Wonders of the Andes

Day 1

En route to Santiago, Chile (D)

En route to Santiago, Chile (D) Our Adventure in the Southern Hemisphere begins this evening with a LanChile Airlines flight from Miami south over the Equator toward Santiago, Chile.

Day 2

Activities in Santiago (D)
Santiago Capital Walk 10 km, rated 1+

Following an early morning arrival in the capital city of Chile, you’ll have all day to explore the sights of colonial Santiago on a walk beginning and ending at our hotel. Highlights along the route include Palacio de la Moneda, bombarded by General Pinoche in 1973 at the beginning of his dictatorship; Cerro Santa Lucia, with its lovely gardens and vistas; colorful Barrio Bellavista; the bustling central market area; and several interesting museums such as the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art.

Day 3

Activities from Santiago (B,L,D)

We’ll explore a different slice of Chile today as we drive east, away from the city and into the foothills of the Andes. Near the mountain village of San Alfonso, we’ll begin a short walk through pine forests to a 24 foot waterfall, the Cascada de Las Animas or Spirit’s Waterfall. Our return through the Maipo Valley will be interrupted by a stop for a typical Chilean lunch and an opportunity to sample some of the highly regarded wine products for which Chile is famous. A mid-afternoon arrival back in Santiago provides time to explore attractions you may have missed during yesterday’s sightseeing walk. Later this evening, we’ll rendezvous for a special dinner at Comedor Chileno for a taste of some authentic local cuisine in a rustic yet charming South American setting.

Day 4

Santiago–San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (B,L,D)
Valley of Death Walk 5 km, rated 2 (+elevation factor (EF) of 8,000 ft)

We depart Santiago by plane this morning for the high plateau of the Atacama Desert. Upon arrival in Calama, we’ll tour the largest open-pit copper mine on the planet. The Valley of the Moon, a wasteland of bizarre, salt-laced rock formations, lies en route to our hotel in the village of San Pedro de Atacama. Later this afternoon, we’ll wander through the surreal, erosion-sculpted moonscapes of the Valley of Death, hoping for a typically spellbinding Atacama sunset with spectacular views of the 20,000 foot Lincancabur Volcano.

Day 5

Activities from San Pedro de Atacama (B,L,D) 
Machaka Village Walk  6 km, rated 1+/2 (+EF of 12,000 ft)

The Altiplano (high plateau between the Atacama Desert and the Andes) comes alive for us this morning on an easy walk that starts with views of Mt. Lincancabur, wanders through llama grazing pastures, and finishes in the tiny Atacameño Indian hamlet of Machaka. Here we’ll be treated to a traditional Atacameño waitia lunch with the residents of this tiny native village. A late afternoon return to San Pedro offers a chance to explore this eclectic desert town of unpaved streets and surprising architectural treasures.

Day 6

San Pedro de Atacama–Iquique, Chile (B,D)
Toconao Gorge of Jeria Walk  8 km, rated 2+ (+EF of 8,000 ft)

First stop this morning is Laguna Chaxa, breeding site for three species of South American flamingos. Further south, we’ll stop at a beacon marking the Tropic of Capricorn where it intersects the extensive Inca Trail. Today’s walk begins just outside the village of Toconao in the Quebrada de Jerez, a startling oasis of orchards and vegetable patches hidden in a narrow, stream-fed gorge. Back in San Pedro, we’ll have free time for lunch, then a visit to the Le Paige Museum, providing one of Chile’s best collections of pre-Columbian artifacts. Our day ends with a late evening flight to Iquique, a 19th century mining mecca on the arid Chilean coast.

Day 7

Iquique–Copacabana, Bolivia (B,D)

Today’s morning flight takes us from sea level on the northern coast of Chile to La Paz, Bolivia, situated at 11,800 feet above the sea. From La Paz, we’ll enjoy a scenic drive to Lake Titicaca across the Altiplano countryside populated mostly by Aymará Indians. At 12,415 feet above sea level, Titicaca is not only one of the world’s highest navigable lakes, but is also equally remarkable for its sapphire-blue beauty. 

Day 8

Activities from Copacabana (B,D)
Lake Titicaca Villages and Vistas Walk 5 km, rated 2 (+EF of 12,000 ft)

A relaxed morning walking tour of the charming lakeside village of Copacabana will be followed by free time to enjoy its delightful markets, one of the best shopping opportunities on the trip. Our afternoon excursion takes us into the neighboring countryside for today’s walk. The route explores captivating Yampupata Peninsula and provides a kaleidoscope of rural scenes – Aymará women in their brightly colored skirts and shawls herding goats, men working their fields, and sensational vistas out over the bays and inlets of Lake Titicaca.

Day 9

Activities from Copacabana (B,L,D)

Another day of light activities at 12,000 feet begins with a cruise to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun). In this fabled setting, we’ll make the short trek to the Chincana ruins, a site of human sacrifice considered by Incas to be the origin of the Sun and the birthplace of their first leaders. Following lunch in the Aymará village of Cha’llapampa, we’ll make stops at other points of interest on this mysterious island at the top of the world, seemingly forgotten by time.

Day 10

Copacabana–Puno, Peru (B,L,D)

We’ll depart by coach this morning for the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca. First stop is at Sillustani for a look at the curious chullpas – stone funerary towers, some as tall as 35 feet, used by the Colla people to bury their nobility. The afternoon promises another unique South American experience as we cruise to the floating Uros Islands. Centuries ago, the Uros people chose to build floating islands of totora reed as a way to isolate themselves from encroaching Inca tribes. Their lives have since become completely entwined with the totora reed and the subsequent tourism attracted by their unique floating existence.

Day 11

Puno–Cuzco, Peru (B,L,D)

Today is primarily devoted to traveling the road through the Peruvian countryside between Puno and Cuzco. En route we’ll pass several points of interest, which we’ll explore at a leisurely pace before arriving in Cuzco, the archeological capital of the Americas and the continent’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Our hotel is located just off the Plaza de Armes, the main square of Cuzco.

Day 12

Activities in Cuzco (B,D)

Since we’ll still be at high elevation in Cuzco (10,000+ feet), we’ll slow the pace a little today and offer a bit more free time. Those feeling well-acclimated to the altitude, however, are invited to join us on a short morning walking tour of this fascinating capital of the far-reaching Inca Empire. The bulk of the afternoon will be free to shop, explore, visit museums, and prepare for tomorrow’s walk in the Sacred Valley.

Day 13

Activities from Cuzco (B,D)
Inca Ruins and Villages Walk  10 km, rated 2 (+EF of 8,900 ft)

The first part of today’s walk takes us to a spectacularly situated set of Inca ruins in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, high above the colonial village of Pisac. Pondering the amazing engineering feats of the Inca terrace makers and looking down through the rarefied air into the pastoral beauty of the Urubamba Valley, the Inca mystique awakens. After lunch at the Quechua markets of Pisac, we’ll finish the walk with a stroll down a country road that parallels the Urubamba River and provides captivating glimpses of rural life in the tiny farming communities of the valley.

Day 14

Cuzco–Aguas Calientes, Peru (B,L,D)

We’ll depart Cuzco this morning for Ollantaytambo, another major Inca site. It was here, from a massive Inca fortress, that the Spaniards suffered one of their few major losses during the conquest. From Ollantaytambo, we’ll board an afternoon train to Aguas Calientes, the jumping off point for Machu Picchu. NOTE: Train schedules are subject to last-minute changes. If unable to make the trip this afternoon, we’ll be booked on a morning departure tomorrow.

Day 15

Aguas Calientes–Ollantaytambo, Peru (B,D)

From Aguas Calientes, it’s a short ride to the ruins of Machu Picchu, never revealed to the Spanish and virtually forgotten until discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911. A local guide will unveil for us the theories and legends surrounding this mysterious “Lost City of the Incas.” The aura of Machu Picchu defies description: powerfully mystical, wonderfully isolated, frighteningly pagan, and breathtakingly beautiful are just a few phrases that come to mind. This afternoon we’ll enjoy a scenic return train trip to Ollantaytambo.

Day 16

Ollantaytambo–Lima, Peru (B,D)

On the way to the airport in Cuzco, we’ll stop again in Pisac to enjoy their bustling Sunday market and take the opportunity to pick up final South American mementos at one of the most photogenic stops of our travels. Upon arrival in Lima, we will enjoy a guided city coach tour of this busy Peruvian capital before a Farewell Dinner and a short night’s rest.

Day 17

Lima–Miami, Florida (B)

An early morning transfer to the Lima airport prepares us for the flight back across the Equator to Miami. Upon arrival in Miami, we’ll go our separate ways, enriched by the Adventure of a lifetime in another hemisphere and, in many ways, another world.

Day 1

En route to Santiago, Chile

Our Adventure in the Southern Hemisphere begins this evening aboard a LanChile jetliner headed south from Miami over the Equator to Santiago, Chile.

Day 2

Santiago–Punta Arenas, Chile (B,D)

The journey to “the end of the Earth” continues with a flight to Punta Arenas, a windswept city on the Straits of Magellan. A relatively young settlement (19th century), Punta Arenas has experienced a boom and bust cycle tied to shipping, sheep, and oil. After checking into the hotel, those with energy remaining are invited to join us for a pre-dinner coach tour of this intriguing outpost of human civilization.

Day 3

Punta Arenas–Torres del Paine Nat’l Park (B,D)

Our morning route follows the shores of the Straits of Magellan toward Otway Sound and a stop to see a fascinating colony of over 4,000 nesting pairs of the comical Magellan penguin. We continue north across vast sheep estancias (ranches) to Torres del Paine National Park. We’ll have time before dinner to explore the trails in the shadow of the primary massif from which the park’s famous peaks rise.

Day 4

Activities in Torres del Paine Nat’l Park (B,L,D)
Patagonia Peaks, Waterfalls & Icebergs Walk  8 km, rated 2/3

Pristine lakes, mountain vistas, soaring condors, and herds of guanaco (a relative of the llama) mark our drive to the start point of our first walk in Patagonia. Part one of this two-part trail takes us to postcard-perfect panoramas of the distinctively shaped Cuernos del Paine (Horns of Paine) mountain peaks. Part two finishes along the shores of Lago Grey, the beginning of an unforgettable cruise among blue-tinged bergs calved from the gigantic Grey Glacier.

Day 5

Torres del Paine–Puerto Natales, Chile vicinity (B,L,D)
Lakes and Towers of Paine Walk 10 km, rated 2

Lago Azul is the setting for today’s nature stroll. The trail meanders through deciduous forests along the shores of this oval-shaped gem with almost continual views of the three distinctive granite columns called Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine). Following the walk, we’ll return to our lovely hotel in the shadow of one of Torres del Paine’s many majestic mountains. 

Day 6

Puerto Natales vicinity–Santiago, Chile (B,D)

Today’s drive continues through the austere beauty of the southern Patagonian plains and back to Punta Arenas. Though reluctant to leave this place of rare natural beauty, we’ll board a flight bound for Santiago, our point of rendezvous with the main tour group arriving tomorrow morning.