Because our flight to Patagonia on November 13 departs Santiago mid-morning, travelers are strongly encouraged to arrive a day early into Santiago on November 12. Merits of arriving early include breaking up the journey with a full night of rest in Santiago, providing a time cushion for possible flight delays and lost luggage, and the opportunity to explore Santiago on foot from our hotel.

No group activities are scheduled for today, but WAI guides will greet you at our hotel with a bouquet of ideas on how to spend your afternoon, all walkable from our hotel.

Pre-day arrival package is $275 per person (single supplement of $66) and includes:

• transfer from the Santiago airport to our hotel on November 12
• early check-in (most flights arrive early in the day) on November 12
• hotel room on November 12 with breakfast the following morning
• outgoing transfer from hotel to airport on November 13

Travelers who arrive in Santiago a day early on November 12 will be transported to the airport this morning following breakfast. Any travelers NOT signed up for the November 12 package in Santiago will rendezvous at the airport for the flight to Puerto Natales, which arrives in Patagonia about 1 pm.

Once a sleepy fishing village, Puerto Natales has blossomed into the base for visitors drawn by the outdoor magic of Patagonia and Torres del Paine National Park.

We check into our centrally-located hotel set across the street from lovely Señoret Channel and the southern terminus of the ferry serving the Chilean fjords. The afternoon schedule allows for down time before the Welcome Orienation meeting this evening, following by dinner.

Also available this afternoon, as described below, is an optional introduction to the scenic splendors of this rugged, mountainous, fjord-laced geography.

Optional Dorotea Point 8×8 Offroad Excursion
Upon checking into our hotel in Puerto Natales, travelers are invited to join an optional offroad excursion in a unique 8×8 wheeled vehicle designed to go where no bus has gone before. This 3-hour adventure takes us up into the mountains around Puerto Natales, specifically to Dorotea Point, to enjoy some exploring on foot while taking in the most expansive views of the trip. 15 person minimum. Price: $75 per person

Walk 1: Sarmiento Gate to Amarga Gate Walk – 7 km, rated 2B
Walk 2: Laguna Azul Walk – 6 km, rated 2B

Established as a national park in 1959, Torres del Paine did not receive its current name until 1970, a name meaning “Blue Towers” in a mixture of Spanish and native languages.

Weather can offer all four seasons in a single day, but November is the dry season, and we hope to see the trademark towers of the Park, called “Cleopatra’s Needles” by an early foreign tourist.

Our first walk crosses the vast openness of the steppe below the towers. Encounters with wildlife are likely, including flamenco, gray fox, Andean condor, but especially the always-curious guanaco, one of four South American members of the cameloid family.

From Amarga Gate, we drive north to Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon) for a picnic lunch and today’s second walk. The trail here skirts the northern bank of the laguna offering lakeside landscapes, views of the towers, and a sense of the end-of-the-world remoteness which drapes our every moment in Chilean Patagonia.

Walk 3: Estancia La Peninsula Walk – 6 km, rated 2B

A full day journey deeper into the Patagonia Fjords starts with a boat ride through Last Hope Fjord to Estancia (ranch) La Peninsula. We start our visit here with a hike through surrounding forest and wetlands, on the lookout for abundant bird life.

A traditional Patagonia lamb barbeque for lunch provides a great way to unwind and relax with our hosts before a demonstation of sheep herding provided by a rancher and hardworking sheeps dogs. A sheep shearing offers the backdrop for enlightening explanations of the history and rigorous daily life of ranching in Patagonia.

Late this afternoon, we return by boat across Last Hope Fjord to our hotel. The evening is free for dinner on your own free and rest in preparation for tomorrow’s return to Torres del Paine National Park.

Walk 4: Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernas Walk – 6 km, rated 2B
Walk 5: Lago Grey Walk – 6 km, rated 2C

Two additional highlights of the Torres Del Paine are featured today from two additional trails.

Salto Grande, on our first walk, is a dramatic waterfall on the Paine River, draining Nordenskjöld Lake into Pehoe Lake. Our trail continues to a viewpoint of the Cuernos del Paine, the Horns of Paine, the Park’s second remarkable series of peaks with distinctive sculpted surfaces. Wildlife is ubiquitous in the park and viewings are likely again this morning.

Following a break for lunch, our final walk in Torres del Paine takes place at Lago Grey. Here, the trail takes us across a sandbank to circumnavigate a forested knob, the highlight of which is mirador Lago Grey, a viewpoint of the lake and the glacier by the same name at the north end.

We return to Puerto Natales having seen several faces of what is arguably Chile’s most famous national park.

Mylodon Cave Walk: Travelers interested in seeing a different face of Patagonia are invited to join us after breakfast for a short drive to walk at a place of archeological significance — Mylodon Cave Natural Monument. It was here that the world’s best-preserved remains of a Mylodon, a genus of a giant sloth (5000 pounds) that became extinct thousands of years ago, were discovered in 1895 by a German explorer. Price ~ $85 per person

Walk 7: Hanga Roa Walking Tour and Ahu Tahai, 5.5 km, rated 2B

A short transfer after breakfast this morning prepares us for a flight (not included) across the Pacific to a mythical island lost in the mists of a mysterious past. We land at Easter Island’s Mataveri International Airport, the world’s most remote airport, 2336 miles across the Pacific from Chile’s western coast.

Nearby is our hotel for the next three nights in Easter Island’s solitary town, Hanga Roa.

Upon arrival, travelers are invited for an orientation walk along the coast to see the Ahu Tahi moai (stone heads), followed by dinner back at our hotel.

Walk 8: Vai Atare & Rano Kau Walk, 6 km, rated 3D
Bonus Walk 9: Ana Te Pahu Walk, 2 km, rated 1C

After breakfast this morning, we head south to visit the island’s largest volcano, Rano Kau. On the western rim of the crater are the ruins of a settlement called Orongo, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the cliffs here overlooking the Pacific a strange competition was held over a period of about 150 years, the last race taking place in 1866 .

The annual contest conferred the title of “Birdman” on the winner, or the winner’s sponsor. The odd race involved scaling the dangerous 1000-foot cliffs, swimming shark-infested waters to a small offshore island, and finding the eggs of an elusive bird called the Sooty Tern.

Our walk ascends an access road, skirts the rim of the crater circling to the western edge, then wanders a set of stone ruins on the cliffs above the Pacific.

After lunch, activities for the afternoon will be announced but we expect to explore moai and cultural sites on the western side of the island.

Optional Stargazing on Easter Island Excursion
There can be no darker setting from which to view the Southern Constellations than the uninhabited side of one of the planet’s most remote islands. The experience begins with a presentation of Polynesian history, navigation, and basic astronomy. Next we drive to the remote side of the island to set up the telescope and get oriented to the Southern Hemisphere sky. Binoculars and the telescope will help magnify our understanding, and a second stop is on tap to try night photography with mysterious moai in the foreground. We return to the hotel from this extraordinary experience just before midnight. Estimated price: $143 per person
NOTE: This experience is weather-dependent and will be canceled in the event skies are overcast.

Walk 10: Trail of the Moai & Rano Raraku Walk – 6 km, 2C

Today is devoted to the eastern side of Easter Island.

Our morning objective is another significant volcanic feature, Rano Raraku. This volcanic site provided rough volcanic stone quarried to produce most of the island’s moai. As such, it is an excellent place to see moai in various states of completion. By far the largest moai on the island are also located here since keeping them on site removed the challenging obstacles of transportation.

Our local guide has much to share about the history of the island and its moai during this visit which ends along the coast at Auh Tongariki, a remote area featuring 15 moai.

Following lunch, opportunities are provided to see the northeast corner of the island, farthest away from our base in Hanga Roa. Stops include South Pacific beaches at Anakena and Ovahe.

The evening back in Hanga Roa is free to wander and have dinner on your own.

Walk 11: Vina del Mar Garden City Walk – 2 km, rated 1B
Walk 12: Valparaiso Jewel of the Pacific Walk – 3 km, rated 2B

Flights to North American depart from Santiago late this evening. This provides the perfect window of time to explore a different face of Chile’s many and diverse blessings.

We head, this morning, for the Chilean coast for an excursion of a completely different type; Valparaiso and Viña del Mar sit on Chile’s Pacific seaboard, just over an hour away.

Viña del Mar is nicknamed the “Garden City” and is famous for its beaches and numerous castles and 19th century mansions from its golden age. After a pleasant beachside stroll here, we turn south to neighboring Valparaiso.

Highlights in Valparaiso include a wide palette of multi-colored houses, off-beat architecture and street art, and a funky but functional system of forty-odd funicular elevators from the early 20th century offering public transportation up and down hillsides on which this “Jewel of the Pacific” is built. An included lunch and a 3-part walk here introduce us to different facets of this singular city on the sea.

Chile is also justly famous for its wine production. On our way back to Santiago, we visit a vineyard in the Casablanca Valley to experience a wine tasting and sample this unique slice of Chilean culture and agriculture. Last stop, this evening, is the Santiago Airport for late flights back to our northern hemisphere reality.

Thank you for sharing this bucket list journey to explore Patagonia & Easter Island. We return home with a greater understanding of and appreciation for these two remote corners of the Western Hemisphere.

To register, a non-refundable $300 deposit is required to hold your spot. A final payment is due 90 days before departure and is non-refundable after the due date. You will receive a prompt email from us 2 to 3 weeks in advance.

Soon after registration, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

Please follow this link to read our full General Tour Conditions.

We generally walk at a pace of 2 to 3 miles per hour. Several walks on this trip are oriented more towards education, and therefore take longer due to stops for guide commentary. Nature walks, on the other hand, generally continue at a steadier pace because we’re stopping less to talk.

In most cases, we are not “strolling.” We are walking at a relaxed but steady pace. Your experience will be significantly affected by your level of physical fitness. If not walking regularly at home, we strongly recommend that you make a priority of “training” beforehand in order to both enjoy the trip and avoid medical issues due to overexertion. If you have questions about your ability to participate, please call our office at 1.360.260.9393.

We have adopted a walk difficulty rating system which contains a numeric indicator for trail incline and an alpha indicator for trail terrain. The explanation for this system is presented on the table below:

INCLINE

1. Minimal hills or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: <200 feet.
2. Some moderate hills and stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 200-1000 feet.
3. Some significant hill or stair climbing. Cumulative elevation gain: 1000-2000 feet.

TERRAIN

A. Almost entirely on pavement.
B. A significant part of the route is on well-groomed trails with very few obstacles.
C. A significant part of the route is on somewhat difficult terrain (rocky / rooted paths or soft sand).

International Flights

The tour begins and ends in Santiago, Chile. Travelers will arrange their own flights to and from Santiago.

We recommend that you contact Laura Pfahler, the travel agent we work with, to help book your flight arrangements. In this age of airfare complications and airport uncertainty, using a travel agent is a good investment! More details about flight arrangements and travel agent contact information will be provided in an Adventure Advice PDF by email after you register for the Adventure.  Please do not book your airfare prior to receiving these flight details from us!

Laura Pfahler: 503.434.6401 or [email protected]

Internal flights within Chile

Chile’s unique, pencil-thin geography results in vast point to point distances. Furthermore, Patagonia, on the southern tip of the South American continent, is isolated from Santiago below some of the world’s largest icefields…through which there are no roads. To the west, Easter Island is a 5½-hour flight from Santiago, approximately the same distance as Hawaii lies from the West Coast of the USA.

Due to the unusual geographic spread of attractions in Chile, combined with a shortage of airlines and flights available, air travel is both necessary and complicated.

From Santiago, four internal flights are required and are not included in the tour land price of $5950.

• Day 1 ~ November 13: Santiago to Puerto Natales
• Day 5 ~ November 17: Puerto Natales to Santiago
• Day 6 ~ November 18: Santiago to Easter Island
• Day 9 ~ November  21: Easter Island to Santiago

Information for flights to and from Patagonia and Easter Island has just become available (week of April 1, 2024). The costs for the two round trip flights (4 flights total) to Patagonia and Easter Island is $1550. Travelers will be invoiced a $1000 deposit to hold the seats immediately upon registration; the balance is due at final billing, 90 days before departure.

Be aware that some travel insurance policies contain time-sensitive provisions (i.e. some benefits, such as coverage of pre-existing conditions, are available only if the policy is purchased within a certain number of days of the purchase of the travel package). In addition, remember that airfare is not covered by any travel insurance policy you may have purchased for the tour.

Sharon Mitchell–World Travel Inc.
Phone: 971-261-2091
Email: [email protected]

Other options include:

• Focus on health before the tour so you start healthy.
• Pace yourself while on tour; travel is inherently stimulating and can produce adrenalin boosts that mask energy drain. Guard your energy reserves and consider the length of the trip and whether to opt out of some activities and/or walks.
• Be self-aware. If you feel yourself tiring or feel a bug coming on, take precautions to block it (e.g. extra rest, extra doses of vitamin C, etc).
• If you feel a bug coming on or if you take ill, distance yourself from others when possible.
• If you feel ill, isolate yourself towards the back of the bus and away from others

Click WAI Wellness on Tour Policy to view the WAI policy on Wellness on Tour.

Soon after registration, an “Adventure Advice” email will be sent with critical information on flight arrangements as well as important steps to take in the months before your trip. Please do not buy your airline tickets until you review this Adventure Advice email.

A final payment is due 90 days before departure (August 15, 2024) and is non-refundable after the due date. You will receive a prompt email from us a week or two in advance. Please see our General Tour Conditions for the full terms and conditions for participation in this Adventure.

About 2 weeks before departure, you will receive a final email packet with details of the program, including hotel names and contact information, a list of fellow travelers, and a more detailed daily schedule.

We look forward to enjoying this fascinating region of Europe with you as we set sail on the Rhine River Cruise!