Luxury Chile and Argentina: Simply Patagonia

Day 1

Arrive in Santiago. Transfer to hotel, afternoon walking tour of old Santiago.

Transfer from the airport to your classy boutique hotel in Santiago. It’s in the delightful bohemian quarter of Lastarria. Santiago is set in a broad valley between ranges of the Andes, with majestic snow-capped peaks, and a smaller coastal range with a distinctly Mediterranean feel. Santiago is a huge metropolis, a mix of the old and the contemporary, with quarters of tree-lined avenues and affluent tranquillity and others full of commercial bustle. Poorer districts sprawl on the outskirts.

You’ll have a guided walking tour of historic Santiago narrating the city’s evolution to the present-day metropolis of 5 million. Your guide will identify Santa Lucia Hill where Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia founded the settlement of Santiago de Nueva Extremadura on February 12th, 1541. Explore the Plaza de Armas (main square), nucleus of the city’s earliest urbanisation. Santiago’s cathedral, the main post office, and the city hall are all located around the square.

You’ll have a chance to linger in the Plaza de la Constitución, where the La Moneda government palace was the target of aerial bombardment in the 1973 coup which deposed the Marxist elected President Allende and brought General Pinochet to power. There should also be time for a glimpse of one of the oldest ‘barrios’ (neighbourhoods) of Santiago: Republica and Concha y Toro.

Stay at - The Singular Santiago

Day 2

Guided visit to Perez Cruz winery in the Maipo Valley.

Travel into the heartland of Chile’s wine growing region. Pirque in the Maipo Valley is home to several of the country’s top vineyards, thanks to its favourable climate and varied elevations here in the foothills of the Andes. It’s about an hour’s drive to the Perez Cruz winery, a family-run operation producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Petit Verdot, Syrah, and Malbec. You will have a tour around the bodega, the mezzanine floor and cellar followed by a tasting and lunch, usually taken at the atmospheric Tesoros del Chile restaurant situated in a quaint 19th century residence in Pirque .

Stay at - The Singular Santiago

Day 3

Fly to southern Patagonia. Transfer to your lodge in Torres del Paine National Park.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Punta Arenas (or Puerto Natales) in southern Patagonia. (4hrs). On a clear day you have other-worldly views of the swirling meringue of the southern icecap, its fjords, volcanoes and glaciers. Approaching Punta Arenas you see the rust-brown stain of the Patagonian steppes, pitted with small lagoons stretching out towards the Straits of Magellan.  The region’s fortunes were only briefly revived during a short-lived gold rush, and to add to its woes, the sheep-rearing business has never really recovered from the collapse of the price of meat and wool.

From the airport, drive into the awesome Torres del Paine National Park (5 hrs-ish, a wonderful wilderness where you’ll see silvery iceberg-dotted rivers, aquamarine lagoons and savagely wind-carved rocks, cliffs and ice-clad mountains. Guanacos (camelids) graze peacefully while ostriches scamper across the plains and condors soar above. The road takes you across inhospitable plains, battered by perpetual winds. The scenery becomes more dramatic as you approach the towering massif which looms up on the horizon. You’ll be staying at the park’s original luxury property, known for its exceptional setting and views, leisure facilities and sheer choice of excursions and outdoor activities.

Stay at - explora Torres del Paine

Days 4-6

Excursions from the hotel to explore the park.

The hotel has a superb location at Salto Chico (little waterfall) inside the national park with magnificent views. The exclusive and ground-breaking hotel introduced a new concept to wilderness exploration and accommodation – comfort, grace, a range of professionally-run excursions, sophisticated cuisine and even wine are all included in the price.

The hotel’s contemporary design, with light beech-wood flooring, wicker furniture and enormous picture windows overlooking the towering ice-mantled massif just outside, adds to the feeling of intimacy with the natural world, enjoyed from a vantage-point of warmth and friendliness. There’s an indoor swimming pool and several open-air hot tubs for the use of all guests. Other facilities include a spa, sauna, gym and TV room. A comprehensive programme offers guests up to five different options a day – either on foot, by van, horseback and launch. Each excursion is classified according to duration and fitness requirements and includes English-speaking guide, food and equipment.

Stay at - explora Torres del Paine

Day 7

Scenic drive across the border to El Calafate, Argentina.

It’s an all-day drive towards and over the frontier to Argentina across the bleak and scantily-populated Patagonian steppe, but the beauty of the mountainous scenery is staggering. In the afternoon you reach the shores of the milky turquoise Lago Argentino, and the little town of El Calafate.  Tourism in the last 20 years has transformed it into a bustling entrepôt for access to the nearby scenery of glaciers, lakes and impossibly steep peaks.

Stay at - EOLO

Day 8

Excursion to Perito Moreno Glacier with boat safari.

Guided excursion to Perito Moreno glacier. It’s an early morning departure from El Calafate to Los Glaciares national park, a 90 min drive to the walkways and viewing platform overlooking the glacier. The thundering shards of falling ice are a breathtaking spectacle as you pass at a safe distance along the walkway in front of the Canal de los Tempanos, which separates Brazo Rico from the main part of the lake. The glacier is 5km wide and stands 60m above the surface of the lake. Its ice masses are fed by the southern continental ice field from the west, and from other smaller surrounding glaciers.

Later, board the Safari Nautico or Moreno Fiesta launch for an hour-long cruise on the lake beneath the glacier, with a commentary. Alternatively, you can just walk and contemplate, away from the other visitors.

Stay at - EOLO

Day 9

Transfer to El Calafate airport, fly to Bariloche in the lake district, transfer to Villa La Angostura.

Transfer to El Calafate airport and fly to San Carlos de Bariloche, the main town in Argentina’s lake district, a popular yet unspoilt region of sleeping snow-stifled volcanoes, dark sapphire lakes fringed by dense forests, small Alpine-style towns and scenic drives. Its multitude of national parks offer outdoor activities from hiking to fishing and cycling to horse riding.

There’s a European-style cuisine of fondues, creamy cakes and cool blond Bavarian-inspired beers. Just over an hour from the city is Villa La Angostura, a small, appealing town on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. It’s a chic little place with a selection of gourmet restaurants and smart hotels. The town is a centre for skiing in winter (July and August), and walking in summer – set against a stunning backdrop of glacial green-blue lakes framed by the mountains of the Andes.

Stay at - Las Balsas Relais & Chateaux

Day 10

At leisure.

At leisure to enjoy the hotel’s facilities, excursions and activities. You’re truly immersed in the lake district here, and with its idyllic setting, gourmet restaurant and superb spa, you may not feel any need to wander far. Slightly further afield, you may choose to explore Los Arrayanes national park, and its boardwalks through a magical centenary myrtle forest.

Stay at - Las Balsas Relais & Chateaux

Day 11

Transfer to airport and fly to Buenos Aires.

Transfer to the airport and fly to Buenos Aires. The Argentine capital is an elegant, cultured and cosmopolitan city famed for its interesting museums and the fascinating port district of La Boca, with its cobbled streets and brightly painted houses. It was here that the tango was born, and Diego Maradona honed his footballing skills.

The centre of town is home to the colonial heartland, government buildings and churches, as well as chic shopping districts, which have a nostalgic Parisian feel. The bohemian quarter of San Telmo is full of quaint old houses interspersed with antiques shops, tango bars and classy restaurants. Slightly further out of the centre is the Recoleta district, even more evocative of the French influence, where Evita Perón was laid to rest.

Stay at - Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt

Day 12

Guided city highlights with visit to Teatro Colón. Evening tango show with dinner.

Your guided city overview takes you along Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest boulevards in the world and studded by the Obelisk, an emblematic symbol of the city. Along this majestic highway is the 19th century Teatro Colón (guided tour included) which, in terms of its architecture and design, as well as its excellent acoustics, is considered one of world’s best.

On to the Plaza de Mayo, enclosed on three sides by the Metropolitan cathedral, the Town Hall and the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. The tour continues to bohemian, arty La Boca, which was settled and built by Italian immigrants and has streets lined with brightly painted corrugated iron-clad houses.  Visit the district of Recoleta.

Evening guided visit to a tango show with dinner. The passage of time has given respectability to a dance once confined to the seedy underworld bars of the red-light La Boca district. Nowadays, a number of ‘tango houses’ offer a dinner and show as an evening out – prior to the performance you can even try out a few steps yourself as an informal group tango lesson is included. Rojo is among the most prestigious venues in Buenos Aires, with a burlesque twist to its interpretation of this inimitable art form of which Portenos are justifiably proud.

Stay at - Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt

Day 13

Transfer to airport for international flight home.

Transfer to the international airport.