zephyradventures DETAILED TRIP DESCRIPTION CHILE & ARGENTINA MULTISPORT & WINE ADVENTURE While we love all of South America, traveling to the wine areas of Chile and Argentina is special. The hotels are upscale, the restaurants are high quality, the vineyards are beautiful, and the wineries are world class. Heading for a late dinner in the hip city of Mendoza, engaging in conversation with a Chilean wine maker, or simply saying hola to the many locals we meet on our activities reminds you the South Americans seem to have a proper balance to their lives, with friends, family, and fun co-existing with work. This adventure takes us to several different wine areas in both Chile and Argentina. In Chile we visit the Maipo, Apalta, Colchagua, Casablanca, and Aconcagua wine valleys. Each has its own very distinct microclimate that produces quite different wines. In Argentina we visit the wine areas outside the environs of Mendoza. In addition to enjoying and learning about the Carmeneres of Chile and the Malbecs of Argentina (and more), we also have a variety of activities planned, making sure you get as much – or as little – exercise as you want each day. Our vineyard hikes offer a variety of difficulty levels and we are often accompanied by a local winemaker before, during or after. We also bike in both countries, mostly flat on a valley floor where the grapes are grown. In Chile’s Aconcagua Valley, we have the opportunity one afternoon to either horseback ride or hike. And in Argentina, you can choose to hike, raft on the Mendoza River, or take a thrilling zip line circuit in the foothills of the Andes. DAILY ITINERARY DAY 1: Most flights to Santiago, Chile arrive early in the morning. We meet you at 9:45 AM at Hotel Torremayor in downtown Santiago. From there, we shuttle to our first Chilean wine area, the Maipo Valley, and have a tour, tasting and lunch at one of Chile’s largest and most famous wineries, Concha y Toro (which exports many wines to the U.S.). From there, we head south to the Colchagua Valley and wine town of Santa Cruz and our well-appointed spa hotel. We have another short hike through the vineyards on the way to dinner. Accommodation: Hotel Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Chile DAY 2: Today we hike in the Apalta Valley (which is a smaller valley within the Colchagua) at Viña las Niñas, where we have the option to do a strenuous hike to the top of the hill overlooking the entire valley, or a more relaxed hike through the vineyards. Returning to the winery, we have a fabulous outdoor tasting and lunch. The afternoon includes free time to take a siesta, shop, explore the town, visit one of South America’s best museums, get a massage, or take a dip in the pool. Our private dinner tonight is in a hundred-year-old restored bakery. Accommodation: Hotel Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Chile www.zephyradventures.com : : 888-758-8687 : : [email protected] zephyradventures DETAILED TRIP DESCRIPTION CHILE & ARGENTINA MULTISPORT & WINE ADVENTURE DAY 3: We depart Santa Cruz for the cooler Casablanca Valley and a bike on the mostly-flat valley roads. After an hour of riding, we stop for a tasting near the cute town of Casablanca. We continue on our bikes and arrive at a second winery for a lovely outdoor tasting among the trees and vineyard picnic lunch. Those who desire can choose to bike further before we head onward to the Pacific coast, the city of Viña del Mar, and our hotel overlooking the crashing waves below. Accommodation: Hotel San Martin, Viña del Mar, Chile DAY 4: After a morning spent exploring the cities of Valparaiso or Viña del Mar, we will depart for our final (and prettiest, we think!) wine valley in Chile: the Aconcagua. You can choose to hike or horseback ride through the vineyards of Viña San Esteban to an area of ancient Incan petroglyphs. Our walk or ride takes us to one of the most scenic wine tasting settings you will ever experience, a shelter that overlooks the valley floor with the Andes looming on the other side. Dinner tonight in the vineyards will be one of the trip’s most memorable. Accommodation: Inca Hotel, Los Andes, Chile DAY 5: We depart Chile today with a spectacular drive over the Andes Mountains, stopping near the top to take a short hike at the base of impressive Mount Aconcagua, the highest point in the Americas. Before reaching Mendoza and checking into our boutique hotel (where we will stay for three nights), we will stop for a tasting and a fantastic family style dinner of local foods at Cava de Cano. Accommodation: Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina DAY 6: Today we visit the nearby Uco Valley and bicycle through this beautiful wine valley fringed by the Andes. Our destination? The brand new Siete Fuego for a multi-course asado (roasted meats and vegetables) and wine pairing. After a very leisurely late lunch with plenty of wine, we return to Mendoza. Dinner tonight is on your own, and we recommend a visit to the lively Aristides Street, where all the hip Mendocinos go! Accommodation: Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina DAY 7: This morning we drive back towards the Andes for a hike in the cordillera, the pre-Andes mountains, that takes us directly to the Jerome Brewery for lunch, a small family-run brewery that has outstanding beer. After lunch you can choose to go rafting on the Mendoza River, do a thrilling zipline circuit, or go for another hike. Tonight, after a tasting at the Vines of Mendoza, we have our final dinner in another beautiful setting, outdoor at the Anna Bistro in the heart of the city. Accommodation: Park Hyatt, Mendoza, Argentina DAY 8: Our final morning is spent actively exploring the huge General San Martin Park adjacent to Mendoza, before enjoying a late checkout and our departures for home or other parts of South America. www.zephyradventures.com : : 888-758-8687 : : [email protected] zephyradventures DETAILED TRIP DESCRIPTION CHILE & ARGENTINA MULTISPORT & WINE ADVENTURE TRIP DETAILS DATES November 8 – 15, 2014 COST $3,200 USD per person OPTIONAL COSTS • Single supplement of $950 (single supplement is always optional; otherwise we will find you a roommate of the same gender) HIGHLIGHTS • Exploring five wine areas in Chile (Maipo, Apalta, Colchagua, Casablanca, and Aconcagua) and three in Argentina (Maipú, Uco Valley and Luján de Cuyo) and diverse terrain from beaches to vineyards to the peaks of the Andes • Hiking at the base of Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas • The wonderful people and relaxed pace of two sophisticated South American countries • Lovely hotels, great food and plenty of vino! ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE We meet you in Santiago, Chile (SCL) on the first morning of the trip. You can choose to arrive that morning and or you can arrive earlier and explore Santiago before meeting us at Hotel Torremayor. On the last day, we will end in Mendoza, Argentina. You should make your return flights out of Mendoza (MDZ). The Mendoza airport has direct flights to Santiago, Buenos Aires, and several smaller Argentinean cities. Upon booking, we will send you more information on your travel logistics. WHAT’S INCLUDED • At least one American Zephyr guide and one Zephyr South American guide accompanies each trip. • Double occupancy lodging is included. If you are traveling solo, we will match you with another traveler of the same gender. However, you may pay a single supplement to have your own room. • All of your dinners (except one, when we provide a late lunch) and breakfasts are included. Gratuity for these meals is also included. In general, we leave lunches open so that you have time to explore and enjoy the local flavors en route. • All your transportation is included once you meet your guide(s) on the first day. • Bike rental on biking days is included, as are other activities such as horseback riding, rafting, or ziplining • All group activities and wine tastings are included. NOT INCLUDED Beverages, desserts, lunches, gratuities to your guides, personal expenses and travel to and from the destination. www.zephyradventures.com : : 888-758-8687 : : [email protected] zephyradventures DETAILED TRIP DESCRIPTION CHILE & ARGENTINA MULTISPORT & WINE ADVENTURE ACCOMMODATIONS Nights 1 & 2: Hotel Santa Cruz We spend two nights at the ornate and elaborate Hotel Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, Chile. The owners of the hotel have pretty much singlehandedly established Santa Cruz as the main wine town of Chile, sort of an up-and-coming Sonoma. Night 3: Hotel San Martin The four-star Hotel San Martin is located in the heart of the beach district in Viña del Mar, on Chile’s coast. Our rooms have an incredible view of the crashing waves below. Night 4: Inca Hotel Our final night in Chile we spend at a brand-new simple, yet elegant, hotel in Los Andes, a fun market town in the Aconcagua Valley on the way to Argentina. Nights 5, 6 & 7: Park Hyatt In Argentina, we spend all three nights in Mendoza at the Park Hyatt. Although this is not a typical Zephyr hotel, we love it because it is right on the Plaza de la Independencia, and it is, without a doubt, the premier place to stay in town. BOOKING DETAILS INTERESTED IN JOINING US? Call us at 888.758.8687 or email us to check availability, or to ask any questions you may have regarding this trip or any other travel ideas you may be considering. TO BOOK YOUR ADVENTURE You can book online or by calling us at 888.758.8687.