Welcome To 'Chile Inside Out'

17 day Walk and See Chile

Chile is one of the longest countries in the world. 4300 km from the Bolivian border in the north to Cape Horn in the South. It encompasses practically every climate and scenic variation that the world has to offer. We travel to the central area first, which is fertile and home to Chile’s best beaches and vineyards, a wide variety of farms and holds much of Chile’s prosperity. We fly to the Atacama Desert in the North first – which is the driest part of the world to see geysers, salt flats, Inca ruins and the most beautiful sunsets, then fly south to the lake district, a picture postcard paradise of mountains, volcanoes, lakes and ancient Valdivian temperate rain forests.

This holiday is a blend of land journeys, sight seeing, walks and treks and participation in local culture of the country. Although all walks are optional, they can be enjoyed by every one, who leads a reasonably active life and assist to make the most of the holiday by enabling everyone to appreciate the wide variety of scenery and culture that Chile has to offer.

Day 1 Leave London LHR, evening flight**

Day 2 Arrive Santiago. Hotel Check in. Afternoon walking, local bus and underground tour of city . This tour will include visiting the Plaza de Armas and the famous central market where a traditional lunch can be taken
Hotel: Santiago

Day 3 Morning flight North to San Pedro via Calama.
Afternoon walking tour of town of San Pedro, then Moon valley walk taking in the sunset
Hotel: San Pedro

Day 4 Today we take a full day tour to the Altiplano lagoons and salt flats, which are home to many different bird species as well as numerous flamingos and the world’s largest salt lakes. The day takes us through the picturesque town of Tocanao. The houses and church in this small village are built from white volcanic stone, which make it a truly beautiful place to have a picnic or traditional Chilean lunch.
Hotel : San Pedro

Day 5 An early start to visit the Giesers at El Tatio. The afternoon can be spent sand boarding, (optional extra cost – to be contfirmed at the time), visiting the unique museum in San Pedro, taking a walk to the ruins at Quitor or just relaxing round the pool
Hotel: San Pedro

Day 6 Morning flight to Temuco via Santiago, then 1.5 hour bus ride to Pucon. The Afternoon can be spent touring the town or time permitting and according to flight and transfer schedules, hiring a bike to ride around the local area, or hiring a boat to row on the beautiful Vallarrica lake
Hotel: Pucon

Day 7 Whole day walk in the beautiful temperate rain forest of the Huerquehue national park with a picnic lunch. Huerquehue is the oldest and most beautiful national park in Chile. A short drive takes us to the starting point of our day hike. We start by walking through the native forest of ‘coigue, lengas’ with its araucaria trees. After a couple of hours, we arrive at the pristine lagoons hidden amongst the immense araucaria trees. After a picnic lunch by the lagoons, we will retrace our steps through the forests and return to Pucon in the late afternoon, after a well earned rest in the nearby hot springs of the Liucura Valley. Throughout the day, we have views of the smoking Villarrica Volcano and surrounding mountains
Option 2: For the very energetic walker a 5 – 6 hour walk up the Villarrica Volcano – weather permitting. (additional cost approx US $100.00)
Hotel: Pucon

Day 8 A 5 hour drive south, takes us to Puerto Varas, stopping in Frutillar or Valdivia for lunch. We arrive late afternoon, so a walk around the local town, taking in the beautiful cathedral, Lake Llanquihue, (The third largest lake in South America) and views of the near perfect cone of the Volcano Osorno is the perfect way to stretch ones legs after a long bus ride.
For the energetic an optional canopy ride over the tree tops can be organised (Additonal cost: US$ 20.0)
Evening - wine tasting and dinner in a local specialist restaurant
Hotel: Puerto Varas

Day 9 Drive up to Osorno Volcano - taking in a morning walk in the Valdivian forest, and the rapids and waterfalls at Petrohue located in the Vicente Perez Rosales National Park. A picnic or bbq lunch, with the opportunity to have a swim in the beautiful Llanquihue take is followed by a,cable car ride up to the snow line, then gentle walk back to the cable car station for hot chocolate, after looking at the stunning volcano summit and surrounding valley views of Lago todo Los Santos
Option 2: A day spent Fly fishing on the famous Maulin River – the spawning run river for Atlantic salmon and also to rainbow and brown river trout. (Additional cost: US $160.00 per person (min: 2 persons) – all equipment supplied)
Hotel: Puerto Varas

Day 10 Today we head for Chiloe Island, via Puerto Montt, the land of myths and legends, famous for its wooden churches and local culture. During the 30 minute ferry crossing of the Chacao Channel, if we are lucky, we will see sea lions, Chilean dolphin, penguins and a large variety of birds. Our first stop on the island will be the small town of Caulin, where we can sample local oysters and freshly caught crab. We continue driving into the city of Ancud, which was founded in 1767 to defend Spain´s Chilean coastline from foreign intrusion. Next, we visit the famous penguin colony of Chiloe “Islotes Puñihuil”. Stopping for a while to take in the scenery whilst eating our lunch in a restaurant on the beach. A short boat ride takes us to see the colony of Humboldt and Magellan penguins.
Guest house: Ancud

Day 11 After an early breakfast, we take the ferry and drive back to Puerto Montt for the flight to Punto Arenas. A 7 hour drive takes us into the national park of Torres de Paines
Hostal: National park

Day 12 Full day in Paines National Park, including a 4 hour walk to the Blue lagoon then in the afternoon a boat ride to the grey glacier and/or a 4 hour trek to ‘Sendero laguna verde’
Hostal: National Park

Day 13 Full day trek to base of Las Torres with a picnic lunch
Hostal: National Park

Day 14 Drive back to Punto Arena, flight to Santiago
Hotel: Santiago

Day 15 After breakfast, we drive to the vibrant coastal resorts of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar where we can spend the day on the beach, explore the shops visit the world famous port or check out the Unesco world heritage site – the town was also where the Nobel literature prizelaureate, Pablo Neruda built one of his unique houses.
Hotel: Santiago

Day 16 Morning free, then lunch time flight back to UK

Day 17 Arrival at LHR

Essential Information

What’s Included :
All accommodation and breakfasts for 14 nights, some picnic (box) lunches where full day hikes and excursions are taken, all excursions listed in itinerary except those listed as optional, where additional costs are itemised, support transportation for the entire trip, all transfers, all park entrance fees.

What’s Not Included :
International airfares, travel insurance, lunches and dinners (unless stated in the above notes), gratuities for guides, alcoholic beverages, optional tours and personal expenses.

Practical information:
Since Chile is in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are the reverse of Europe. Summer temperatures therefore in Santiago between October and the end of March can reach 30 degrees centigrade, while in Puerto Varas and the lake district, temperatures are more likely to be around 20 – 25 degrees centigrade and of course as it is the lake district – it can rain at any time. In the Northern desert of the Atacalama, day time temperatures will be hot, while the nights quite cold.
From the end of October to March, Chile is three hours behind the UK, so watches need to be adjusted accordingly

Flights from and to the UK:
**International flights from the UK are NOT included in our pricing structure. All tours start and finish in Santiago.
Where possible we will co-ordinate arrival times, so that all clients either meet the remainder of the group in the hotel lobby, in the morning on day 2, or in the Arrivals hall of Santiago airport on Day 2.
We are aware that ‘Iberia airlines’ fly from London, Heathrow on a Friday evening to Santiago, via Madrid at approximately 18.50. This flight arrives in Madrid (Spain) at 22.00. The connecting flight from Madrid to Santiago leaves at approximately 23.50 and arrives in Santiago at 09.50 am Saturday morning. At the time of writing, this flight costs approximately £750.00. Though clients must book and confirm these flights and details for themselves.
British Airways also have a flight to Santiago from London-Heathrow that goes daily via Buenos Aires. This flight is slightly longer and arrives in Santiago at approximately 13.00. The cost is approximately £1000.00
KLM fly to Santiago at around the same time. Their flights go via Amsterdam.
Return flights back to London from Santiago leave Santiago around noon every day. Iberia Airlines return via Madrid, KLM via Amsterdam and British Airways return via Buenos Aires.
Please also be aware of the changes various airlines are making to baggage restrictions from 1st September, 2008. Ensure you check the type and weight of bags and suitcases that can be checked into the hold prior to travel, together with weight and size restrictions on hand baggage.

Passports and Visas:
All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay to be presented on arrival to the country of arrival.
It is the duty of the client to ensure that all passports and visas are presented in good and up to date order before travelling. Currently no visa is required by British passport holders for entry into Chile, though this should be checked by all clients prior to travelling.

Vaccinations :
No vaccinations are required, nor are any recommended prior to visiting Chile.

Accommodation:
During our trip, we stay in 3* hotels and good quality hostals. Rooms are twin or double and have private bathroom facilities.
The costs of this trip are based on 2 people sharing a double or twin room.
Single clients booking and wishing to stay in a single room, must, where required be prepared to pay a single room supplement, otherwise be prepared to share with another client (of the same sex).

Lunches and dinners:
Box or picnic lunches are provided on hike and excursion days throughout the tour. As all other lunches and dinners are taken in restaurants, their cost is not included. A good dinner with wine or a drink costs approximately 10 – 15000 pesos.

The Group, Staff and Support:
This tour will be lead by an expert English speaking Chilean tour guide assisted by an English guide. Where necessary additional guides will be employed e.g. fishing guides, local mountain guides etc.,
The minimum age of clients is 16 years. Maximum number of clients in group : 12

Making a Booking:
To make a booking for this or any of Chile Inside Out’s other holidays, you must send us a completed booking form together with a deposit of £250.00 per person. We will then invoice you for the remainder of the cost, which you must pay no later than 10 weeks prior to departure. If the booking is made less than 10 weeks prior to departure, then the full payment must be made on booking. The booking is not accepted and no contract exists until the date shown on the confirmation issued by ‘Chile Inside Out’ has been received. A photo copy of current holiday insurance must also be supplied with the booking form. Details of international flight bookings must also be made available when the final balance of the holiday is paid, so that ‘Chile Inside Out’ can co-ordinate arrival and departure meeting times.

Cancellation:
Cancellation of the holiday must be made in writing to Chile Inside Out. If you cancel your booking more than 8 weeks before departure, we will not refund your deposit, but the deposit may be transferred to another holiday in our programme. A transfer fee of £40.00 is payable on transfer, provided that you notify us un writing within 2 weeks of your cancellation, telling us which holiday you wish to transfer to. If you subsequently cancel the holiday to which you have transferred, we will retain your full original deposit.
If you cancel your booking after you have paid the cost in full, the following cancellation charges will apply:
Between 40 and 60 days before departure: 40% of the holiday cost, between 29 and 59 days before departure: 60% of the holiday cost and between 15 and 28 days before departure: 80% of the holiday cost. 14 days or less before departure (or failing to join the holiday at the start of the tour) 100% of the holiday cost. If you do not pay the balance of your holiday within 8 weeks of departure, your booking will be terminated and you will lose your deposit.

Our Responsibility to you:
We will let you know as soon as we can if, through no fault of ‘Chile Inside Out’ or you, we are forced to significantly alter the holiday time table in any way. Before booking and not less than 30 days prior to departure, the prices featured may change. We reserve the right to impose surcharges, once you have booked, however no surcharges will be imposed within 30 days of departure, and will only be due to transportation costs, fuel surcharges, airport fees, or extreme changes to currency exchanges.
If you have a complaint about the holiday, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity so that our local representatives can take appropriate action at the earliest opportunity.
If we need to cancel the holiday, due to insufficient client bookings, we will do so, no later than 56 days before departure.
This holiday will only change, if due to unusual and unforeseen circumstances beyond our control and changes could not have been avoided even if all due care and attention had been taken.
Chile Inside Out is aware of it’s obligations to provide the client with the services agreed by both parties when signing the contract. We are responsible agents who support ‘eco-tourism’ and who wish to maintain the delicate balance between tourism and nature at all times.

For more details see: www.chileinsideout.com