Venture into a Land of Extremes
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Journey the entire length of Chile and venture into a land of extremes. From the driest place on Earth, the lunar-like Atacama Desert, to the fertile vineyards of the Casablanca Valley and from the bustling capital Santiago to the soul-stirring wilderness of Patagonia. In between lie a series of islands famous for their beauty, folklore, legend and handicraft traditions. Perfectly positioned between the ocean and the Andes, this long narrow strip of land packs an unforgettable punch.
This is an Abercrombie & Kent private journey and can be tailor-made to fit with your travel dates and built around your desires.
Highlights
- Explore the wilderness of Torres del Paine
- Meet winemakers in the world-famous Casablanca Valley
- Venture into the beautiful Atacama Desert Immerse yourself in island life on picturesque Chiloé Island
- Explore Chilean history in dynamic Santiago
- Earn 1 Qantas Point* per $1 spent on this itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive Santiago.
Welcome to Santiago, one of the world’s most spectacularly located cities with the snow-covered Andean peaks as the city’s backdrop. Upon arrival you will be met by your A&K representative who will accompany you on your private transfer to your luxury accommodation. The capital of Chile is a modern cosmopolitan city with many landscaped parks to wander through. Ease into your adventure with a stroll around your neighbourhood and time to discover some of the many cafés and restaurants in this city full of surprises.
Accommodation: Ritz-Carlton Santiago (Deluxe Room)
Day 2
Santiago.
Today is a day at leisure for you to explore Santiago your way. Perhaps step inside the treasure-filled La Chascona, built by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda for his mistress. Take the funicular railway to San Cristôbal Hill to soak up the spectacular views. And ride the cable car to eclectic Providencia. End at the top of the Sky Costanera, the tallest building in South America at 300 metres with an impressive 360-degree view of the metropolis. Alternatively, leave the city and journey to the heart of Chile’s famous Casablanca Valley, home to a generation of pioneering winemakers. Head to Viña Matetic and learn the artistry of organic and bio-dynamic winemaking. Sample an extraordinary medley of wines before lunch overlooking the vast expanse of plains and valleys. Later, enjoy a tasting and blending experience led by the winemaker and make your very own wine.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Ritz-Carlton Santiago (Deluxe Room)
Day 3
Santiago – Calama – San Pedro de Atacama.
Private transfer to the airport for your flight north to Calama, a mining town with Chuquicamata, the largest open cast mine in the world in the hills behind. On arrival meet your local hotel driver and journey through parched lunar landscapes to the oasis town of San Pedro de Atacama, situated at a height of 2,500 metres and your boutique accommodation. Following time to refresh, meet your excursion leader who will discuss the menu of included shared activities available to you during your stay. Choose from active, moderate or easy; travel by vehicle, bike or on foot – with something to suit all interests and fitness levels.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Atacama (Orient)
Days 4-5
San Pedro de Atacama.
Atacama Desert is a perfect destination for those who love nature, adventure and extraordinary landscapes, and has something for all tastes and abilities. Bounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, the 35,000 square kilometre desert is part of a series of arid landscapes that include salt flats, sandy deserts, rocky peaks and active volcanoes. Head out by 4WD, go trekking, ride on mountain bike or horseback and discover steaming geysers, indigenous villages, high altitude lakes and sharply eroded mountains. Spend time at the otherworldly Moon Valley; spot flamingos at the Salar de Atacama salt flats; or be mesmerised by the geysers at El Tatio. Night time brings another opportunity for adventure and the ultimate stargazing experience. The Atacama has one of the clearest night skies on Earth and several top-level observatories have set up home here.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Atacama (Orient)
Day 6
San Pedro de Atacama – Calama – Santiago.
Leave the desert behind and return to Calama for your flight back to Santiago. On arrival your A&K representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Drop your bags and begin your private walking tour. Start at the grand La Moneda Palace and step back in time in the nearby Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. Watch chess players in the Plaza de Armas and soak up the vibrant artistic life of Lastarria. Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Ritz-Carlton Santiago (Deluxe Room)
Day 7
Santiago – Castro – Chiloé.
Begin with an early morning transfer to the airport for your flight to Castro in Chiloé. Chile’s second-largest island is overflowing with timeless traditions, ethereal beauty and surprising wildlife for you to discover. Accompanied by your driver, proceed to your exclusive accommodation and discuss with the team of guides your activities for tailored half-day and full day outings.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Chiloé (Superior Room)
Days 8-9
Chiloé.
Enjoy two whole days immersed in the magic of Chiloé and partake in an amazing range of excursions with fellow guests, which include horse riding, trekking, kayaking and cultural visits to the island’s towns. Sail around picturesque coves. Seek out the antique wooden churches so architecturally unique that UNESCO declared them World Heritage Monuments. Glimpse curlews, Chilean flamingos and cormorants. And step inside the island’s peculiar stilted homes. You can also enjoy local walks or use the hotel’s bikes to explore the rolling coastal landscape by yourself. On your final evening, enjoy an exclusive chef-prepared dinner on board “La Williche” as you cruise Chiloe’s inland waters.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Chiloé (Superior Room)
Day 10
Chiloé – Punta Montt – Punta Arenas.
Today is a long travel day but the scenic journey is part of the adventure. Begin with a transfer to Puerto Montt airport, about three hours journey, including a short ferry ride. Your flight south brings you to Punta Arenas, the Patagonian city with the richest history. On arrival your A&K representative will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. Step out on your own and discover the heart of this historic town or find yourself a cosy corner and soak in the marvellous views of the Straits of Magellan.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hotel Cabo de Hornos (Standard Room)
Day 11
Punta Arenas – Torres del Paine.
Leave the bustling vibe of Punta Arenas behind this morning as you are transferred by road to the extraordinary Torres del Paine, a vast landscape of lakes, glaciers, granite peaks and big sky tracks. Settle in to your luxurious accommodation, which beautifully integrates its architecture with the landscape and prepare to explore this spectacular wilderness on foot, by boat, or horse, by bicycle or in a van, the choice is yours. Meet with one of the qualified guides and let them discuss with you what excursions would suit your level of fitness and interest.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa (Superior Room)
Days 12-14
Torres del Paine.
Spend three whole days exploring soul-stirring wilderness, your way. Trek forest trails and drink in panoramic views of geographic formations that are millions of years old. Spy a variety of animals, including guanaco, condors, foxes and flamingos. Seek out ancient cave paintings and hidden waterfalls. And watch icebergs from the Grey Glacier. Alternatively, relax in the stunning infinity pool with a Torres view, indulge in a sumptuous spa and outdoor hot tub, or follow one of the walking routes to explore the lakeside setting.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa (Superior Room)
Day 15
Torres del Paine – Punta Arenas – Depart Santiago.
Your journey the entire length of Chile comes to an end this morning when you transfer back to the airport and your flight back to Santiago where your adventure ends. Alternatively, cross into El Calafate in Argentina and discover more of Patagonia.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Departures & Rates
Twin Share Per Person: From $17,865
Solo Traveller on request
This is an Abercrombie & Kent private journey and can be tailor-made to fit with your travel dates and built around your desires.
Ask one of our Travel Specialists about Packaging Flights with your Tour and Save
Important Terms
- Terms & Conditions apply.
*Rates are subject to availability and seasonality and may change without notice. Rates are based on two adults sharing. For solo travellers or single person occupancy rates or further information on terms and conditions, please contact our Travel Specialists at time of booking.
Accommodation
Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Located in the refined neighbourhood of El Golf, the Ritz-Carlton Santiago is the first Ritz-Carlton in South America and is an impressive one. Rooms are very spacious and sumptuously decorated. There are ample opportunities for wining and dining both within the hotel and in the immediate surrounds. Upper floors have spectacular views of the Andes and additional facilities include a glass-roofed spa and wellness centre with an indoor lap pool, modern fitness centre and menu of massage, facial and body treatments.
Tierra Atacama
Tierra Atacama is a boutique hotel on the edge of San Pedro de Atacama. Architecturally, this hotel is superb, mixing the old and the unashamedly modern. Built on the site of the old cattle corral, it retains the corral’s ancient adobe walls at its entrance, preserving them as a monument to the history of the area.
But beyond those traditional walls, the design is a thoroughly modern take on traditional themes. Stone walls support angular, asymmetric buildings, where slick roof lines stand above huge expanses of glass – whilst the beautifully landscaped gardens hide an abundance of water features and secret relaxation areas.
Inside, the hotel is an uber-modern version of rustic chic, were clean lines are softened by colourful local fabrics, stripped back wooden floors and designer furniture. The rooms continue the theme, offering spacious, uniquely styled accommodation packed with luxurious designer touches. Local cultural influences are in evidence throughout, whilst daily excursions to sample local landscapes, culture and wildlife are included.
Tierra Chiloé, Castro
Recently updated with a full Uma Spa including indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools, the hotel is built onto a culturally rich landscape deep within the Archipelago of Chiloé. Tierra Chiloé is a warm, inviting hotel, with great attention to detail and extremely high service standards. The hotel has been built using native wood and is full of wool weavings and basketry, all of which were crafted by local artisans. The construction reflects the natural environment, becoming a part of the landscape without altering it, and evoking the culture of the islands. The hotel has a team of guides offering tailored half-day and full day outings for guests including cultural trips to UNESCO Jesuit churches, boating, horse riding, biking, trekking and spectacular bird watching. Tierra Chiloé even has its own vessel named Williche for use during maritime outings on the archipelago’s ocean, channels and fjords.
Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa
Proof that our team really do know what they are talking about; our product manager (Graeme Bull’s) all-time favourite hotel in Chile has stormed into the Conde Nast 2014 Gold List with five stars proudly taking its place in the ‘Best Wilderness Hotel’ category. Graeme loves it for its design brilliance, jaw-dropping vistas and fantastic service. Conde Nast rave about how brilliant it is to ‘come back at dusk to a peppered-beef supper paired with a glass of mineral-rich Matetic syrah, and then to sprawl on a lambs wool sofa and gaze out as the setting sun picks out the Torres’ granite-and-basalt peaks’.
Sister property of the beautiful Tierra Atacama, Tierra Patagonia has a sublime location right on the edge of Torres del Paine National Park. The hotel overlooks Lake Sarmiento and the iconic granite peaks of the Torres and surrounded by rugged Patagonian steppe. The expert guides and staff at Tierra Patagonia are committed to providing authentic active experiences in this beautiful location combined with knowledgeable guided access to local flora, fauna, geology, culture and history.
Choose from a range of excursions from trekking to horse-riding included in your stay. Go and spot condors from the top of remote mountains or cycle through the tufty Patagonian steppe searching for the hordes of wild guanaco that roam the plains. After a full day’s activities in and around Torres del Paine Park, take a dip in the indoor pool or relax at the Uma Spa. All the rooms have excellent views across the lake towards the Park and across the big big skies. The dining experience here will delight with seafood from the Magellan Straits or try the ‘asado’ barbeque. The award winning hotel architecture incorporates panoramic windows onto the majestic surroundings and inside radiates elegant snugness; it demands good times amongst friends and fellow travellers with shared stories of the day around the open fires in the beautiful open plan communal areas.
