Riveting Luxuries of Chile and Argentina Tour: Surreal Landscapes to Buzzing Cities

Capital city and largest within Argentina, Buenos Aires is a buzzing cosmopolitan featuring touches of the modern world but largely retaining the cultural distinctions of the country from which it rises. This hub of entertainment and heritage can be seen twinkling under the Argentinian sun as you approach the international airport and peer out of your plane window. After touching down and checking through immigration, you will be collected by your private transfer and taken to your grand accommodation poised within the heart of the cityscape amongst the rising buildings that dominate its skyline.

Spending the day in Buenos Aires, you will be thrilled to explore the city under the guidance of an insightful chaperone who will show you to some of its major attractions and significant cultural sites. Starting in the epicenter of the city, Plaza de Mayo, you will spread out to fortresses circling the Presidential Palace and cathedrals lining the cobbled boulevards. Lively neighborhoods full of youth and an energetic atmosphere will afford you the opportunity to wallow in the local culture as reflected in charming eateries and boutique stores riddling the cityscape.

Your travels will lead to the remarkable Calchaquí Valley this morning, where you will find refuge from the bustling cityscapes amongst the quietude and tranquility of a prestigious wine estate poised in the viridian landscape. Circling the valley, several quaint colonial villages and dramatic mountainous scenery will command unparalleled vistas of the wilderness and the historic towns hemmed into it. Within these charming villages, heritage is preserved along cobbled streets weaving through their modest districts and museums flanking their town squares.

You will be collected by your private chaperone and tour guide after breakfast, and whisked away through the valley to the delightful town of Seclantás. Textile weaving has long served as the economic backbone of the town, and a tour alongside a local craftsman will reveal the meticulous handicrafts and Ponchos created in this region. Following this informative demonstration, you will retreat to a nearby wine estate stationed in the proliferating hills, where you may sip on a selection of exalted wines produced from the bountiful harvests of Estancia Colomé.

Having relished a taste of Argentina’s fine wines, you will be delighted to escape further into the wine country of Cafayate today for a richer tasting experience than ever before. Acclaimed vintages paired with enticing Argentinian delicacies at an esteemed winery and wine museum will introduce you to all sorts of wondrous flavors curated in this high-altitude region. After lapping up the fruits of Cafayate’s labor, you will swoop down to the town where traditional charm shines through the trinkets and handicrafts created by the local people.

Joined by a knowledgeable private guide this morning, you will leave the wine country and make for Salta, where you will make a brief stop at a local town to learn more about the country’s ancient ceramic-making culture. Continuing to Salta afterward, you will make a stop at the breathtaking Quebrada de las Conchas, a canyon dominated by deep red rock formations dating back millions of years where you will find copious picture-perfect moments to capture before arriving at your grand accommodation in the city.

Spend your morning luxuriating in the world-class amenities on offer at your regal accommodation before setting off on a tour of Salta city. History will reveal itself as you visit several significant heritage sites peppered throughout the Hispanic neighborhoods of the ancient city, backdropped by the soaring mountains and commanded by the colonial-style buildings. Admiring the century-old door of the San Bernando Convent, carved by several local artists, and marveling at the Incan bodies mummified within the  Museum of High Altitude Archaeology, you will be absorbed by the city’s history.

Your adventures today will lead you beyond the borders of the city to the surrounding farmlands, where you will hop on horseback and trot through the blooming fields, treasuring the scenes of lush vegetation veiling the landscape and the echoes of the birds singing from nearby trees within the Yungas forest sloping beneath the Andes Mountains. After a long ride where you will spot numerous creatures rustling through the forested region, you will sink your teeth into a traditional Argentine gaucho BBQ.

After breakfast, your private transfer will collect you and whisk you away to Quebrada de Humahuaca, a World Heritage Site where the 16th-century town of Purmamarca was founded by Spanish settlers. Here, you will visit archaeological sites and monuments spotlighting the region's deep historical and cultural roots as well as admire the ancient Incan ruins scattered throughout Pucara. A collection of towns flanking Purmamarca will help you deepen your understanding of Argentinian culture as you are welcomed into colorful markets and modest museums hemmed into the mountainous landscape.

Today, you will officially enter the country of Chile as you leave for San Pedro de Atacama, a small town settled on a sparse plateau commanding a slice of the Andes Mountains. Before checking into your remarkable boutique accommodation stationed in this breathtaking geothermal wonderland, you will visit the monstrous Salinas Grandes salt flat, where you will cherish vistas of the white soil contrasting the sapphire horizon as well as delve into the history of how salt is extracted from this extraordinary flat.

Just beyond the modest town of San Pedro de Atacama, the moonlike landscape of the Valle de la Luna stretches as far as the eye can see. You will transfer to the dreamy destination where you will be able to capture its folded sedimentary rock layers composed of salt, gypsum, and clay before continuing your explorations in the famous Valle de la Muerte. The mesmerizing geological phenomenon of Death Valley in which the movement of rocks pushed by the wind across the flat has shaped an iconic landscape renowned worldwide.

In the middle of the desert, flamingos flock to the Salar de Atacama lake, an area formed from upwelling groundwater that blankets a colossal slice of the sandy landscape. After spotting the flamboyant pink creatures, you will continue to the National Flamingo Reserve, where you will learn more about these wondrous birds while taking in the extraordinary volcanic backdrop that commands the horizon. The snow-capped peaks of the Meñiques and Miscanti volcanoes are a sight to behold that starkly juxtaposes the golden and red desert sands sweeping outward from beneath your feet.

Today, you will be swept away by the sheer majesty of the geothermal landscape as you visit an iconic series of geysers in the Geysers del Tatio. 40 geysers, 60 thermal springs, and 70 fumaroles cover this part of the landscape, their steam rising through fissures in the earth and billowing out over the ground. After your geyser experience accompanied by various local wildlife inhabitants, you will visit the town of Pueblo Machuca to get acquainted with the local culture through the fabulous dishes prepared by the locals and the cultural arts practiced by the residents.

Carpeted in a vast stretch of striped greenery and boasting visionary observatories dotted between the quaint traditional villages, the Elqui Valley is a breathtaking slice of the Chilean forested landscape that beckons you to discover the cosmos. With little pollution around, you will see the stars as bright as ever and view the incredible galaxies above in one of the most idyllic regions in the country. You will arrive and spend your afternoon luxuriating in the world-class amenities of your palatial boutique accommodation before feasting on dinner under the starry sky.

Your retreat in the Elqui Valley is yours to relish at your own pace, enjoying the many activities on offer at your resort whenever you wish to do so. Some options which you may lap up today include a slow galavant around the flourishing fields on horseback or hitting a few balls on the pristinely kept golf course. In the evening, you will be thrilled to stargaze as your instructor guides your eyes to the key cosmological sightings while the growing symphony of the crickets and creatures soundtrack the experience.

Another peaceful leisurely day awaits you on the sixteenth day of your vacation, spent within the unparalleled wilderness of the Elqui Valley. Today, you may hike the nearby forested fields under the shaded paths beneath the canopy or sit on the umber banks of the tranquil lakes that coat parts of the landscape. A vitalizing yoga session or enriching spa treatment will be just the thing to round off your fabulously relaxing stay in this viridian paradise before you prepare for your departure in the morning.

The next two days of your vacation are dedicated to ultimate relaxation as you retreat to the spectacular Chilean city of Copiapó, and settle in at an extraordinary boutique glamping accommodation poised in the viridian hills that surround the greater cityscape. You will spend your days amongst the unspoiled wilderness, with your evenings showing off the twinkling stars and your days soundtracked by the songs of the wildlife. With meals prepared for you, you will be blown away by the mouth-watering dishes served alongside these stunning scenes.

A stunning soft sand beach hugs the coastline not far from your accommodation and, today, you will retreat from the forested paradise to step on the velvety shore and dip in the balmy ocean while basking in the warmth of the sunshine. You may flip through a book or wallow amongst the waves as you watch the world go by from this secluded paradise a short way from your accommodation. You may admire the seascape by kayak or on foot as you either paddle over the glassy water or trek through the emerald headland while the day drifts on by.

The final stop on your lavish vacation in Argentina and Chile will be in the capital and largest city of Chile, Santiago. There are few places better to round off such an incredibly riveting tour as Santiago offers all the luxuries of the world’s biggest cities while retaining much of the culture that underpins Chile’s fascinating destinations. Today, you may acclimate to the buzzing energy and slowly spend your afternoon relishing the top-tier amenities on offer at your gorgeous accommodation, such as vitalizing spa therapies and gourmet Chilean cuisine.

Embark on a cultural tour in the city of Santiago on your final full day of the vacation, beginning at the food markets that pepper its thrumming skyline. After savoring the tantalizing delicacies at the crowded stalls, you will cross the Central Market towards the light-drenched Plaza de Armas where you may access the magnificent museums and heritage sites such as the pre-Columbian Art Museum and the La Moneda Government Palace, with the Andes serving as the backdrop for your educational exploits.

Though coming to an end, your extensive Argentinian and Chilean vacation will have been nothing short of exceptional, showcasing the distinctions of each country from their remarkably varied landscapes to their tantalizing local delicacies. For the remainder of your day after breakfast, you may relish in the serenity of your stellar accommodation and its amenities before being collected by your private transfer and whisked away to the airport. You will leave with a collection of unforgettable memories of the luxurious time spent in these countries' iconic destinations.