Chile - Santiago, Valparaiso, Patagonia

We flew into Santiago Chile and spent just one night at a hotel near the airport (Ibis Hotel) which was a very basic hotel to make it easy so the next day we could easily get back to the airport to catch our flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas in the south of Chile.  From Punta Arenas we hired a car and started a beautiful five-hour drive through the Patagonia scenery towards Torres del Paine National Park.  It is remote, there are not too many cars on the road. Our goal was to stay at Lago Grey hotel right in the heart of Torres del Paine. There are many activities at the hotel you can just pick and choose but the highlight of course was the boat ride to see the glacier. We chose do do the hikes by ourselves and we did not feel like we needed a guide. We spent three days in this area and then moved to Puerto Natales just to break up the drive on the return.  Puerto Natales has a lot of tour outfitters, shops and restaurants. Before getting on the plane in Punta Arenas we spent half the day exploring this outpost.  From one of the higher points of the town we could see Argentina across the water.  Once we returned to Santiago we had three days, and for one of the days we did a day trip to Valparaiso on the coast.  We went on a public bus for 2.5 hours and we enjoyed walking around Valparaiso and it's colorful street art, we had seafood by the port, and returned to Santiago for dinner.  It was a lovely worthwhile day trip to see another part of Chile. We stayed at the Marriott downtown Santiago and it's a great hotel in a terrific location. We loved walking around the squares and churches and markets of the city.  It was easy to just walk everywhere.  We have some expat friends there so we enjoyed an evening of local food grilled in their garden.  It was a great way to end our time in Chile. 


Notes from Katie Groberg

ok about patagonia---

we flew in to punta arenas from santiago.  we saw penguins there.  our first night, on our way to torres del paine, we stayed in puerto natales.  it was fine- nothing to write home about.  the hotel we stayed in was the only "nice" hotel there, and we had some things stolen from our room.  hmmmmm.....
anyway- the next day we took off for torres del paine- spectacular!  we took a boat on lago gray to see glaciers- really impressive.  we stayed at a place called hysteria tyndall- it was like a ranch that rented out homes- some big some small.  it was perfect- it was right there with ridiculous views of the mts, the night sky was unlike anything you've ever imagined, and we just had fun exploring, horseback riding, etc.  if u want- i can send pics.

Notes from Channing and Spencer

CHILE TRIP: BASIC INFO & ITINERARY
Friends,
We are incredibly excited to have you all in Chile! We have an outstanding group and we will make our very best to show you the highlights of our home country, have a nice trip, and also enjoy ourselves! Remember, this is not a trek, but a couple of Chilean friends hosting you in their home country and showing you around.
Below are some important details regarding the trip:

• ●  Packing list
• ●  Detailed day-by-day itinerary. Please note that the itinerary is tentative and subject to last minute
  changes (e.g., due to weather otf unexpected delays).
  We have done our best to plan every detail of a great week in Chile. However, we will almost certainly face problems and unanticipated issues. That said, we are confident on our ability to find last-minute solutions to almost every issue! We just need two things from you:

1. Please let us know of any issues / feedback that you deem relevant. We’ll do our best to help!
2. Please stay positive and help keep a good mood, even if some things don’t work out perfectly!

With that said... let the Chilean adventures begin!
Love,
Your Chilean friends, Sophia & Javier

PACKING LIST

• ●  Money $$$
  
  • ○  You can pay almost everything with credit cards (bring one with no int’l commissions!)
  • ○  Some things might cash-only (e.g., street taxis, street vendors) -- bring some USD!
• ●  Spring/summer clothing. Overall guidelines:
  
  • ○  Santiago should be sunny, warm, and dry (avg. 9-28°C / 48-82°F)
  • ○  Patagonia should be variable and might get cold, windy and/or rainy. (avg. 7-15°C / 44-59°F)
  • ○  Atacama should be sunny and warm, but can get very cold at night (avg. 5-25°C / 41-77°F)
  • ○  Valparaiso should be sunny and mild, but might get windy or rainy (avg. 13-21°C / 55-70°F)
• ●  Hiking gear:
  
  • ○  Sturdy hiking shoes (MUST!) -- and wear them many times before to let them adapt to your feet!
  • ○  Socks that won’t cause blisters (make sure that your socks cover more than your hiking shoes
    and that they don’t get lose, which may cause your shoes to drag them and cause friction)
  • ○  Sports underwear (including sports bra for the ladies)
  • ○  Small backpack (enough for a couple of water bottles, snacks, sweaters, etc...)
  • ○  Hiking pants (not totally needed, but recommended, ladies can bring any sport pants too)
  • ○  Hiking shorts (recommended for warmer days, but not necessary)
  • ○  Sports t-shirt
  • ○  Hoodie
  • ○  Light jacket for windy or slightly cold days (think about layering up in case of cold!)
  • ○  Rain jacket/coat (Highly recommended)
  • ○  Warm gloves
  • ○  Water bottle
  • ○  Insect repellent (no Zika, but still bugs and mosquitoes around)
  • ○  Sunscreen
  • ○  Hat for sun and hat for cold (both recommended)
  • ○  Sunglasses (MUST!)
  • ○  Laddies bring something to tighten your hair as it might get very windy
• ●  Warm jacket for cold nights.​ Patagonia and the desert can reach lows of 0-5 °C (32-42 °F), or colder
• ●  Sleeping accessories for long trips
  
  • ○  Neck pillow
  • ○  Sleeping mask & earplugs
  • ○  Relaxing music
  • ○  Comfortable travel clothes
  • ○  Etc...
• ●  Distractions for trips. ​Such as books, work to do, music, games, etc...
• ●  Power bank ​to keep mobile phones alive during long bus rides or hikes.
• ●  Swimsuits & sport clothes.​ All hotels have pools and/or fitness rooms. We will also swim in a lagoon!
• ●  Basic medications.
  
  • ○  Band-aids, in case you get blisters or injuries from your shoes
  • ○  Flu/cold medicine
  • ○  Stomach medicine
  • ○  Painkillers (tylenol and ibuprofen)
  • ○  Allergy pills
  • ○  Etc...
• ●  Bring lots of snacks / energy bars / trail mixes / chocolate!!​ Key when hiking and on the road

DAY 1: SATURDAY 11, MARCH - ARRIVALS AND SANTIAGO
★ [7am - 12pm] Arrivals to Santiago Airport and Taxi to Hotel

○
○
○

Take a cab from the airport to the hotel

• Hotel Name: Atton Vitacura
• Address: Avenida Vitacura 3201, Vitacura
  Cab price should be ~$25,000 CLP (~42 USD). Two options:

• Pay the official taxi (Taxi Oficial) at the airport counter -- credit cards accepted
• Take Uber
  No tips to taxi drivers in Chile!

★ [12pm - 7pm] Walk around Santiago [OPTIONAL & SELF FUNDED]

• ○  [12pm] Sophia and I will meet you in the hotel at noon. Please be on time. If you arrive later
  than noon, but want to join us, we will coordinate directly with you.
• ○  [12pm-2.30pm] Visit Mercado Central (Santiago’s fish and seafood market) which is a great
  place for photos. We will have lunch there. Estimated $20,000 CLP per person (~35 USD)
• ○  [2.30pm - 4:30pm] Walk around to Santiago’s historic neighborhoods
• ○  [4.30pm - 7pm] Climb to the top of San Cristobal Hill to get a nice view of the city. Depending on
  how we are doing on time, we might take the funicular down ($2-3 USD per person)
• ○  Note: Santiago is a very safe city, but we will visit crowded places where pickpocketing can be an issue. Take precautions and ideally hide your valuables (e.g., wallets, phones). If you want to take pictures with a Camera / Phone, it is totally OK, just hold on firmly to it.
  ★ [7.30pm - 9.30pm] Dinner [OPTIONAL & SELF FUNDED]

• ○  Note: We will not join you for dinner, as we will meet our families
• ○  For those with Boragó reservations:
  
  • Please bring your credit cards. If you don’t show up, you’ll have to still pay ~50 USD.
  • You have to show up at 7.30pm. The restaurant is 5 minutes walking from the hotel.
  • The reservations under Sophia Branes. Due to capacity constraints, there are three
    tables for the group (2 x 4-people, 1 x 6-people tables)
• ○  For those without dinner reservations:

■ Some recommended restaurants, relatively close: “Liguria” (Chilean Sandwiches and traditional hearty food -- $$), “Domino” (Chilean sandwiches and hot dogs - $), “Miraola” (seafood - $$), “Happening” (Steak - $$), “Ichiban” (Sushi - $$$), “La Mar” (Peruvian - $$$), “Mestizo” (Chilean upscale - $$$). Check them out in TripAdvisor and decide! :)
★ Remember, we have an early morning tomorrow!★ Nevertheless, do let us know if you want to go out or party, and we can suggest places.

DAY 2: SUNDAY 12, MARCH - TRIP TO PATAGONIA AND GLACIER
★ [4.20am - 11.30am] Flight to Punta Arenas

• ○  [4.20am] Meet outside the hotel. Bus leaves at 4.30am sharp.
• ○  [4.30am - 5.00am] Bus from hotel to airport. Box breakfast provided.
• ○  [5.00am - 6.30am] Arrive to airport, do group check-in, pass security, board flight
• ○  [7.00am - 10.30am] Flight to Punta Arenas (3.5 hrs)
• ○  [10.30am - 11.30am] Land in Punta Arenas, collect luggage, board bus
  ★ [11.30am - 5.00pm] Bus to Grey Glacier (4.5 - 5.5 hours)

• ○  Box lunch will be provided
• ○  We will cruise through beautiful southern Chile and drive at least 1 hour inside the Torres del
  Paine national park. Great trip to relax, sleep, an sightsee
• ○  Make sure to bring something to do on the way
• ○  If somebody wants to volunteer to organize games for the bus ride to pass time and get to know
  each other better, let us know!
  ★ [5.00pm - 10.30pm] Sunset navigation around Grey Lagoon and Grey Glacier

• ○  [5.00pm] We should arrive to Hotel Grey (where the boat departs from)
• ○  [5.00pm - 6.00pm] This is buffer time in case of delays. If we are not delayed, we can have a
  drink and snack in the hotel’s restaurant
• ○  [6.00pm - 7.00pm] Boat check-in and boarding
• ○  [7.00pm - 9.30pm] Boat ride in the grey lagoon and near the grey glacier
• ○  [9.30pm - 10.30pm] Bus ride to the hotel
  ★ [10.30pm and beyond] Check-in, dinner, and drinks at the hotel. Remember, it is all inclusive!!DAY 3: MONDAY 13, MARCH -- FULL DAY HIKE TO BASE TORRES
  ★ [6am - 8am] Breakfast and get ready for the hike

• ○  Wake up with an amazing view!
• ○  Enjoy breakfast in the hotel
• ○  Get dressed and ready for the #1 activity in the Chilean Patagonia!
  ★ [8am - 8pm] Hike to and from base Torres del Paine

• ○  We will have English-speaking guides. We will probably separate in 2-3 groups based on speed.
• ○  Lunch box included, but still bring plenty of snacks & water for the way!
  ★ [8pm and beyond] Typical Patagonian dinner and drinks

• ○  The hotel will prepare a “cordero al palo” for us, which is a traditional lamb dish
• ○  We will have side dishes and drinks included

DAY 4: TUESDAY 14, MARCH -- OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES, PATAGONIAN DINNER, AND OVERNIGHT TRIP TO SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA
★ [7am - 8am] Breakfast get ready for the activities

• ○  Wake up with an amazing view!
• ○  Enjoy breakfast in the hotel
• ○  Get dressed and ready for an active morning
  ★ [8am - 9am] Check-out

• ○  Pack your bags and leave in the lobby
• ○  Check-out from your rooms
• ○  Note that three rooms will have late check-out until 12.30pm
  ★ [9am - 12pm] Morning activities

• ○  Option 1: Horseback riding
• ○  Option 2: Rock Climbing
• ○  Option 3: Stay in hotel and enjoy the facilities
  ★ [12pm - 1.45pm] Shower and get ready to travel

• ○  We will have 3 rooms for everybody to shower and change clothes
• ○  Please organize to be ready by 1.45pm
  ★ [1.45pm - 7pm] Bus trip from hotel to restaurant

○ ○
○
★ [7pm -○
○
○

[1.45pm - 2.00pm] Meet outside lobby and board the bus. Bus leaves 2pm sharp.
[2pm - 5pm] We will cruise through beautiful southern Chile and drive at least 1 hour inside the Torres del Paine national park. Great trip to relax, sleep, an sightsee
Make sure to bring something to do on the way9.30pm] Group dinner at Sotito’s in Punta Arenas (pre-paid)We will stop in this restaurant to have a taste of Patagonian food
We have a fixed menu which we negotiated and paid in advanceNote: Pre-paid meal includes a menu and a drink. Anything additional is self-funded.

★ [9.30pm - 10pm] Bus trip from restaurant to airport★ [10pm - 7am next day] Flights to Santiago and then to Calama

• ○  [10pm - 12pm] Group check-in, security, board plane
• ○  [12pm - 3.30am] Flight to Santiago
• ○  [3.30am to 4.30am] 1 hour and 20 minutes layover in Santiago
• ○  [4.50am to 7.00am] Flight to Calama

DAY 5: WEDNESDAY 15, MARCH -- SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA DAY 1
★ [7am - 9am] Pick up luggage and travel on bus to San Pedro de Atacama○ Note: San Pedro is located ~2,400 mt (~8,000 ft) above the sea level. During our tours, we will
reach up to ~4,200mt (~14,000 ft) above the sea level! There is less available oxygen and headaches/nausea are not uncommon. Please take it easy during the first 1-2 days and avoid intense physical activity. By day 3 you should be fine to ride a bike! (and we will!)
★ [9am - 10am] Arrival to hotel and breakfast

• ○  We will stay in Cumbres Hotel
• ○  We pre-paid breakfast for everybody!
• ○  Unfortunately, no early check-in was possible, so we won’t have our rooms until the afternoon
• ○  That said, you are more than welcome to take advantage of the facilities (e.g., pool) if you want
• ○  If you MUST have a room for the morning, there might be availability for self-funded early
  check-in at ~$300 per rooms (that’s why we did not purchase early check-in... very expensive!)
• ○  We will leave our luggage there until check-in in the afternoon
  ★ [10am - 1pm] Free time!

• ○  You can use the time to either relax or walk around town
• ○  San Pedro’s center is very walkable and picturesque. Highly recommended!
  ★ [1pm - 2.45pm] Group lunch at Ckunna restaurant (pre-paid)

• ○  Please be at 1pm sharp in the restaurant (Ckunna)
• ○  The Restaurant is 1 mile away from the hotel or about ~20-30 min walking
• ○  Address: Ckunna - Tocopilla 359, San Pedro de Atacama, Región de Antofagasta, Chile
• ○  Note: Pre-paid meal includes a menu and a drink. Anything additional is self-funded.
  ★ [2.45pm - 8.30pm] Moon Valley and Death Valley sunset tour

• ○  [2.45pm - 3.00pm] We will walk to the Agency “Cosmo Andino” (~5 min)
• ○  [3.00pm - 8.30pm] We will get on a bus to tour the Moon Valley and Mars Valley, that are
  incredible geological formations. We will have an English-speaking guide, and we will do some
  gentle walking during the day.
  ★ [8.30pm - 9.00pm] Hotel Check-in

○ We will go back to the hotel, check-in, and leave our luggage in the rooms
★ [9pm and beyond] Free time!

• ○  Feel free to stay in the hotel, sleep-in early, go out for dinner, or go out for drinks!
• ○  Note: Dinner is ​NOT​ included this day and is self-funded
• ○  If we have energy, we will go out for dinner/drinks to a local restaurant/bar. Feel free to join us!

DAY 6: THURSDAY 17, MARCH -- SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA DAY 2
★ [7am - 8am] Breakfast in hotel (included)★ [8am - 5.30pm] Tour to altiplanic lagoons

• ○  A bus will pick us up at 8am to take us to the Altiplanic Lagoons
• ○  We will have English-speaking guides
• ○  We will do gentle walks
• ○  A light lunch is included, but do bring snacks and water!
• ○  The bus will drop us off in the hotel
  ★ [5.30pm - 6.30pm] Free time!★ [6.30pm - 8.30pm] Group dinner at Adobe restaurant (pre-paid)

• ○  [6.30pm - 7.00pm] Walk from hotel to restaurant (Address: Adobe - Caracoles 169, San Pedro de Atacama, Región de Antofagasta, Chile)
• ○  [7.00pm - 8.45pm] Dinner
• ○  Note: Pre-paid meal includes a menu and a drink. Anything additional is self-funded.
  ★ [8.45pm - 1.00am] Astronomy tour

• ○  Note: Bring ​very warm clothes!​ The tour is outside and the desert nights can be freezing!
• ○  [8.45pm - 9:00pm] Walk to the pick-up spot (corner of Caracoles and Domingo Atienza)
• ○  [9.00pm - 10.00pm] Bus ride to observatory
• ○  [10.00pm - 12.00pm] Astronomy tour
• ○  [12pm - 1am] Bus back to hotel

DAY 7: FRIDAY 18, MARCH -- SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA DAY 3
★ [7am - 7.45am] Breakfast in hotel (included)★ [7.45am to 8.00am] Check-out from hotel
○ Please check-out and leave luggage in the lobby
★ [8am - 1.00pm] Biking tour to Laguna Cejar

• ○  We will be picked up at 8am in the hotel
• ○  Each person will get a bike
• ○  We will have English-speaking guides
• ○  We will bike to Laguna Cejar, a very salty lagoon
• ○  Bring your swimsuits! We will float in the lagoon (like in the dead sea!)
  ★ [1pm - 4.30pm] Free time!

• ○  You can use the hotel pool/gym facilities to shower and change
• ○  Lunch is self-funded (you can eat in the hotel or go out to a restaurant)
  ★ [4.30pm - 11.30pm] Travel to santiago

• ○  [4.30pm - 6.00pm] Bus from hotel to Calama Airport
• ○  [6.00pm - 7.55pm] Check in and boarding. ​Please eat something at the airport (self-funded)
• ○  [7.55pm - 10.00pm] Flight to Santiago
• ○  [10.00pm - 11.30pm] Deplane, pick-up luggage, take bus to Atton hotel (same hotel as day 1)
  ★ [11.30pm and beyond] Free night! You may party if you wantDAY 8: SATURDAY 19, MARCH -- VALPARAISO
  ★ [7am - 8am] Breakfast in hotel (included)★ [8.00am - 8.30am] Check-out from hotel and bring your luggage!★ [8.30am - 10.30am] Bus to Valparaiso★ [10.30am - 1.00pm] Guided walking tour around Valparaiso★ [1.00pm - 2.30pm] Group lunch in Bote Salvavidas (pre-paid)

○ Note: Pre-paid meal includes a menu and a drink. Anything additional is self-funded.★ [2.30pm - 3.30pm] Bus to Viña Veramonte★ [3.30pm - 4.30pm] Wineyard tour and wine tasting in Viña Veramonte (pre-paid)★ [4.30pm - 6.00pm] Bus to Santiago Airport ​(For people with early flights)★ [6.00pm - 6.45pm] Bus from Santiago Airport to Hotel Atton

• ○  Trip for people with later flights who want to squeeze one last dinner in Santiago
• ○  We will have dinner with Sophia’s father that day. You can join us if you want!
• ○  Note that getting to the airport afterwards ​is your own responsibility