Santiago Tours in Winter

This trip was an amazing way to see Chilean and Argentinian Patagonia. There were two full day hikes, one to base Torres and one to base Mt Fitzroy. Both hikes were about 15 miles round trip with 3000 to 4000 feet of elevation gain. Be prepared for these two full days of hiking. However, some of the group was able to hike faster while some could hike slower as there were three guides on each hike. The trip manager and guides were all friendly and helpful making for an enjoyable experience. Other activities included glacier viewing via boat, kayaking, and horseback riding which made for a well rounded trip. The weather is unpredictable so make sure you’re prepared for wind, rain, snow and sun possibly all in one day. This was the most active Contiki I have been apart of, and was a perfect change of pace from the usual city focused Contiki's. I highly recommend this tour if you’re looking to be in nature, experience Chilean and Argentinian culture, and have an active week.

Many aspects of this trip were most enjoyable, and Luciano, our guide, went out of his way to ensure we had a positive experience. Most of the accommodation was good, but Explore should find another option in Santiago. The Fundador in Santiago is a bit 'tired'. Also, there should be alternative activities in case the weather in Patagonia makes it impossible to follow the itinerary. But in general it was a most enjoyable trip!

This journey felt significantly longer than its actual duration—in the best possible way! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment, appreciating both the wonderful group and the breathtaking landscapes of Patagonia. What I valued most was the ability to fully embrace the experience without the need for planning or decision-making. Every detail was so well taken care of that I could completely relax and immerse myself in the beauty of Patagonia without any concerns.

Beautiful countries. The Optional Boat tour in Valparaiso was a bit disappointing - not enough to see to make it worth the time in my opinion. There was a small tour in Pucon that visited a waterfall that I felt was also not really worth the time it took out of the day. The BBQ was a blast! As someone who doesn't eat beef , Joyce organized they also cook some chicken for me, unfortunately it was obvious they are not used to cooking chicken. I would have been happy with the pork already on the menu as the chicken ended up very dry. Still had a fabulous time. One more thing....Joyce is one of the best CEO's I've had. She was constantly researching to make sure we had everything we needed and many options were available to us.

I would highly recommend our recent trip to Peru and to Bolivia, along the Southern Divide in South America, going from Lima to Santiago. We enjoyed making our journey with our multi-aged and multi-national fellow travellers. Highlights of our trip included: riding the old-fashioned trains of Peru Rail to the start of the Inca Trail, viewing the beauty of Machu Pichu, climbing Rainbow Mountain, exploring colonial Sucre, taking photos on the Salt Flats near Uyuni, crossing the Bolivian desert in a 4X4, seeing live volcanos and geysers and lots of wildlife (e.g., llamas, alpacas, guanacos, vicuanas and vizcachas) in the wild.

Lima and Santiago bookended this trip. The small cities and towns we visited were more to my taste. La Paz was special in part because of a very good city tour largely on the cable card.