Private Sightseeing Tours - Vineyards and Estancias of Chile ULCH01

8 Days : $3480 per person inclusive of superior rooms in superior hotels, all meals, personal wine expert, extensive wine tastings and private car and driver. Airfare is additional and we can assist you. Business Class airfare at special rates is available and highly recommended This program is created for those who admire Chile’s scenery, culture and most of all her wines. While you will visit the capital city and major coastal resorts, the emphasis is on the wine valleys guided by your own personal wine expert.

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 magnificent gardens 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 Vina del Mar/Valparaiso/Maipo Valley

After breakfast your driver will meet you and head for the central coast of Chile traveling through the Curacavi and Casablanca valleys. The Casablanca valley has recently received notice as an up and coming wine area. Arriving at the coast you visit the beach area of Renaca and the town of Vina del Mar, known as the garden city for its attractive parks and flower lined streets. You will visit the gaming casino and take a drive along the coastal road After an enjoyable seafood lunch at Restaurant Delicias del Mar, you continue to the picturesque port of Valparaiso built in the 16th century on 43 hills and reached by narrow winding streets, staircases and a series of funicular elevators. After exploring this UNESCO designated city you begin your vineyard exploration with a visit to the Maipo Valley, the oldest wine-producing valley in Chile and home to such well known labels as Concha y Toro, Santa Rita and Almaviva, a joint venture between Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Concha y Toro. You arrive at Vinery Vina Tarapaca where you will be spending the night in its 19 bedroom estate house. Here you will meet your personal wine expert who will conduct a wine tasting at the vineyard followed by a dinner at the estate house.

Day 4 Tarapaca/San Fernando/Santa Cruz

After Breakfast your personal wine expert will guide you as you head to the Colchagua Valley, commonly referred to as “Chile’s Napa Valley” because it produces some of the country’s most exciting wines. You will stop at Vina Casa Silva, the oldest and most traditional winery in the Colchagua Valley. You enjoy a personal wine tasting and lunch at the vineyards renowned restaurant before heading to the small town of Santa Cruz where you will overnight.

Day 5 Santa Cruz/ Cachapoal Valley/ Santa Rita

This morning your wine expert will take you for a visit to Vina Bisquerrt for a tour of the vineyard and some wine tasting. You then head to the Cachapoal valley which is quickly earning an international reputation for its premium Cabernets and Merlots. You will then spend some time at Hacienda Los Lingues where you will enjoy lunch. Held in the same family for over 400 years, the estate is like being transported back to colonial times. The buildings and décor are authentic and the grounds are home to a stable of registered “Acuelo” horses, first cousins of the famed Lipizzaner stallions. After an enjoyable visit you depart for your hotel which is located in the Santa Rita vineyards. An old estate house, it has been converted into a 16 room country retreat. You have time to enjoy a swim in the hotel’s pool before dinner.

Day 6 Santa Rita/Santiago

Your day starts with an extensive tour of the gardens, vineyards, bottling plants and the cellars of Santa Rita. Your personal wine expert is your guide supplemented by the Santa Rita wine makers. After a complete wine tasting you enjoy lunch at the hotel before saying goodbye to your wine expert, returning to Santiago and your hotel. After a chance to relax your driver will pick you up in the late afternoon to view Santiago in its nightly illumination. You will finish the tour in Barrio Bellavista where you will enjoy one of Santiago’s best restaurants Mesun Nerudiano named for Pablo Neruda, Santiago’s most well known poet. In the basement of the restaurant, Jazz is featured many nights.

Day 7 Santiago/ USA

After Breakfast your driver will pick you up at the hotel to visit some of Santiago’s finest museums including the Museum of Pre-Colombian Art and La Chascona, Pablo Neruda’s house. You will then be taken to the airport for your return flight to the US.

Day 8 Arrive in USA

You arrive back in the United States 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