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Journey to El Chalten - 15 days Overland Paine Towers Nat'l Park to El Chalten plus Santiago & Buenos Aires

ITINERARY (Subject to change without notice):

Day 1 - Depart Miami: Evening departure on overnight flight to Chile.

Day 2 - Arrive Santiago: Meeting upon arrival Santiago and transfer to your hotel, the Ritz Carlton Santiago. Your room will be paid the night before to guarantee immediate occupancy upon arrival. In the afternoon, enjoy a visit main points of interest in Santiago including the Pre-Columbian Museum, a drive up Cerro San Cristobal for a bird's-eye panoramic view of the city and wine tasting at the Wine House.

Day 3 - Santiago: Today you'll drive a scenic 90 minutes west to the Pacific coast, to the twin cities of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso.  Vina del Mar is Chile's main seaside resort and Valparaiso a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site. Take a walking tour of historic Valparaiso and drive to nearby Isla Negra, eclectic home-museum of the Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda. A stop for lunch will be made en route but the cost of lunch is not included. Late afternoon return drive to Santiago. (B)

Day 4 - Santiago-Punta Arenas: Morning transfer to the airport in Santiago for flight south along the Andes to Punta Arenas. Upon arrival at Punta Arenas, meeting and transfer to Paine Towers National Park for four night stay at the Explora Patagonia. (B/D)

Please NOTE: During your stay you will enjoy all meals, an open bar and a daily menu of excursions. Each night the resident guides will discuss the options for activities the next day - they range from half day, easy excursions to full day, difficult excursions and include walks, hikes, treks, horseback riding and motorlaunch excursions. The excursions are designed to give you ample time to explore the beauties of the park. Explora also has its own stables and offers a variety of horseback excursions in the park.

Day 5 - Paine Towers National Park: Today enjoy excursions as offered by the Hotel Explora. (B/L/D)

Day 6 - Paine Towers National Park: Once again, enjoy excursions as offered by the hotel. (B/L/D)

Day 7 - Paine Towers National Park: Once again, enjoy excursions as offered by the hotel. (B/L/D)

Day 8 - Paine Towers National Park - El Chalten: We depart from the Hotel Salto Chico towards El Chaltén. Along the way we will observe the contrasting landscapes of Patagonia, passing the sculptured Paine Massif to the glacial moraine plains to the east. We also pass along lakes and continue southeast toward the Argentine border. Later, we enter the pampa and stop for lunch in El Calafate. We continue the journey through the pampa and along rivers, and we will be able to see the icebergs that float in Lake Viedma. In the afternoon we arrive at El Chalten, a small village located in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, 220 kms (136.6 miles) northeast to El Calafate. Our center of operations and lodging during the following three days is at the El Puma lodge. (B/L/D)

Days 9, 10, 11 - El Chalten: During these days we explore the foot of El Chaltén on diverse excursions of differing length and ability, and during which you will get to know the geology, glaciology, flora and fauna of this remote region. During our daily excursions we will visit the Torre and Fitz Roy mountain ranges, formed 12 million years ago. We will pass through old-growth forest and valleys that are characteristic of the Patagonian pampa, and border glaciers, rivers, cascades and lakes. We will also arrive at lookout points where we will be treated to outstanding views of El Chaltén and its mountain ranges, and from where we can observe condors and eagles. (B/L/D)

Day 12: El Chaltern-El Calafate-Buenos Aires: Transfer from El Chalten back to El Calafate for flight north to Buenos Aires. Meeting upon arrival Buenos Aires and transfer to the Cesar Park Hotel, in the heart of fashionable Recoleta for 2 nights with Buffet Breakfast daily. This evening you will enjoy the Rojo Tango Experience, with dinner and tango show. (B/DS)

Day 13: Buenos Aires: Morning city tour of Buenos Aires, often called "The Paris of South America". Drive down the widest boulevard on earth, 9 de Julio, past the Obelisk commemorating 400 years of history, past the Colon Opera House and many other places of interest in this sophisticated European style city. Afternoon at leisure to explore at your own pace.  (B)

Day 14 - Depart Buenos Aires: Day at leisure to explore this cosmopolitan city at your own pace. Your hotel is paid for late check-out so no need to hurry through the day. Evening transfer to the airport for your return overnight flight to the US.

Day 15 - Arrive USA: Arrive the USA in the morning, clear immigrations and customs and make connections to your home city.

RATES and DETAILS: