Arrive at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport. Proceed through immigration to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing customs, AHI FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for the group arrival transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer should exit the baggage claim area and proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where an AHI Travel representative will meet them.


The meeting location will be provided with your final documents.

Upon arrival, transfer to the Hotel Cumbres Lastarria. Welcome to Santiago’s cultural center! This inviting, artsy section of the city is anchored by renowned institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts overlooking leafy Parque Forestal and the GAM, a performing arts center named for Chile’s Nobel laureate poet Gabriele Mistral. Join your Travel Director this afternoon for a short walk that will familiarize you with the area around your hotel.

Enrichment: Chilean History. Dive into the timeline of the country’s development, from its indigenous groups and the conquest by Spain to the struggle for freedom and the modern era.

Get better acquainted with your fellow travelers during tonight’s Welcome Reception and Dinner in the hotel.

Accommodations – Hotel Cumbres Lastarria
Meals – Dinner

Discovery: Santiago.
Activity level: Moderate
Explore this stimulating city noted for its eye-catching blend of colonial and modern architecture. At the Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, grasp the human cost of the nation’s turbulent past through poignant exhibits that chronicle the human rights violations of Chile’s military dictatorship from 1973–1990. Afterward, on a scenic tour, admire the presidential seat, the neoclassical Palacio de la Moneda. Built in 1805, it was the infamous site of the 1973 coup d’etat against President Salvador Allende by Augusto Pinochet’s military forces. Pass by the palm-lined Plaza de Armas, a central hub since 1541, ringed by the Central Post Office, the National History Museum and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Linger for awhile in hip Bellavista, buzzing with cafés, art galleries and restaurants. Pablo Neruda, the celebrated Nobel laureate poet, once resided in this bohemian barrio, or neighborhood.

Free Time: Set off into other Santiago barrios this afternoon and make your own plans for lunch. Don’t miss classic local dishes such as empanadas, tasty pastries filled with meat, cheese or seafood; and pastel de choclo, a satisfying corn pudding flavored with meat and onions. And pair your food with some of the country’s most popular drinks, including the pisco sour cocktail of grape brandy, lemon juice, sugar and egg white; and the refreshing Borgoña, chilled red wine with chopped strawberries.

Enrichment: Contemporary Chile.
Examine the economic and political issues that dominate national conversation.

Accommodations – Hotel Cumbres Lastarria
Meals – Breakfast

After breakfast, depart for Santiago’s airport and fly to Puerto Montt. Transfer to Puerto Varas and check in to the 
Enjoy Puerto Varas Hotel on the shores of Lake Llanquihue in southern Chile’s enchanting Lake District.

Enrichment: The History of the Patagonia.
Trace the intriguing history of this immense, wild region in the southernmost part of South America, which is shared by Chile and Argentina.

Accommodations – Enjoy Puerto Varas Hotel
Meals – Breakfast and Dinner

Discovery: Chiloé Island.
Activity Level: Active
Ferry across the Chacao Channel to this picturesque island on the archipelago of Chiloé that boasts lush countryside and sweeping coastlines. Stop in Chacao to stroll through its quaint town square and see its local church. In Ancud, visit the Museo de Las Iglesias de Chiloe to learn how the island’s unique wooden churches, built by Spanish Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century, were constructed with native materials. Next, observe Humboldt and Magellanic penguins and other wildlife from a boat that takes you close to their natural habitats. It’s one of the few places in the world where you can witness both species of penguins nesting side-by-side.

Accommodations – Enjoy Puerto Varas Hotel
Meals – Breakfast and Lunch

Discovery: Chilean Ranch Visit.
Activity Level: Moderate
Meet huasos, the country’s cowboys, who will demonstrate the horsemanship required in rodeo. Declared a national sport in 1962, the Chilean rodeo typically consists of two horses, two cowboys and a calf.Feast on tasty local dishes fresh from the grill at an asado, a Chilean barbecue, then celebrate with folk music and a spirited cuenca, the national dance.

Free Time: The rest of your day is at leisure. Appreciate your stunning surroundings on a leisurely walk along the lakeshore in Puerto Varas, and check out the town’s charming, distinctive architecture, influenced by 19th-century settlers from Germany and Austria.

Accommodations – Enjoy Puerto Varas Hotel
Meals – Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, depart for Puerto Montt’s airport and fly to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival, transfer to the Hotel Costaustralis in Puerto Natales along the waterfront.

Accommodations – Hotel Costaustralis
Meals – Breakfast and Dinner

Discovery: Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers.
Activity level: Moderate
Take in vistas of emerald hillsides, rugged mountains and tall waterfalls as you cruise on the Ultima Esperanza Fjord to view the impressive hanging glacier, Balmaceda. Then, on an invigorating walk, follow your guide into the unspoiled beauty of Bernardo O’Higgins National Park to see the spiky Serrano glacier nestled above a peaceful lake where tiny icebergs float. Chat about what you’ve seen in the park over a hearty lunch at a nearby Patagonian ranch, and then cruise back to Puerto Natales.

Accommodations – Hotel Costaustralis
Meals – Breakfast and Lunch

Discovery: Torres del Paine National Park.
Activity Level: Moderate
Spectacular, wild scenery awaits you on a scenic drive in this acclaimed 935-square-mile national park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Its astonishing landscape encompasses turquoise lakes, glaciers, rolling valleys, snowcapped summits and sculptural icebergs. Its crowning jewels are the Cuernos del Paine (pronounced pine-ay) mountains and the craggy trio of steel-gray granite peaks, the Torres del Paine, or Towers of Paine, that jut up into the clouds. An abundance of wildlife adds to the park’s allure. Approximately 25 species of mammals live within the park, including the tawny guanaco, a close relative of the llama; gray and red foxes; the endangered Patagonian huemul deer; and the puma, the largest and most elusive. Andean condors swirl in the skies above, and flightless, ostrich-like birds called Lesser Rheas sprint across the grasslands propelled by their large wings. At the Salto Grande waterfall, hear the thunderous crash as water cascades from Lake Nordenskjöld into Lake Pehoé. From this vantage point, soak up the magnificent landscape at different angles. Later, enter a huge cave where the prehistoric remains of a Milodon, a giant ground sloth, were discovered in 1895. Along your route, take a break for a relaxing lunch.

Accommodations – Hotel Costaustralis
Meals – Breakfast and Lunch

Discovery: Punta Arenas.
Activity Level: Mild
After breakfast, journey to this historic port city on the Strait of Magellan between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Before the Panama Canal opened in 1914, Punta Arenas prospered as a coal refueling station for steamships and as the center of the Chilean wool industry. On a panoramic tour, see its highlights, including mansions built by wool barons in its heyday.

Choose your own spot for lunch in town, then rejoin the group and head to the local airport. Fly to Santiago and check in to the Hotel Cumbres Lastarria.

Tonight, gather with your fellow travelers at a restaurant in the area for a Farewell Dinner in honor of your memorable Chilean adventure!

Accommodations – Hotel Cumbres Lastarria
Meals – Breakfast and Dinner

Free Time: Create your own agenda in the city or join today’s Elective Activity.

Elective Activity: Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.
Activity Level: Moderate
Relish the quirky charms of oceanside Valparaíso, a UNESCO World Heritage site, founded in the 16th century. See the historic Victoria and Sotomayor squares and delight in its cerros, or hills, packed with a jumble of colorful houses, snaking pathways, quaint funiculars and vivid, bold street art. Ride up Cerro Bellavista with free time for lunch and exploring. Then travel to pretty Viña del Mar, a favorite vacation getaway of Chileans, known for its broad beaches and manicured gardens.
Available at an additional cost.

AHI FlexAir passengers traveling on flights that qualify for a group transfer and Land Program passengers who have purchased seats on the group transfer depart for the Santiago’s International Airport for your return flights home. Your Travel Director will provide the details. Depending upon flight schedules, some travelers may arrive home today.

Accommodations – Hotel Cumbres Lastarria
Meals – Breakfast

Arrive home in your gateway city.