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Santiago |
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Upon your arrival in Santiago de Chile, you will be met at the airport by a CAT representative who will transfer you to your comfortable hotel in the city. The representative will discuss your trip with you in full and make sure you are prepared for your Chilean adventure. After settling in to your hotel you will be given the rest of the day free to spend at your leisure. While it is likely that you will probably prefer to rest after a long flight, Santiago has a number of very fine restaurants where some great food can be found. |
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Viña del Mar and Valparaiso |
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After enjoying breakfast in your hotel, you will be collected by guide and driven to Valparaiso where you will commence a morning tour around the colorful seaside town. You will be served a fantastic lunch in a well known restaurant where you will be able to enjoy some quality Chilean seafood in a comfortable atmosphere. Following lunch you will proceed to Viña del Mar where you will undertake a guided tour around this charming town. Following your guided tour you will be transferred back to Santiago where you will be able to enjoy a night spent at your leisure.
(Meals – B, L)
CAT Tip – Make the Most of your trip: In order to get to know either Viña del Mar or Valparaiso a little better, it is highly recommendable to spend a night in a comfortable hotel in either or both locations. Ask your Chile Destination Specialist for more information.
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Santiago |
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Following breakfast you will be collected for your city tour of Santiago. You will visit such sites as the Cerro San Cristobel that boasts fantastic views over the city on clear days, as well as the O’higgins Park. You will also visit a number of residential and commercial districts in order to get a better idea of the cosmopolitan city. Santiago is a city on the move with a lot to offer, and following lunch, you will be lead on a Shopping Tour through the city where you will be taken to some of the best known shops in the city in order to pick up great deals on many luxury Chilean goods. Following the shopping tour you will return to Santiago where the rest of the evening is free for you to spend as you wish.
(Meals – B)
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San Pedro de Atacama |
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After enjoying a delicious breakfast in your hotel you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Calama where you will be met by a CAT representative and transferred to your hotel in San Pedro. After settling in to your hotel you will be collected for a tour around the Valley of the Moon where a dark and pockmarked desert landscape gives credence to the lunar nature of the Valley’s name. You will be given the chance to enjoy a spectacular sunset in this seemingly forgotten location before being transferred back to your hotel in San Pedro. For dinner you can either eat at your hotel or you can enjoy a meal in one of the many small restaurants in town. (Meals – B) |
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San Pedro de Atacama |
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Following breakfast you will proceed to San Pedro de Atacama where you will be guided around some pre-Hispanic ancient rock fortresses as well as a colonial church that was built in 1577. You will then tour the fascinating Padre Gustavo Le Paige Archeaological Museum where a number of the regions pre-Hispanic artifacts are on display including some magnificently preserved mummies. You will then proceed to the ancient villages of Tulor and Toconao which date back 3000 years and are some of the oldest discovered settlements in all of Chile. In the afternoon you will proceed to the Atacama Salt Lake. Formed millions of years ago, this expansive, overwhelming, and empty landscape stretches as far as the eye can see and is an unforgettable site to see for both its beauty and austerity. In the early evening you will be transferred back to your hotel in San Pedro. (Meals – B) |
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Tara Salt Lake |
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Following a delicious breakfast in your hotel you will be collected by your guide for a full day’s tour to the Tara Salt Lake and surrounding area. The journey there to the salt lake is marked with desert landscapes and spectacular volcanoes. Upon reaching Tara, the horizon opens up to reveal an expansive salt plain nestled in the in the center of the Los Flamencos National Park. The Tara Salt Lake is often said to be the most beautiful, and most spectacular, salt lake in the region. Groups of flamboyantly pink flamingos strut about the lake, while the volcanic backdrop of the lake gives the region an alien feeling. A number of archaeological sites surround the area – many of which your guide will lead you through. Following lunch at the site you will begin your journey back to San Pedro where the rest of the afternoon is free for you to spend at your leisure. (Meals – B, L) |
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Tatio Geysers and Volcanoes around San Pedro de Atacama |
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In the very early morning – at approximately 4am – you will be collected from your hotel and proceed to the El Tatio Geysers, where at an altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level, you will be able to witness a breath taking sunrise. The Tatio Geysers make up the largest geothermal field in the world, and are surrounded by a stunning and unforgiving landscape. The Geysers erupt on a regular basis, and as the sun rises, jets of boiling water and steam shoot into the air creating a wondrous site. Following breakfast you will proceed with your guide to the village of Machuca which used to be a stopover on one of the ancient Inca highways running through the Andes. Following a tour around the depopulated village you will be transferred back to San Pedro where the afternoon is set aside for you to spend at your leisure. (Meals B)
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The Chilean Wine Valley |
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After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel in San Pedro and transferred to the airport for your flight back to Santiago. There you will be met at the airport by a CAT representative and transferred to a wine lodge somewhere in the Chilean Wine Valley. Comfort, Superior, and Luxury class passengers will visit different vineyards and stay in different lodges during the Chilean Wine Valley leg of the tour. Upon arrival at your wine lodge you will be given some free time to unwind after a morning spent on the road. Following lunch you will be given a short tour around the vineyard. In the evening you will be able to dine in the lodge’s special restaurant and perhaps enjoy one of the vineyards more special reserves. (Meals – B, D)
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Wine Country |
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Following breakfast at the wine lodge you will begin a day of relaxation and wine tours, and wine tasting. You will be given an extensive tour around your wine-lodge’s vineyard where the history of the lodge as well as the process of the lodge’s special wine making secrets will be explained to you in detail. You may choose to spend the rest of the day relaxing by the pool, or reading a book in the gardens. After lunch you may choose to do a little wine tasting, and in the evening you will once again be invited to dine in the lodge’s delicious restaurant where gourmet food and spectacular wine will be served. (Meals – B, D)
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Punta Arenas |
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After a final breakfast in the wine-lodge you will be transferred back to Santiago and on to the airport where you will board a flight to Punta Arenas. At the airport in this southerly Patagonian city, you will be met by a CAT representative and transferred to your hotel. After checking in you will begin a guided tour of the city. During the city tour you will visit the shores of the Straits of Magellan as well as the historical and cultural highlights of this colorful Patagonian city. In the evening you will be treated to cocktails and dinner in one of the best local restaurants in the city before being transferred back to your hotel for a night of rest and relaxation. (Meals – B, D)
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Torres del Paine |
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Following breakfast you will be collected from your hotel by a CAT representative for your trip to Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine National Park. On the way to Puerto Natales you make several stops that give you insight and experience into Patagonian wildlife and culture. The first stop on route is the Otway Penguin Colony where you will be taken on an hour long hike through this extraordinary Penguin colony and the spectacular surrounding Patagonian scenery. Following the tour you proceed onwards to Puerto Natales where you will take a short guided tour around the town where you will be able to observe the local customs and be able to pick up a few handicrafts. Following your tour you will be transferred to your lodge in the Torres del Paine National Park. After checking in you will be given the rest of the day free to spend at your leisure. (Meals – B, L)
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Torres del Paine National Park |
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After breakfast you will head out of the lodge for a full day’s tour of the Torres del Paine National Park. The park is world famous for its spectacular natural beauty and its amazing mastiffs known locally as los Cuernos del Paine. This Patagonian wonderland has an intensely rich beauty with an incredible array of flora and fauna. The tour begins with a visit to Lake Nordenskjöld and Pehoé, and the falls at Salto Grande. Here you will be able to admire these impressive surroundings before leaving to cross the park from East to West. On route you will stop to enjoy lunch at a well known lodge – celebrated for its great dining and spectacular views over Lago Grey and the Grey Glacier. Following lunch you will board a small boat and set sail all the way up to the front of the imposing wall of Grey Glacier. Here you will be able to disembark for a while in order to climb a little on the glacier before being transferred back to your lodge in the evening. (Meals – B, L)
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Torres del Paine National Park |
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After waking up and enjoying another Patagonian breakfast you head out to explore the eastern side of the National Park. The tour begins with a visit to Laguna Amarga, the cascades of Rio Paine, and their surrounding areas. Here you will be able to enjoy the breath taking beauty of the regions flora and fauna in peace. Following this you continue with an easy hike to Laguna Azul. You will then return to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon is set aside for you to spend at your leisure. You may however wish to spend the time experiencing the park further with any one of our many extra options in the area. Such optional extras include hore riding activities and bird watching expeditions. Please consult your Chile Destination Specialist for more information. The evening will be free for you to spend as you please. (Meals – B,)
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Torres del Paine to Santiago |
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In the morning you will be collected from your lodge and transferred back to Punta Arenas. At the airport you will board a flight bound for Santiago. Upon your arrival in Santiago you will be met by a CAT representative who will help you with your onward travel arrangements back home or onto another of CAT’s magical Latin America destinations. (Meals – B)
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