Prices include air transportation from London to La Paz and Santiago to London in economy class, domestic airfare, hotel accommodation including daily continental breakfast, lodge accommodation at the Hotel Altiplanico in San Pedro, all transfers between airports and hotels with assistance and baggage handling, and guided tours including all entrance fees, where applicable. Airport fees and taxes are not included.

No visa is required for travel to Chile as a U.S., Canadian or Australian citizen. A reciprocity fee must be paid upon entering Chile; the current amount that must be paid by U.S. and Canadian citizens is $140 per person.

Excursions around Santiago

Full day excursion to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso

Depart for the Central Coast traveling through the valleys of Curacaví and Casablanca. The latter is known for its recent success as a wine producing area and there is a stop to visit one of the vineyards and taste some wine. Continue to the coast and visit the beach area of Reńaca and the town of Vina del Mar, known as the Garden City for its pretty parks and flower lined streets. Visit the Gaming Casino and the coastal road. In the afternoon continue to the picturesque port of Valparaiso built in the XVI century on a total of 43 hills which are reached by narrow windy streets, staircases and a series of lifts (funiculars) which is now declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site because of its eclectic architecture and urban development. Visit the Museum house of Pablo Neruda, La Sebastiana. The house is situated on one of the hills overlooking the bay and contains some of the poets collections, specifically related to the sea. Return to Santiago.

Full Day excursion Valle Nevado

Valle Nevado ski resort is in the mountains near to Santiago at a height of 3.025 meters/ 9,982 feet above sea level and very close to Santiago. Following the river Mapocho up the valley pass through some small mountain villages before starting to climb the mountain proper up a series of hairpin bends. The views are incredible and there is a good chance of seeing condors all year round. The quality and variety of the runs as well as the usually clement weather make this one of the best ski areas in the southern hemisphere. Skiing is available from June – August (lift pass, ski rental etc not included) and the rest of the year it is possible to enjoy the mountain air and wonderful views.

Full Day excursion to Isla Negra – Pablo Neruda Museum

Depart Santiago in the morning for a full day heading towards the coast. Enjoy the first stop in Pomaire, a small village where the inhabitants work the local clay to make a variety of dishes, pots and interesting sculptures amongst other handicrafts. Continue to Isla Negra, a small beachside community with a pretty beach backed by fragrant pine trees. This is the place where Chilean Nobel Prize for Literature winner Pablo Neruda chose to build one of his houses. The eccentric architecture houses some of his collections, including bottles, figureheads from ships, shells and various other eclectic articles.

There is time for lunch locally after the visit (not included) before returning to Santiago.

Full day excursion to Cousińo Macul winery and Concha y Toro winery

We will visit two of the oldest and most historic wineries in Chile:

Vińa Cousińo Macul, founded in 1856, is still owned and run by the direct descendents of Matías Cousińo, the founder of the vineyard and owner of the Lota coal mines in the south of Chile. The cellars were built in the French style using “cal y canto” a mixture of egg white and lime as “cement”. Time for lunch (not included) before continuing to Vińa Concha y Toro. Founded in 1883 by Don Melchor Concha y Toro, it is today the largest producer of export wines in Chile. It has more than 11 thousand barrels of French and American oak oriented to the production of fine wines with a capacity to store over 8 million 200 thousand liters of wine in steel holding tanks. The tour takes us to the landscaped gardens of the colonial house and the vineyards. We will also learn about the wine making process, and will visit the modern processing plant and the old cellars. Afternoon return to Santiago and transfer to your hotel.

Hotel Altiplanico in San Pedro de Atacama:

Well located on spacious grounds on the edge of town, the hotel offers an ideal place to relax, being close to San Pedro and yet at the same time immersed in a peaceful surrounding. All the rooms in the hotel have a terrace facing the Andes on the east. The distribution of the rooms has been carefully planned to maintain the guests’ privacy. They have been decorated with care, combining native elements from the area and from other parts of the world, which give them a harmonious, unique atmosphere.

Every room has a private bathroom, hot water, and purified drinking water. As we think our guests prefer to cut themselves off from civilization when they are here, our rooms do not have televisions, telephones, or mini bar.

During the rainy season (November to March) the Uyuni salt flats get flooded, making it sometimes difficult to visit the area and also cross from Bolivia to Chile. We do not recommend booking this program between those dates.

Note: A yellow fever vaccination is required for travel to Bolivia. This must be obtained at least two weeks prior to departure and the certificate must be taken on the trip. You will not be allowed to board the flight to Bolivia or enter via the border crossing without a certificate.