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Duration: 6 days
Highlights: Santiago, Aconcagua Valley, San Antonio Valley, Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley.
A gourmet tour of Santiago and surrounding areas, including visits to both well-known and up and coming wineries.
Duration: 7 days
Highlights: Santiago, Aconcagua Valley, Temuco, Villarrica.
Ideal for groups, this programme introduces the sights in and around Santiago, including visits to several wineries.
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Duration: 6 days
A gourmet tour of Santiago and surrounding areas, including visits to both well-known and up and coming wineries.
Highlights: Santiago, Aconcagua Valley, San Antonio Valley, Maipo Valley, Colchagua Valley.
Upon arrival in Santiago, you will be met inside the Arrivals Hall by your guide who will assist with Immigration and Customs formalities, and luggage collection, before escorting you to your waiting vehicle for the direct transfer to your hotel. Once at the hotel your guide will assist with check-in.
Once you have had time to relax and unwind following your flight, you will commence a unique exploration of Santiago. Sophie is a young Swedish woman, passionate about exploring the world and who during her travels fell in love with the country and decided to return to fulfil her dream of studying Spanish. Upon her return it was not long before she found a true reason to stay: Enrique, a Chilean chef, who was still in the process of unpacking his suitcases following a spell in the kitchens of several European restaurants. It was not too long before this charming couple decided to make plans to combine their interests in all things culinary and make their living by highlighting the culinary secrets of this fascinating and booming city Latin American metropolis. You will be met in the hotel by Sophie, and lead to your waiting vehicle for the short drive to a typical street market, passing en route some of the city's most iconic areas such as Bellavista, El Bosque or Borderío. Upon arrival to the market you will meet up with Enrique, and stroll past the colourful stalls, getting to know the wide variety of fruits and vegetables available. From here, continue to the couple's apartment where lunch will be prepared. Upon arrival you will be served an aperitif (such as the emblematic pisco sour) along with some appetisers, and you will be invited to join Enrique in the kitchen where you can roll up your sleeves and take part in the preparation of today's menu that will be a tasting menu of different traditional Chilean dishes and accompanied by some excellent Chilean wines.
Following lunch, you will then explore Chile's capital city, a sophisticated, sprawling metropolis wedged between the Andes and Coastal Ranges. Highlights will include the Palacio de La Moneda Presidential Palace, the Plaza de Armas, the city's most famous square surrounded by some beautiful buildings including the impressive Cathedral and Central Post Office. Continue to San Cristobal Hill for a panoramic view of the city and the omnipresent Andes, before heading uptown to continue to the Pueblo de Los Dominicos Handicrafts Market. This charming shopping area resembles a colonial village, and the quality products on offer range from hand knit sweaters to lapis lazuli to art and even pet animals.
The evening will be at leisure.
Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Meal Plan: L
Today's exploration is the Aconcagua Valley. The stunning peak of Mount Aconcagua - at 22,800 feet, it is the highest peak in the Americas - actually lies across the border in Argentina, but is visible from the valley that shares its name. The valley is one of Chile's emerging wine-producing areas.
Your first visit today will be to the famous Errazuriz Winery, in the picturesque village of Panquehue. This was once the largest wine producer in the world, which now vies for the title of Chile's most beautiful winery. Viña Errazuriz has been producing grapes of the highest quality since 1870 by Don Maximiano Errazuriz who recognised that cool, rainy winters, hot, dry summers and moist Pacific Ocean breezes provided ideal conditions for growing grapes.
The Errázuriz philosophy is best expressed by Don Maximiano who said, "From the best land, the best wine". The tour begins among the garden's fountains and fragrant sweet peas, and climbs through the vineyards for an expansive view of the property. The finale: a wine tasting of Errázuriz's selection of Sangioveses, Pinots, and Shirazes, complemented by locally made bread and cheese. Afterward, linger on the patio over a delicious country lunch.
A mere 200 metres separates Errazuriz from Von Siebenthal, a boutique winery that produces only four wines. For over two decades, Mauro von Siebenthal, a Swiss lawyer and wine aficionado, had a dream. In 1998, with the financial support of four friends, Viña von Siebenthal finally became a reality. Viña von Siebenthal's harmonious philosophy helps create extremely elegant wines that eloquently express the extraordinary characteristics of the Valle de Aconcagua terroir. So good are Von Siebenthal's wines that one won a silver medal and three were awarded golds at the Brussels Wine Expo in 2004. Their premium Montelig won best red wine in the world at the Expo. Von Siebenthal is a no-fuss winery. There is no fancy visitor's centre or souvenir shop, just superb service and great wines.
Continue through the colonial towns of San Felipe and Santa María towards the landmark Termas de Jahuel Hotel & Spa. Last December, this mountain-clinging resort, originally built in 1912, reopened after a three-year overhaul; a trio of new buildings blend seamlessly with the original wooden lodge. On-site trails weave through the surrounding pines and eucalyptus; the indoor and outdoor thermal pools and spa give you a few more excuses to unwind here.
This evening you are free to enjoy the thermal pools, swimming pool and other facilities at Termas de Jahuel Hotel & Spa, with dinner being served in the restaurant.
Overnight: Termas de Jahuel Hotel & Spa
Meal Plan: B,L,D
This morning will be at leisure, allowing you to enjoy the facilities at Termas de Jahuel, before heading off along Route 60, which winds down the valley along the Aconcagua River, along a scenic, weaving route through peach orchards, corn and tobacco fields, and rustic pueblitos until Casablanca Valley.
Casablanca is a sub-region of the Aconcagua Valley, but its vineyards - first planted in the early 1980s - have earned worldwide recognition in a relatively short space of time. The warm, temperate climate of the area is greatly influenced by the coastal sea breezes, which in combination with a perfect terroir in a valley situated on the coastal plane, with distant hills and slopes rising no more than 400 metres above sea level provide ideal conditions for certain varieties of grape. It is not unlike Santa Barbara and portions of Sonoma, and fittingly, the grapes that have done best over the past half-decade or so have been Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Visit Casas del Bosque winery. Upon arrival, lunch will be served on the terrace at the Tanino Wine Bar & Lunch, with its sophisticated spin on Chilean standards. Afterwards you will be invited to visit the winery and cellars. Continue with a tasting focusing on their superb, award-winning red and white wines. A selection of dried fruits and cheeses will be served to accompany the wines during the tasting.
A little further east along the main Route 68, Viña Mar is another of Casablanca's emerging vineyards. Along with its whites and reds, the winery is currently producing Chile's best sparkling wines, many of which are produced and bottled for other, larger vineyards. A tasting of their superb Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine is included during the visit.
Later this afternoon you will arrive to the nearby Viña Matetic, a small winery making big waves in organic winemaking and 21st-century enotourism. Drop your bags at the three-room guesthouse, a century-old estancia set among wild gardens and furnished with regal four-poster beds and wingback chairs, thick damask curtains, and lots of florals and stripes. Explore the valley on foot, horseback, or bicycle, or visit the family cheese operation, and cap the afternoon off with a tour of the winery. Dinner this evening will be served at the guest house.
Overnight: Fundo El Rosario, Matetic Winery
Meal Plan: B,L,D
This morning drive to Las Vertientes in the heart of the Maipo Canyon. Located in the foothills of the Andes, with views of the River Maipo, this area is a popular weekend spot for santiaguinos. Just under an hour from the city centre, the Maipo Canyon is awash with almond and cherry plantations, sleepy mountain villages, and roadside stands selling fresh-baked bread and empanadas.
Along the way you will call at the Almaviva Vineyard. Created in 1997, this is Chile's first winery conceived and managed like a French chateau, and this tour will provide an insight into the elaboration of an ultra-premium wine which combines the best of French and Chilean winemaking traditions. The visit begins with a brief history of Almaviva, a winery born from the joint venture between Concha y Toro Winery and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The final stop is a visit to the bottling room. The tour ends with a tasting of Almaviva wine and a visit to the new Almaviva Boutique. Following the visit, lunch will then be served at the 'Fundación Origen' restaurant.
Continue to the Haras de Pirque Vineyard for a visit to this unique winery. In 1991, after a highly successful business career in Chile's private sector, entrepreneur Eduardo Matte acquired this estate near Pirque, a prestigious winegrowing area situated in the Maipo Valley. The property - today covering 600 hectares - gently ascends the lower slopes of a spur of the Andes Mountains. The farm's success is reflected by a long succession of trophies won in the nation's main horseracing events and an unrivalled leadership in all of the sport's local categories: broodmare sires, stallions and general standings. In addition, the Haras is a prominent supplier for breeders and owners in South and North America, and maintains approximately 30 racehorses in the national competition circuit. The visit will include a tasting of premium wines.
Continue to Santa Rita Winery's Casa Real Hotel, unquestionably one of the nicest places to spend the night near Santiago. Originally built in 1885, this wonderful property is surrounded by lush gardens. A stunning neo-Gothic chapel on the property offers a quiet place for reflection, as does the pretty patio with its bubbling fountain. There is also an old-fashioned game parlour with a piano and a billiards table imported from England. Innumerable statues, some of them of a mythological origin and others representing the four seasons, accompany the visitor, showing the beauty of each corner offered by this huge and pretty garden.
Overnight: Casa Real, Santa Rita Winery
Meal Plan: B,L,D
After a leisurely breakfast, you will depart from the hotel to Viña Casa Silva. In terms of wine, Casa Silva is best known for its reds and is a frequent winner of medals at prestigious international wine competitions, including the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London where it recently won the award of Best South American Producer.
Continue to the delightful Viu Manent vineyard. The name Viu Manent is a part of the history and tradition of Chilean wines. Viu has seen great success in recent years with its Malbec, a wine usually associated with Argentina. You will have the opportunity to sample this and other reserve wines during the tasting. Lunch will be served at the vineyard's superb 'La Llavería' restaurant before continuing to the town of Santa Cruz.
Today's activities continue with a visit to the superb Museum of Colchagua. Set in a beautiful colonial style house in the town of Santa Cruz, this fantastic museum is considered to be the biggest private museum in the country. The collection of the museum is organised in different sections and includes palaeontology, Latin American cultures, the Huaso (Chilean cowboy) culture, and agricultural and wine making machinery from the industrial revolution.
Once you have had a couple of hours to relax, you will continue to the sensational Altaïr Winery, in the nearby Cachapoal Valley. Your visit will commence with an aperitif at the observation area, whose privileged location allows wonderful views across the valley. Continue to the winery, while your host explains the techniques employed in the creation of the two wines made here; 'Altaïr' and 'Sideral'. A tasting of both wines follows, after which you will set off on a moonlight horseback ride through the grounds of the winery, a unique way to capture the atmosphere of this magical place. A delicious hot snack will follow, accompanied of course by the fine wines of Altaïr. Following the visit, transfer to the hotel.
Overnight: Casa Real, Santa Rita Winery
Meal Plan: B,L
After breakfast, visit Santa Rita winery. Santa Rita is an impressive estate with 800 hectares of vineyard land for the production of high quality wines, a completely modern wine-making facility and high storage capacity, as well as the old family mansion, which is surrounded by nearly 100 acres of a beautiful hundred-year-old park and ornamental gardens.
Your tour includes a comprehensive visit through the premises of this vineyard. Lunch will be served at Santa Rita's landmark restaurant, Doña Paula, where superb Chilean and international dishes are served with excellent Santa Rita wines.
After lunch, continue the return journey to Santiago to board your flight back home.
Meal Plan: B,L
Duration: 7 days
Ideal for groups, this programme introduces the sights in and around Santiago, including visits to several wineries.
Highlights: Santiago, Aconcagua Valley, Temuco, Villarrica.
Upon arrival you will be met inside the Arrivals Hall at Santiago Airport. The Reciprocity Fee will be pre-paid in order to save time, and you will be assisted with passport, luggage and Customs formalities. Private transfer to the Ritz-Carlton Santiago where a private check-in will be given.
Following a welcome lunch at the hotel, it will be time for an entertaining sightseeing tour of the Chilean capital, commencing with a visit to the colonial centre, during which a surprise snack will be served in one of its most picturesque corners by a renowned local chef. It will then be time to explore the highlights of the city, including the Palacio de La Moneda, the Plaza de Armas, and a visit to the superb Chilean Museum of pre-Colombian Art in the company of the museum's curator. With over 700 exhibits, this is one of the world's most important collections of pre-Colombian artwork. Other highlights will include San Cristobal Hill, from which there is an excellent view across the city and the Andes.
Dinner will be served at the excellent Emilio Restaurant, and the Peruvian owner/chef will be on-hand to greet the group, offering a demonstration of the preparation of Chile's national drink the Pisco Sour. A superb special menu dinner will follow, highlighting the very best of Chilean and Peruvian cuisine. As a special treat, you will receive a signed copy of Emilio's recipe book.
Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Meal Plan: D
This morning you will be met in lobby of your hotel by your guide and escorted to your waiting vehicle for today's exploration of the Aconcagua Valley.
The stunning peak of Mount Aconcagua - at 22,800 feet, it is the highest peak in the Americas - actually lies across the border in Argentina, but is visible from the valley that shares its name. The valley is one of Chile's emerging wine-producing areas. Your first visit today will be to the Viña Von Siebenthal, a boutique winery in the picturesque village of Panquehue that produces only four wines. Von Siebenthal is a no-fuss winery. There is no fancy visitor's centre or souvenir shop, just superb service and great wines.
A mere 200 metres separates Von Siebenthal from the famous Viña Errázuriz Winery. This was once the largest wine producer in the world, which now vies for the title of Chile's most beautiful winery. The tour begins among the gardens and climbs through the vineyards for an expansive view of the property. The finale: a wine tasting of Errázuriz's selection of Sangioveses, Pinots, and Shirazes. Afterwards, a delicious picnic lunch on the grounds of the winery.
May is harvest time in the Aconcagua Valley, so we will arrange for the group to participate at one of the vineyards. You will receive gloves and cutters and spend a few minutes working in the field. As an additional option. we can send a bottle of 'your wine' to you when that vintage goes on sale some 18-24 months later.
This evening's dinner will be served at the Akarana Restaurant, a two-minute walk from the hotel. This restaurant offers a fusion of Asian and New Zealand specialties (owner and host Dell Taylor is herself a Kiwi) with Chilean ingredients to create a wonderful feast for the palate. The dishes are creative and fun, and the ambience reflects that very style.
Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Meal Plan: B,L,D
Today enjoy a unique excursion that combines the life and times of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, with the flavours and culture of Chile's Central Coast. The experience commences with a drive to the charming coastal village of Isla Negra, where a visit will be made to the La Candela Inn. Here you will be treated to a hot snack based on the odes of Neruda, while Charo Cofré - one of Neruda's closest friends and a famous exponent of Chilean folklore music - entertains with a selection of songs. The visit also features a reading of his works by North American poet (and Neruda expert) Todd Temkin, who also happens to be President of the Valparaiso Foundation, a key figure in the city gaining UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Next up is a visit to the Neruda Foundation at Isla Negra, Neruda's former home, and the site where he is buried. After this fascinating visit, continue along the coast to the Matetic Vineyard. A tour of the winery will be followed by a superb winetasting on the terrace of the winery focusing on their premium wines. Continue to the Casona, where the sounds of Chilean folklore music will greet you upon arrival. A superb country lunch will be served in the tented area in and around the Pergola. After lunch, return to Santiago.
In the evening, you will be transferred to downtown Santiago for dinner at the legendary Confitería Torres. Opened in 1886, this is Santiago's oldest restaurant and was recently renovated whilst maintaining its authentic charm. This is a genuine slice of traditional Chile.
Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Meal Plan: B,L
This morning you will be transferred to Santiago Airport for your one hour flight to Temuco.
From Temuco you will be taken directly to the wonderful Termas Geometricas Thermal Springs. In an area famous for its mineral-rich volcanic waters, this particular spring stands out from the crowd. There are l7 slate covered pools in the midst of splendid native forest. The visit will be exclusive for the group, and there will be an area prepared with light bites, wines and other drinks. You will be free to pass from pool to pool via a series of wooden footbridges. The hot spring water is distributed to the pools through wooden conduits that run under the walkways and heat it, keeping it always dry and safe. Close to each pool there is always a pavilion built with local wood, with private bathrooms, locker rooms, and a deck to rest. Towels and robes will be provided.
Continue to the Villarrica Park Lake Hotel where a splendid Welcome Dinner will be served this evening, with an emphasis on local ingredients and indigenous touches.
Overnight: Villarrica Park Lake Hotel
Meal Plan: B,L,D
Today you will be able to choose from a menu of active options including:
A five hour trek in the Huerquehue National Park.
A day of horseback riding in Malalco with expert guide Rodrigo Sugg.
Rafting, an action-packed option that takes you through the pulse-pounding whitewater of the glacier-fed lower Trancura River, through Class III rapids. Rafters are accompanied by experienced guides and all equipment is provided.
For the more active, try an ascent of the Villarrica Volcano. This is a full-day option, suitable only for those in good physical condition, but if the summit is reached this truly is one of the most amazing experiences one can enjoy in this area.
For those participating in half-day tours, there will be some time free this afternoon to explore the charming town of Pucon.
This evening a special event will be held at the Huifquenco Ranch, nestled in woodland above the town of Villarrica. Huifquenco is a working ranch, and you will be greeted by the owners. A display of Chilean rodeo will be given, as you enjoy a welcome cocktail. A menu will be designed especially for you and, of course, will be served with premium Chilean wine.
Overnight: Villarrica Park Lake Hotel
Meal Plan: B,L,D
This morning, discover the exciting sensation of entering one of only two volcanic caves open to visitors in the world. They were made naturally after numerous eruptions of the Villarrica volcano. Set on the hillsides of the volcano at 8,450 feet, you will enjoy a spectacular view of the valley and lakes. Refreshments will be served at the site.
Return to the hotel for a light lunch before continuing to Temuco Airport for your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, transfer to the Ritz-Carlton Santiago.
In the evening you will be transferred to a truly unique venue for a farewell gala dinner, held at the prestigious Palacio Cousiño. This historic mansion was built for Isidora Goyenechea, widow of Luis Cousiño, a member of one of Chile's most prestigious families. The palace was built between 1870-1878 by the French architect Paul Lathoud. Upon arrival there will be a short tour of the Palace that will end with a cocktail served in one of the salons.
Tonight's menu will be prepared by Guillermo Rodriguez - considered by many as Chile's best chef - and his team, who prepare the vast majority of official dinners organised by the government.
Dinner will be served in a tented area, and will be accompanied by chamber music performed by a local ensemble. This is a wonderful, sophisticated way to round-off youe Chile experience.
Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Santiago
Meal Plan: B,L,D
This morning there will be a range of half-day excursions in and around Santiago on offer. In the evening an A&K guide you will be transferred to Santiago Airport for your flight back home.
Meal Plan: B
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