We invite you to relax, drift away from daily life and allow the Chilean heartland to charm your senses. Huge extensions of rolling hills covered with vines, snow-capped mountains and typical countryside towns. The “huaso” and his horse will share with you unforgettable experiences…

Day 1: Santiago – Casablanca – Viña del Mar
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by our local guide and immediately transferred to the Casablanca Valley, the newest wine-producing region in Chile located 80 km (50 miles) northwest of Santiago. With a Mediterranean climate that strongly resembles that of the Napa and Sonoma valleys in California, vineyards in this area concentrate on the white varieties, mainly Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, offering premium-quality wines sold mostly overseas.

Following the highway connecting with the coastal towns, you will reach Puro Caballo, an equestrian center where you will be greeted by a traditional “huaso” (Chilean cowboy) folk group and enjoy a visit to the stables, the blacksmith room and the half moon arena, where professional riders will perform different tests showing their dexterity with horses. Then you will have lunch at the restaurant where you will be offered a traditional “asado al palo” (pole barbecue) served with Casablanca wines. Afterwards you will be handed some typical attires of the huaso men and women and divided into teams to participate in the many fun activities organized at the center, including horse auctions, animal taming, tending to a handicraft shop, and a series of Chilean countryside games. You will also be able to test your skill at the rodeo, one of our most traditional competitions in which a man on horseback must control a young cow within an arena.

In the evening you will be transferred to your hotel in Viña del Mar, a resort city 40 km (25 miles) away. Relax at the spa of the Sheraton Miramar hotel where you will be offered dinner, with an entertaining presentation on Chile and the company, and spending the night. (L, D)

Day 2: Viña del Mar - Valparaíso
Today you will be served breakfast at the hotel and then transferred to the neighboring city of Valparaíso, Chile’s most important port and first naval zone as well as a World Heritage Site since 2003. Its history dates from 1536 when it was discovered by a Spanish captain in charge of bringing supplies to the troops leading the expedition to the southern territories along the Pacific Coast. It soon became an important stop for sailors navigating around the Cape Horn and in need for food and other goods. Valparaíso attracted the attention of many pirates and corsairs, including the legendary Francis Drake.

Some of these pirates and corsairs will come to life once again to take you on a treasure hunt walking throughout the hills of Valparaíso. You will need to figure out the leads and follow them to your next destination. Stop for lunch at the Higuera House, a boutique hotel and restaurant located in an old house that has been beautifully refurbished, and then continue your search. The treasure awaits you, full of fine gold, silver and lapis lazuli items, at the Vergara Palace, the old residence of Juan Francisco Vergara, the man who founded Viña del Mar. Its magnificent park with trees brought from the five continents will be hiding a valuable bounty composed of company presents and typical products from Chile. A thematic dinner, with plenty of seafood and decorations evocating the sea and the times of pirates will be the perfect ending for the day. Overnight at Sheraton Miramar Hotel in Viña del Mar. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Viña del Mar – Isla Negra - Santiago
Chilean wine will be the central theme of today. After breakfast you will be transferred to Matetic Vineyard, in the San Antonio Valley, very close to the coast. Besides visiting the cellars and tasting their fabulous wines, you will have the chance of preparing your own bottle, sharing an international lunch at its fine Equilibrio Restaurant and enjoying some of the many activities available for guests, such as hiking, bicycle rides, harvesting fruit, milking sheep or just riding on horseback.

During the afternoon you will visit Isla Negra, a small coastal town where the main attraction is the museum-house of poet Pablo Neruda, 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. He will come alive to show you around his house and invite you to a poetry-recital workshop. A food and wine lover himself, he will leave you with enough inspiration to enjoy a thematic dinner combining wine, seafood and poetry in an old colonial building close to Isla Negra. You will then be transferred to the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Santiago, where you will spend the night. (B, L, D)

INCLUDED:

• Overnights in first class hotels as mentioned in the program
• Local German/english/italian/Russian/ etc speaking guide(s) for the whole trip
• Full board
• Open bar with drinks, cocktails and selected wines
• Drinks during the entire trip
• Entrance fees to mentioned places
• Required special equipment (personal trekking shoes/boots are not considered)
• Private services in fully-equipped first class buses and transportations
• Corporate gifts: hats, t-shirts, wines, DVDs, etc.
  

Day 4: Santiago – Sewell - Rancagua
After a hearty breakfast you will be heading 85 km (53 miles) south from Santiago through the Panamerican Highway to visit the old mining city of Sewell, in Chile’s Sixth Region.

Located at an altitude of approximately 2,000 m (10,500 ft), the city was created by the Braden Copper Company at the beginning of the XXth century to house the workers of El Teniente, the world’s largest underground copper mine. It was abandoned during the 1970s and recently restored to show the way of life of its almost 15,000 inhabitants in its golden years, between 1930 and 1960. It was declared World Heritage Site in 2006 and you will be able to visit both the city and the mine, which continues operating. After having lunch at Sewell, you will move on to Casa Porta Winery, close to Rancagua, the capital city of Chile’s Sixth Region and 120 km (74.6 miles) south of Santiago. Porta winery was established in 1954, when the Gutierrez-Porta family arrives from Spain. The family settled in the Cachapoal valley, south of Rancagua. They acquired 180 ha of prime land, planting their first vineyards. Initially, Porta sold its wines to traditional Chilean wineries, but in 1991 it decided to launch its own range of wines under the name "Casa Porta", becoming one of the first boutique wineries in Chile.

You will visit the winery’s cellaring facilities at the Totihue Estate, in the Cachapoal Valley, where a sommelier will give a short wine tasting lesson ending with a fabulous dinner prepared by an international chef who will combine local ingredients to create new versions of some all-time favorites like the filet mignon and the cordon-bleu with the company of a live classical music quartet. After dinner you will be transferred to Rancagua, where you will spend the night at the Mar Andino Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 5: Rancagua – Santa Cruz
Today you will be served breakfast at the hotel and then transferred to the city of San Fernando, with a population of approximately 63,000 people who mainly make a living on farming. Here you will board the Wine Train that will take you to Santa Cruz, at the heart of the Colchagua Valley that has become famous worldwide for its outstanding Carmenére wine. During the ride, you will taste some of the best Chilean wines and samples of the most delicious local food products. A folk group will greet you at Santa Cruz, where you will walk to the main square in order to visit the Colchagua Museum, with one of the most complete collection of items from different periods of Chile’s history.

From here, you will head to one of the area’s many fine wineries to share an abundant countryside lunch before moving on to Santa Cruz Winery, where you will have fun climbing up a hill on cable cars and following a trail with replicas of the typical houses of the three most important contemporary indigenous cultures in Chile: The northern Aymara, the Rapa Nui in Easter Island and the central-southern Mapuche. When night falls, go into the old-fashioned observatory and take a peek at the galaxies through the telescope. This magical evening will end with an entertaining group activity where each participant, led by a professional chef, will contribute to the preparation of the farewell dinner. Awards will be presented to some outstanding members of the group: The most active, the most creative, the most entertaining, etc. Souvenirs will also be distributed to all members of the group, such as bottles of wine or pisco, copper items and a DVD with the highlights of the trip. At the end, the sky will be lit up by fireworks. Overnight at the Santa Cruz Plaza Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 6: Santa Cruz - Santiago
Today you will be transferred to the Santiago Airport, where you will board your flights back home or, if you choose, you can spend an extra night visiting Chile’s capital city and its surroundings. (B)

HOTELS INCLUDED*:
(*depending on availability)

Viña del Mar:

Hotel Sheraton Miramar****

Avenida Marina N 15, Viña del Mar 

The new Miramar Hotel stands on a rocky headland at the entrance of Viña del Mar and next to the beach Caleta Abarca. Due to the prominent position and the innovative architecture, every room offers a stunning view of the Pacific from the balcony. In total, 142 rooms and suites are available, all with plasma television, and cable TV, telephone, private bathroom, and balcony. The Miramar offers all amenities that are adequate to a high-class hotel, e.g. room service, pools, complete Spa, gym, restaurant, bar, business center and parking.

Santiago:

The Ritz Carlton Santiago*****

El Alcalde 15, Las Condes

Ritz Carton, THE most exclusive hotel in Santiago, is located in the prestigious neighborhood “El Golf”, just 30 minutes from Santiago International Airport and a few meters from the subway station. With a modern, new construction the hotel features 205 guestrooms including 49 Club level rooms and 3 Club Suites, 12 Executive Suites, and a Ritz-Carlton Presidential Suite. General services include: 4 restaurants and lounges, 24-hour in-room dining, digital safe deposit box, high speed Internet access and dual phone lines, Fitness & Massage Center, swimming pool, sauna, bar, cafeteria and wine-bar. More than 855 m² / 9.207 ft² of meeting and conference space are available.

Rancagua:

Hotel Mar Andino

Bulnes Nº 370, Rancagua

Hotel Mar Andino is strategically located in downtown Rancagua, 120 km / 74.6 miles south of Santiago. It additionally features a modern architecture, with all of the necessary comforts for the demanding traveller. The hotel has 54 rooms in single, double and suite categories, all of them cozy and nicely decorated with their own mini bar and safety deposit box. General services include: Mar Andino bar and restaurant, meeting hall, cable tv and Internet connection, fully-equipped business center, pool, gardens, parking lot and 24-hour room service.

Santa Cruz:

Hotel Plaza Santa Cruz (Superior)

Plaza de Armas 286, Santa Cruz 

Hotel Plaza Santa Cruz is located in the city of Santa Cruz in the Colchagua Valley and only 185 km / 115 miles from Santiago airport. This area is mainly characterized by its wine industry. The hotel keeps many details in its decoration that evoke the wine surroundings; it features 85 rooms, bar, cellar, grill, 1 pizzeria, two outstanding restaurants providing excellent wines, wine-shop and swimming-pool. There is even a convention centre lounge with capacity for up to 700 people and two lounges for private meetings.