January 5
Depart from your home city for Santiago, Chile, with an altitude of 1706 feet above sea level and a temperature ranging between 54ºF to 85ºF in January. This is Santiago’s warmest and driest month with very little precipitation expected.

January 6
Arrive in Santiago and transfer to Hotel Orly (http://www.orlyhotel.com/) in the lovely Providencia area of residential Santiago. Perhaps explore Cerro San Cristobal in the afternoon with your escort. We can walk, ride, or ascend by the funicular which Pope John Paul II used to rise to the top and bless the city in his 1987 visit. (B)

January 7
The tour of Santiago begins with the interesting architecture in the older residential areas and continues on to the Cousiño Palace and many historic buildings before reaching the heart of Santiago. We see “La Moneda” governmental palace, originally designed to be Chile’s mint, the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, the San Francisco Church, and finally the Santa Lucía Hill, where Santiago was founded in 1541. We will also drive along the Mapocho River and pass by fabulous homes with well-kept gardens and shopping area in the districts of Vitacura, Las Condes and Santa Maria de Manquehue. We will spend some time in Santiago’s best museum, the Pre-Colombian Art Museum. Although many of you have seen the museums in Lima, Cuzco, Quito and Cuenca, some of the artifacts here are incomparable. The best Inca knotted string record, or “quipu” I have ever seen is housed in this museum. We will be taken to the Mercado Central to purchase lunch and make our way back to the hotel on our own or we might opt to pay a visit to the former home of Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. He built this home, “La Chascona”, for his mistress, Mathilde Urrutia, and named it after her wild, untameable tresses. Neruda’s wake was held here and his funeral became the first march against the Pinochet regime. It is now the headquarters of the Neruda Foundation. Santiago’s modern subway system and the efficient bus lines will make transportation easy for us. (B)

January 8
Transferring by bus to San Fernando, we take The Tren del Vino and ride the rails through time back to a century ago when steam was used as a means of locomotion. We will board the antique rail cars (vintage 1913-23), and taste wines and cheese from the area as you pass through lovely landscapes and vineyards while a local folk singer plays during the ride through the Colchagua Valley. Driving through the Central Valley in springtime, fields of flaming orchards perfume the air making a brilliant display. The dark, hot pink of peaches and nectarines, the lighter rose-colored cherry trees, the white flowering almond, apple, apricot and plum trees all proclaim the fertility of the area. In one day you will be able to see and understand the process of elaboration of the best wines of the country. When we arrive in Santa Cruz, a local folkloric group will perform Chilean dances. From this point our travel will be by motorcoach.

After our wine-tasting at the Viu-Manent vineyards, our bus will return to downtown Santa Cruz, where you can purchase lunch at a local restaurant and visit the Colchagua Museum, the largest private museum in Chile, organized into various sections among which are Pre-Colombian Art, Paleo-indigenous Peoples, and Folklore and Clothing of the “Huaso” or Chilean cowboy. The largest collection of amber in the world is also housed here.

When we reach Bisquertt, we will first enjoy a wine-tasting tour through their cellars. Following that, we will be treated to a Maridaje Dinner at Bisquertt wineries. This dinner is a true “marriage” of wine with each course. It will be your most memorable dinner ever! (B,D)

January 9
Today we fly to Puerto Montt in the Lake District. On the way to Hotel Puelche in Puerto Varas (http://www.hotelpuelche.com/english/inicio.html), on the shore of Lake Llanquihue we take a turn through both cities, visiting the most interesting spots, one of which is Angelmo, a local fishing village with a delightful handicrafts market, where many Chilean artists have been inspired by the colorful vistas of fishing boats. (B)

January 10
The motorcoach departs early today to arrive at the spectacular waterfalls of Petrohue. Petrohué Falls is not the standard waterfall, but a series of oddly twisting chutes formed by a crystallized black volcanic rock, unaffected by erosion. After a photo opportunity, we board a catamaran for the cruise through the pristine turquoise waters of Lake Todos Los Santos to the forests of Peulla, where we will lunch at the Hotel Natura. While crossing Lake Todos Los Santos, you will see the perfect shape of volcano Osorno, as well as the snow-capped peaks of Thunder Mountain, Calbuco and Cerro Puntiagudo. We have an hour or so after lunch for optional horseback riding, hiking or experiencing the “zip line” through the canopy of the forest! We return the same way we came, with many more opportunities for photos, arriving back in Puerto Varas around 7:30 pm. (B,L)

January 11
We take a ferry across Chacao channel to the island of Chiloé, a Chile in miniature, a peculiar time capsule preserving some of Chile’s best traditions, shaping them into song, dance, crafts, and a mythology which has become one of the main strands of the country’s national identity. In Compu we will make a stop to walk around and then journey to the town of Chadmo, where the Head Chieftan (Lonco) of the General Council of Caciques of Chiloé, Mr. Carlos Lincoman Jr, will charm us with a talk about his culture, traditions and legends. He speaks the Huilliche language so he will teach a little of his language to us as his guests. We will visit the sunken graveyard here and learn how the 1960 earthquake changed the lifestyle of the people in the area.

Here we will talk with a community leader and local school teacher who will present us with a folk performance in the native language. Still later we are scheduled to meet the Peace Master or ñukemapu, the living bond between religion and community. (B,L)

January 12
After several days of excursions, today will be dedicated to relaxation. We will motor through extraordinary scenery, admiring the diverse views of seven different volcanoes, lakes Llanquihue, Rupanco and Puyehue, the fields of the southern countryside, and the German architectural influence represented by houses built in the early 1900’s. We will have lunch in Aguas Calientes, a town located within Puyehue National Park. There is a 30 minute walking trail available to visit the rapids of Chanleufu River surrounded by an evergreen rainforest. Or you can make an optional visit to a thermal pool or a special thermal bath with medical mud. We have a couple of hours to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of our natural surroundings before returning to our hotel in Puerto Varas. (B,L)

January 13-16
Our flight takes us from Puerto Montt to Punta Arenas . where we will be transported north to the Explora Lodge in Patagonia (http://www.explora.com/patagonia_theplace.php) at the foot of the fabulous Torres de Paine. The road trip is long, and will be broken by a stop for tea and sandwiches along the way. You will see why we have saved the best for last when you arrive. Our stay in the lodge includes all meals, cooked by a French chef, as well as all our outings with bilingual guides. There will be approximately 5 choices of diverse day trips every day. You could opt to hike OR ride horses in an area of condors and eagles. You could travel by boat and foot to the French Glacier. You could go by van to Grey Glacier, or you could bask in the large, outdoor hot tub while others do the hiking! The owners have a vineyard, Viña Gracia, and all of their wines, as well as premium international brands of liquor, are included during your stay. (All meals)

January 17
You will be sorry to say goodbye to the Explora Lodge, but today we motor to Punta Arenas for our flight back to Santiago, where we will be met and transferred to our hotel. (B,L)

January 18
We have most of the day free as almost all flights leave in the evening. It’s a good day to do that last minute shopping at Blue Stone Designs which specializes in jewelry and household items made from lapis lazuli, or at Los Domenicos, a village set up to market the artisanry from all parts of Chile. You can buy some antique items here, alpaca shawls, silver stirrups or that copper wall-hanging that you have wanted since the first day! Transfer to the airport for your flight home. (B)

January 19
Arrival back at your home airport.

The price for the tour is not yet available for January of 2011. It will probably be in the neighborhood of $3999. If you wish to be on a waitlist to be advised of the price once it is available, please write to

Optional Excursion to Easter Island will depart Jan 18 and return Jan 21. There may be an overnight in Santiago before returning to your home city. Prices on request in 2010.