Natural Wonders of Patagonia & Easter island 2009

Complete your Patagonian encounter with a taste of Chilean culture in Santiago, and continue to secluded Easter Island with its monumental stone moai.

Highlights

  • Buenos Aires
  • Bariloche
  • Puerto Varas
  • Torres del Paine National Park
  • El Calafate
  • Santiago
  • Easter Island

    Whats Included

    Sightseeing Highlights

  • Buenos Aires: Guided sightseeing of this city including Plaza de Mayo, La Boca, Teatro Colon, Palermo Park, the Evita Museum, and the famous Recoleta Cemetery, the burial site of Evita Peron.
  • Bariloche Lake District: Visit this beautiful area including Lake Nahuel Huapi, Playa Bonita and Campanario Mountain.
  • Torres del Paine National Park: Cruise on Seno Ultima Esperanza, view Serrano and Balmaceda Glaciers, Park tour, Milodon Cave.
  • Ushuaia Beagle Channel cruise: Tierra del Fuego National Park

    Dining Highlights
  • 13 Breakfasts
  • 4 Lunches
  • 6 Dinners
  • Highlight Dinner in Buenos Aires
  • Farewell Dinner in Ushuaia
  • 9 additional meals on Easter Island extension25 included meals in total (see day by day itinerary)

    First Class Travel Highlights
  • All intra-tour flights and round-trip transfers between airports and hotels, including baggage handling at the airport.
  • Accommodations in hotels in twin-bedded rooms with private bath or shower as listed or similar.
  • Services of an English-speaking Tour Director throughout; local host on Easter Island extension.
  • Sightseeing program as indicated in itinerary, including admission charges, where applicable.
  • Hotel taxes and service charges.
  • Portfolio of travel documents.

    • Details

    Tour Operator
    Trafalgar Tours
    Offer
    Offer valid through 11/30/2009
    Duration
    21 Days
    Escorted
    Escorted - Yes
    DayDestinationDescription
    Day 1Board Your Overnight Flight Board your overnight flight :
    Day 2Buenos Aires Arrive in Buenos Aires, Argentina (3 nights) :
    You will be met and transferred to your hotel. Relax or start exploring on your own. Tonight savor a Highlight Dinner. (Highlight dinner)

    Hotel: Hotel Elevage or Americafes Towers
    Day 3Buenos Aires Buenos Aires :
    See the highlights of the town where the Tango was born. On a morning tour, visit the Plaza De Mayo, surrounded by the Casa Rosada, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Cabildo. Next, view colorful La Boca, drive along 9 de Julio Avenue, the widest in the world, and see the Colon Theatre. Continue to Palermo with its beautiful parks and the National Polo Fields. Visit the cemetery of Recoleta, where you will find the grave of Eva Duarte who became famous as Eva Peron. Then make a guided visit of the Evita Museum, which helps complete the story of this larger-than-life icon. Your afternoon is free. This evening, delight in dinner and a Tango Show at a local restaurant. (Breakfast / Dinner)
    Day 4Buenos Aires Buenos Aires :
    A full day at leisure. There is plenty to do in this exciting city. Your Tour Director can help you plan your day. You might want to join an optional full day excursion to a typical Argentine Estancia or visit the town of Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Another option is a Tango lesson, taught by an accomplished maestro. (Breakfast)
    Day 5Bariloche Buenos Aires - Bariloche (2 nights) :
    Fly to Bariloche, the heart of Patagonia's scenic Lake District. The rest of the day is free. For chocolate lovers, you will find small chocolate factories located throughout the town. (Breakfast / Dinner)

    Hotel: Hotel Edelweiss
    Day 6Bariloche Bariloche :
    Take an included morning tour of the Bariloche area. Ride along the shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake, see Playa Bonita, and travel to Campanario Hill. Here, take a chairlift to the top of the hill to enjoy the splendid vista. Continue on to the Llao Llao Peninsula, viewing small and delicate St. Edward's Chapel. A forest walk with an experienced guide will show you more of the unique flora. Later return to Bariloche, where your afternoon and evening are free. (Breakfast)
    Day 7Puerto Varas Bariloche - LAKE DISTRICT - Puerto Varas, Chile :
    A scenic day as you travel into Chile and the heart of the Andes. Embark on a catamaran crossing the Blest Arm of Nahuel Huapi Lake, reaching Puerto Blest. Enjoy lunch with a magnificent view of the lake. Then board a motorcoach for the trip to Puerto Alegre. Next, a short boat ride takes you across Frias Lake. Upon arrival at Puerto Frias, continue by coach and catamaran to Petrohue, and on to Puerto Varas. (Breakfast / Lunch)

    Hotel: Cabanas del Lago
    Day 8Puerto Natales Puerto Varas - Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales :
    Transfer to the airport for the flight to Punta Arenas. From here, travel through the Patagonian steppe. Stop at the caves where the Magellan Penguins nest, before arriving in Puerto Natales. (Penguins are usually in residence from Nov-Feb or early March; when they are not there, you will visit Nandu Park to see the rheas.) (Breakfast / Dinner)

    Hotel: Hotel Costaustralis
    Day 9Torres del Paine National Park Puerto Natales - Torres del Paine National Park (2 nights) :
    Heading towards Torres del Paine National Park, you will first board a boat for a ride on Seno Ultima Esperanza, the "Fjord of the Last Hope. "Cruise past the spectacular Serrano and Balmaceda Glaciers. Continue your adventure in zodiacs, then, on foot, stroll to a magnificent viewpoint. Back on the boat,
    pass the southern ice field. At the end of the fjord, disembark and take a nature walk through the unspoiled rainforest to the foot of Serrano Glacier. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)

    Hotel: Hotel Rio Serrano - superior room
    Day 10Torres del Paine National Park Torres del Paine National Park :
    A day of breathtaking scenery in Torres del Paine National Park. Covering an area of 181,000 hectares, the Park was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Jagged mountain peaks rising into the sky, cafescading waterfalls, glistening lakes, roaring rivers and shimmering glaciers are just a part of what awaits you here. Enjoy an easy hike along Grey Lake with views of Grey Glacier. (Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner)
    Day 11El Calafate Torres del Paine National Park - El Calafate (2 nights) :
    Heading out of the park, stop to visit Milodon Cave. In this impressive natural cave, a gigantic prehistoric fossil was discovered in 1896. Returning to Argentina, there is a stop at the border for a vehicle change, then continue to El Calafate, a resort village on the southern shore of Lake Argentino. (Breakfast / Dinner)

    Hotel: Hotel Kau Yatun
    Day 12El Calafate El Calafate - Perito Moreno Glacier Tour Excursion :
    Drive to the Andean Patagonian forest and stop for your first panoramic view of Perito Moreno Glacier, then continue to the platforms and balconies facing the glacier. There is plenty of time to admire this extraordinary natural wonder and the surrounding landscape before returning to El Calafate for a free evening. (Breakfast)
    Day 13Ushuaia El Calafate - Ushuaia (2 nights) :
    Transfer to the airport for your flight to Ushuaia. Upon arrival, a city tour shows you the highlights of the southernmost city in the world. Next visit the End of the World Museum. The rest of the day is free. (Breakfast)

    Hotel: Hotel Los Acebos
    Day 14Ushuaia Ushuaia - BEAGLE CHANNEL & TIERRA DEL FUEGO :
    Start the day with a cruise to see Sea Lion Island and the Beagle Channel. Sea Lion Island and Isla de los Pajaros, on the Bridges Archipelago, are good spots for watching sea lions, cormorants, albatrosses, skuas, and seagulls. Savor lunch at a local restaurant, then head out to Tierra del Fuego National Park. There is time here to walk around Laguna Negra, Lake Roca, and Mirador Lapataia. Continue on to Lapataia Bay. Returning to Ushuaia, savor a Farewell Dinner. (Breakfast / Lunch / Farewell Dinner)
    Day 15Santiago Ushuaia - Santiago, Chile (3) :
    This afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Santiago. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The evening is free. (Breakfast)

    Hotel: Santiago Park Plaza Providencia
    Day 16Santiago Santiago :
    Start the day with a city tour. Drive through the downtown area, passing the Club Hipico, Parque O'Higgins and the Cousino Palace. Next, visit the Pre-Colombian Art Museum. Continue on to see the Central Market, which is the main market for seafood. Finally, cross the Mapocho River to reach the bohemian Bellavista district on the way to the San Cristobal Hill. Return to your hotel, where the afternoon and evening are free. (Breakfast)
    Day 17Santiago Santiago :
    A free day. There is an optional full day excursion to Valparaiso and the seaside resort of Vina del Mar or you may opt to visit a local winery. (Breakfast)
    Day 18Easter Island Santiago - Easter Island (3 nights) :
    Transfer for your flight to Easter Island. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. (Breakfast)

    Hotel: Hotel Taha Tai
    Day 19Easter Island Easter Island :
    On a full day tour, stop first at Ahu Vaihu, where eight large moais lie in ruins. Continue to Ahu Akahanga, which is also known as the platform of the king. According to legend, this is the site where the bones of the first king of Easter Island, Hotu Matua, were buried. Next, see Rano Raraku, the volcano where 95% of the moai were carved. A hike to the top of the volcano affords a spectacular view of Rano Raraku's freshwater lake. On to visit the beautifully restored Ahu Tongariki. This platform is the largest on the island with its fifteen moai. Stop at Ahu Te Pito Kura, the site of the largest moai, moai Paro, which stood 32 feet tall and had an estimated weight of 82 tons. Finally, stop at the beach of Anakena, where King Hotu Matua first landed on Rapa Nui. (Continential breakfast / Lunch)
    Day 20Easter Island Easter Island :
    Your morning sightseeing starts at Rano Kau volcano, the second oldest on the island. Its huge caldera contains a freshwater lake. Continue to the nearby ceremonial village of Orongo, best known for the birdman cult celebrated here. On to Ahu Vinapu, where you will see where two moai once stood. The fallen remains of the broken moai can now be seen lying on the ground. Finally, stop at Ana Kai Tangata, a cave with wall paintings. The rest of the day is free. (Continential breakfast)
    Day 21Depart Santiago Easter Island - Depart Santiago :
    Transfer to the airport for your return flight to Santiago, and your connecting overnight flight back home, departing after 10 p.m. (Continential breakfast)

    NOTE: All passengers with passports from Australia, United States, Canada and Mexico must pay a reciprocity tax before entering passport control in Santiago.
    Disclaimer
    *
    ** The "LAND ONLY" prices include all Intra-South America air.
    *** Airport Transfers will be provided on arrival and departure, and will be coordinated with your flights.
    **** Australian passport holders must obtain a visa to enter Brazil.
    ***** These departures will end in Buenos Aires, not Santiago. Make sure your onward flight from Buenos Aires does not leave before 7:30 p.m.
    For details on discounts that apply to this tour please refer to a brochure or see your Travel Agent.
    The displayed prices are based on twin-share accommodation. A single supplement price is available on request.

    - These prices are correct at the time of the website going live, however are subject to confirmation at the time of booking.
    - All tour information is correct at time of tours going live, however is subject to change, please confirm all details at time of booking.
    - For full terms and conditions, please refer to our Conditions page.

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