This is truly a great trip for anyone who has an amateur interest in wine and food. We don’t pretend to be professional wine connoisseurs, however e do aim to provide rather a unique way to travel and visit Chile and Argentina with an emphasis on the great variety of wine trails and cuisine with breath taking scenery along the way. and experiencing all that this beautiful region has to offer.
Accommodation is in cozy family owned hotels, B&B’s and wineries, with private facilities and a great ambiance. It’s a physically undemanding trip, however some travel days in Chile can be long and you will need to be able to manage your own bags from buses to taxis and hotels. We travel on a variety of transport from hired mini vans to public buses which are usually very comfortable, large coaches with reclining seats. As the emphasis is on seeing the countryside and doing the wine trails, we only fly the longest sectors between Buenos Aires – Mendoza and Bariloche - Buenos Aires.
Tour Highlights:
- Feel the passion of a spectacular Buenos Aires Tango Show
Bohemian port of Valparaiso and its street art
- Vintage wine train with Chilean Folklore and traditional cuisine
- Superb tastings at boutique wineries and prestigious labels
- Volcanoes, hot springs and lakes of the Chilean Lake District
- Meet the winemakers as they take you through the winemaking process
- Indulge in delicious wine matching cuisine
- The famous lakes crossing over the Andes from Chile to Argentina
- 3 highlight dinners with wine and 3 regional lunches with wine
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Buenos Aires. Your first taste of this stunningly vibrant Latin American city begins with a short orientation meeting in the evening followed by a welcome dinner of Argentinian Asado (BBQ).
Day 2: This morning we fly to the Argentinean wine region of Mendoza nestled at the foot of South America’s highest mountain, Aconcagua. This balmy city has a very relaxed feel that lends itself to wandering the tree lined avenues.
Day 3: Our full day wine tour takes us around 90km south, to Valle de uco and a start at the fantastic Salentein winery for our first tasting. After that, we travel to a variety of wineries that showcase their superb Malbec wines and indulge in a delicious lunch.
Day 4: Our full day tour to Lujan de Cuyo: is the most important wine region in Mendoza. The best Malbec in Argentina is in this region, at about 20km from the city of Mendoza where you will taste exquisite wines of the region and be served a multi course wine matching lunch.
Day 5: This morning we embark on a spectacular journey over the Andes range by bus to the Chilean capital of Santiago. To stretch our legs in the late afternoon we'll take a short walking tour of the City Center.
Day 6: Valparaiso, with over one and a half million inhabitants, is the "port of Santiago" and the most important Chilean port. An enchanting and bohemian city with funicular railways that tirelessly climb and descend the hills that command a view of the pretty harbour. You'll be amazed by the graffiti or street art of Valparaiso, which has become famous in its own right. Today our winery visit is in the Casablanca area.
Day 7: After breakfast you will be taken to San Fernando 140km south of Santiago. where the Wine Train will carry you back to the time. An old steam engine which was one of the last models constructed in Chile in 1913. On board the Wine Train you will enjoy a wine tasting with great colchaguino appetizers, accompanied by Chilean Folklore with popular songs. Arriving in Santa Cruz you will visit a vineyard and learn about the cultivation, production and art of tasting. Later you’ll visit the museum “Museo de Colchagua” The exposition shows largely a pre-Colombian art collection of Chile, Peru and Colombia as well as archaeological collections.
Day 8: We spend the day on the “Ruta del Vino del Valle de Colchagua” in other words, the winery route of the Colchagua valley. This is group of wineries, have banded together to offer this great little tour. We visit some of the most interesting of the wineries in the valley which may include: Vina Viu Manet, and Vina Bisquertt.
Days 9-10: Transfer from Santa Cruz to Talca in the heart of the Maule Valley, the wine growing region with the largest extension of vineyards totaling over 46,000hectares under cultivation. Most vineyards here produce red wines like carmenere, malbec, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. You will spend the next two nights at the Casona de las Chilcas on the Vina San Rafael a lovely boutique hotel built in 1920 with only 9 rooms and a very relaxing and personal atmosphere. Enjoy the winery, it’s excellent wines and a special highlight dinner. The next day our tour takes us to the Maule Valley’s rustic wineries. This is very much a local experience in a less commercialized area and offers an interesting look into the smaller wineries of Chile.
Day 11: Today we leave behind the wine regions and continue south by comfortable long distance coach along the western slopes of the Andes, to the picturesque Chilean Lakes District and the gorgeous resort town of Pucon. It sits at the foot of the Villarica Volcano and has a focus on outdoor activities such as rafting, horse riding, fishing and for the more active, climbing the volcano itself, the choice is yours.
Day 12: A welcome free day to experience the variety of activities that Pucon has to offer, from climbing Villarica volcano, to horse riding though lush farm country, rafting the Trancura river, fly fishing or soaking in the hot springs of Thermas de Huife. We spend the evening at the hot springs soaking our well-traveled bodies in some lovely outdoor hot pools.
Day 13: Our journey now takes us through the lush green dairy pastures of Chilean Patagonia as we come to the lakeside town of Puerto Varas. This is a fantastic place to sample the local seafood and soak up the spectacular views of the Osorno Volcano, which dominate the landscape.
Day 14: Truly one of the highlights of the trip. Feel like a pioneer as we embark on the spectacular Lakes crossing to Argentina. A combination of boats and buses over the mighty Andes, sailing on lakes of every imaginable color with magnificent peaks and volcanoes on each side.
Day 15: Experience the magnificent national park and short hiking trails which are easily accessible on a organized trip called the Circuito Chico (small circuit) to some of the areas most spectacular lookouts, including a chairlift for a birds eye view of the surrounding lakes and mountains. On our way back to Bariloche we may have time to stop at one of the well known boutique breweries to sample their delicious beers before catching our afternoon flight back to the capital Buenos Aires.
Day 16: A final day in this vibrant city. We visit the colorful La Boca district and the leafy suburb of Recoleta. Then you have free time to do some last minute shopping of great wines, leather goods and clothes. Tonight our final dinner combined with a spectacular Tango show, celebrates the conclusion of a fabulous trip.
Day 17: Departure Day. Time for a last stroll down the pedestrian avenue Florida for a bit of shopping and a relaxing wander around the shady park of San Martin.
We can also arrange for an Iguazu falls extension, please inquire. Hasta luego amigos, gracias y nos vemos pronto. Thank you friends and we’ll see you again soon.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Includes:
All wines tours and tastings
3 highlight dinners and lunches with wine
A Tango show in Buenos Aires
Lakes crossing from Chile to Argentina
Guided tour around Bariloche
Visit to the hot springs thermal resort in Pucon
Visit to the colourful La Boca and Recoleta districts in Buenos Aires
All transport during the itinerary
The cost of entry for all scheduled tours and national parks
S.E.T tour leader throughout the tour
All hotel accommodations* (on a twin share basis including all continental breakfasts).
* Additional accommodations can be arranged at the clients’ request
Excludes departure taxes and local payment of US$450 on day one of the tour.
Also see tour packages in:
South America
Argentina
Chile
Food & Wine
Cultural Journey
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