important source of income for them. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |