Compare Cycling the Lake District of Chile & Argentina by Exodus Travels vs Discover South America: Chile & Argentina by Grand Circle Travel

Day 1 Start Puerto Varas

Our journey begins in Puerto Varas, nicknamed the City of Roses. We’ll gather at the hotel for the first time this evening, enjoying a welcome briefing with our tour leader, bike fitting and welcome dinner.   This is an excellent chance to get to know your fellow travellers. There’s no cycling today, so take time to rest your legs before our two-wheel adventure begins in earnest tomorrow. Accommodation: Casa Kalfu Hotel (or similar)

Day 2 Cycle around the edge of Lago Llanquihue to Frutillar

Our Lake District cycling adventure starts in scenic fashion as we navigate around the shore of Lago Llanquihue (the third biggest lake in South America) and stretch our legs for the more challenging days ahead. From the lakeside road, we enjoy spectacular views of the volcanoes and the Andean range that lie to the east. Volcanoes Osorno, Puntiagudo, Tronador, Puyehue and Calbuco are all visible on a clear day. We’ll cycle to the lakeside village of Frutillar, a German-influenced settlement home to the modern Teatro del Lago theatre. The ride ends here; after lunch we’ll transfer back to Puerto Varas. Today's ride will be mostly paved: 18mi (29km) paved and 3.1mi (5km) unpaved. Accommodation: Casa Kalfu Hotel (or similar)

Day 3 Cycle from Puerto Varas to Petrohue; boat ride on the emerald waters of Todos los Santos Lake

We follow the shoreline of Lago Llanquihue once more today but in an easterly direction past Ensenada, straight towards the imposing Calbuco and Osorno volcanoes. Our journey from here across the mountain range takes us into more remote and spectacular environments. We cycle onwards, following the banks of the emerald-coloured Rio Petrohue towards the Saltos de Petrohue waterfalls. Upon reaching Lago Todos los Santos, we are greeted by a beautiful view and we'll swap our mode of transport and board a private catamaran ferry. Crossing the lake is a peaceful experience as we keep our eyes peeled for Andean condors overhead (journey time approximately 1hr 30min to two hours). Today’s ride will all be paved. It will consist of approximately 28mi (45km) on flat terrain and a climb for the last 9.3mi (15km). Accommodation: Hotel Natura (or similar)

Day 4 Begin the Andes crossing to Argentina; lake crossing and some tough cycling sections to arrive at Puerto Blest

After breakfast, we start cycling towards the Argentinian border, which involves riding 12.4mi (20km) with a steady incline before a challenging climb (approximately 2,297ft/700m over 4.7mi/7.5km) to reach the frontier. There is then a short descent into Puerto Frias. Depending on how the weather has been in the preceding days, the unpaved mountain roads can either be well compacted or sometimes loose and dusty. The final leg of today’s unforgettable journey across the Andes is a short ferry crossing on Lago Frias followed by a 1.9mi (3km) ride to your hotel in Puerto Blest. Today is the most challenging day with 19.3mi (31km) unpaved. The border crossing involves a long steep climb on gravel followed by a fast downhill. Accommodation: Hotel Puerto Blest (or similar)

Day 5 Ferry across Lago Nahuel Huapi to Puerto Panuelo; cycle to Bariloche

Puerto Blest is on the westernmost point of Lago Nahuel Huapi and from here we board a catamaran to Puerto Pañuelo. Instead of cycling directly towards Bariloche, we take a scenic route on a paved road that loops via Punto Panoramico, a viewpoint with panoramas of the Argentinian Lake District. As we approach Bariloche, we board the bus for a transfer (approximately 20 minutes), linking up with the lakeside main road. Today’s ride will be 9.3mi (15km) paved and 5.6mi (9km) unpaved. Accommodation: Alma del Lago Suites & SPA (or similar)

Day 6 Free day; explore Bariloche and ascend the nearby viewpoint of Cerro Campanario

After several days of travelling, today is a free day allowing a chance to relax. You may wish to look around the centre of Bariloche, a hub for ski and adventure sports with numerous chocolate shops. There are plenty of adventurous activities available, such as guided stand-up rafting on Rio Limay or an independent trek up Mount Campanario to enjoy beautiful views from the summit. Accommodation: Alma del Lago Suites & SPA (or similar)

Day 7 Villa Angostura, cycle the first part of the Seven Lakes Route and on to Villa Traful

Departing Bariloche, we transfer (approximately 1 hour) along a busy portion of the famous Patagonian Highway 40 bordering Nahuel Haupi Lake up to Villa La Angostura; beyond the town we start cycling along the first part of the "Seven Lakes Route" (Camino de los Siete Lagos).  From here we will first cycle paved road and then along gravel road along the shores of Traful lake, challenging ourselves to summit the Portezuelo Pass.  Today our destination is the small village of Villa Traful. Today’s ride will be 13mi (21km) paved and 14.9mi (24km) unpaved. Accommodation: Hotel Alto Traful (or similar)

Day 8 Short transfer to start point; cycle the second part of Seven Lakes Route to San Martin de los Andes

We begin the day with a transfer (approximately 50 minutes) to our starting point for our second day cycling along the "Seven Lakes Route" (Camino de los Siete Lagos). This is a scenic route that winds northwards past lakes and forests, connecting the alpine towns of Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes. Depending upon the exact start point, today involves us riding around 39.1mi (63km) through spectacular and rewarding landscapes. We will break up the ride with a lunch stop and should therefore arrive in San Martin de los Andes in the afternoon. Entering the picturesque small town involves a wonderful approach along the shore of Lago Lacar. Today will be all paved and 39mi (63km) in total; the last 10.6mi (17km) is a fast downhill section. Accommodation: Hosteria Monte Verde / Le Village Hotel (or similar)

Day 9 Transfer to Rahue village; cycle along the Alumine River; transfer to Villa Pehuenia

After breakfast, we take a transfer (approximately two hours) to Rahue village. From here, we will start cycling alongside the Alumine River on what is known as La Ruta del Pehuen, named for the monkey puzzle forests in the area. We also pass many Mapuche houses and farms. After today’s ride we transfer to the small village of Villa Pehuenia. The next two nights are spent in the beautiful Posada La Escondida, by the shores of Alumine Lake. Today’s ride will be 19.3mi (31km) paved and 9.3mi (15km) unpaved gravel. Accommodation: Posada La Escondida (or similar)

Day 10 Free day in Villa Pehuenia

Today is at leisure for you to choose from doing organised activities or resting. Your tour leader can advise which local agencies to use depending on what you would like to do. Options include a popular kayak excursion on the crystalline waters of Alumine Lake or take a 4x4 up Batea Mahuida Volcano and enjoy the mountain views on a short hike to the crater lagoon. Accommodation: Posada La Escondida (or similar)

Day 11 Cycle to Icalma Village in Chile; short transfer to Melipeuco; cycle the lunar landscape of Conguillio National Park

After breakfast, we pedal goodbye to Argentina and cross back into Chile via the Icalma International Pass. Once we clear immigration, we stop for lunch in Icalma Village. After lunch we transfer (approximately 45 minutes) to the Mapuche town of Melipeuco for any last-minute provisions before cycling a lovely stretch of paved road towards Conguillio National Park. From the park entrance we cycle for 3.7mi (6km) on an unpaved road until we reach our charming accommodation. The scenes we encounter today are vastly different from the rest of the tour. Clouds rise from surrounding valleys and quickly change form while passing over the volcanic lava. Llaima Volcano (10,253ft/3,125m) dominates the skyline and we spend the night in a remote ecolodge. The property restricts energy use as part of its self-sufficiency, meaning electricity and hot water are not available during the night. Today’s ride will be mostly paved:  16.8mi (27km) paved and 5mi (8km) unpaved gravel. Accommodation: La Baita Conguillio Ecolodge (or similar)

Day 12 Ride through Conguillio National Park

It is our last day of cycling today as we continue riding further within Conguillio National Park and see several beautiful lagoons (Laguna Arco Iris, Laguna Verde) and Conguillio Lake. We will also visit the interpretation centre to learn more about the formation of the park. (Please note, the centre is sometimes closed during our visit). We then walk for an hour through native forest to see ancient monkey puzzle trees. Tonight will be the last evening together with group and staff; the perfect opportunity to look back over the fantastic journey while enjoying a meal and drinks. Today will be a loop ride of 16.8mi (27km), all on unpaved gravel. The way out will be mostly uphill and the return will be mostly downhill. Accommodation: La Baita Conguillio Ecolodge (or similar)

Day 13 End Temuco Airport

Our adventure ends with a transfer from Conguillio National Park to Temuco airport. This transfer is timed to coincide with a chosen route to London, UK, via Santiago. Customers not taking this chosen route are welcome to join the transfer, although we recommend checking the timings with your sales representative before making your travel arrangements.

Day 1: Arrive Santiago, Chile • Chilean family winery

Meals included: Dinner

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago or similar

You will touch down in the Chilean capital this morning to begin your South American tour, where a Grand Circle representative will meet you and assist with the transfer to your hotel. While you wait to check into your room, take part in a guided orientation walk, giving you the lay of the land in your Santiago neighborhood.

Early this afternoon, meet your travel companions, including those who took our optional pre-trip extension to Peru: Machu Picchu, Cuzco & Lima, and your Program Director. You'll then enjoy a Welcome Briefing, during which you'll learn some more details of what to expect from your upcoming discoveries in South America. Then, depart for a nearby family-owned winery, where you'll enjoy a tour on one of Chile's most famous exports. Here, you'll also sit down with fellow travelers for a delicious Welcome Dinner.

Day 2: Santiago • City tour • Chilean history discussion

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago or similar

This morning, embark upon a city tour of Santiago. Home to a third of Chile's 16 million people, Santiago rests at the confluence of the Mapocho and Maipu rivers, surrounded on all sides by Andean peaks. To be sure, it's a breathtaking setting for a capital that has witnessed a remarkable history—from settlement by conquistadores in 1541 to the Marxist, military, and finally, democratic governments of the 20th century.

This morning, pass through Providencia, a district of great tradition and strong commercial and social activity. Then begin your included city tour with a ride through the residential districts of Bellavista and Las Condes, where you will see beautiful homes and parks. As you continue, you'll see several historic monuments and buildings, including the Palacio de la Moneda, the current seat of the government. Stop for a stroll at the city's most important plaza, the Plaza de Armas, which has been the heart of Santiago since its origin in 1541. Ringing the plaza are many important buildings that are considered national monuments. Here you see the Correo Central (main post office), Iglesia Catedral (Cathedral Church), the Municipalidad de Santiago (City Hall), and the National Historic Museum. Nearby, you find the Mercado Central (Central Market), an elegant wrought-iron structure inaugurated in 1872 as the site of a National Exhibition. Now it is the city's central market, filled with colorful stalls and seafood eateries (called marisquerias). Here, you'll enjoy an included lunch.

Tonight, enjoy a discussion on Chilean history and the country's most controversial leaders: Allende and Pinochet.

Day 3: Santiago • Valparaiso tour • Graffiti Art of Valparaiso activity

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Santiago or similar

Today, set off to the Chilean northwest on a full-day tour to Valparaiso. Valparaiso is an important Chilean port city (and a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site), where 17 hills tower over the "basin" district.

The city's distinctive features include meandering cobblestone streets and ancient ascensores—electric cable cars that climb into hillside neighborhoods and afford splendid sea views. You'll ride one of these ascensores up the hill for one of the many views of Valparaiso, then walk through the colorful streets, known for the colorful public art on the walls. Learn more about this cultural heritage, and make your own contribution to a work in progress, during an exclusive Graffiti Art of Valparaiso Discovery Series event.

Afterward, enjoy lunch with a local family in their home in the hills of Valparaiso before returning to Santiago. Enjoy the evening and dinner at your leisure.

Day 4: Santiago • Puerto Varas • Angelmo Market visit • Mapuche discussion

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodations: Hotel Bellavista

After an early breakfast, transfer to the Santiago airport for your group's flight to Puerto Montt. You'll arrive in the early afternoon, then enjoy an exclusive Discovery Series visit to Angelmo Fish Market with your Program Director. Walk amidst the bustling stalls and browse some of the local seafood found in the nearby Chilean lakes. Perhaps sample the local curanto stew, a mixture of meat, seafood, and vegetable, and admire an array of dried shellfish.

Following your market visit, you’ll transfer to Puerto Varas to check into your hotel, and then gather for an exclusive Discovery Series discussion on the Mapuche people native to this area. While the Mapuche only make up about four percent of Chile's total population, their traditions surrounding the extended family and their agricultural customs have had widespread influences.

Dinner this evening is included at local restaurant.

Day 5: Puerto Varas • Chilean rodeo demonstration & lunch

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodations: Hotel Bellavista

This morning, learn more about the German immigrant heritage of Chile during a visit to a German family collection. Then enjoy a taste of everyday, family-centered Chilean life as a guest at a local horse-breeding ranch. During this exclusive Discovery Series event, you'll see how a farm family lives and works—and witness a Chilean rodeo demonstration as well. For lunch, enjoy a tasty homemade meal at the ranch in the company of these welcoming people before returning to your hotel.

This evening, you'll have a presentation to prepare you for tomorrow's travel through the Andes. The rest of the evening is yours to seek out dinner and spend as you please.

Day 6: Puerto Varas • Petrohue Falls • Andean lake crossing • Bariloche, Argentina

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel

Be prepared for an early start and a long—but very rewarding—day of travel today. First, depart for a morning tour of Petrohue Falls, where you can explore the lush setting surrounding the rapids. Petrohue Falls is located just a short distance downstream from Lake Todos los Santos, and the chute-like waterfall is supported by basaltic lava. Enjoy the views of Osorno Volcano in the distance.

Then, after a stop for an included lunch, you'll start your unforgettable journey across the border through the Andes from Chile into Argentina. Traveling in turn by bus, by boat, and back again, you’ll travel overland through picturesque mountain roads and also sail across the shimmering waters of the vast lakes of the Andes, taking your time to admire the scenery as you go.

Four buses, three boats, and a camera’s worth of memorable photos later, you’ll arrive in Bariloche in the early evening and check into your hotel. Dinner is on your own tonight.

Day 7: Bariloche • Panoramic tour & visit to Campanario Hill • Local brewery

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel

Today Patagonia bids you bienvenidos as you awaken in Bariloche. Officially called San Carlos de Bariloche, this city is a curious amalgam of cultural influences. Its buildings recall the Austrian Tyrol in their design. Many of the ranches dotting the outlying Patagonian plains remain English-owned and run, worked by Chilean peons from over the border. (Film buffs: This is the territory where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made their real-life last stand.)

Bookended by stark granite peaks and mirrored in 40-mile-long Lake Nahuel Huapi, Bariloche is, quite literally, a breath of fresh air. Discover this on a panoramic tour this morning, which includes a visit to Campanario Hill. You'll go on to take in breathtaking views of the lake. Ride a chairlift to the top of Campanario Hill for spectacular views of the mountains (if the weather is clear). The lake is studded with fir-tree-covered islands. After that, you will enjoy a visit to a traditional brewery, where you'll have lunch and learn how this family prepares local beer.

This afternoon, enjoy time at your leisure. Rejoin your fellow travelers at your hotel this evening for an included dinner.

Day 8: Bariloche • Nazis in Patagonia discussion • Patagonian ranch visit • Optional Floating in the Limay River cruise  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodations: Cacique Inacayal Hotel

This morning, enjoy an exclusive Discovery Series discussion on the Nazi presence in Patagonia during World War II. Later, you'll depart for the Patagonian steppe for an exclusive Discovery Series event, where you'll be the guests on a Patagonian working ranch. You'll have the opportunity to tour the ranch and its grounds, learn about life in the windy Patagonian steppes, and enjoy a traditional lamb barbecue lunch.

The afternoon is free for your own discovery. Perhaps you will visit the Museo de la Patagonia, with its archaeological, historical and cultural displays, or enjoy a walk through the beautiful city center. Or you can join us for an optional Floating in the Limay River cruise, to enjoy the steppe landscape and fresh air while you float along by raft.

Dinner is on your own this evening.

Day 9: Bariloche • Buenos Aires • Home-Hosted Dinner

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodations: Panamericano Buenos Aires or similar

After breakfast, you'll have some time to bid Bariloche adios before transferring to the airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. You'll arrive in the late afternoon and continue to your hotel.

The most memorable part of your visit to this charming city may well be tonight’s dinner. Take a seat at the table of an Argentine family, share their evening meal, chat, learn about each other, and make new friends.

Prepare yourself for an evening seasoned with good conversation and fellowship.

Day 10: Buenos Aires Highlights tour • Tango lesson • Optional Tango Show & Dinner  OPTIONAL TOUR

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodations: Panamericano Buenos Aires or similar

After breakfast, set off on an included half-day tour of Buenos Aires. You'll see the city's elegant mixture of Spanish Colonial architecture and several traditional European styles. Visit Avenida de Mayo, which runs into Plaza de Mayo, where many buildings important to Argentine history are centered. See the Casa Rosada (Government House); the Metropolitan Cathedral; and the Cabildo, the first City Hall built during Spanish rule.

Next, you'll visit La Boca, Buenos Aires' first merchant and fishing port. You'll have time to visit the famous Caminito, an outdoor museum and art show where painters offer their tango pictures, or stroll along the renovated waterfront promenade.

Your tour passes by the beautiful Colon Theater. Built in 1908, this is one of the world's most famous opera houses, and international stars vie to perform here as they do at Milan's La Scala and Vienna's State Opera House. Continue on to the final resting place of Eva "Evita" Peron, the Duarte tomb at the Recoleta Cemetery. The cemetery is in the Recoleta district, an area of elegant homes, fashionable restaurants and shops.

Lunch is on your own. The rest of your afternoon is at leisure for you to discover Buenos Aires.

This evening, join a tango lesson and learn the basic steps of Argentina’s fiery, passionate, signature dance. Before it was a dance, tango was a sound—a composite of rhythms and voices born out of the slums of Buenos Aires, where a diaspora of Europeans, Africans, and idle, discharged local soldiers congregated and sang their tales of solitude and struggle. From the music emerged the dance, and that unique and passionate mix came to encapsulate, in the opinions of many, the Argentine national character.

Interestingly though, the tango was not always the celebrated tradition it is now. Many Argentines viewed its humble origins and sensual stylings as unsavory at best—and vulgar at worst. The tango had to cross the Atlantic and become the red-hot rage of Europe before it found favor in its native land. And in recent years, it has undergone a revival, receiving an injection of modern energy from artists like Astor Piazzola and receiving broader national (and international) exposure through TV, radio, and touring tango troupes.

While your steps may not be as sure as the most seasoned tanguero, you’ll learn the basics during this special lesson—certainly enough to impress the folks back home.

Now that you’ve learned the basics of the tango, you have the opportunity to see how it’s really done. Tonight, watch some of the best tango dancers and musicians in Argentina perform at a sophisticated supper club during an optional tango show and dinner.

Day 11: Buenos Aires • Parana Delta ride • School visit • Argentina Today discussion  FOUNDATION VISIT

Meals: Breakfast,  Lunch and Dinner

Accommodations: Panamericano Buenos Aires or similar

Today, experience a change of pace from city life as you take a tour of the area where the Parana River empties into the Rio de la Plata on its way into the Atlantic, forming a huge delta. This exotic landscape is just half an hour from the city but seems a million miles away. Traditional houses on pilotes (stilts) are surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation, and are built on islands that are separated by a twisting maze of waterways.

Enjoy a relaxing boat ride in this scenic area, which is one of Latin America's most amazing wetland environments. You'll sail through the many islands that populate the rivers of the delta, and take in the lush, subtropical scenery and plant life. Then, enjoy an included lunch, followed by a visit to a local school (when in session) supported in part by Grand Circle Foundation, where you'll have the opportunity to get to know students and teachers there.

Later, after returning to your hotel, you will attend an exclusive Discovery Series discussion on Argentina Today, highlighting the current state of Argentina's economy and political scene.

Then toast your adventures and companions from your South American tour at tonight's Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.

Please note: The school visit will only be available while the school is in session, from September-November to March-May.

Day 12: Buenos Aires

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast at the hotel together, enjoy a morning at leisure to explore Buenos Aires before lunch on your own. Tonight, fly back to the U.S. or continue on our Brazil's Iguassu Falls & Rio de Janeiro post-trip extension.