East coast to the West coast of South America
Travel from the East coast to the West coast of South America in just 10 days! This tour packs in the two cosmopolitan capitals of Buenos Aires and Santiago, then heads into the interior of Argentina, giving you a chance to explore the hills, lakes and Germanic communities of Cordoba province on foot or on horseback. Next we head to the National Parks of Talampaya and the Valley of the Moon, famous for their eroded rock formations, petroglyphs, fossils and dinosaur footprints. From there we head down to Mendoza and indulge in some wine tasting at the local wineries, before heading across the Andes under the shadow of Aconacagua, South America's highest mountain. We stop en route at the photogenic Puente Del Inca and its colourful, mineral deposits before hitting Santiago for our last night.
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Details |
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Price Includes |
(MT-3266-P) |
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Kumuka overland truck |
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All meals whilst camping included |
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Fully escorted tour, Kumuka tour leader and driver |
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All activities, sightseeing and entrance fees as per itinerary |
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All national parks and reserve entrance fees as per itinerary |
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Accommodation |
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Price Excludes |
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Flights, Local Payment 185 USD, All optional excursions and meals unless otherwise stated in the itinerary, visas, pre and post tour accommodation. |
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Countries / Places Visited |
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Chile, Argentina |
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Suitability / Level |
Easy |
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Theme |
Small Group Travel
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Itinerary
& Highlights |
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Day 1: Santiago. Our tour starts in Chile's pleasant capital, Santiago, which still retains some of its old charm with a magnificent, tree-lined plaza, dominated by the main cathedral. You might want to catch the changing of the guard at Plaza Constitucion, or take an optional cable car ride up San Cristobal hill for magnificent views of the city and the backdrop of the snow-capped Andes in the distance, or do some shopping for souvenirs!
Days 2-4: Santiago to Mendoza. Today we say goodbye to Chile and cross the great mountain range of the Andes to Argentina. Leaving Chile, we ascend around 3000m up the side of the Andes and stop in the shadow of Mount Aconagua, which at 6,959m above sea level is the highest mountain in the Americas. Further on, we stop en route at Puente del Inca, a striking, natural rock bridge which runs across Las Cuevas river. Here, mineral deposits have created multicoloured deposits from rust red to golden ochre and burgundy, a fantastic photo opportunity. Our next stop is Mendoza, quite possibly the prettiest big city in Argentina with its tree-lined streets and shady plazas with the backdrop of the snow capped Andes. Mendoza is situated on the 33rd parallel where wine lovers will tell you that the world's finest wines come from. Vineyards and wineries surround the city, each offering wine tasting tours so you may want to go and decide for yourself. In addition to the wineries, you might also want to visit the "bodega" of Chandon and indulge in a little sparkling wine tasting as well. Mendoza also has many fine restaurants and cafes, and for those who are a little more inclined towards action and adventure there are optional opportunities for white water rafting, trekking and hiking and a whole host of other outdoor activities.
Day 5: San Juan. Heading north we approach San Juan province and its magnificent Valley of the Moon National Park. This is a palaeontologist's paradise with all manner of bizarre and beautiful rock formations and 200 million year old fossil remains.
Day 6: La Rioja. Leaving San Juan province, we drive eastwards towards La Rioja and the stunning National Park of Talampaya, nearby. Within the deep, red rock of the wild-west style canyon you can find all manner of rock formations as well as pre-Colombian petroglyphs.
Days 7-8: Cordoba. Cordoba is dotted with lakes and streams, hills and valleys and is renowned for being Argentina's sunniest province and let's hope that this holds true so that we are afforded a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of Cordoba's wealth of outdoor sports including trekking, horse riding and mountain biking, you might even want to indulge in a spot of fishing! (all optional). We stay just outside of Villa General Belgrano, one of Argentina's famed Germanic communities where the Swiss-style, wooden chalets and typical German food might lead you to think that you're back in Bavaria, they even celebrate the Oktoberfest here!
Days 9-10: Pampas and Buenos Aires. After an early start and a long drive across the Pampas we leave the Sierras de Cordoba, the rolling hills of Cordoba province, in the distance and reach the cosmopolitan city of Buenos Aires, known as the "Paris of South America." A lively city with many attractions, it offers fantastic restaurants, shopping and nightlife. Our hotel is centrally located and close to many of the major attractions and also the main shopping streets of Florida and Santa Fe. At the Plaza de Mayo you may see the Mothers of the Disappeared and nearby you can find the obelisk and bustling Recoleta. We recommend that you take a city tour, which the hotel can organise for you. This will take you to all the major sights, which are centrally located, as well as the area of La Boca, the home of Buenos Aires most notorious football team, Boca Juniors. Another must is a tango show. Buenos Aires is the home of tango and our hotel can organise for you to see one of these fantastic shows, an opportunity not to be missed. |
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Accommodation
& Centre Details |
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-Hotel (4 Nights)
-Camping (5 Nights)
We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. Overland tours will spend most time in campsites and some time in hotels as it is much more appropriate to the overland style of travel.
CAMPING - Camping is always great fun and our vehicles are loaded with all the first class equipment needed. Campsites vary from established sites with all facilities to the occasional roadside stop or free camp. We use large two person tents and if you come alone, we'll team you up with another group member.
HOTELS - We choose our hotels, guesthouses and hostels for their location, comfort, security and hygiene standards. All are located near the city centre usually within easy walking distance of services and facilities. Most rooms are on a twin, double or triple share basis with private bathrooms.
Accommodation is not included in the city of departure or arrival (unless within the specified tour dates). Passengers doing a combination tour will have accommodation paid for when passing through a joining city (2 nights). You should allow US$25 to US$30 per day to cover food and accommodation during this time. |
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Holidays
Extras |
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