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Archaeological & Ecological
Treasures
Galapagos - Machu Picchu
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Manu National Park
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Enchanted Isles of the Galapagos
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Historic Haciendas of the Andes
Cotopaxi - Antisana
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Atacama Desert & Torres del Paine
Hotel Explora en Patagonia,
Torres del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Hotel Explora.
Untamed landscapes...
-- Kimberly Fay, LuxuryLink.com
5-Star Luxury Tours
Sustainable Nature ToursSustainable Cultural ToursRegions of ChileMap
Land Price (14 days/13 nights)
De Luxe US$ 10,220 Imperial US$ 13,235 per person
The land price includes escorted transfers, private excursions with professional guides and chauffeurs, entrance fees, selected category of accommodations (De Luxe is shown first; if Imperial is different, it appears afterward in parenthesis), gourmet cuisine (see details), all land and water transportation, and travel insurance for guests through the age of 59 years (over that age, there is a supplementary fee). All prices are per person based on two people sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services, see Opulent Itineraries. Season: September through March.
Intra-Tour Flights & Fares
Air fares are in addition to the land price.
Santiago - Calama - Santiago & Santiago - Punta Arenas - Santiago
El Tatio Geysers, Atacama
Desert, Chile.
Photo:
Jorge Tutor. Luxury Chile Tours & Luxury Chile Travel.
This study of natural beauty in extreme environments begins in the Atacama Desert, the driest on earth, but where one confronts the paradox of its unusual manifestations of water. First is the oasis of San Pedro de Atacama, the center of a Paleolithic civilization that built impressive rock fortresses on the steep mountains encircling the green valley. Nearby is the eerily silent landscape of the Valley of the Moon, with its small but exquisite salt ponds and backdrop of snow-capped volcanoes. At the huge Atacama Salt Lake, an inland sea formed millions of years ago, it's a unique experience to view the vast plain of salt crusts formed of octagonally-shaped crystals, with lagoons reflecting the volcanoes. Finally, there are El Tatio Geysers, a geothermal field of fumaroles, small geysers and multicolored craters. So many forms of water in the world's driest desert!
The grand finale of our tour is at hand as we head ever further south, until we're not far from the end of the world. Driving through the pampas steppes of Patagonia's Magellan Province, we begin to encounter distinctive fauna -- ostriches, foxes, skunks, ducks, black-necked swans, flocks of flamingos, condors, eagles and herds of guanacos. Going back quite a few millennia at the Milodon Cave, we see the remains of a giant sloth that lived there around 12,000 years ago. The Paine massif, Almirante Nieto and the Torres del Paine come into view as we pass by the Amarga Lagoon and Lake Pehoe. Soon, we will be hiking in the Torres del Paine National Park; bewitched by its lakes, waterfalls and spires. After navigating Lago Grey past icebergs to massive glaciers, we return to Santiago.
Proceeding to the Santa Rita Vineyard, one of the famous vineyards that surround the capital; we wander in the antique botanical garden, have a gourmet dinner and stay in a suite of the century-old owner's mansion. In the morning, tour the vineyards and winery before winetasting and lunch in the Restaurante Doña Paula, a national monument. In the afternoon, visit one of the Concha y Toro vineyards on the way to the airport for your flight home.
Our chosen hotels embody luxury and history. You will stay in the finest establishment at each destination, enjoying a deluxe room in our De Luxe category or a suite in our Imperial category (there may be exceptions -- see the itinerary for the exact accommodations). The architecturally acclaimed Hotel Explora en Atacama and the Hotel Explora en Patagonia provide an exquisite setting for fully appreciating the grand, natural beauty of Chile. In Santiago, our hotel is the 5-star The Aubrey and in the Central Valley, the 5-star Hotel Casa Real of the historic Santa Rita Vineyard.
What our guests have to say:
Many magical memories created...
-- Donna & Barry Burtis
We greatly enjoyed the trip...
-- Rich & Becky Zahren
-- Glenn and Linda Thompson
-- David Waller
The Explora. What can we say? It was exquisite!
-- K. Ebel and S. Root
-- K. Ebel & S. Root
What Luxury Link has to say about Hotel Explora.
Grey Glacier, Torres
del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.
Photo: Tony Costa.
Highlights
Santiago
Day 1: Flight to Santiago de Chile. International arrival in the afternoon or evening, reception and transfer to your hotel. Dinner (on your own) at Pasta E Vino. Overnight in the 5-star The Aubrey -- Habitación Marinelli (or Terraza Room with Private Terrace).
Day 2: Santiago (Colonial Architecture & Museums). City tour, admiring the colonial monuments of Santa Lucía Hill, La Iglesia de San Francisco and El Palacio de la Moneda; the Plaza de Armas, and the Catedral Metropolitana. Lunch at Akarana. Afternoon visits to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, the 19th century Palacio Cousiño and Bellavista, the Bohemian quarter, to see La Chascona, once the home of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. Dine at Astrid y Gastón. Return to your hotel. Overnight in the 5-star The Aubrey -- Habitación Marinelli (or Terraza Room with Private Terrace).
Atacama Desert
Intra-tour flight to Calama, 7:00 am - 9:05 am, Lan Chile 344
Day 3: Santiago - San Pedro de Atacama. Departure to the airport. Flight to Calama. Reception and the hotel's semi-private transfer to San Pedro de Atacama. Your four-night stay includes semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic; entrance fees; accommodation with use of all hotel facilities and transportation for exploration, including saunas, pool, horses and bicycles; and three meals per day with wine, drinks or soft drinks. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Atacama -- Yali Room (or Catur Suite).
Days 4, 5 & 6: Hotel Explora en Atacama. Your choice of the hotel's desert explorations. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Atacama -- Yali Room (or Catur Suite).
Santiago
Intra-tour flight to Santiago, 6:00 pm - 7:55 pm, Lan Chile 353
Day 7: San Pedro de Atacama - Santiago. Desert explorations. The hotel's semi-private transfer to the Calama airport. Flight to Santiago. Reception and transfer to your hotel. . Dine on fusion Chilean cuisine at El Mesón Nerudiano. Overnight in the 5-star The Aubrey -- Habitación Marinelli (or Terraza Room with Private Terrace).
Torres del Paine
Intra-tour flight to Punta Arenas, 7:30 am - 11:50 am, Lan Chile 081
Day 8: Santiago - Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine. Transfer to the airport. Flight to Punta Arenas. The city was once the boomtown of southern Chile because of the trade passing through the Strait of Magellan. Arrival, reception and transfer to the Torres del Paine National Park. Snack on the way. Driving through the typical pampas steppes of Patagonia's Magellan Province, we begin to encounter distinctive fauna. The Paine massif, Almirante Nieto and the Torres del Paine come into view as we pass by the Amarga Lagoon and Lake Pehoe. Finally, we arrive at the Hotel Explora. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Patagonia -- Cordillera Paine Room (or Suite Exploradores).
Days 9, 10 & 11: Hotel Explora en Patagonia. The architecture of Explora is designed to bring its guests into intimate contact with the magnificent natural world of the remote Patagonian Peninsula. Your four-night stay includes semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic; entrance fees; the use of all hotel facilities and transportation for exploration, including saunas, heated lap pool, outdoor jacuzzis, horses and rowboat; and three meals per day with wine, drinks or soft drinks. The hotel's explorations include contemplative activities like bird watching, photography, trekking and horseback riding. The fifteen explorations, which provide intimate contact with the wonders of the park, are intended to present the mysterious beauty of each site. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Patagonia -- Cordillera Paine Room (or Suite Exploradores).
Santiago
Intra-tour flight to Santiago, 4:25 pm - 8:40 pm, Lan Chile 284
Day 12: Torres del Paine - Puerto Natales - Punta Arenas - Santiago (Santa Rita Vineyard). Transfer toward Punta Arenas, admiring the magnificent scenery. Snack on the way. Arrival at the airport. Flight to Santiago. Reception and transfer to the historic Santa Rita Vineyard. Stroll the grounds before enjoying a gourmet dinner. Farewell dinner and overnight in the 5-star Hotel Casa Real -- Suite.
Home
Day 13: Santiago (Santa Rita Vineyard - Concha y Toro Vineyard). In the morning, visit the vineyards and winery. Afterward, have a typical lunch with wine in the Restaurante Doña Paula, a national monument. Afternoon tour of one of the Concha y Toro vineyards before transferring to the Santiago airport for your Overnight Flight Home.
Day 14: Santiago - Home. Flight and arrival home.
Details
New and old on the Plaza
de Armas, Santiago, Central Valley.
Photo: Radek Tezaur.
Day 1: Flight to Santiago de Chile
International arrival this afternoon or evening in Santiago, the capital of Chile. Reception and escorted transfer to your hotel. Dinner (on your own) of Italian fusion cuisine by chef Veronica Alfageme at internationally-acclaimed Pasta E Vino. Overnight in the The Aubrey.
Atacama Desert.
Photo: Miranda Loh.
Day 2: Santiago (Colonial Architecture & Museums)
Breakfast. Begin a cultural tour of the city by heading west on the Alameda, the main avenue, to the lavishly landscaped Santa Lucía Hill, where Santiago was founded on behalf of the Spanish crown by Pedro de Valdivia in 1540. Pass the 16th century La Iglesia de San Francisco and the 18th century El Palacio de la Moneda (originally the Royal Mint) on your way toward the old neighborhoods of Santiago. Afterward, cross Santiago's Plaza de Armas or main square, which dates back to 1541 and is surrounded by historic structures, notably the 18th century Catedral Metropolitana. Lunch at Akarana. Afternoon visits to the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, the 19th century Palacio Cousiño and Bellavista, the Bohemian quarter, to see La Chascona, once the home of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda. Dine on the gourmet fusion cuisine of chefs Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche at Astrid y Gastón. Overnight in the The Aubrey.
Huge sand dune in the
Valley of the Moon, Atacama Desert.
Photo: Richard Alleman.
Day 3: Santiago - San Pedro de Atacama
Breakfast. Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Calama. Upon arrival, reception and the hotel's semi-private transfer to the 5-star Explora in San Pedro de Atacama, an unusually colorful village, 2,440 meters above sea level and surrounded by a green oasis. Your four-night stay includes semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic; entrance fees; accommodation with use of all hotel facilities and transportation for exploration, including saunas, pool, horses and bicycles; and three meals per day with wine, drinks or soft drinks. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Atacama.
Hotel Explora en Atacama
Hotel Explora en Atacama, San Pedro de Atacama, Atacama Desert.
Photo: jungle luxe.
In the hotel, natural and cultural life of the remote
are reunited and made hospitable through architecture,
revealing something meaningful for visitors.
-- German Del Sol, architect of Hotel Explora en Atacama
Days 4, 5 & 6: Hotel Explora en Atacama
Breakfast. Your choice of semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Atacama.
The Hotel Explora en Atacama lies ouside a small town, San Pedro de Atacama, in the remote, sparsely populated Atacama Desert of northern Chile, one of the driest places on earth. The town was founded by Spanish conquerors in the center of a 34,000-acre (13,765 hectare) cultivated oasis inhabited by indigenous peoples for over 3,000 years. According to Chilean architect German Del Sol, designer of the hotel, the siting of the building about one kiometer outside of the town follows a pre-Columbian tradition of placing buildings in open spaces away from towns so that they relate directly to the landscape rather than to the grid of streets, as they do in the European tradition.
Del Sol's approach to planning this hotel was inspired by the power of the Atacama landscape as well. He notes, "When I asked the owner of a field in San Pedro for a measurement, he warned me that the measurement could be very imprecise, for he understood his possession to be richer than a piece of land that could be measured. Later, I realized that to allow the culture and nature of Atacama to influence my architecture, I should not approach it logically but rather poetically. In the hotel, natural and cultural life of the remote are reunited and made hospitable through architecture, revealing something meaningful for visitors."
Laguna Meñiques,
Atacama Desert.
Photo:
Jorge Tutor.
Made primarily of wood, reinforced concrete, and ceramic brick -- concrete and brick have the same aesthetic qualities as adobe but can withstand earthquakes, notes the architect -- the sculpted, elegantly minimal hotel offers a uniquely poetic vision of remote hospitality. It is at once strikingly modern, unpretentiously comfortable, and fully in tune with the rugged beauty of the desert and the indigenous architecture. Situated in the ayllu (neighborhood) of de Larache, one of the myriad ancient ayllus that dot the San Pedro oasis, the hotel's two-story main building contains the significant public spaces; fifty-two guest rooms of 350 square feet (33 square meters) each are housed in a series of linked one-story wings extending from the ends of the main building.
Valley of the Moon,
Atacama Desert, Chile.
Photo: Servicio Nacional de Turismo, Chile. Luxury
Chile Tours & Luxury Chile Travel.
The wings enclose an angular open plaza at the core of the property. A separate building contains stables while several small, freestanding, cubist volumes near the hotel's four pools, positioned well away from the hotel buildings, house saunas. The primary exterior colors are white and natural wood and earth tones, with highlight splashes of muted blues and golds on doors, window and wall trim, the saunas, and outdoor furniture. The colors, like the materials, are imperfect, imprecise, meant to reflect the effects of time and weather. "Imprecision is alive with suggestions," in the words of the architect...
Every piece of furniture in the hotel was designed and made by artisans from all over Chile. The arts and crafts decorating the hotel, and for sale in the shop, are also native to Chile, linking the hotel to the Atacama culture and other indigenous cultures. This boldly designed project occupies 42 acres (17 hectares) of land comprising twenty properties that had been held in the same families for centuries. Del Sol left traces of those families on the land and found inspiration in the colors and forms that have shaped this place since ancient times. In doing so, he made a timeless, ruggedly beautiful new hotel.
-- jungle luxe, Justin Henderson, 2000
Valley of the Moon,
Atacama Desert, Chile
Photo: Servicio Nacional de Turismo, Chile. Luxury
Chile Tours & Luxury Chile Travel.
Services
Each room has a jacuzzi. There is room service, a game room, laundry, library, outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, outdoor jacuzzis and stables.
Explorations menu (35 in total)
Exploration to Machuca
Hike to Guatin
Hike to Puritama, Guatin
Visit to Quitor and Catarpe
Quebrada del Diablo
Hike from Valle de la Muerte to Quitor
Valle de la Luna
Toconao
Salar de Atacama (salt lake)
Laguna Leija
El Tatio Geysers
Salt pond, Valley of
the Moon, Atacama Desert.
Photo: Astrid and Damien Degros.
Day 7: San Pedro de Atacama - Santiago
Breakfast. Desert explorations. Early this evening, the hotel's semi-private transfer to the airport for the return flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel. At El Mesón Nerudiano, dine on fusion Chilean cuisine by chef Jorge Morales, who is inspired by the favorite dishes of beloved poet Pablo Neruda. Overnight in the The Aubrey.
Cuernos Mountains and
Lake Pehoe, Torres del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Radek Tezaur.
Day 8: Santiago - Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine
Breakfast. Early transfer to the airport for the flight to Punta Arenas. The city was once the boomtown of southern Chile because of the trade passing through the Strait of Magellan, a passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific discovered in 1520 by Ferdinand Magellan during his search for a western route to the Spice Islands (India, Ceylon and the Moluccas). Punta Arenas is still filled with buildings erected in its glory days -- mansions now converted to hotels and government buildings. Arrival, reception and transfer to the Torres del Paine National Park. Snack on the way.
Driving through the typical pampas steppes of Patagonia's Magellan Province, we begin to encounter distinctive fauna -- the native ostrich, called the ñandu, black-necked swans, flocks of flamingos, condors and eagles. Arrival at the picturesque city of Puerto Natales, situated on the banks of the Bay of Ultima Esperanza, or Last Hope. After the border crossing at Cerro Castillo, look up to the sky -- we are entering condor territory. As we get closer to the park, we see the first guanacos, which will accompany us for the next few hours.
Riders, Torres del Paine,
Patagonia.
Photo:
Radek Tezaur.
The Paine massif, Almirante Nieto and the Torres del Paine come into view as we pass by the Amarga Lagoon and Lake Pehoe. Arrival at the 5-star Hotel Explora en Patagonia, where your four-night stay includes semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic; entrance fees; the finest accommodation -- a Suite Exploradores -- with use of all hotel facilities and transportation for exploration, including saunas, heated lap pool, outdoor jacuzzis, horses and rowboat; and three meals per day with wine, drinks or soft drinks. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Patagonia.
Hotel Explora en Patagonia
Hotel Explora en Patagonia,
Torres del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Hotel Explora.
Days 9, 10 & 11: Hotel Explora en Patagonia
Breakfast. Your choice of semi-private explorations daily with a professional guide and a picnic. Dinner and overnight in the Hotel Explora en Patagonia.
The architecture of Explora is designed to bring its guests into intimate contact with the magnificent natural world of the remote Patagonian Peninsula. The 30-room Hotel Salto Chico, located on a remarkable site on the shores of Lake Pehoe, was built to provide a convenient departure point for explorations of the surrounding national park. Careful consideration has been given to every amenity to ensure comfort, including bed linen imported from Barcelona, tapestries from New York and wicker furniture from Chimbarongo.
Hotel Explora en Patagonia,
Torres del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Hotel Explora.
Services & facilities
Amenities include a general store, library, video-game room, open-air jacuzzis, saunas, a gymnasium, heated swimming pool, private dock and assigned lockers for each room, located at the entrance of the hotel, for the safekeeping of all exploration gear. There is a restaurant, bar and room service. There are in-room telephones with national and international direct-dial service (fax service is also available), a satellite dish for communication access to Chile and the world, meeting rooms to accommodate up to 60 people, radio communication with all exploration vehicles, laundry service and babysitting service.
Grey Glacier, Torres
del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Radek Tezaur.
Activities & explorations
The hotel's explorations include contemplative activities like bird watching, photography, trekking and horseback riding. The programs are centered on Torres del Paine National Park. The fifteen explorations, which provide intimate contact with the wonders of the park, are intended to present the mysterious beauty of each site.
Each exploration is designed for persons of normal physical condition and is classified according to duration and fitness requirements. Five explorations are offered each day, and the experienced guides suggest those best suited to the interests and the exertion level of each guest. The expeditions include a picnic lunch and are limited to ten guests plus the guide.
It is recommended that the following items be brought on the treks: a parka or waterproof windbreaker, waterproof trousers (long underwear or thermal underwear is advisable in some cases), high-quality hiking boots (leather or waterproof fabric), comfortable gloves and a hat to protect from the wind, sunglasses with fasteners, lip protection, sneakers and a still camera or video camera.
Navigation to Grey Glacier,
with boat in distance, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile.
Photo: Radek
Tezaur.
Explorations menu
Hike to the Peninsula of Lago Grey
Hike to Glacier de Grey & Crossing of Lago Grey
Horseback Riding to Laguna Verde
Hike to Las Alturas del Toro
Picnic at Laguna Azul
Barbecue in Quincho at Laguna Azul
Hike to Mirador de Nordenskjold
Hike to Mirador del Toro
Hike through Las Cornisas
Hike to Laguna Verde
Hike to the Glacier del Valle del Frances
Horseback Riding in the Valle del Frances
Hike to the Base of Torres del Paine
Torres del Paine, Patagonia.
Photo: Radek
Tezaur.
Day 12: Torres del Paine - Puerto Natales - Punta Arenas - Santiago (Santa Rita Vineyard)
Breakfast. Transfer toward Punta Arenas, admiring the magnificent scenery. Snack on the way. Upon reaching the airport, board the flight to Santiago. Afternoon arrival, reception and transfer to the historic Santa Rita Vineyard. At various times in its history, the winery has been an important cultural, political and spiritual center. The imposing manor house and its splendid park still retain echoes of magnificent receptions, memories of important visitors and many of the themes which inspired prominent Chilean artists of the time.
The old, master house, owned by Domingo Fernandez Concha, who founded Viña Santa Rita, has a 100-acre park created in 1882 by Guillermo Renner, a French landscape designer. The largest bougainvillea in the Americas and hundred-year-old trees of the most diverse varieties -- chestnut, cedar, olive, almond, orange and lemon -- dress and perfume this peerless park. Innumerable statues, some of mythological inspiration and others representing the four seasons, accompany the visitor, showing the beauty of each corner offered by this immense and magnificent garden, cared for by 15 gardeners.
The century-old, family mansion is now the 12-room, 5-star Hotel Casa Real. Stroll the grounds before enjoying a gourmet dinner. Farewell dinner and overnight in the 5-star Hotel Casa Real.
One of the Concha y Toro vineyards in the Maipo Valley.
Photo: Servicio Nacional de Turismo, Chile. Luxury Chile Tours & Luxury Chile Travel.
Day 13: Santiago (Santa Rita Vineyard - Concha y Toro Vineyard)
Breakfast. In the morning, visit the vineyards and winery. Afterward, have a typical lunch with wine in the Restaurante Doña Paula, a national monument. The building served as a refuge for General Bernardo O'Higgins, a founding father of the country, and his soldiers during their fight for independence from Spain in the mid 1800s, and is now a national monument. Afternoon tour of one of the Concha y Toro vineyards before transferring to the Santiago airport for your Overnight Flight Home.
Day 14: Santiago - Home
Flight and arrival home.
Extraordinary explorations.
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