Museums, Moai and Mountains

The Best of Chile

DAY 1 Arrival in Santiago

Your flight lands in the Chilean capital early this morning. Transfer to your elegant hotel with a private driver, drop your bags and head out to one of the many nearby cafes for a mid-morning brunch. Santiago is one of Latin America's safest cities and in places has a very European feel. We will recommend the best places for lunch in our detailed destination Dossier.

The nearby Bellavista district has an arty, bohemian feel and it's no surprise to find the National Museum of Fine Arts here too. Return to the hotel for a pisco sour cocktail, Chile's national drink, on the terrace.

DAY 2 Day Out in Valparaiso

Valpo's a charmer, and you'll soon see why. It's an easy run from Santiago making this a popular choice for a day trip. Accompanied by a private guide, you'll drive through some of Chile's famed wine country. Arriving in colourful Valparaiso, your city tour will showcase some of the city's most popular attractions, including the captivating barrios of Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre, Pablo Neruda's house, La Sebastiana, and of course the ascensores or elevators that link the upper and lower town. Strolling along Valpo's cobbles is an absolute delight and you'll also enjoy a tasty lunch in one of its many restaurants.

DAY 3 Fly to Easter Island

How did a thousand enormous stone statues come to be abandoned on a remote Pacific Island? This is the mystery that has fascinated travellers lucky enough to have visited this incredible place, a five-hour flight west of the Chilean mainland. You'll be met at Hanga Roa airport and transferred to your sophisticated hotel where you'll enjoy a three night stay. Relax in luxurious settings as you read up on the moai stone heads. Most face inwards, testament to the islanders' belief that they were the only people on the planet and thus attack would come from within. Get your first glimpse in Hanga Roa as you head down to the cliff top for sunset overlooking Ahu Vai Uri.

DAY 4 Onwards to Punta Arenas

Today you'll get a sense of how long Chile is! From Santiago in the centre of the country, you'll board a three-and-a-half-hour flight to the southern city of Punta Arenas. A driver will be there to meet you for your transfer to the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park, one of the gems in Chile's many-studded crown. The journey takes over four hours, but the scenery is unforgettable, particularly the final stretch up to the national park. Your base is one of the handful of superb lodges that pride themselves on attentive service and offers a range of excursions and activities designed to showcase their surroundings.

DAY 5 Experience Patagonia

Patagonia is a vast region straddling the border between Chile and its neighbour Argentina. Torres del Paine National Park is the highlight of Chilean Patagonia. You can't miss the three granite peaks which give the park its name but they adorn a spectacularly beautiful landscape characterised by mountain lakes, mountain pastures and cascading waterfalls. Even from the roadside you'll spot wild guanaco grazing and if you're lucky you may also catch a glimpse of the ostrich-like rhea, mountain pumas and shy deer. Explore is located on the shore of Lake Pehoe and this makes for a great orientation hike. Pass wild orchids on the way to a lofty vantage point overlooking the lake and Paine Ridge.

DAY 6 Return Home

Sadly it's time to leave Chile and make your way home. A private transfer by car will get you as far as Punta Arenas airport. There you'll catch a domestic flight north to Santiago and connect with your onward overnight flight to the UK, which takes just over 14 hours.