Compare Chile: Cities, Lakes & Volcanoes by Great Value Vacations vs Chile: Coastal Vistas & Vineyards by VBT

Day 1: Welcome to Santiago!

Accommodation: Hotel Torremayor Lyon

Touch down in the sunny city of Santiago! Immerse yourself in fascinating history, colonial architecture, and sweeping natural beauty in Chile's capital and largest city. Feel your eyes widen as you gawk at the sight of the majestic snow-capped Andes that surround the vibrant city.

Enjoy a comfortable ride to your first luxurious hotel and check-in. Once you're all settled, start exploring! Head to the upscale neighborhood of Providencia and treat yourself to a decadent first-night dinner. Try some traditional Chilean favorites, like Pastel de Choclo or Cazuela, a hearty homemade stew!

Transfer from Santiago airport (SCL) to Santiago hotel

Day 2: Santiago

Wake up smiling, enjoy breakfast, and get ready for your first fun-filled day in Chile! Grab your camera and embark on a tour of Santiago's historical downtown. Explore the Plaza de Armas, City Hall, the Cathedral, and much more.

After the tour, consider roaming around Santiago's artsy, bright Bellavista neighborhood. Discover unique street art, browse around handmade craft shops, and indulge in some tasty snacks at authentic empanada joints!

Santiago Historical Downtown City Tour

Explore Santiago, Chile's capital, which is nestled in the central valley, right below the majestic Andes. Feel the legacy of the "Mapuche" natives, who inhabited this land during the Pre-Colombian era, as well as the modernity of a thriving, booming city. Stroll along beautiful streets, visit interesting museums, admire amazing architecture, and learn all about the city's fascinating history.

Depart from your hotel and get ready to explore! Journey towards the city center, where you will see all of the main attractions. You will visit the Plaza de Armas, where you'll see the Cathedral of Santiago, the Municipality, the Post Office Building, the National History Museum, and more! Stand in awe of the gorgeous Government Palace, where you'll have the opportunity to walk through some of the most traditional streets and neighborhoods in Chile.

The fun's not over yet! Head uptown along the Costanera Highway until you reach the elegant Vitacura neighborhood and the Alonso de Cordova Avenue. Check out the FABA handicraft shop, which specializes in lapis lazuli jewelry, a semi-precious stone found only in Chile and Afghanistan. To conclude a fabulous tour, enjoy a traditional pisco sour while appreciating the beautiful spectacle of colorful jewelry.

Day 3: Santiago

Ahh, a day at leisure to relax in Santiago - what could be better? Recharge with a pleasant breakfast, then venture out!

Today, head to the Central Market (Mercado Central) and walk through stalls and stands of fresh seafood, local delicacies, and fresh produce and spices. This market is more than just a place to shop; it's a colorful spectacle of art and culture!

Are you a literature lover? If so, check out La Chascona, the former residence of Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda! Visit this home-turned-museum on your own, or splurge for a guided tour. The building's unique architecture and wacky shapes and colors will make you feel like you're in a wonderland of creativity!

In the afternoon, make your way to Santa Lucia Hill (Cerro Santa Lucia) and/or St. Christopher Hill (Cerro San Cristobal). These beyond-gorgeous hilltop parks boast some of the best views in Santiago, so make sure your camera is fully charged! Feast your eyes on an unforgettable sunset over the city's surrounding mountainscape.

Day 4: Santiago - Puerto Varas

Accommodation: Cabana del Lago

Say "see ya" to Santiago (for now) and jet off to the bright blue lakeside city of Puerto Varas! Nestled on the banks of Lake Llanquihue, Puerto Varas boasts quaint German-style architecture, which is reflective of its colonial past! In this picturesque city, you'll feel overwhelmed by the beauty of the picture-perfect snow-capped Osorno and Calbuco Volcanos that can be seen from every angle.

On the way to your hotel, enjoy an included private city tour of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas! After the tour, check-in to your hotel and take delight in a lovely evening at leisure.

Transfer from Santiago hotel to Santiago airport (SCL)

Fly to Puerto Varas!

Transfer from Puerto Montt airport (PMC) to Puerto Varas hotel

Private city tour of Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas (en-route from airport to Puerto Varas hotel)

Explore Puerto Varas, known as the "City of Roses." The city is famous for its German traditions mixed with Chilean culture, and some of its highlights are the wooden architecture, local food and crafts, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and Costanera Avenue.

The tour continues to Puerto Montt, the region's capital and a commercial and fishing center. As you tour the city, located on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, enjoy panoramic views of the bay and Tenglo Bay. In Puerto Montt, see the cathedral, the colorful seafood market where fishermen going about their daily business, and the handicrafts market of Angelmó with a variety of copper, wool, wood and lapis lazuli products.

Day 5: Puerto Varas

Refuel with a yummy breakfast, then look forward to a day of volcanoes, lakes, and waterfalls! Embark on an unforgettable excursion to Peulla, where you'll sail atop picturesque Lake Santos and see several active volcanoes up-close!

Peulla Excursion with lunch

Grab your camera and get ready for a day of natural beauty, outdoor activities, and local cuisine. Depart from your hotel in Puerto Varas and head towards the south shore of Lake Llanquihue until you reach Vincente Perez Rosales Park, where you'll appreciate the sparkling spectacle of Petrohue River Falls! Watch the river water flow over the volcanic lava rocks, creating a true feast for the eyes.

Next stop, Peulla, a small ecological village of 120 inhabitants! Sail on the glistening waters of Todos Los Santos Lake for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, where you'll spot the impressive Osorno, Puntiagudo, and Tronador Volcanoes. In Peulla, you'll have the chance to partake in some outdoor activities, visit the Bridal Veil waterfall, and enjoy a delicious lunch.

Day 6: Puerto Varas – Santiago

Accommodation: Hotel Torremayor Lyon

After breakfast, hop on a quick flight back to Santiago. Once you're all re-settled into your hotel, spend your last full day in Chile discovering new treasures, or revisiting your favorite sites!

Santiago is filled with interesting museums, like the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, the National Museum of Fine Arts, and the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (free). Get your history on and check them out!

Unwind with a glass of local wine and treat yourself to a delicious last night meal.

Transfer from Puerto Varas hotel to Puerto Montt airport (PMC)

Fly to Santiago!

Transfer from Santiago airport (SCL) to Santiago hotel

Day 7: Depart Chile

Squeeze all your souvenirs into your luggage and enjoy a convenient ride to the airport. As you take off, wave goodbye to Chile, then spend the flight home dreaming about your next adventure.

Transfer from Santiago hotel to Santiago airport (SCL)

Fly home!

DAY 1: VBT Bicycling Vacation begins / Warm-up ride / Travel to Pacific Coast / Welcome reception and dinner in Zapallar

Meet one of your VBT trip leaders at The Singular Santiago Hotel at 8:45 a.m. Please be dressed in your cycling attire for your warm-up ride. You shuttle (approximately 1.5 hours) to the starting point of your ride, where you meet your second trip leader.

Leave the hustle and bustle of the Santiago metropolitan area and shuttle northwest toward the Pacific Coast. Crossing the coastal mountain range, you travel through the agricultural heartland of Chile. The Mediterranean-like climate of the central region is ideal for growing avocados, peaches, walnuts, olives, almonds, citrus fruits, flowers for export, and, of course, grapes for producing the country’s excellent wines.

Begin your Chile bike tour with a warm-up ride traversing this farmland on a scenic and seldom-traveled country road. Following your ride and lunch, continue your journey with a shuttle (approximately 1 hour) to the quaint coastal fishing town of Zapallar and your charming inn overlooking the Pacific.

You meet tonight for a cocktail reception before enjoying a delicious welcome dinner at the hotel.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Warm-up — 19.9 km (12 miles)

What to Expect:

The warm-up ride will give you the opportunity to become familiar with your bike as you ride fairly level country roads with little traffic. There will be an occasional uphill climb and some roads with more traffic than others, but today’s ride will be a great introduction and provide a preview of the upcoming rides on this tour.

Cumulative Distance Range: 19.9 km (12 miles)

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY 2: Playas Salinas de Pullally / Papudo

Following breakfast set out on a morning ride along Chile’s scenic Ruta del Mar, or Route of the Sea. Enjoy marvelous vistas as you pedal along Chile’s central coast. Later, turn off the Ruta del Mar and follow a narrow, paved road past small farms to Playas Salinas de Pullally. This beautiful beach was named for the salt dunes that attracted indigenous populations in the past. Today the beach is a refuge to surfers and kayakers. There’ll be time to explore before you enjoy your included box lunch.

Following lunch, cycle on an easy, quiet rural road before shuttling back to your hotel (approximately 40 minutes). Those looking for a longer ride this afternoon may return to the hotel via a rewarding scenic route.

This afternoon, relax in the hotel’s pool or venture down a hillside path through tall pines to walk along the seaside Rambla, a series of coastal stone walkways built around giant boulders. Nearby, there’s a popular beach where you may join local residents sunbathing and swimming in the calm waters of a horseshoe-shaped cove.

This evening, enjoy dinner at your leisure at your inn’s small restaurant or on the outside terrace. Or you may opt to walk along the scenic Rambla to a seaside restaurant where you may sample freshly caught seafood.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Zapallar to Las Salinas de Pullally Beach — 33.2 km (20 miles)

Afternoon: Las Salinas de Pullally with Shuttle to Zapallar — 10 km (6 miles) | OR Las Salinas de Pullally to Zapallar — 22.8 km (14 miles)

What to Expect:

The first part of today’s ride follows a gently rolling route. After passing through Papudo, there’s one last gradual climb. Then the ride becomes flat all the way to the beach and to the end of the short option. The long option includes a few ascents, which make the ride back to the hotel a bit challenging. Please note: there is typically heavy traffic on the coastal Ruta del Mar during the summer months of January and February. This may cause longer travel times and less desirable riding conditions for guests choosing the longer afternoon ride.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33.2 – 56 km (20 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DAY 3: Zapallar and Cachagua by bike / Humboldt Penguins / Fisherman’s Catch / Travel to Concón

This morning, you set off on your bicycle to explore Zapallar, a quaint seaside town of historic mansions. The village was settled more than 100 years ago by an affluent Chilean who wanted to develop a modest South American version of the French Riviera. He offered land to his affluent friends and relatives on the condition that they build within a couple of years, which they gladly did. Descendants of the original families still own many of the homes, but only the very rich can afford to live in what some have called “The Hamptons of Chile.” Today, this elite town boasts lavish estates with impeccable flower gardens.

Still, Zapallar boasts the timeless charms of the old world, as you will see for yourself as you cycle from your hotel to its small fishing port. Fishermen still work as they have for centuries here. Experience the seafaring tradition firsthand when you venture out to sea with a captain in his small boat. Out on the open water, you help collect traps with crab and possibly the rare rock shrimp found only in these waters. Back on land, continue cycling amid the winding streets lined with cypress and eucalyptus trees, stopping by one of the most famous houses, Hildesheim, named after a German town. This charming building is a perfect replica of a 16th-century Bavarian house.

Next, ride to Cachagua, a small seaside town south of Zapallar famous for its Humboldt penguins. Years ago, after lost or injured migrating penguins started showing up on the shores of a nearby island, concerned residents started protecting and feeding them. Since then, the delightful creatures have become a prized fixture—one of the few Humboldt penguin communities left in South America. Today, the unspoiled island sanctuary is one of Chile’s treasured national parks and home to thousands of Humboldt penguins and other birds. Your afternoon ride delivers you to the Cachagua beach which offers the best views of this tiny island just offshore. Don’t forget your binoculars for a more up-close observation.

Continue cycling south to reach Maitencillo, a scenic haven for surfers, paragliders, cyclists, joggers, and skaters. Stop for lunch on your own and have a chance to sample helado, ice cream, or a cerveza, or beer, from one of the many local kiosks on the beach. Later, shuttle south (approximately 1 hour) along the Pacific Coast highway to your next destination, Concón. The unique situation of your seaside accommodations—partially built into huge stone boulders—provides the rooms with spectacular views of the ocean and the crashing waves below.

Dine on your own by the marina of Concón or enjoy seaside dining at your hotel.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Zapallar to Maitencillo Beach — 19.8 km (12 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s rides will be on the small neighborhood roads of Zapallar and Cachagua. Some of the neighborhood roads in Cachagua are packed with dirt but should not pose a problem for road bikes. The ride to Maitencillo features a gradual but long uphill.

Cumulative Distance Range: 19.8 km (12 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

DAY 4: Viña del Mar / Valparaíso walking tour

Take a leisurely morning ride from your hotel this morning. Enjoy the sound of the crashing waves as you cycle along a lovely coastal route to a site where sea lions—fed and protected by the Marine Biology University of Valparaíso—sunbathe on offshore rocks. Don’t forget your binoculars for more interesting observations. Later, pedal into Reñaca Beach, one of the famous beaches of Viña del Mar, and explore the area before biking back to the hotel. Along today’s route, you pass the magnificent towering dunes of Concón, a terrific photo opportunity.

Later this afternoon, shuttle approximately 45 minutes to one of Chile’s most vibrant cultural centers, Viña del Mar. This lovely town with a spectacular coastal setting is known as the “Garden City,” as you’ll understand upon seeing the Reloj de Flores—a large clock made of flowering plants. From here, you board the local metro to the next town, Valparaíso.

Valparaíso is a major Chilean port and was a popular stopover for late-19th-century ships sailing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean through the Straits of Magellan. The city also supported and supplied the California Gold Rush of the 1850s. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its unique urban design and distinctive architecture, its cobblestone alleyways and hillside buildings are the focus of your walking tour today. There’ll be time to browse the tiny boutiques and art galleries and to enjoy dinner on your own in one of the restaurants overlooking the port.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Concón Loop — 18.8 km (11 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s easy leisurely loop ride on the two-lane seaside road begins and ends at your hotel. The entire ride is flat and provides several coastal viewpoints for photo opportunities.

Cumulative Distance Range: 18.8 km (11 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast

DAY 5: Casablanca Wine Valley / Kingston Family Winery picnic lunch and wine tastings

This morning, you leave the cool coastal climate and travel inland for approximately 1 hour to the Casablanca Wine Region. The valley is relatively new to wine growing; its grapes were planted as recently as the 1980s. This scenic area is widely known for its white wine grapes, especially Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Your ride today traces shaded roads through eucalyptus forests to expansive vistas of vineyards and olive groves. You’ll be rewarded with a tasting of some of the region’s wines and a sumptuous picnic lunch at the fifth-generation American-Chilean Kingston Family Winery.

After lunch, continue inland to the foothills of the Andes (travel time approximately 2 hours, depending upon traffic). Your home for the next two nights is the Regal Hotel Casa Real. Surrounded by the Santa Rita vineyards, the family here has been making wine since 1880. With only 16 luxurious rooms, this Tuscan-inspired villa will be exclusively yours.

After settling into your accommodations, you are treated to a welcome reception on Casa Real’s veranda, followed by a gracious candlelit dinner served in the villa’s intimate dining room.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Casablanca Valley — 20.3 km (12 miles) | Casablanca Valley PLUS — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s short option is mainly flat and very easy, while the longer option includes some short inclines and a fun ride through a eucalyptus forest.

Cumulative Distance Range: 20.3 — 38.3 km (12 — 23 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: Andean foothills / Santa Rita Vineyards / Wine making / Chilean barbecue farewell dinner

After breakfast, begin your ride through the Santa Rita Vineyards. Your scenic morning follows country roads flanked by magnificent ancient trees. Pass local farmers in their ponchos, many still using horses as their means of transportation. Feel free to stop and sample delicious pan amadado (homemade bread) and fresh empanadas (savory turnovers) along the way to the village of Champa. Shuttle or continue riding back to Casa Real, where you will enjoy a picnic lunch in the lovely Casa Real gardens.

Later, you may tour the impressive Museo Andino, or Andean Museum, located just steps away in the vineyard. The museum houses more than 1,800 pieces of art from several Andean cultures, as well as artifacts from as far away as Easter Island and the Atacama Desert. Perhaps enjoy a relaxing swim in the pool or a stroll through the expansive gardens, where you can admire the second-tallest bougainvillea in the world, or walk through the Santa Rita vineyards to the monument marking where the “lost Carmenere grape” was recently discovered. In 1863, the phylloxera aphid invaded European vineyards, destroying all the grapes by 1870. However, European vinifera was grafted to American rootstock, which was impervious to the insect, and eventually, the European vineyards bounced back. The Carmenere grape was thought to be lost forever until it was discovered in 1994, here in Santa Rita’s vineyards.

Later, learn about blending wines from an expert Santa Rita sommelier. Create your own wine blend to your specific palette’s desire. Your concoction will be bottled and labeled as your very own. Afterward, celebrate your week with a typical Chilean barbecue on the lovely patio of the Casa Real (weather permitting).

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Santa Rita Vineyard to Champa — 29.1 km (18 miles) | Champa to Santa Rita Vineyard — 32.6 km (20 miles)

What to Expect:

Both the short and long options are mainly flat and very easy.

Cumulative Distance Range: 29.1 – 61.7 km (18 – 38 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7: Travel to Santiago / Historical city center walking tour / VBT Bicycling Vacation ends or begin Post-Trip Extension Travel to Santiago / Historical city center walking tour / VBT Bicycling Vacation ends or begin Post-Trip Extension

After an included breakfast this morning, travel approximately 45 minutes to Santiago for an included walking tour of Santiago’s historical city center. After the tour and lunch on your own, travel to the Santiago airport, where your tour concludes at 3:00 p.m. Departure flights prior to 6:00 p.m. are not recommended; you will need to make your own transportation arrangements to the airport if you have an earlier departure.

Please note: VBT transportation times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests.

After an included breakfast this morning, travel approximately 45 minutes to Santiago for an included walking tour of Santiago’s historical city center. After the tour and lunch on your own, travel to the Santiago airport, where your tour concludes at 3:00 p.m. Departure flights prior to 6:00 p.m. are not recommended; you will need to make your own transportation arrangements to the airport if you have an earlier departure.

Post-Trip Extension guests: After an included breakfast this morning, travel to Santiago International Airport for your flight to Puna Arenas airport in Patagonia. Your flight schedule does not allow you to participate in Santiago’s Central Market walking tour. After you collect your luggage and exit the luggage area, The Singular Patagonia representative will meet and assist you with your accommodations. Travel time from the Punta Arenas airport to The Singular Patagonia is approximately two hours. Take the remainder of the afternoon to enjoy the hotel’s facility and plan your optional excursions with the hotel’s professional tour staff before dinner on your own in the hotel.

Included Meals: Breakfast