Santiago & Central Valley

Central Chile is the cultural nucleus of the country. All of Chile’s largest cities such as Santiago, the capital, the principal port of Valparaiso are located here, as are most of its universities and industries, its vineyards, finest agricultural lands, colonial and early republican architecture as well as the fine beaches near to Santiago in the Pacific Ocean.

Clean and modern Santiago sits in a basin between the Coast Range to the west and the Andes to the east. World-class ski areas in the Central Andes lie only forty-five minutes away, up steep switchbacks which climb over 3000 meters in approximately 45 kilometers. Numerous vineyards to visit surround Santiago, hot springs, seventeenth-century colonial haciendas and national parks in both the Andes and Cost Range, all make easy half day or full day trips, as well as the picturesque port of Valparaiso and it’s forty-six hills and the Garden City of Viña del Mar.

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FULL DAY AND HALF DAY EXCURSIONS IN SANTIAGO, SURROUNDINGS AND CENTRAL VALLEY.
You may combine all these programs and make your own trip on regular or private basis. Also tailor made tours for groups and or individuals.  Lodging and transportation from/to airport can  also be provided by us.

FD = Full day trip    HD = Half day trip

    

We will pick up from your hotel and start your adventure in the oldest area in Santiago called Barrio Concha y Toro. Its architecture reminds our guests of the European neighborhoods. Its buildings were raised at the end of the XIXth. Century and beginning of the XXth. century. Then we will drive on through cobble stone streets toward a beautiful private club called “Club Hípico de Santiago” inaugurated in 1870. The building, projected and raised in 1918 by he architect Joshua Smith, is inspired on the French racetrack of Long Champs. French Baroque-style boulevards and gardens are integrated into the construction through terraces and perrons. The magnificent tribunes are covered by canopy. Besides its architectural beauty, the show of the horse races is increased by the imposing view of the mountain range.

After that, we will get into the neighborhood “República” dating from 1872. Along with the neighborhood of Dieciocho Street, it was one of the areas populated by the richest families of that time. República was the most elegant street; both because of the great quality of the houses build in it as well as for its urbanization that included Santiago’s first asphalt, beacons and a row of oriental banana trees. Leaving behind the old area, we will arrive to the civic area, Presidential Palace La Moneda and Plaza de La Constitución. It is the Government of Chile’s presidential headquarters. Of a neoclassical style its construction began in 1784 by the Italian architect Joaquin Toesca. It was inaugurated in 1805 and it harbored the Real Casa de Moneda, or mint, from which it receives its current name. In 1846, a portion of the building was enabled for the president’s residence until 1922 when it begun entirely to be used as the headquarters of the Government of Chile. We will visit the interior gardens. We drive to Plaza de Armas. It is the basis of Santiago’s urban conformation, since it constitutes the quadrilateral starting point from which the original design of the city was traced when the Spanish conqueror don Pedro de Valdivia founded Santiago in 1541. From then on it has been the political, economic and religious center of the city. It harbors the main buildings such as the Cathedral, the Palacio de la Real Audiencia (Royal Court of Justice) and the Post Office Headquarters among others. Its name, literally translated as the Weaponry Square, is due to the military exercises carried out there during the period of the Spanish Conquest.
The Cathedral is the fifth one built in the same place. The first one built between 1566 and 1600, but then continuous earthquakes destroyed it several times. The current building construction began 1748 and the architect Joaquin Toesca was designated in 1780 to finish the work. Toesca gave the current building its neoclassical style.
Our last visit is the Cerro San Cristóbal. (San Cristóbal hill). On the summit of Cerro San Cristóbal, there is the Virgin Mary monument whose image was copied from the Virgin that is in the Spanish Square in Rome. The Chilean statue was installed 884 m.a.s.l. and can be seen from different points of the capital. You will have a magnificent sight all over Santiago. Return to the Hotel.

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Optionals: Lunch at Mercado Municipal with fish and seafood or Parrillada dinner with Chilean folk music and dances.

A one-hour drive south Concha y Toro opens the doors of the Pirque Casona and Cellar to everyone interested in learning more about wine and its history in Chile. We invite you to tour the park of the Don Melchor Concha y Toro Casona, to visit the cellars and to taste our wines.

The visit begins at the Don Melchor square, where you will be greeted by a bilingual guide. While viewing the panoramic vista of the Pirque vineyard you will be invited to enjoy a glass of Trio Chardonnay and to absorb the aromas and flavours that emerge as you visit the centuries-old cellar.

Wine glass in hand, the visitor goes back in time as he takes a stroll through the ancient park and views the Pirque Casona, residence of the Concha y Toro family. This is the place where Chile’s largest winery was founded over one hundred years ago.
At the Pirque vineyards you will be able to appreciate the wine grapes growing and listen to a brief overview of the viti cultural and technological aspects of vineyard management that are responsible for creating first quality wines.

Once inside the wine aging cellars, you will taste a second wine, a Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere. This variety, which arrived in the country at the end of the 19th century, is only grown commercially in Chile. For over a century Carmenere was mistaken for Merlot, until it was rediscovered in the 1990s. After extensively studying its management and the best zones for growing Carmenere, today it is delivering extraordinary wines and has become Chile’s emblematic grape variety.
The tour goes on to one of the Winery’s main attractions. In the ancient cellars where founder Don Melchor Concha y Toro kept his best wines, you will hear the “Casillero Del Diablo Legend”, a story that has made Chilean wine famous worldwide.
Your visit ends at the Wine Shop, where you enjoy a final glass of Trio Cabernet Sauvignon. (Wines may vary)

After Concha y Toro winery you will enjoy a typical Chilean lunch at “La vaquita Echá in Pirque or in the “Santuario del Rio” in the pre-Andes Mountains. Return to your Hotel.

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Important note: This tour cannot operate on Saturdays afternoon, and Sunday’s all day due to the vineyard is close.

We created this program to familiarize people with the life of this great Port City. This “walking tour” visits the hills, elevators and pedestrian streets of Valparaiso. We’ll enjoy a boat trip around the bay and then have lunch in a typical restaurant (fish and shellfish). Later we’ll go to visit the “Garden City” of Viña del Mar.

The program includes:
•    Walking tour around Valparaiso                     
•    Viña del Mar                                                  
•    Lunch in a typical restaurant                   
•    Elevators fee
•    Boat ride
•    Private transportation
•    Bilingual tour guide

We start our day trip to Valparaiso early in the morning from your hotel and take the highway number 68 to our main port in Chile. After crossing Lo Prado tunnel, we reach Curacaví Valley. We will see small farms dedicated to agriculture. After the second tunnel, Zapata, we reach the wineries of Casablanca Valley. The fresh early morning dew and the influence of the Pacific Ocean have transformed this valley in one of the most outstanding white wine winery zones in Chile. We arrive in Valparaiso with its 48 picturesque hills. We will ascend Cerro Concepción with the oldest elevator of city, Turri elevator build in 1883. We will walk along Atkinson and Brighton Promenade with a fantastic view on Valparaiso harbor. The housing area in Cerro Concepción was the typical neighborhood of English and German traders and merchants. We will also see the Lutheran and Anglican Church of the suburb. At Cerro Artillería we will have a magnificent view on Valparaiso harbor and Viña del Mar. After a short drive, we reach Plaza Sotomayor (Sotomayor Square) with the monument to Chilean Navy Heroes.
At Muelle Prat we will take a boat ride in the harbor. After the boat ride, fish and seafood lunch with panoramic view on the harbor, or along the Pacific coast line near to Viña del Mar. We end the tour at approximately 5.30 pm. and drive back to Santiago to your hotel. Arrival between 7 and 7.30 pm. End of services.

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Although white varieties such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have been recognized world wide, local winemakers hope to one day be able to produce red wines of equally high quality in Casablanca Valley. The growth of the wine industry in Casablanca has been explosive.
There are approximately 25 large vineyards established in the valley today and the most recognized producers of white wine are Vineyard Veramonte, Morande and Indomita.
Departure from the hotel in Santiago and take the highway number 68 to our main port in Chile. After crossing Lo Prado tunnel, we reach Curacaví Valley. We will see small farms dedicated to agriculture. After the second tunnel, Zapata, we reach the wineries of Casablanca Valley. The fresh early morning dew and the influence of the Pacific Ocean have transformed this valley in one of the most outstanding white wine winery zones in Chile.
Arrival to Veramonte Vineyard. In Veramonte there are 500 hectares of total available vineyard land for planting of which 365 hectares are currently being cultivated with the best grapevine stock of Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. We will visit the cellars and have a wine tasting. Then we will departure from Veramonte Vineyard to House of Morandé.

Morandé is considered by the wine press, both local and international, to be the most interesting winery built in Chile in the past 50 years.
In the House of Morande you’ll have a snack and wine tasting explained by one of Morande’s sommeliers. Then we will departure from Morande vineyard Indomita Vineyard.

Indómita winery principal building and cellars are on top of a hill with a fantastic view on Casablanca Valley. We will have an introduction on the wine production and visit the cellars.
Lunch at the excellent Indomita Vineyard restaurant with wine tasting included and enjoying a spectacular view of the Casablanca valley.
Return to Hotel in Santiago. End of services.

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Departure from your hotel in the morning or in the evening. We will drive south along Avenida Macul and reach Santa Carolina winery in a southern suburb of Santiago.
Santa Carolina has been for long considered a traditional winery in both Chile and abroad. Founded in 1875 thanks to the visionary spirit of Mr. Luis Pereira Cotapos, who names his company Santa Carolina to honor his wife, Mrs. Carolina Iñiguez Vicuña. Pereira hired French architects to design and construct the winery’s main cellar and brought from France the winemaker Germain Bachelet, who selected the most noble rootstocks of the Bordeaux region to plant them here. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay selections were planted in the best soils od Chile’s Central Valley

We will visit Its original cellar, located in Santiago’s southern zone, where the Santa Carolina’s finest wines are aged in oak barrels, was declared National Monument in 1973 because of its architectonic beauty and excellent conservation. We will visit the old hacienda house, constructed in colonial style, the beautiful park, and the cellars tasting a small variety of wines. End of the tour. Drive back to your hotel.

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