South America Vacations

Chile Vacation Package 1

4 Days Santiago and its Neighbours Tour Package

Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Priced From: $833 pp dbl. occ.
Departures: Daily

 



Resting on an inland plain, with the Andes glimmering in the distance, Santiago, the capital of Chile, is the fifth largest city in South America. Santiago is a city that seems destined for growth. The Mapuche destroyed it in 1541, only six months after Pedro de Valdivia founded it, but soon the Spanish were back and building it up again. Today, it is one of the most modern cities on the continent, home to nearly 5 million inhabitants--over a third of all Chileans.

The city is bisected by the Rio Mapocho, which gently weaves through from East to West, before descending to the flood plain below.

Across the river, the Bellavista neighborhood is home to many restaurants and cafes. The Parque Metropolitano is Santiago's playground, with walking trails, picnic areas, and a zoo. For stunning views of the city, visitors should head to the top of Cerro San Cristóbal, accessible by bus, funicular, or by a vigorous hike.

Day 1. After your arrival into Santiago airport or at the end of your previous Chilean arrangements you will be met and transferred to your hotel of choice. From your hotel we take on a journey of exploration through the capital of Chile.

Santiago is a city of contrasts, with traditional areas, commercial centres and modern districts.

Our tour starts at the church of San Francisco, built between 1572 and 1618. We continue to the West, pass Club Hipico, one of the most beautiful in South America due to its architecture, and continue to the city-centre, passing the palace of Cousino Macul.

We visit old and traditional neighbourhoods where we are introduced to the life-style and daily life of Chile around 1900.

On our way to the centre of town we pass La Moneda, the seat of the government and the Presidential palace. We then visit the historical centre of Santiago, including Plaza de Armas with the Cathedral, the Central post office and the National History Museum.

We then venture to Cerro Santa Lucía the sire on whcih Pedro Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541. Crossing Rio Mapocho, we pass through the bohemian quarter of Bellavista before ascending Cerro San Cristobal. From here we have a beautiful view of Santiago with the Andes as background.

We continue our journey through Providencia, a traditional area of Santiago with a bustling commercial and social life, including many restaurants, pubs and boutiques.

On our way back to our hotel we pass through the modern areas of Santiago containing the large commercial centres of Santa Maria de Manquehue, Vitacura and Las Condes before reaching the feet of the Andes where we find the more upsacel residential areas with beautiful houses, big gardens, and private colleges.

(NOTE: The above city tour description is to be used as a guide only as actual sites visited may vary.)

We return to your hotel of choice in the early evening.

Day 2. An early departure sees us head to the heart of the famous Chilean wine districts of Curacavi and Casablanca, a landscape back by the Andes mountains ranges and fertile farmlands famous for their orchards, citrus groves and grape plantations. Our final destination is Valparaiso; Chile's most important port city built on and around 42 hills.

We pass by Fisherman's Wharf, Sotomayor Square, O'Higgins Square and visit the monument honoring the Naval Battle fought in 1879 showing Arturo Prat and heroes of the Pacific war. The War of the Pacific, sometimes called the Saltpeter War in reference to its original cause, was fought between Chile and the joint forces of Bolivia and Peru, from 1879 to 1883. Chile gained substantial mineral-rich territory in the conflict, annexing both the Peruvian provinces of Tarapacá and Arica and the Bolivian province of Litoral, leaving Bolivia as a landlocked country.

We then drive towards the southern side of Valparaiso and take one of the old funiculars (cable cars) up the hillside, arriving at paseo "21 de Mayo" for a stunning view of the bay and Valparaiso itself.

There is chance to visit "La Sebastiana" (entrance fee not included), one of the three houses owned by Nobel Price winner Pablo Neruda. Typical of many houses built on the steep slopes of the surrounding hills, La Sebastiana has three stories and is packed with memorabilia collected by Neruda from his world travels.

We continue along the coast to fashionable Viña del Mar, the "Garden City," where we pass by the unique "flower clock", drive on the palm-fringed avenues, visit the Centrex and the main square Plaza Vergara, the park with its amphitheater, the Fonck Museum of Natural History exhibiting six Moais from Easter Island, the Municipal Casino and the beautiful Rioja Palace, built at the beginning of this century by one of the silver barons of Chile.

We finish with a walk on the peninsula of Roca Oceanica, a rough promontory of rocks where the sea, on windy days and high tides, crashes fiercely against the coast. Lunch is at a see side restaurant (not included in tour price) before we return to Santiago in the late afternoon.

Overnight at the hotel of your choice.

Day 3. Chile is famous for the Andes, Patagonia, the altiplano, Patagonia, fjords, the Lake District. Chile is equally famous for its wines. Today it is all about wine.

In recent years, Chile's wines have gained worldwide popularity.

This recent success is a result of over 400 years of wine-making traditions as well as the country's natural and condusive conditions that result in the quality of Chilean wines: climate, soils, and rootstock.

Chile's wine regions include eight separate valleys, each with its own characteristics and wines. The Maipo valley is Chile's most traditional wine region and producer of the country's finest Cabernets and Merlots.

We depart from your hotel in the morning and head towards the Maipo valley to Pirque. In one of Pirque's vineyards a bilingual guide will introduce you to the grapevines development, cultural and technological handling that goes towards a yield of the finest quality. After the tour you will be able to taste some of the wines or buy souvenirs in the vineyars's shop.

After the tour finishes we have lunch in a local restaurant (not included in tour price) before heading to another vineyard where more wine can be sampled and more wine purchased to bring home. We return to Santiago in the early afternoon and watch as the wine sampling finally catches up!

Overnight at the hotel of your choice.

Day 4. Today you are transferred back to Santiago airport to connect with your onward journey.

• Arrival and Departure transfers
• Meet and greet bilingual A.I. transfer representative, bilingual licensed tour guide
• 3 Nights accommodation with breakfast (based on selected hotel - see NOTES below)
• All entrance fees, all bus, boat and train tickets if applicable
• Santiago City Tour
• Valparaiso Tour
• Wine District wine sampling and tour
• Baggage handling at airports and at hotels

• Visa fees (if required)
• Passport & Visa Costs
• Vaccination Costs
• Personal Spending Money
• Meals where not listed
• Drinks
• International Flights
• Domestic Flight or transport to and from start and finish point
• Travel Insurance
• Airport departure taxes
• Border taxes or fees

• White Water Rafting
• Atacama adventures
• Lakes District adventures
• Fishing lodge stay - Lakes district

• Pricing based on 2 people sharing a room, SIB (Seat in Bus service)
• Rates for private service available on request
• Single and triple rates for SIB and private services are available on request.
• Tours are guided in one language only

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