Wines & Wonders of South America
A Journey through Chile and Argentina
A Journey through Chile and Argentina
Departure Dates
Tour Rates
Tour Itinerary
Click a tour date to see itinerary
$2549
10/20/2010
$2549
01/19/2011
$2549
02/09/2011
$2549
03/23/2011
$2549
04/06/2011
$2349
10/05/2011
$ 2699
10/19/2011
$2349
11/09/2011
$2349
11/30/2011
$2349
01/18/2012
$2349
03/14/2012
= Tour operates in the reverse direction
= Select date for additional information about this tour
NOTE: Specials are marked with a *
Land Only
Door to Door - your free ride from home to the airport.
Click here for full details!
Fly with us! Check out the benefits of booking your air through Collette!
11 days, 15 meals
Air 1: Overnight Flight
Discover the generous bounty of Chile and Argentina on a journey through amazing landscapes of the lofty Andes. Your South American adventure begins with an overnight flight to Santiago.
Day 2: Santiago, Chile - Tour Begins
Arrive in Santiago, Chile’s vibrant capital set against the magnificent Andes.LANGUAGE DISCOVERY: Your Tour Manager helps you discover the origin and history of the local language along with key words and phrases to help you communicate. This afternoon, a Santiago city tour includes La Moneda Presidential Palace and Paseo Ahumada pedestrian avenue. Ride the cable car up Cerro San Cristobal for sweeping views of Santiago and the Andes and admire the Statue of the Immaculate Conception. Embark on a walking tour through Barrio Lastarria, a culturally rich and historic neighbourhood, and visit a bustling local market where delicacies such as Chilean sea bass are abundant. Join your fellow travellers this evening for a welcome dinner and folkloric performance celebrating Chilean culture.
Today dinner will be included.
A day at leisure provides you with countless opportunities. Shop Santiago’s chic boutiques and dine at one of its cafés, enjoying the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Or, perhaps join an optional tour to colourful Valparaiso – a UNESCO World Heritage city – and visit the chic beach resort of Viña del Mar and venture into the lush, green valleys of Curacavi and Casablanca, stopping at a local vineyard for a sampling of Chile’s famous wines.
Today breakfast will be included.
Climb aboard Chile’s famous wine train, the Tren del Vino! This 1913 coal-fired steam engine locomotive explores Colchagua Valley, a fertile expanse often compared to Napa Valley. Named Wine Enthusiast’s 2005 Wine Valley of the Year, Colchagua is particularly suited for red wines, especially carmenère, a cabernet family grape that thrives in the climate created by the steep Andean valley.Delight in a wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and Chilean folk music during your train journey. Visit the award-winning Santa Cruz vineyard and learn the techniques of wine making and enjoy a tasting, followed by a traditional Chilean lunch. Then, take an aerial tram ride up Chaman Hill for sweeping views of this picturesque valley. Explore the outdoor museum and learn more about Chile’s indigenous cultures before heading back to Santiago.
Today breakfast and lunch will be included.
Start your panoramic journey into the soaring Andes through the scenic Aconcagua Valley, following the route of the famed Transandine Railway, currently in reconstruction and expected to be one of the most spectacular railway journeys on earth. Catch views of the glaciers on Aconcagua Mountain, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, and enjoy lunch at leisure in the boutique ski resort of Portillo before crossing into Argentina. Marvel at the Puente del Inca natural bridge, formed by the interaction of the extreme elements in the area – avalanches, ice and hot springs. At a market you can do as the locals do and enjoy a sweetened yerba maté tea, traditionally infused in a dried calabasa gourd.Continue your journey through the breathtaking landscapes of the Central Andes en route to the land of sol y vino – sun and wine – Argentina’s wine country, where vineyards and olive groves flourish. The French grape, Malbec, has taken to the region and has made Argentine wine cherished around the world.
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Take in the atmosphere of relaxing Mendoza during a tour of this tranquil city which highlights the vast Parque General San Martín and the lively central Plaza Independencia. It’s easy to see what makes Mendocinos so warm and welcoming. Before your tour ends, indulge in a sample of the local Italian-inspired ice cream with a Mendocino twist, such as vanilla with Malbec or peach with Syrah! Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure to stroll, shop or sample specialties from the local cafés.
Today breakfast will be included.
Mendoza produces 70% of Argentina’s grapes and wines, with a viniculture history dating back to the 16th century. A vast network of aqueducts and dykes, dating back to the reign of the Inca Empire, makes the most of its annual six inches of rain to transform the city into a verdant oasis on the high plain. Thanks to the world’s attention to the quality of wines from this region, there are now said to be over 1,000 wineries – or bodegas, as they are called here – in the fertile Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Uco valleys.Revel in visits to three bodegas on the Los Caminos del Vino wine route and enjoy a gourmet wine pairing lunch and ample opportunities throughout the day to sample the bounty of the Argentine vineyards.
Today breakfast and lunch will be included.
Leave the Andes and fly to Buenos Aires, home of the legendary Eva Peron and birthplace of the tango. Stretching along the banks of the Rio de la Plata, this “Paris of South America” is a mosaic of European-styled architecture, South American spirit and proud national identity.Tonight, enjoy a home-hosted dinner with a local Argentine family where you have the opportunity to experience local culture in a personalized setting and ask questions about daily life.
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Today you’ll enjoy a Porteños tour of the capital, viewing the lavish Teatro Colon, the famous opera house; the Avenida 9 de Julio – the wide, elegant boulevard that honors Argentinean independence; Recoleta Cemetery, where Evita rests in an oft-visited tomb; the Presidential Palace, the Casa Rosada; and the historic San Telmo barrio, lined with cobblestone streets and tango clubs. Later, take a stroll through San Martin Park or Calle de Florida, a shopper’s paradise. Perhaps you will opt to visit a local market or art museum, or spend the rest of the afternoon at an elegant sidewalk café in one of the city’s many fashionable neighborhoods.
Today breakfast will be included.
Today is yours to independently enjoy the charms of Buenos Aires. You may choose an optional excursion across the famous Pampas to experience the culture and lifestyle of Argentina’s gauchos, or relax and continue to soak in the city’s cultural delights at your leisure. Join your fellow travellers this evening to discover the spirit and elegant passion of the tango, the national dance of Argentina.Embrace the art of this once scandalous dance during a lesson. Then, indulge in a delicious Argentine dinner, followed by an unforgettable tango performance!
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
From the high valleys of the magnificent Andes, to the cosmopolitan verve of Santiago and Buenos Aires, you’ve tasted the best of Chile and Argentina. Your tour ends in Buenos Aires. Board your flight home with an abundance of South American memories.
Today breakfast will be included.
Click here for full details!
Fly with us! Check out the benefits of booking your air through Collette!11 days, 15 meals
Air 1: Overnight Flight
Discover the generous bounty of Chile and Argentina on a journey through amazing landscapes of the lofty Andes. Your South American adventure begins with an overnight flight to Santiago.
Day 2: Santiago, Chile - Tour Begins
Arrive in Santiago, Chile’s vibrant capital set against the magnificent Andes.
Today dinner will be included.
Accommodations
Day 3: Santiago
A day at leisure provides you with countless opportunities. Shop Santiago’s chic boutiques and dine at one of its cafés, enjoying the city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Or, perhaps join an optional tour to colourful Valparaiso – a UNESCO World Heritage city – and visit the chic beach resort of Viña del Mar and venture into the lush, green valleys of Curacavi and Casablanca, stopping at a local vineyard for a sampling of Chile’s famous wines.
Today breakfast will be included.
Accommodations
Day 4: Santiago
Climb aboard Chile’s famous wine train, the Tren del Vino! This 1913 coal-fired steam engine locomotive explores Colchagua Valley, a fertile expanse often compared to Napa Valley. Named Wine Enthusiast’s 2005 Wine Valley of the Year, Colchagua is particularly suited for red wines, especially carmenère, a cabernet family grape that thrives in the climate created by the steep Andean valley.
Today breakfast and lunch will be included.
Accommodations
Day 5: Santiago - Mendoza, Argentina
Start your panoramic journey into the soaring Andes through the scenic Aconcagua Valley, following the route of the famed Transandine Railway, currently in reconstruction and expected to be one of the most spectacular railway journeys on earth. Catch views of the glaciers on Aconcagua Mountain, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, and enjoy lunch at leisure in the boutique ski resort of Portillo before crossing into Argentina. Marvel at the Puente del Inca natural bridge, formed by the interaction of the extreme elements in the area – avalanches, ice and hot springs. At a market you can do as the locals do and enjoy a sweetened yerba maté tea, traditionally infused in a dried calabasa gourd.
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Accommodations
Day 6: Mendoza
Take in the atmosphere of relaxing Mendoza during a tour of this tranquil city which highlights the vast Parque General San Martín and the lively central Plaza Independencia. It’s easy to see what makes Mendocinos so warm and welcoming. Before your tour ends, indulge in a sample of the local Italian-inspired ice cream with a Mendocino twist, such as vanilla with Malbec or peach with Syrah! Enjoy the rest of your day at leisure to stroll, shop or sample specialties from the local cafés.
Today breakfast will be included.
Accommodations
Day 7: Mendoza
Mendoza produces 70% of Argentina’s grapes and wines, with a viniculture history dating back to the 16th century. A vast network of aqueducts and dykes, dating back to the reign of the Inca Empire, makes the most of its annual six inches of rain to transform the city into a verdant oasis on the high plain. Thanks to the world’s attention to the quality of wines from this region, there are now said to be over 1,000 wineries – or bodegas, as they are called here – in the fertile Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Uco valleys.
Today breakfast and lunch will be included.
Accommodations
Day 8: Mendoza - Buenos Aires
Leave the Andes and fly to Buenos Aires, home of the legendary Eva Peron and birthplace of the tango. Stretching along the banks of the Rio de la Plata, this “Paris of South America” is a mosaic of European-styled architecture, South American spirit and proud national identity.
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Accommodations
Day 9: Buenos Aires
Today you’ll enjoy a Porteños tour of the capital, viewing the lavish Teatro Colon, the famous opera house; the Avenida 9 de Julio – the wide, elegant boulevard that honors Argentinean independence; Recoleta Cemetery, where Evita rests in an oft-visited tomb; the Presidential Palace, the Casa Rosada; and the historic San Telmo barrio, lined with cobblestone streets and tango clubs. Later, take a stroll through San Martin Park or Calle de Florida, a shopper’s paradise. Perhaps you will opt to visit a local market or art museum, or spend the rest of the afternoon at an elegant sidewalk café in one of the city’s many fashionable neighborhoods.
Today breakfast will be included.
Accommodations
Day 10: Buenos Aires
Today is yours to independently enjoy the charms of Buenos Aires. You may choose an optional excursion across the famous Pampas to experience the culture and lifestyle of Argentina’s gauchos, or relax and continue to soak in the city’s cultural delights at your leisure. Join your fellow travellers this evening to discover the spirit and elegant passion of the tango, the national dance of Argentina.
Today breakfast and dinner will be included.
Accommodations
Day 11: Buenos Aires - Tour Ends
From the high valleys of the magnificent Andes, to the cosmopolitan verve of Santiago and Buenos Aires, you’ve tasted the best of Chile and Argentina. Your tour ends in Buenos Aires. Board your flight home with an abundance of South American memories.
Today breakfast will be included.