Luxury Guided Tours - High Desert to Broad Pampas ULAR02

15 Days : $8,145 per person inclusive of superior rooms in superior hotels, all meals, personal guides and private car and driver. airfare is additional and we can assist you. Business Class airfare at special rates is available and highly recommended Be prepared for your senses to be challenged and enhanced. Your experience starts in the Chilean Altiplano where you explore the high desert from your luxury all-inclusive resort. For a change of pace we fly you to central Argentina and the center of its wine growing region. After sampling the vintages you fly to southern Patagonia where you explore the Patagonian landscape by boat, 4WD and on foot. Your experience ends with a gaucho barbecue on the Argentinean pampas and the sophistication of Buenos Aires.

Day 1 Depart USA

Your adventure begins with an overnight flight to Santiago. Dinner and Breakfast on Board.

Day 2 Santiago Exploration

Upon arrival and after passing though arrival formalities your driver will meet you and escort you to your deluxe hotel located in one of Santiago's best residential areas. After an opportunity to freshen up, your guide will pick you up for a personalized tour of the city including Moneda Palace and Plaza de Armas. You will drive down Parque Forestal which is modeled on the Champs d'Elysees and continue to the bohemian area of Bellavista where you climb San Cristobal Hill for a panoramic view of the city with the Andes Mountains creating a breathtaking back drop. Dinner is at your hotel this evening.

Day 3 Calama and the Altiplano

After breakfast, your car and driver are waiting to take you to the airport for the flight to Calama in Northern Chile. Upon arrival a guide from Explora Atacama will meet you and take you to the Explora lodge located near the town of San Pedro de Atacama. The main purpose of the Explora concept is to expose travelers to unique experiences, in this case the desert. The lodge is all-inclusive including delicious meals, wines, drinks, beer and soft drinks and all activities led by qualified guides and in small groups. Upon your arrival you may wish to take a dip in one of the four connecting pools or use the Jacuzzi available in each room.

Day 4 Trekking in Atacama

Explorations in Atacama will allow you to become acquainted with the multiple aspects of this region and have been designed to allow for gradual acclimatization to the altitude. All activities are both included and optional. They include high mountain climbing (for the fit and hardy), horseback riding, mountain biking and trekking. We have laid out a suggested program but you are free to select any activity with which you feel comfortable. Horseback riding requires a comfort level in the saddle and the property offers early morning lessons for those who want to try this endeavor at the end of their stay. Today, we suggest a moderate trek with an experienced guide including a gourmet picnic. you then return to the lodge for a swim and a relaxing dinner.

Days 5- 6 Exploring Atacama

For these two days you can choose a more expansive trek or perhaps a tour by mountain bike offering new vistas for exploration. Those that feel comfortable may want to try a horseback ride and some others may want to sit by the pool with a good book. It is a matter of personal choice.

Day 7 From the Desert to the Vineyards

You prepare to leave Atacama for the rolling vineyards of Argentina. Hopefully you have learned more about the high desert and, perhaps, yourself for the Altiplano is a metaphor more than a geographical entity. More than a physical exploration, the trip through the Altiplano is a spiritual exploration inside oneself. The Altiplano shows that beyond the complexity of life there exists a simplicity that leads us to reconsider our place within the grand scheme of things. As you ponder this you are transported to the airport for the flight to Mendoza and your deluxe hotel in the wine country.

Day 8 The Wineries of Lujan de Cuyo

Today you will spend the day sampling some of Argentina's finest wines. You start with Ruca Malen which is owned by Jean Pierre Thibaud the former president of Chandon Argentina. The winery has the capacity to produce 300,000 bottles per year and its vintages represent the potential of the local terroir enhanced by the traditional winemaking style. you will enjoy a special guided tasting plus a delicious lunch accompanied by the great wines of the winery. After lunch you are driven to Bodegas Tapiz, one of the best places for growing the indigenous Malbec grape. Formerly owned by Kendall-Jackson, the property is today owned by the Ortiz family of Buenos Aires. During your visit you will have the chance to meet the winemakers and walk along the vines; you will taste the wines from the tanks and at the cellar. You end your day with a visit to Alta Vista owned by the d'Aulan family; the former Piper-Heidseick champagne makers came to Argentina in the 1980's and created Alta Vista. You will sample the results of their efforts.

Day 9 Journey to Southern Patagonia

Today you journey further south in Patagonia down to the point of South America shared with Chile and close to Antarctica. You will land at Calafate where you are transferred to your accommodations maintaining the quality enjoyed so far. You have the chance to rest for the exciting days ahead.

Day 10 Exploring the Perito Moreno Glacier

After a hearty breakfast you begin your full day exploration of the Perito Moreno Glacier. You will start by driving to the catwalks where you can view the glacier and hear ice crack and roar as it "calves" from the main glacier into the lake. You then board a boat for the short ride from Bajo de las Sombras across the Brazo Rico to disembark on the other side. After a short walk through birch forests along the lake shore, your guides will help you put on crampons prior to starting your unforgettable walk on the glacier itself. Your specialized guides will take you across the glacier viewing crevices, underground rivers, cascades and ice caves of iridescent blue hues. Soon you will get to the shelter where lunch will be served. Finally you return by boat navigating very close to the Southern Face of the glacier listening to the crack and roar of the ice.

Day 11 Land of the Condors

You have an early departure to Puerto Banderas where you board a boat for the trip to Estancia Cristina. Breakfast will be served on board while you navigate the western front of the Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers. You will dock at Estancia Christina a remote outpost established by British settlers at the beginning of the 20th Century. This is one of the most remote Patagonian Valleys and you are likely to see Condors, the world's largest birds. You board a 4WD which takes you to Upsala outlook where a short trek allows you the opportunity to see the Lago Guillermo and the oriental front of the glacier. A Patagonian lamb barbecue will be served at an antique sheep shearing house followed by a guided walk explaining the sheep and wool tradition in Estancia Cristina and Patagonia. Ironically, sheep are no longer permitted inside the National Park. Your expedition ends back at the Estancia Christina main house where you board the ship for your return to Calafate

Day 12 The Sophistication and Soul of Buenos Aires

After breakfast you head to the airport for the flight to Argentina's capital. Buenos Aires is, undoubtedly, the Latin American city that best resembles the cosmopolitan and aristocratic atmosphere of the big European capitals both Paris and Madrid come to mind. But beyond this Buenos Aires, there lies another one, holding the small colored houses of La Boca and the popular tango that lives in San Telmo streets. This is the mixture that makes the city an original and irresistible metropolis.

With your private guide you view the city's highlights and delve into its history and culture. In the evening you dine at El Viejo Almacen the location, where, it is said, the Tango was born. It has also been said that only in Buenos Aires could the Tango be born. Only in this haunting city of immigrants could music of such emotional depth spring forth and take hold of a population Tonight you enjoy a musical ode to feelings of longing, passion and love as the sights and sounds of the Tango fill your senses.

Day 13 A Day on the Pampas

Today your driver will take you to the "gaucho" town of San Antonio de Areco which is located on the Argentinean Pampas about 70 miles from Buenos Aires. A Gaucho is the name given to Argentinean cowboys and as you will have learned by now, Argentineans love their beef whether it be steaks, sausages or any other part of the cow. You have the chance to enjoy the countryside and the gaucho way of life as we visit Estancia La Bamba where you have the option of horse riding or riding in a sulky. You enjoy a typical Argentinean barbecue cooked over hot embers and served with fine Argentinean wines. In a way it has all come together, the horseback riding learned or polished at Explora, a new-found knowledge of Argentinean wines and the source of the magnificent beef. You enjoy the convergence.

Day 14 A Farewell to Buenos Aires

Today, your last day in Buenos Aires and Argentina we give you a more personal view of the city. You will view the famous Teatro Colon Opera House, visit the French- influenced Recoleta and take a relaxing walk through Palermo Woods. A quiet lunch precedes your drive to the airport for the return flight to the USA.

Day 15 Arrival in the USA

You arrive back in the USA at breakfast time.

Services Included

•       Transfers and sightseeing by private helicopter or aircraft as indicated on the itinerary

•       Superior Rooms at the properties indicated in the accommodations area (We reserve the right to substitute a property of equal quality in advance of departure should the designated hotel be unavailable)

•       Private Transfers to and from the airport at destination

•       All meals as indicated on the itinerary by B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner

•Entrance fees to all museums, attractions and other venues as indicated on the daily itinerary

•       Private guides for city explorations and private driver/guide while traveling.

•       Baggage handling at all hotels and camps

•       All applicable taxes and service fees

Services Not Included

•       International airfare (round-trip from hometown departure gateway to destination)

•       Beverages with included meals (unless otherwise indicated on itinerary page)

•       Any meals not indicated on the Itinerary page

•       Items of a personal nature e.g. minibar, film, postcards etc.

•       Gratuities to Guides and Driver/Guides (we provide suggested guidelines for your selected destination in your pre-departure material)

•       Any passport or visa fees or government departure taxes (It is the traveler’s responsibility to secure the latest information regarding passports and visa requirements)

Available Year Round