Vineyards and Volcanoes Self Drive Holiday » Itinerary

Fly overnight to Latin America. Please note: international flights are quoted separately for this holiday.

Set off on your journey through Chile today as you pick up your car for the 2 hour drive south towards the Colchagua Valley where you stay in a small hotel surrounded by vines.

The town of Santa Cruz is hemmed in on all sides by a selection of Chile’s finest wineries. Today you should visit some of them, particularly Montes and Lapostolle.

Leave the Colchagua Valley to drive south following the remote Pacific Coast, well off the beaten track. Make your way back inland to stay in the heart of the wine producing Maule Valley.

Spend today walking in the forests of Altos del Lircay on the slopes of the Andes. This park is really very little visited so you can enjoy a relaxed though long day of walking through beautiful wooded surroundings.

Today take a tour of local vineyards. The vineyards we visit here are small, family run operations. This tends to give visits in this area an unpolished charm.

Continue your journey south towards the Lake District. Stop for a short walk around the beautiful Saltos de Laja waterfalls. Spend the next two nights on a working ranch set in 500 hectares.

Spend today on the ranch either relaxing, walking or riding their horses.

Today you reach the Chilean Lake district proper – a landscape of high Andean lakes, snow-capped volcanoes and beautiful forests.

While you are here, you might like to try the walk to the smoking, snow-capped summit of Villarica volcano. From the top you have views right across the Andes into Argentina. You can see the five other volcanic cones of the area as well as three lakes.

Another fun activity to try while you are here is rafting on the Trancura River. The river is a great fun combination of grade III with occasional grade IV rapids.

After breakfast drive south towards the southern end of the beautiful Lake District. The drive today is the longest of your trip at around five hours.Your destination is the town of Puerto Varas on the shores of Lake Llanquihue.

You are free to set your agenda today so you could choose to relax in town or head to the base of the Osorno Volcano. Walk a very pretty trail which leads you across open landscapes, sometimes woods, but almost always with great views.

Another full day to explore. There are local operators in Puerto Varas offering all manner of excursions from white water rafting to mountain biking and hiking.

After a relaxed morning, drive down to the fishing village of Angelmó, part of Puerto Montt. Here you can shop for local crafts – the wool blankets and jumpers here are amazing. After an informal but delicious and fresh seafood meal, fly back to Santiago

Today is yours to explore Santiago. Your hotel is in the centre of this bustling city so you can explore on foot quite comfortably.

Leave Santiago today. Flight times vary as international flights are quoted separately for this holiday.

Arrive back home.