ARGENTINA & CHILE LUXURY FOOD & WINE TOUR with Rosa
Day 01 - Fri 13 October
On arrival at Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport, we'll be met by our private coach and driver and taken to our boutique hotel in the trendy suburb of Palermo, a destination for foodies, wine lovers, art fans, shopaholics and revellers alike! After checking in we'll attend a welcome meeting with our 'Experience Manager' who'll take care of all the details during our trip and answer all of our queries to make our tour a once in a lifetime happening. After our meeting there'll be an opportunity to have a light dinner in our hotel or perhaps to venture out into the surrounding area and find a restaurant or bar for a late evening snack.Day 02 - Sat 14 October
After a buffet breakfast this morning a fascinating city tour will provide us with an overview of Argentinian history and culture. We'll spend the morning tracing the steps of Evita across this magnificent city, including the Evita Museum where we'll discover the gourmet cuisine of Buenos Aires while lunching in the Museum's own exclusive restaurant. This afternoon we'll visit the suburbs of San Telmo and La Boca - locally known as the 'tango neighborhoods'. Then, this evening, put on your dancing shoes and test your rhythm when you take your first tango steps in a private tango class with a professional local tango dancer! When our dancing lesson is over we'll witness an authentic Tango Show and then enjoy an Argentinian dinner featuring local wines in one of the city's prestigious tango venues. (BLD)Day 03 - Sun 15 October
This morning our first stop is at Buenos Aires Airport to join our flight to San Carlos de Bariloche (commonly called Bariloche), a beautiful town situated on the southern shore of Nahuel Huapi Lake in the lake region of the Argentinian area of northern Patagonia. On arrival our coach and driver will be waiting to take us to our hotel located on the shores of the lake and after check-in we'll spend the rest of the day exploring the gorgeous setting of Bariloche by taking in the panoramic views from Punto Panoramico and the Cerro Campanario viewpoints. After a peaceful and stress-free hike through the soft trails in the woods we'll be introduced to the traditional South American drink - 'mate' - seemingly sipped by the locals all day and most of the night... however, our introduction will be with cookies by the lake! Later in the morning we'll arrive at a local 'Cervecería' (Brewery), situated at the foot of Mount López and our venue for today's special cooking class and lunch! Argentinian and Patagonian meals are comprised of regional products like lamb, trout, venison and seasonal fruits and vegetables. Along with these ingredients our cooking class is combined with a special tasting of locally made beers which we'll also sample during the lunch we've helped to prepare. After lunch we'll return to our hotel and if anyone is peckish in the evening our guide will be delighted to recommend suitable eateries. (BL)Day 04 - Mon 16 October
We travel south-east this morning by following the Ñirihuau River until we reach the grasslands of the Patagonian steppes and La Buitrera, a mountain full of caves and hollows used as a sleeping place by the Andean condors, the largest flying bird in the world using the combined measurement of weight and wingspan. We'll drive up to approach the area of cliffs and rocks where the condors warm up before flying off in search of food. As in any wildlife encounter an element of luck is required to behold the breath-taking flight of the condor and hopefully it will happen. But if it doesn't this vantage point enables us to admire the beautiful view of the Patagonian Plateau with the monumental Andes as a back-drop... while we tickle the taste buds with our gourmet picnic accompanied by local wines. We'll return from this spectacular mountain landscape in the late afternoon and once again our guide will suggest suitable places for our evening meal. (BL)Day 05 - Tue 17 October
Today is indeed a unique sightseeing day. We'll cross the Andes from Argentina to Chile in style when we sail through the Mountains from Bariloche to Puerto Varas by cruising across 3 beautiful lakes connected by four overland legs which we'll navigate by coach. Our journey is 180kms long and will take us approximately 12 hours but we travel through the most colourful region of the Patagonia. En route we'll stop in the town of Peulla where our lunch and drinks are included. Our voyage ends at approximately 8:00pm in the lovely Chilean city of Puerto Varas where our local guide will be on hand to recommend a choice of favourite restaurants for our evening meal. (BL)Day 06 - Wed 18 October
This morning our local guide will meet us at our hotel and accompany us on our exploration of the city of Puerto Varas. Today's lunch, including local wine, is at one of the town's classic restaurants before we're privately transferred to the airport at Puerte Montt for our flight to Santiago de Chile. On arrival at Santiago's Airport we're met and transferred to our boutique hotel in Chile's cosmopolitan and energetic capital. Our hotel is extremely well located in the heart of Providencia and in the vicinity there is a variety of signature restaurants and entertaining pubs so there's plenty of choice for us to find somewhere for dinner this evening. (BL)Day 07 - Thu 19 October
Today kicks off with a visit to La Vega and the Historic Central Market to pick up the ingredients that we'll need for today's special culinary experience. We'll then settle in at our chosen restaurant and savour a Pisco Sour (Chile's most popular cocktail) while our celebrity chef leads the cooking class that will introduce us to quintessential Chilean dishes. An amazing lunch follows, accompanied by local wines, and after lunch we'll discover Santiago's main attractions including the Plaza de Armas and La Moneda Palace. Later this evening there'll be time to relax and relish the delights of a day well spent when we visit one of Santiago's highly rated restaurants for our gourmet dinner with matching wines. (BLD)Day 08 - Fri 20 October
The lush, vine-covered hills of the Casablanca Valley, 75 kilometres away from Santiago, beckon to us this morning. We-ll drive to the beautiful Matetic Vineyards, where we-ll learn about their winemaking and taste two of their premium wines from their Corralillo range along with lunch in their award-winning restaurant. A short drive after lunch brings us to the coastal town of Isla Negra to visit the museum-house of Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature before returning to Santiago for an arrival in good time to discover somewhere new and enticing for dinner. (BL)Day 09 - Sat 21 October
Santiago de Chile - Mendoza (3 nights)
First up this morning we're back at Santiago airport to join our flight to return us to Argentina and the city at the heart of its wine producing region, cosmopolitan Mendoza. We'll be here for 3 nights so our
accommodation is at a luxury wine hotel and spa full of rustic charm set in the captivating Malbec vineyards close to the city. After checking into our resort we'll visit Casa El Enemigo winery where a
sensational lunch and chocolate tasting awaits us in their renowned Divina Comedia restaurant. Tonight we'll explore the regional flavours of Mendoza when dinner is served in the elegant yet unpretentious atmosphere
of the Katharina Bistro at our hotel. (BLD)
Day 10 - Sun 22 October
Mendoza - Excursion to the Uco Valley
The Uco Valley is widely considered to be one of the top wine regions in Mendoza, and indeed Argentina, and it's first on our agenda this morning. We'll drive about 100 kilometres south of the city to visit the
magnificent Clos de los Siete Winery. The clos contains four separate vineyards and a blending of the product from each of these establishments results in the exceptional wine labelled as 'Clos de los Siete' Enjoying
the best of this region and its landscapes is a surreal experience topped off by having a private lunch at the Bonnie Family Mansion, the founders and owners of the Bodega Diamandes, one of the four vineyards
comprising the Clos. We'll return to Mendoza in the early evening. (BL)
Day 11 - Mon 23 October
Mendoza - At Leisure
Today is a day of pure relaxation! The choice is ours... and our wine resort has many activities to choose from... experience the vineyard lifestyle and unwind with a glass (or bottle) of wine, picnic with an unforgettable
view and enjoy a traditional Argentinian-style barbecue... and when the wining and dining is done, perhaps head to the spa for a relaxing massage? For the more adventurous among us (who love to drink wine) how about
a trek in the Andes or a horseback ride through the vineyard to further increase our knowledge of how some of the best wines in Mendoza are made? (BL)
Day 12 - Tue 24 October
Mendoza - Puerto Iguazu (2 nights)
The tropical jungle of the north awaits us today. After breakfast our private transfer will take us to Mendoza Airport for our morning flight to Iguazu where we'll view one of the most amazing waterfalls in the world,
the massive Iguazu Falls, which can also claim the title of the world's largest! Our exclusive luxury hotel is located in the middle of the Iryapú Jungle and this evening we'll enjoy our drinks and dinner in this
delightful setting. (BD)
Day 13 - Wed 25 October
Puerto Iguazu - Iguazu Falls (Argentine Side)
The Argentinian side of the Falls are part of the Iguazu National Park and Argentinians believe, and rightly so, that the Falls are one of the most beautiful places on the planet! Today, with our specialist Local Guide,
we'll spend the whole day in the Park. We'll begin with a quiet journey through the jungle in the picturesque Eco-Train to view some of the most beautiful and diverse bird varieties in the world before taking a walkway
across various waterways of the Iguazu River to the viewing point for the famous 'Garganta del Diablo' (Devil´s Throat), a unique and very memorable scene! After time for lunch at the Visitor Centre we'll truly
appreciate the full power of the force of nature and the pure majesty of the falls when our powerful zodiac bounces into the Lower Iguazu River Canyon to reach the Tres Mosqueteros Fall, from where we can see both the
Argentinian and Brazilian sides of the falls. Then it's a 'baptism shower', an unforgettable experience when our boat closes in on the bottom of the San Martin waterfall, the biggest cascade any boat may undertake to get
under! It's assured, we will definitely get wet! (B)
Day 14 - Thu 26 October
Puerto Iguazu - Iguazu Falls (Brazilian Side) - The Pampas (2 nights
This morning we'll check-out of our hotel and our Local Guide will join us again for a private tour to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls. Even though the largest section of the falls is on the Argentinian side,
the best panoramic views of the falls are seen from Brazil. After our included lunch our guide will escort us to the Puerto Iguazu Airport where we'll join our afternoon flight to Buenos Aires. Our arrival into Buenos
Aires is scheduled for the early evening and then we'll have a 90 minute private coach trip to arrive at our traditional 'Estancia' (ranch) in the fertile Argentine Pampas where we'll get 'close-up and personal' with
the 'Gaucho' lifestyle and its traditions. Tonight's dinner and drinks will be at the estancia. (BLD)
Day 15 - Fri 27 October
The Pampas - Excursion to San Antonio de Areco
San Antonio de Areco is an historical town on the Areco River and it is first up on our agenda this morning. Our walking tour of its colonial neighbourhood, with a local, will take in the Main Square, the church of
San Antonio and a 100 year old gauchos' bar along with a visit to a Creole silversmith's workshop and the Draghi and Guirlades Museums. We'll have time to mingle with the local inhabitants and artisans, and perhaps
pick up some keepsakes to bring home. Lunch today, with local wine, is in a typical Pulperia in the town and after lunch we'll return to our estancia to relax and enjoy some activities such as horseback riding or a
horse-drawn carriage ride provided by the gauchos of the estancia. Dinner with drinks and wine is again enjoyed at our estancia. (BLD)
Day 16 - Sat 28 October
The Pampas - Buenos Aires (1 night)
Today we'll enjoy breakfast and a leisurely morning at the estancia followed by a lunch of 'empanadas' and drinks before we head back to the city of Buenos Aires for our last night in Argentina. Buenos Aires has
long been famous for the quality of its steak so tonight we'll visit one of its traditional 'parrillas' (barbecue grill restaurants) for our farewell meal! (BLD)
Day 17 - Sun 29 October
Depart Buenos Aires
Breakfast is in the hotel and a late check-out is also included today so there's time to complete unfinished sightseeing or shopping in this amazing capital city, or perhaps just relax in our hotel room, before our
late-evening private transfer to Buenos Aires International Airport (EZE) to join our flight home. (B)Note: The above itinerary is subject to change necessitated by any change in Community regulations as well as changes by Government and/or local operators along with natural circumstances beyond our control.