Chile & Argentina 2016 * Chile is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountain range. It is a long strip of land 4600 km/2850 miles in length and only 430 km/265 miles wide. As a country, it is stable and prosperous. Its terrain is extremely varied consisting of desert, fjords, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, wilderness and cultivated wine lands, a land of nature at its best with many National Parks. Argentina is the eighth largest country in land area in the world (4000 km /2400 miles long and 1000 km /620 miles wide approximately) and is the largest Spanish speaking country. And from a tourism perspective, it is the most visited country in South America. Being this big means that it is very varied in its landscapes especially as the climate ranges from subtropical in the north to temperate in the south. It does have other contrasts from large cosmopolitan cities to wild, barren and sparsely populated areas consisting of lakes, mountains and forests. A journey with Gary & Lynda Rayner* of The Travel Store not to be missed! Inclusions: ~ Return Airfare from Charlottetown* (other gateways available) ~ All accommodations, transfers & private group transportation ~ Sightseeing & Admissions as per itinerary ~ All Domestic, International & Regional Airfares (13 Flights) ~ 23 Meals as indicated on itinerary (15 Breakfast, 6 Lunch & 2 Dinners) plus International in-flight meals Professionally Escorted by Gary & Lynda Rayner of The Travel Store * $8998 plus taxes & professional fees of $897* Taxes confirmed at time of final payment Prices based on per person/ double occupancy; other rates available upon request. Only 27 seats available *Minimum Number of Guest Required*
BOOKING FORM Invoice # Chile & Argentina 2016 Gateway: Charlottetown October 1 st 18 th, 2016*~ 18 Days Insurance ~ Deluxe Package # Insurance ~ Trip Cancellation Insurance # If Insurance is not required a waiver must be signed and faxed back at time of booking THE BOOKING NAME MUST BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR PASSPORT PLEASE PRINT PASSENGER NAME Non - Refundable Deposit Amount $1,000.00 CREDIT CARD #/ OTHER CV # ALSO REQ D EXPIRY DATE MM/YR 1 $1,000.00 2 Passenger #1 ~ DOB Passport # Aeroplan #: Passenger #2 ~ DOB Passport # Aeroplan #: IMPORTANT: Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended stay. Any Medical Information the Escorts should know about? Other Information / Requests: Oct 1 st, 2016 ~ $8,998.00* plus taxes & professional fees of $897.00*. Taxes subject to change up to and including final payment dates). Booking deadline of February 15 th*. Only 27 seats available Final Payment due by June 15 th, 2016 *Minimum # of guests required to be escorted by Gary & Lynda Rayner of The Travel Store* Final non-refundable payment will be taken from original credit card given for deposit unless notified prior to final payment date. Client Signature (Mandatory): Mailing Address: Phone: (H) (W) (C) Email Address: Please fax the complete forms to 902-892-3294 *Please include a photocopy of your passport photo page to finalize booking*
Chile & Argentina Santiago Day 1/2: Monday, October 1 st / Tuesday, October 2 nd ~ Depart from home, arrive Santiago Upon arrival at Santiago airport, we meet our guide and transfer to the hotel Overnight: Atton El Bosque Hotel (2 nights) Plaza de Armas Day 3: Monday, October 3 rd ~ Morning at Leisure/ ½ Day City Tour of Santiago Our afternoon tour around Santiago features some of the city s most outstanding attractions, including the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Ahumada Boulevard and the Government Palace La Moneda (view from the outside). Next we drive across the main avenues of old Santiago, crossing the bohemian neighborhood of Bellavista and drive up San Cristobal Hill, for a magnificent panoramic view of the city and the Andes Mountain Range. After spending some time at the modern part of Santiago, including its chic neighborhoods, shopping and financial centers, we travel back to the hotel. Salt Mountain, Marte Valley Day 4: Tuesday, October 4th ~ Santiago, Calama, San Pedro de Atacama (B) Our morning transfer brings us to the airport for the flight to Calama in northern Chile (2 hours), one of the driest cities in the world with an average annual precipitation of just 5 mm. Upon arrival, we meet our guide and transfer to the village of San Pedro de Atacama through the Domekyo mountain range. (01 hour) In the afternoon, we visit the Salt Mountain, Marte Valley (also called Death Valley) and Moon Valley to admire the spectacular sunset reflected on this wonderful landscape nature s own light show. We return to the hotel at the end of the tour. Overnight: Altiplanico Hotel (2 nights) Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos (Flamingos National Reserve) Day 5: Wednesday, October 5 th ~ San Pedro de Atacama (B - L) We start the day by visiting Atacama Salt Flat,(transfer is approx. 20 minutes) Chile s biggest salt flat and one of the world s largest. Here we find laguna Chaxa, where three different species of flamingoes live and breed. We also visit the picturesque village of Toconao and see the Bell Tower, constructed in the classical atacamenian way. Next we travel to the village of Socaire and the altiplanic lagoons of Meñique and Miscanti, a part of the Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos (Flamingos National Reserve). We travel back to the hotel at the end of the tour.
Day 6: Thursday, October 6th ~ San Pedro de Atacama, Calama, Santiago, Valparaiso (B) Today we transfer Calama airport (1 hour) our flight to Santiago (2 hours) Upon arrival to Santiago, meet our guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel in Valparaiso. (1.5 hours) Overnight: Ultramar Hotel (1 night) Chile & Argentina Picturesque port of Valparaiso Day 7: Friday, October 7 th ~ Valparaiso, Santiago (B - L) We begin the tour by visiting the picturesque port of Valparaíso, founded in the XVI century. The oldest part of town was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. The town is built on many hills which are accessed by narrow streets, long stairways and a series of lifts. We take the lift uphill for a panoramic view of the port city and the harbor. Stop for lunch in one of its restaurants. We travel along the shore to visit the town of Viña del Mar with its pretty parks and floral ornaments, including its characteristic flower clock and Chilean s favorite beach town. In the afternoon, drive through the Casablanca valley where we will make a stop in one of its best wineries in order to visit its vineyards and cellars as well as sample some of its best grapevines as we head back to Santiago. Overnight: Atton El Bosque Hotel (1 night) Patagonian Steppe Day 8: Saturday, October 8 th ~ Santiago to Punta Arenas by air/ coach to Puerto Natales (B, L) Today we transfer to Santiago s International airport for our flight to Punta Arenas. On arrival we meet our guide travel through Patagonian Steppe towards Puerto Natales. Enjoy lunch enroute and arrive at Puerto Natales in the late afternoon. Overnight in Altiplanico del Sur Hotel (2 nights) Day 9: Sunday, October 9 th ~ Full Day excursion to Torres Del Paine National Park (B, L) We depart with the guide and coach and travel to Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site encompassing mountains, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in southern Patagonia. Upon arrival, we enjoy a large variety of native fauna especially large herds of guanacos. Next, we stop at the Salto Grande of the Pehoe River, with the impressive mountain massif of Torres del Paine in the background before visiting Lake Pehoe, Lake Grey with the view of the Grey Glacier in the distance. We return to Puerto Natales in the evening. Torres del Paine National Park Day 10: Monday, October 10 th ~ Cross the border to Argentina (B) Today we transfer travel by coach to Rio Turbio, where we go through the border crossing formalities and meet our guide from Argentina. Continue our journey El Calafate. Overnight: Imago Hotel (1 night)
Chile & Argentina Perito Moreno Glacier Day 11: Tuesday, October 11 th ~ Late afternoon flight to Buenos Aires Today we visit Perto Moreno National Park and discover the magnificent Perito Moreno glacier. Its age-old turquoise folds and white peaks have advanced into Lago Argentino, pausing for now in a frontage of five km across and 60 meters high. From an observation platform, we listen for an eerie creak that indicates a large chunk of ice is about to crash noisily into the milky waters, where it then drifts idly away. Late this afternoon, we transfer to EL Calafate airport in time for our flight to Buenos Aires. Upon arrival, we meet our guide and transfer to the hotel. Overnight: Kenton Palace Hotel (2 nights) Fiesta Gauche Day 12: Wednesday, October 12 th ~ Gaucha day excursion (B, L, D) Today we experience a fiesta gaucha (gaucho party) in a typical ranch in the Argentina prairie. Loosely translated as the South American version of cowboys, gauchos are residents of the Argentina plains. On arrival, we take a guided tour and a horse-drawn carriage ride to explore the ground of the ranch. During lunch, we taste its famous turnover and asado (barbeque), choice wines, accompanied by a traditional live Gaucho show and a horse race known as the carrera de sortijas (ring race). To end this tour we will stop for dinner in one of the many tango bars that offer us the opportunity to admire this art form in its varied expressions while enjoying dinner. We drive back to Buenos Aires at the end of the tour. Rosada House Day 13: Thursday, October 13 th ~ AM city tour of Buenos Aires (B)/ PM flight to Mendoza This morning we depart the hotel for a half tour of Buenos Aires and visit the city s main landmarks: Plaza de Mayo and nearby Rosada House, the City Hall, and the Cathedral. Stroll down the charming and colorful streets of the districts of San Telmo and La Boca and tour elegant Barrio Norte towards the Recoleta Cemetery and the streets of Palermo. After the city tour, we transfer to the airport for the flight to Mendoza; after arrival we meet our guide and transfer to the hotel. Located in western Argentina, Mendoza is the capital city of the province that shares its name. The city is situated in a region of foothills and high plains of the eastern side of the Andes. Mendoza was founder on the 2 nd of March 1561 by Spanish conquistador Pedro del Castillo. The 17 th century witnessed great prosperity as the indigenous populations were used for slave labour and because of the Jesuit presence found there. Despite such prosperity with continued with strong agricultural production, the city suffered a major setback with a devastating earthquake in 1861. The city was rebuilt with urban designs and innovations to prevent such destruction in the future. Overnight: NH Cordillera Hotel (2 Nights)
Chile & Argentina Andres Mountains Day 14: Friday, October 14 th ~ Full day wineries visit (B/L) Mendoza is by far the largest wine region in Argentina. Located on a highaltitude plateau at the edge of the Andes Mountains; the province is responsible for roughly 70 percent of the country s annual wine production. With more than 1,500 wineries spread out through the three main wine regions Lujan de Cuyo, Valle de Uco and Maipu wide open spaces with nothing but vines, mountain grandeur and blue skies, and some of the best winery architecture in the world. It is a spot you truly don t want to miss. In today s full day tour we explore two wineries and enjoy wine tasting and lunch at a winery. Day 15: Saturday, October 15 th ~ Flight to Iguazu (B) We travel to the airport for the flight to Iguazu. Upon arrival at Iguazu airport, we meet our guide and transfer to the hotel. Overnight: Esturion Hotel (2 nights) Wineries. Iguazu Falls Day 16: Sunday, October 16 th ~ Iguaza The Argentina Side With a total area of 55,500ha, Iguazu National Park is named after the river that marks its northern boundry. There, in the midst of a lush sub-tropical jungle, is the majestic Iguaza Falls, one of the planet s largest and most spectacular on account of the river s powerful flow and its more than 275 drops. This morning, we venture into the midst of its drops and falls, following a pathway of raised footbridges, thereby being able to appreciate this wonder from many different angles. The lower circuit puts us so close to the water that we feel a part of nature and the constant mist cool us off. At the top circuit, we stop at different lookouts, climbing until we reach the incredible Garganta del Diablo, undoubtedly the most spectacular of the falls, with water drops more then 80 meters. Day 17: Monday, October 17 th ~ Depart for the flight home (B) Today we transfer to the Iguazu airport for our flight to Jorge Newbery Airport, where we will transfer by coach to Ministro Pistarini International Airport (EZE) for the flight home Day 18: Tuesday, October 18 th ~ Arrive home We look forward to travelling with you soon! Gary & Lynda