Travel the Length of Chile - 16-day Tour with Return Flights!

DAY 1: FLY AUSTRALIA TO SANTIAGO (D)

Fly to Chile’s sophisticated capital Santiago, arriving the same day due to crossing the International. You will be met at the airport and transferred approximately 40 minutes to your hotel. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at leisure before a welcome dinner.

DAY 2: SANTIAGO (B, L)

This morning, embark on a city tour will allow you to experience its eclectic contrasts. Stroll around the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral to admire the colonial facades, before walking down Ahumada Boulevard, the city’s main commercial street. Explore the bohemian Bellavista by road, and drive up San Cristobal Hill for views over the city and the towering Andes Mountains. Finish the tour in the modern area of Santiago to wander the chic neighbourhoods. Your afternoon is at leisure.

DAY 3: SANTIAGO TO VALPARAISO (B, L)

Travel 3 hours to the coast, to visit the manicured seaside resort of Vina del Mar and the bohemian port town of Valparaiso. Visit the beach area of Renaca before riding on a funicular up into the hills to explore, stopping for a visit to Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s house. Transfer 20 minutes to your hotel in the captivating city of Valparaiso.

DAY 4: VALPARAISO TO SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA (B, L)

Rise early and transfer approximately 2 hours to the airport to board your flight to Calama, the flight is 2 hours and 10 minutes. On arrival, transfer 1 hour 50 minutes to your hotel in the desert oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama. This afternoon, you’ll see some of San Pedro’s most famous landscapes with a drive out to Death and Moon valleys, some of the direst spots on the planet.

DAY 5: SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA (B, L)

Travel approximately 2 hours to the otherworldly Salar de Atacama, the largest salt flat in Chile. Visit Chaxa lagoon, part of the Los Flamencos National Reserve en route to to reach Miscanti and Miniques lagoons, which sit on the high plains at the base of two colossal volcanoes of the same names. Travel to the village of Socaire. Here you will see ancient agricultural terraces with irrigation channels. After lunch, travel another peaceful village with typical colonial architecture built in Liparita (volcanic stone), Toconao. Explore the village before returning to your hotel.

DAY 6: SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA (B)

Rise early and travel for around 2 hours deeper into the Atacama to visit El Tatio Geysers. Set within a ring of volcanoes, there are about 80 lively geysers and fumaroles, which are at best at sunrise. Have a guided walk amongst the mud craters and small bubbling geysers. Wander freely before travelling through the Andes Mountain Range with impressive views of Putama Volcano and Tocorpuri Mountains. Visit the small desert village Machuca to see the typical terrace farming system, mud houses with straw rooves, and its local fauna such as llamas, alpacas and flamingoes. This afternoon, travel to an archaeological site where you can see Petroglyphs, stone scultped figures with drawings of llama and shamans, among others. Then, visit the Rainbow Valley. Keep an eye out for the wild vicunas as you journey to and from San Pedro.Today is a full day touring. This day you will be reaching an altitude of 4320 metres above sea level for a short period of time.

DAY 7: SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA TO PUERTO ARAS (B, D)

This morning, transfer back to Calama and board your flight to Puerto Montt the gateway to Chile’s spectacular Lakes District, the flight is approximately 5 hours via Santiago. This afternoon tour the city with visits including the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, and Maunel Montt lookout which offers great panoramic views and stopping at Angelmo cove. Continue about an hour to Puerto Varas to check in to your hotel.

DAY 8: PUERTO VARAS (B, L)

Depart to Pargua and board the ferry over to the Chiloé to visit the largest island, Isla Grande. The ferry journey is 40 minutes. Arrive at the village of Chacao for a short stop and then continue to Dalcahue, where you’ll have free time to explore, and the city of Castro. Visit Ancud, where you’ll see the Main Square, the Regional Museum, the Local Market, the Huaihuen Hill and the San Antonio Fort. Have lunch and then return to your hotel.

DAY 9: PUERTO VARAS (B, L)

Travel to the surrounds of Llanquihue Lake and to the village of Ensenada, a small village at the foot of Volcan Osorno. Take the hike through the volcano’s plentiful nature, making several breaks on the way, to reach the visitors centre at 1240 metres altitude. Head to Perez Rosales National Park to Petrohué Falls, where you will walk on the boardwalks to admire the flowing river over the large masses of crystalized lava, formed by the volcano’s eruptions.

DAY 10: PUERTO VARAS TO PUERTO NATALES (B)

Transfer back to the airport and fly further south to Punta Arenas, a city that sits at the end of continental South America on the Straits of Magellan. The flight is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes. From there, you will be transferred 3 and a half hours to your hotel located in Puerto Natales.

DAY 11: PUERTO NATALES (B, L)

Rise early and transfer to the pier to start sailing on the gloomily named Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope) Fjord, a body of water that is set in a magnificent landscape. After 3 hours navigation, arrive at the thousand-year-old glacier of Mount Balmaceda, habitat to cormorants and sea lions. Continue to the end of the fjord and take a short walk for approxiamtely 1 km through native forest to the foot of Serrano Glacier, part of the Southern Ice Field. Return to your hotel for your evening at leisure.

DAY 12: PUERTO NATALES (B, L)

Enjoy another full day excursion, this time to the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Torres del Paine National Park. Spend the day amongst this breathtaking example of resplendent nature spotting large herds of guanacos as you go. Visit the Salto Grande of the Pehoé River, with the impressive mountain massif of Torres del Paine in the background. Then visit Lake Pehoé, Lake Grey and Grey Glacier. After lunch, on the way back to Puerto Natales stop at Milodon Cave where the remains of a prehistoric animal were found in the last century. Today includes lots of walking on uneven ground, sturdy walking shoes are recommended.

DAY 13: PUERTO NATALES TO SANTIAGO (B)

Transfer back to the airport in Punta Arenas and board your flight to Santiago. The flight is approximately 3 and half hours. On arrival, transfer to your hotel, where the rest of the day is at your leisure.

DAYS 14-16: FLY SANTIAGO TO AUSTRALIA (B)

Today you will transfer to the airport for your flight to Australia. Arriving home in 2 days due to crossing the International Date Line once again.

Please note prices are subject to availability at time of booking or until sold out and may change without notice. The prices below include airline fuel surcharges and taxes which are subject to change.

The following prices are based on 11 Sep 2020 and 02 Nov 2020 departures from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Adelaide (other cities and dates are available on request):

• Twin share - WAS from $9280 pp - NOW from $8280 pp
• Solo Traveller - Enquire now for a quote. (You can also choose to share with another solo traveller of the same gender to waive the single supplement entirely.)

To secure your preferred departure or need more details, please call our local travel team on 1300 414 198.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience of location, comfort or character, and can range from business hotels to rainforest lodges. Hotels are generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note that there is no international classification system for hotels and differences in facilities and quality may exist between Australia and Chile.

All group tour hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning where needed. If you experience any difficulty, please speak to your National Escort.

Tipping:

Customary tipping amount of approximately AU$167 is paid locally in Chile

Visas:

Australian passport holders currently do not require a visa to enter Chile. You will need a minimum of 6 months validity from your return date on your passport to travel. Keep up to date with the latest visa requirements at www.smartraveller.gov.au

South America Active Immerse Yourself Tours:

Active tours combine the key sights with more energetic pursuits such as hiking and cycling. This allows us to explore more and discover the destination in greater depth. These tours are designed to provide a wide range of activities to ensure a varied and culturally immersive experience. These tours include:

• Cycling or walking through classic sites
• Unique cultural experiences and encounters
• Off the beaten track destinations
• More evenings at leisure for independent exploration

Fitness Requirements:

The fitness level required for this tour is a level 3 - a good level of fitness is required as you need to be comfortable walking for 2-3 hours and covering longer distances. You’ll be getting on and off coaches and boats, walking around the sights and climbing some steps.

A number of destinations on this tour are at altitude. San Pedro de Atacama sits at 2,400 metres above sea level - activity at these altitudes will be at an easy pace.

You will be required, on several occasions, to climb on and off boats without assistance and spend an extended amount of time on boats in open water.

There will be several days of sightseeing on foot for a period of time and in some cases for an extended period of time.

Altitude:

On this tour you will be spending several nights at altitude – in San Pedro de Atacama at 2,400 metres, on day 7 whilst visiting the El Tatio Geysers you will reach altitude of 4300 metres. At these sort of altitudes, Altitude Sickness is a risk. Symptoms may include dizziness, fatigue, nausea and shortness of breath. It is recommended that travellers utilize their first day in high-altitude destinations to acclimate. To help you acclimatise we have designed our tours to be at a slower pace with more convenience stops and more free time, during the first few days. Staying hydrated, eating light meals and following a very light schedule will all help. We recommend that any symptoms that are unusual should be brought to the attention of your guide. Your guide will be extremely well-trained in dealing with its effects – taking it easy and taking some time to acclimatise are the best ways to prevent and combat it. Serious cases, meaning that you must descend immediately, are rare. We have adapted the itinerary to make sure that your time at these heights is as relaxed and easy as possible.

There are no specific factors, such as age or fitness, that can cause you to suffer from. Altitude Sickness can affect anyone at any time and symptoms may vary. In some instances, a short spell on Oxygen can help enormously. Our guides are trained in this and in many hotels and coaches and restaurants oxygen is available. There is medication - that can help treat and prevent symptoms. Consult a doctor before taking any of these medications, before engaging in strenuous activity at high altitude and regarding any necessary vaccinations in plenty of time before travelling.

Eating in Chile:

The diversity of the landscape provides Chile with a tremendous amount of produce, meat and seafood, essentially unparalleled in the rest of the world. These unique environments are well represented in Chilean cuisine, being equally as varied. Typical dishes are hearty and filling, containing a combination of meat or seafood and vegetables, often put into a crust. A great example of Chilean cuisine are empanadas, which are fried beef, onion and olive dumplings, served all throughout the country. Others include a thick stew called cazuela de ave and an indigenous recipe of corn, onions cooked in cornhusks called humitas. Because of its long coast, seafood is a staple in many dishes, especially across the centre and south. Chile’s supply is funnelled into Spanish-influenced dishes such as marinated shrimp and paella.

Meals in Chile are culturally considered as a time for families to gather at home, especially around lunchtime, which is the primary meal of the day. Whilst we strongly recommend trying as many local dishes as possible, Chile also has a wide range of international foods available.

Coaches:

Coaches with air conditioning are used on our group tours for city short excursions to the countryside and longer transfers between destinations. Roads in Chile have generally been improved over recent years, but please be aware traffic and/or weather conditions may extend driving times. There may be sections of road where the surface may be comparatively bumpy, but our drivers will do their utmost to lessen the impact.

Planes:

Internal flights are based on economy class, with reputable airlines. Within Latin America flights are often changed multiple times before departure, both timings and flight numbers. The utmost care will be taken to ensure that your final documents will have the latest information, however your local guide will confirm this in destination. Boarding passes can be collected directly at the airport. The flights booked as part of your itinerary will always reflect the best timings to suit the touring itinerary, with direct flights wherever possible, however due to limited schedules some flights may require a fairly early departure or late arrival.

Group Size:

Most of our groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by a National Escort. There will usually be no more than 28 travellers in each group. All departures are guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 8 travellers booked. For groups with fewer than 10 travellers, departures will operate with local guides.

Tipping:

Tipping while on holiday is common in most parts of the world and Latin America is no exception. You will be provided suggested tipping amounts with your final documents for your convenience, however tipping is entirely at your own discretion.

Luggage:

All travellers are limited to two items of luggage each, a suitcase with a maximum weight of 20kg and one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of 5kg. It is essential that your luggage is lockable. Please note that authorities will only allow bottles onto the aircraft if they have been checked in as main baggage. Bottles in hand luggage may be confiscated.

Clothing:

On this tour, you will be travelling through various regions of Chile with quite diverse climates especially in the Atacama Desert and in the Torres del Paine National Park where all four seasons can be experienced in one trip. It is recommended to bring lots of layers including the following: T Shirts made of breathable materials, hiking pants, with the option to turn into a short pant (rain pants optional), a fleece jacket for colder parts and the evenings and a waterproof Jacket as shell layer or a light rain jacket, a scarf and hat, warm socks. Sensible walking shoes and small back pack that fits into your main hand luggage to carry your daily essentials.