This idyllic odyssey begins at the waters of the Atlantic in illustrious Buenos Aires. We bear west to vineyard heaven at Mendoza and a grand finale via the moonscapes at San Pedro de Atacama. A truly transcendent journey of Argentina and Chile.

INTRODUCTION

The lands of Argentina and Chile are vast and stretch from the Atlantic shores of Buenos Aires to the resplendent Pacific Ocean. This is a voyage of discovery in people and place. One element in Mendoza at the foot of the Andes describes it well; the connectedness of the human touch to the terroir (earth) and the bountiful fruits of the vine that result. Then paradoxically the brutal nature of the Atacama Desert. Here, a magnetic reverence to witness the silence and raw beauty of the driest place on this earth. This trip offers a surety from turning down the loudness of life. Less is more.

QUICK OVERVIEW BY DAY:

  • Day 1 – International Arrival Buenos Aires Airport.
  • Day 2 – Morning Bike Tour Buenos Aires. Evening Meal with Local Family.
  • Day 3 – Flight to Mendoza. Casa de Uco Vineyard Experience.
  • Day 4 – Uco Vallley Wine Tour.
  • Day 5 – Uco Valley Trekking – Cajón de los Arenales, Tunuyán.
  • Day 6 – Bus or Flight Mendoza to Santiago de Chile.
  • Day 7 – Afternoon Tour of Santiago.
  • Day 8 – Flight to Calama – Awasi Atacama.
  • Day 9 – Salar de Atacama – The Devil’s Throat.
  • Day 10 – Machuca – Tatio Geysers Atacama.
  • Day 11 – Láscar Volcano – Atacama.
  • Day 12 – Flight to Santiago de Chile & Departure.
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Day 1 – International Arrival Buenos Aires. Overnight Buenos Aires

Arrival to Buenos Aires International Airport. Private transfer to Legado Mitigo Hotel Buenos Aires. Legado Mítico Buenos Aires is a luxury boutique hotel in the well-located Palermo Soho district. Experience Argentine history and culture in delightful rooms inspired by the choice of emblematic characters from local politics, art, music and literature.
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Day 2 – Buenos Aires Bike Tour. Evening Meal Local Family

A city tour with a difference. We will start our tour at San Telmo, making our way towards La Boca while we become familiarized with different graffiti styles, and witness examples of urban art by artists such as Red Sudakas and Triangulo Dorado. Back on our bikes, we will venture well off the beaten path towards Barracas, where we can marvel at the elaborate mosaic walls in Pasaje Lanin, and later let our eyes wander along with the mural depicting the meeting of the artists at Styles Street Art Convention. After several stops to appreciate pieces by artists such as Pol Corona, Mart, Pum Pum, Martin Ron, and many more, we will also visit the Metropolitan Design Center. En route we will learn how to make Fernet (Typical Argentina Drink), see different neighbourhoods, take photos, and enjoy a fun, creative and interactive tour led by expert bilingual guides. We also include a gourmet picnic lunch.
Note: All bike tours can be organized in private service and customized, upon request.

Share Meal with Local Family. We provide a unique and memorable dining experiences with a local family. Our local hosts love cooking for family and friends. They will show you the local ingredients and cooking methods which will serve to make yourself an expert Argentine chef into the future. The home table will feature local, delicious seasonal foods. It is a unique opportunity to learn across cultures whilst enjoying the finest traditional fare in a relaxed and enjoyable setting. Approximately 4 hours duration.

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Day 3 – Flight to Mendoza. Casa de Uco Vineyard Experience

Private transfer to Buenos Aires Airport and take a flight to Mendoza. Here you will be transferred to the beautiful Casa de Uco Vineyard & Wine Resort. You will live and breathe wine culture, in a timeless setting at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. A fertile oasis where the best Malbec in the world is grown. The hotel strives to provide the utmost level of comfort, while still blending with the mountains, vineyards, and clear blue skies. A perfect base for adventures in wine or a host of other activities. Evening to relax at your hotel.

Optional activities include at Casa de Uco Hotel: Paragliding, horseback riding, fly fishing, white-water rafting, hiking, Polo, mountain biking and helicopter tours. Speak to your travel adviser to create the perfect tailor made itinerary.

4

Day 4 - Uco Vallley Wine Tour

The mountains and the beautiful views in Uco Valley prepare our senses to experience the aromas and flavors of these high-altitude wines. Surrounded by an impressive landscape at the foot of the Tupungato Volcano you will enjoy these prestigious wineries, crowned by an exquisite gourmet lunch.

We shall visit some of the most important wineries in the region: Salentein Winery, Domaine Bousquet Winery and Andeluna Winery, all of which make world-renowned wines from this precious terroir. A six-course lunch including premium wines at Andeluna Winery Restaurant is included.

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Day 5 – Uco Valley Trekking - Cajón de los Arenales, Tunuyán

This full-day hike will allow you to immerse yourself in the heart of the Andes Mountains. where 6,000 metre peaks dominate the landscape. The zone of the Cajón de los Arenales, in Tunuyán, is widely known by rock climbers worldwide who appreciate the quality of the granite to practice their sport. Lovers of horseback riding and fly- fishing visit the area regularly to take advantage of all that this destination offers, in a pristine natural landscape. This route focuses on the landscape and the absence of people, in the immense shadow of the mountain range, which will allow us to fully enjoy a day of hiking in intimate contact with the mountains. Hiking time 6 hours to heights of 2,800 metres, suitable for anyone in reasonable fitness.
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Day 6 – Bus or Flight Mendoza to Santiago de Chile

Depending upon the season we take a bus or flight from Mendoza to Santiago. The journey by bus takes about 8 hours, and is a spectacular one, over the spine of the scenic Andes. In winter, this route is not advised due to the possibility of snow/ icy conditions. In this case we travel by air. Private transfer from Santiago station to The Singular Hotel Santiago.

Note: This journey includes and international border crossing from Argentina into Chile.

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Day 7 - Afternoon Tour of Santiago

The experience begins with pick-up at your hotel. Your bilingual guide will lead you on a tour highlighting Santiago’s most important historical sites, including the downtown area surrounding the Plaza de Armas and the La Moneda Presidential Palace. You will also pass by the Mercado Central, one of Chile’s largest fresh seafood markets and stroll by the many bustling stalls to see the tremendous variety available from Chile’s bountiful sea. We visit some of the lesser-known barrios of Santiago including República and Concha y Toro, which were historically privileged neighborhoods and home to Santiago's high society. There will be time to walk around and take photos of the varied styles of architecture dating back to the 19th and early 20th century. Continuing through the cobblestoned Lastarria neighborhood, you will walk through the Parque Forestal and pass by the Bellas Artes Museum. For a panoramic vista of the city, you will visit the top of Cerro San Cristobal Hill, 984 feet above the city. During the tour, you will have the option to visit one of Santiago’s most famous museums, La Chascona, former home to beloved poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda. The whimsical residence provides a snapshot into the life and mind of Neruda, filled with art, eccentric collections, and even his Nobel Prize.

For dinner we recommend a visit to Boragó Restaurant to taste the Chilean wonders of award-winning chef Rodolfo Guzmán. Address: Av. San José María Escrivá de Balaguer.

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Day 8 – Flight to Calama – Awasi Atacama

Private transfer to Santiago Airport, flight to Calama and transfer to your hotel at San Pedro de Atacama. Awasi Hotel offers a host of activities which can be discussed and evaluated upon arrival. Below are some of our own daily favorites from our visits to our friends at this great hotel.

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Day 9 – Salar de Atacama - The Devil’s Throat

Today, we recommend an easy day and perhaps with a free morning and then some light excursions by evening. You can decide your exact excursions with your private guide.

Cejar Lake. The Salar de Atacama is the third largest salt flat on the planet. It is also special in its morphology, a product of the extreme aridity of climate. However, there are lakes deep at their heart, of high salinity, that possess curious and beautiful birdlife. In addition, exist plants that are extremely salt-tolerant. The Cejar and Piedras lakes are visited today. At Piedra, it is possible to bathe and enjoy an experience like that of the Dead Sea. Also, we visit the other nearby lakes of Los Ojos del Sal and Laguna Tebinquiche, both of great scenic beauty.

Another tour option today is a visit to The Devi’s Throat. The Cordillera de la Sal is composed of endless stream beds that mirror the landscape of the planet Mars. One of them stands out for the enormity of its walls of clay and gypsum. Here you can expect fantastic views behind every nook and cranny of the route which finishes at a great dry waterfall at the Devil’s Ravine or Devil’s Throat.

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Day 10 – Machuca - Tatio Geysers- Puritama Hot Springs Atacama

Machuca village is one of the few located above 4,000 meters which is still inhabited, in the region of Antofagasta. The ascent in a 4x4 truck is both quick and safe and allows one to almost touch the sky, in a landscape more fertile and richer in animals than the desert of San Pedro.There are excellent opportunities for bird watching in the town’s environs.

The Tatio Geysers are one of the biggest attractions in the country, being the largest geothermal field in the southern hemisphere, complete with an enormous variety of features, from small fumaroles and bubbling springs to beautiful fountains of water, like the geysers. In addition, from the road you can observe vicuñas, foxes, wild donkeys and flamingos, among many other species. You can visit panoramically (from the vehicle) or on foot, while there are also many diverse trails and alternative routes that can be taken. Here it is possible to bathe in an artificial swimming pool specially installed in the geothermal field.

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Day 11 – Láscar Volcano - Atacama

Láscar Volcano. This day is a challenge and for serious hikers only! The journey to the most emblematic volcano of the Northern Chile meanders and ascends by the village of Talabre. It continues on a dirt road towards the abandoned Huatiquina Pass, passing close to the beautiful Lake Lejía. The path to the summit is an enduring and rewarding trek, but not technically difficult. It is remarkable by its proximity to the crater of the volcano, from which it is possible to observe multiple smoking sulphur volcanic vents. A reasonably good level of fitness is essential for this trek. The summit of Láscar is 5,600 metres (18,372 feet) in height. Total duration 9- 10 hours with 4 -5 hours of high-altitude trekking.

Note: For those that prefer a less challenging day there are a host of other great options. Ask your travel adviser for details.

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Day 12 – Flight to Santiago de Chile. International Departure

Private transfer to Calama Airport. Flight to Santiago Airport and international departure.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (Henry David Thoreau).

TOUR INFORMATION

Our trips are tailor-made to suit your requirements. Contact a luxury Argentina Vacation expert for a comprehensive itinerary and pricing:

  • US$ 450+ per person per day (based on 5-star hotels)**
  • US$ 375 – 450 per person per day (based on 4-star hotels)**
  • US$ 325 – 375 per person per day (based on 3-star hotels)**

Included in the Price:

  • Guided excursions as described in itinerary.
  • Hotel nights + breakfasts.
  • Airport collections and drop-offs with check-in and baggage assistance.
  • 24 Hour emergency contact number and assistance (in-country).

Not Included in the Price:

  • International flights.
  • Domestic flight package (we can purchase these flights on your behalf).
  • Tips or gratuities.
  • Other meals not stated in the itinerary.
  • Travel insurance.

This trip can be taken all year around. Summertime in the Atacama Desert sees warmer temperatures (average 20 Dec / 68 Deg F), whilst the winter months are cooler (average 14 Dec / 57 Deg F). Mendoza is an excellent destination to visit all year round. Be sure to book early during the Harvest Festival (Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia), which typically takes place each year in the first 10 days of March.

Departure Dates:
Dates are flexible and customized to meet your needs. Let us know which dates work best for you and we will tailor the itinerary accordingly.

Suitability:
This luxury Argentina vacation package is suitable for all ages.

Difficulty:
Easy – Moderate.

Destinations Visited:

  • Buenos Aires
  • Mendoza
  • San Pedro de Atacama
  • Santiago de Chile.

Vacation Package Type:

  • Sightseeing
  • Gastronomy & Wine
  • Nature
  • Light-Adventure

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

Tell us about your travel plans, and let us hand-craft the perfect trip for you

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