Your Itinerary
Bienvenidos! Welcome to Chile. When you arrive in Santiago, you’ll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Your adventure officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe head out and explore the Parque Forestal just steps from your front door. After your meeting, head out for dinner with your leader and group. From baked casserole to razor clams cooked in parmesan cheese, Chilean food is hearty, fresh and delicious.
Get to know the city on a tour with a local guide who’s an expert on all things Santiago. Your guide will peel back the many layers of the city’s history, beginning at the main square of Plaza de Armas where you’ll hear the tales of the foundation of Santiago and its turbulent past. Continue to La Moneda Palace, the home of Chile’s presidential office, where your guide will fill you in on the country’s complicated political history. From here, take the short drive to Parque Bicentenario, created in 2011 to commemorate 200 years of independence. Walk through the grounds then head to a local eatery to sample some excellent cheese, ham and wine for lunch. The rest of the day is free for your own explorations.
Enjoy a free morning in Santiago. Maybe visit the Mercado Central – Santiago’s celebrated fish market. Then, begin the journey to Valparaiso, stopping off for a wine tasting on the way in the Casablanca Valley. Sitting on a coastal plain between the capital and Valparaiso, Casablanca Valley is Chile’s fastest growing wine region, with rich soil and a perfect climate for chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. Visit a vineyard focused on sustainable and organic viticulture, then continue to Valparaiso, known for its brightly hued houses that spread over the hills overlooking the ocean. Your Feature Stay hotel for the next two nights dates to 1885 during the boom of the shipping port and sits in the historic heart of the city, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Decorated with works by Chilean artists it’s the perfect base from which to explore the city. Enjoy an introduction to pisco on the rooftop and take in the views.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage centre in 2003, Valparaiso used to be South America’s busiest port before the opening of the Panama Canal. It has since transformed itself into Chile’s most creative city, which you'll learn more about on the walking tour today with a local guide. The hills of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre are dotted with coloured houses, cobbled streets, galleries, restaurants and shops. Later, visit the Museum of Fine Arts, housed in a beautiful art nouveau chalet. Tonight, maybe visit an iconic local restaurant credited with the invention of chorrillana. This legendary Chilean dish is made up of French fries topped with beef, eggs and fried onions.
Depart Valparaiso and head back to Santiago to catch an international flight to Mendoza. As your plane crosses the Andes, you might catch a glimpse of Mount Aconcagua – the highest mountain in the Americas at 6962 m above sea level. In Mendoza, get to know the lively city with a gentle stroll around its wide, lively streets with your local leader. Technically a desert city, the extensive irrigation system here means Mendoza is remarkably green. Check out the city’s tree-lined spaces – from the sprawling Parque San Martin to Plaza Espana – and get a taste of local life along the bustling street, Peatonal Sarmiento. This evening, enjoy a delicious dinner with your group at a local restaurant.
Mendoza is Argentina's most significant grape-growing region, producing nearly three-quarters of the country's wine. The climate produces an excellent variety of grapes, with the region's signature being Malbec. Today, you’ll get to experience this internationally renowned wine at its source during tours and tastings at three world-class and innovative wineries, each with its own distinct style and flavour. Meet with a local wine expert and gain inside knowledge on the varieties of grapes and different production methods used at each winery, and sample award winning bottles just as spectacular as the surrounding Andes. After the tastings, settle in for a special closed-door gourmet lunch at one of the wineries. Enjoy several courses paired with wines carefully selected to bring out the flavours in the wonderful food. In the evening, maybe test your palate by attempting to pair the perfect wine with an authentic Argentine asado (barbecue-style food).
This morning fly from Mendoza to Buenos Aires and then spend the afternoon soaking up the Argentinean capital’s mix of European and Latin culture on an orientation walk with your leader. Visit Florida Street, National Congress and the presidential palace of the Casa Rosada (Pink House) in the Plaza de Mayo. If there’s time, your group may get to visit the Obelisk as well. The evening is free to explore at your own pace. Maybe visit a tango bar, attend a football match, or find a great local eatery and set up shop.
Today, head north of Buenos Aires to explore the city of Tigre and its surrounding delta region. First, do as the locals do and catch the subway to San Martin square, then set off on a bicycle tour around Puerto Maldero and the Buenos Aires Ecological Reserve – where inhabitants of the city come for a peaceful escape and fresh air. Hop on a train to Tigre and get to know the city during a walking tour. Visit the local fruit market, follow the river along the stunning Paseo Victorica street and stop by the Tigre Art Museum to admire the European inspired building. Next, take a private boat through the third-largest river delta in the world, then stop off on an island for a homemade lunch. Here, swim, kayak or just sit back and soak in the beautiful island surroundings. Transfer back to Buenos Aires for a free night.
Today is a free day to explore Buenos Aires at your own pace. Maybe head to a local rooftop bar and enjoy the views with a cocktail. You’ll have another welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you’ll meet your new local leader and the new travellers joining you. After the meeting, head to the home of a porteno (inhabitant of Buenos Aires) for a traditional Asado feast. Chat to your friendly host about all things Argentina while tucking into a spread of barbecued meats, provoleta cheese and plenty of local wine. After, you might want to keep the evening going with a post-dinner tango show.
This morning you’ll discover Buenos Aires’s history, cultural influences and iconic sites during a city tour with a local guide. First, you'll head to a traditional urban house and enjoy an exclusive tango performance by two professional dancers who have been working together for more than 15 years. The dancers are passionate about preserving and sharing the art of tango, and the performance will be followed by a beginner’s class, so you can be a part of Argentina’s cultural heritage, too. Learn about the style and history of the dance and pick up a few moves to take home. Your next stop is the Plaza de Mayo to see the original town hall, as well as the presidential palace known as the Pink House. Walk around La Boca and its Caminito district. Head to the Recoleta Cemetery – a labyrinth of ornate mausoleums, stopping at the grave of Eva Peron. Leave the cemetery and see the Floralis Generica – a huge metal flower made by Argentinean architect Eduardo Catalano. The rest of the evening is free.
Day 11: Iguazu Falls - Brazilian side
This morning, transfer to the airport and board a flight to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina. You’ll spend the next two days exploring Iguazu Falls in depth, seeing them from both the Argentinian and Brazilian side. While you’re flying into Argentina, today will be spent exploring the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. At over 2 km in length, and made up of 275 waterfalls in total, Iguazu is higher than Niagara Falls and wider than Victoria Falls! The Brazilian side of the falls offers unforgettable panoramic views, which you’ll get to spend time taking in today. For an eagle-eye view of the falls, you can also opt to take on an optional helicopter flight.
Day 12: Iguazu Falls - Argentinian side
Rise and shine for an early departure to the Argentinian side of the falls, where you will be able to get up close to this incredible feat of nature. There is a system of boardwalks on the Argentinian side of the falls that allow you to access some incredible viewing points, or you could choose to take an optional zodiac ride beneath the cascades for a different perspective. This afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to visit a Guarani community – one of the few remaining original inhabitants of the region. Meet with a member of the community to learn about the native tools used for daily activities. Your host will show you around the community and provide insight on the Guarani way of life while explaining how they have preserved their traditions on the edge of one of the world’s most popular attractions. Return to your hotel for a leisurely evening.
Take an included flight from Foz do Iguacu to Rio de Janeiro and when you have settled into your Feature Stay hotel a stone’s throw from the beach, join your leader on an orientation walk to get a feel for this lively city and learn a little about its layered history. The rest of the day is free to explore at your own pace. You might like to head down to the famous white sands of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches for a snapshot of local life. If you’d like to listen to some live music, head to Lapa and join the locals for some dancing.
Today, you’ll get to know the sights and sounds of Rio during a full-day tour with your leader. Visit Corcovado Mountain for expansive views over the city from the base of the Christ the Redeemer statue – one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Next, head to Santa Teresa to see the architecture, restaurants and art galleries. Continue to the famous Selaron Steps to see Chilean artist Jorge Selaron’s famous artwork. Give your feet a break during a lunch stop in a restored home dating to 1907. Finally, visit the iconic Sugarloaf mountain and enjoy the views. Its name comes from the mountain’s resemblance to a traditional sugarloaf – a tall cone of refined sugar that was popular in the Caribbean and Brazil until the late 19th century. After your tour, take the afternoon to relax, hit the beach or explore further. This evening you may like to round off your adventure with a final dinner with your group.
Your trip comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you’d like to extend your stay in Rio de Janeiro, please speak to your booking agent about arranging additional accommodation in advance.
