Discover Chile

Welcome to Chile! There’s plenty of adventure on your trip, but today’s all about settling in. Around 4pm, say hola to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. Your tour leader then ensures a big Chilean welcome by arranging a group dinner. Want to explore Santiago further? Additional pre-tour hotel nights are bookable through your sales representative. Upgrade to a suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

In Santiago de Chile, the best features of a vibrant, modern metropolis are paired with the old-world charm of a former colonial capital, and the city tour this morning will introduce you to both sides. We’ll begin with a visit to the presidential palace, named La Moneda because the splendid building once housed the national mint. Many other sights in the historic centre are clustered around the always-bustling Plaza de Armas: the impressive cathedral; the beautiful old post office; the Palacio de la Real Audiencia, now home to the National History Museum; and the Casa Colorada, once the Spanish governor’s residence. We also discover the “green lung” of Santiago, the Metropolitan Park on the “Cerro San Cristóbal”, a hill in the middle of the city with a huge white statue of the Virgin Mary crowning its summit. In the afternoon we travel to the beautiful Maipo Valley south of Santiago and visit Viña Santa Rita. We’ll join a tour through the winery which will introduce you to Chilean viticulture. You will not only find out more about different grapes and their characteristic tastes but also learn the production from the harvest, the storage in wine barrels to finally ending up as a wine in a bottle. Visit the wine cellar built in 1880 by French architects – today’s historical monument and taste three different wines. Upgrade to a suite today – speak to your sales representative for more details

After breakfast, we transfer to the airport to board a flight to Puerto Natales where we spend the night. We have a short orientation walk and then the afternoon will be free for you to explore on your own. Please note, depending on the flight schedules on some departures we may need to fly to Punta Arenas and transfer by road to Puerto Natales. Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

This morning, we drive into Torres del Paine National Park for adventure in a spectacular environment. This is a busy day of travelling and walking taking in unforgettable views of the Towers and exploring the eastern side of the park. Today, we visit Laguna Azul; from this glacial lagoon, we have one of the most beautiful views of the Torres peaks. We also visit the Rio Paine waterfall, which is located in a spectacular landscape overlooking the peaks of the famous Torres del Paine. Continue to Laguna Amarga for more breath-taking views before arriving at our hotel on the western side of the park.

Today, we enjoy one of the classic walks in the heart of the park. We’ll reach the starting point after a scenic drive in the park. The walk today is approximately 2.5 hours, and the terrain is fairly flat, with only one steeper part, but the incredible views of the Cuernos del Paine in front of you throughout make it worth it! We also visit the Salto Grande waterfall and continue along the shores of Lake Nordenskjöld until we arrive at the Cuernos viewpoint, with unforgettable views of the Torres Massif. On the way back, we stop at the visitor centre to learn about the origin and history of the park. This afternoon is free to relax at the hotel or enjoy optional excursions in the area

Another day in Torres del Paine National Park, this time to explore the western highlights including Grey Lake. This deep lake, fed by the glacier of the same name, is filled with icebergs which have splashed down from the massive ice flow. Weather permitting, today we join the Grey Glacier navigation, a three-hour boat excursion which takes us to Grey Glacier, the largest in Torres del Paine National Park. To get to the boat, we have a 1.25mi (2km) hike through lenga forest, crossing the Pingo River and to the tip of a narrow peninsula along the beach at the southern end of the lake. We cruise up the Grey Lake toward the glacier, which reaches 30m (100ft) high and 3.7mi (6km) wide at its terminus. Pieces of ice both large and small regularly break off from the front of the glacier, falling into the water with a crack and a splash. It is a unique opportunity to get a close-up view of this amazing blue glacier. After the excursion, we’ll visit the Milodon Cave on our way back to our hotel in Puerto Natales, arriving around 5.30pm. Upgrade to a superior room today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Transfer to Puerto Natales Airport and fly to Puerto Montt, the capital of the Lake District. This is a long travelling day that will likely require an early start depending on the flight schedules. On arrival in the Lake District, we drive for 30 minutes to Puerto Varas on the shores of Lago Llanquihue. Depending on flight arrival time, we can enjoy a brief tour of the City of the Roses, named for the tremendous variety of roses all over town. If we’re scheduled to arrive on a later flight, we recommend that you buy food at the airport as you may not have many options on arrival at the hotel.